From: mxmora@unix.SRI.COM (Matt Mora)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games
Subject: Re: Mac game developer seeks advice
Date: 18 Nov 92 22:10:38 GMT
Organization: SRI International, Menlo Park, California

In article <1992Nov17.063249.13029@midway.uchicago.edu> hui@rainbow.uchicago.edu (Hui Dong) writes:

>I would suggest that if you distribute it as a shareware, at least disable
>some features, to make those honest people at least a feeling they are buying
>"something" with their money. I wrote SpaceInvader!, from sumex site only,
>there are more than 1100 downloads so far (not even counting American On
>Line and more than 6 shareware distributors' disks and CDs), I only got
>two checks by now (I did get more emails though).

Just because 1100 people have downloaded your game does not mean that 1100
people are using it. I for one have downloaded it a few times, tried it 
and threw it away. I download lots of things. Doesn't mean I use them.
If your wrote your game to get rich you are in the wrong business. If
you feel you deserve money for what you wrote and you think your game is good
enough, take it to a publisher.

> Although I think the game
>has pretty good quality among most shareware games, you can certainly
>argue about that. The rule should be that if you play games second time after
>you know what the games are about, you are obligated to pay.

It's no solarian but its a good first effort. (though it looks a lot like
solarian) The fact that you can't stop the ship from moving irritates the 
hell out of me, so unless its changed in a future release I doubt I'll
ever pay for it.

There are no rules to shareware and will never be any. You take a chance
developing a shareware product. If its good enough people will pay for it.
GuiltWare is good. It reminds you each time you use it that its shareware.

>and half hour good time. We should require the shareware fee be paid if 
>you play the game more than once, because you are getting fun from it,
>so you should pay for it. 

That's not always the case. I tried your program each time it was uploaded.
(and wade through the name changes. You should really think of an original
name. Space Invader is too close to Space Invaders and people will think its
a port or a clone) After a couple of times playing with it, I decided it wasn't
worth the shareware fee and deleted it.

>It reminds me there's a utility called DepthGauge,
>the authors estimate 2000 download from 1990, they only got 10 donations.
>I guess some other shareware authors may not have better luck either.

Isn't depthGauge the software that wants you to buy a cd of some artist
as a shareware payment? People probably didn't take them seriously.

>It's funny that shareware distributors may earn more money than shareware
>authors these days.

If your product is good you'll make money. Look at Bill Goodman
and Ben Haller as examples. (though Ben might have had to go the commercial 
route to see any substantial monies.)



Matt









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Matthew Mora                |   my Mac  Matt_Mora@sri.com
SRI International           |  my unix  mxmora@unix.sri.com
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Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.games