But, if 1 million people want them, that is a big cash-flow hit. Also, I'm troubled by the piracy issue. Any system developed to track billing will be a hot target for piracy. Knowing computer gamers, they will not only discover a way to break in, but will also spread this new method to all of their friends over the Net. As a publisher, I am in deep trouble if this comes to pass.
Revenue sharing is also a huge issue.
In a cable TV situation, revenue sharing is a negotiation between publisher, distributor, and local operator. We will still need Apple's permission to do so. I am intrigued by the possibility of meterware and how it could aid and enhance current forms of software distribution. But the issues of piracy and tampering are huge. With products developed by private enterprise, and with the potential to distribute a tampering method to millions of people, there are staggering implications, and publishers cannot afford to be watchdogs in this case.