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Original post by Dexterity
One game we recently published doesn''t even have a free demo version -- we generate sales with a detailed sales page that gets people to buy right away. This approach has actually been quite successful, but it has nothing to do with shareware

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Yes, I have been meaning to ask you how Aargon was selling without a demo. If you don''t mind talking about it, have you noticed any differences in return rates this way? On one hand, I could see it being higher because people could realize it''s not what they think. On the other hand, I could see it being lower because the people that immediately hand over the money must really want it.




Ron Frazier
Kronos Software
www.kronos-software.com
Miko & Molly - Coming July 2002

Hmmm this topic is very interesting to me. I''ve been thinking about it quite a bit as my product gets closer and closer to release.

I''m using quite a different slant to the shareware/demo approach.

Let me give you a little history. I originally started this project as a freeware game that I was hoping just to use to showcase my skills and indeed I''ve already posted versions on CNET and other download sites (and they are doing quite well).

The fact that there is already a freeware version available and the extra effort required to set up a shareware system makes it very appealing for me to try something a little different.

Ever noticed how commercial products often include trailers to future games? That is basically my idea with dreamstars. I will release another freeware version (Dreamstars 2) that contains slightly more features and a much nicer interface as well as better game play than the previous freeware version but at the same time I will also be releasing version 3, this is my commersial version and contains a heap of new features, things like multi player, new weapons ect...

Then I will liberally include alot of "trailer" type information in version 2. For instance my default page when the user enters the user interface is my help topic titled "Features of version 3" also on exit it reminds the user that there is a version 3 that has heaps of better featurs and is much more fun.

However I don''t think I can really plug the game to the extent that a "real" shareware game does, ie nag screens before and after and constant "buy now" buttons. It''s a fine line because version 2 should still be a full game in it''s own right...

As for piracy, well I''m thinking of a number of low maintance plans. For instance offing a substantial discount on future products for anyone that purchases Dreamstars before I finish producing my next product (this also helps in marketing) and also providing free upgrades to new versions (I have huge lists of features that I could add to future versions and the game isn''t even finished yet!).

I will send the user a registration code (just a GUID) and keep a list of each customer, name, email and registartion code.

Now my idea was that it should be fairly easy to varify (mostly) a real customer that requests a replacment copy or the new version because they would need to identify themselves by the reg code or the email address they registered under...

I was planning to use a simple dely method where I thought lots of people where using the same registration code/email:

My name is xxx@abc.net and I registered under ppp@lome.net....
My name is cpa@tym.net and I registered under ppp@lome.net....
My name is tim@bob.net and I registered under ppp@lome.net....
My name is gidgit@gadget.net and I registered under ppp@lome.net....

If I get a list of requests for the new version that looks something like this then I know something fishy is going on and I just begin delaying a responce, by say a week, two weeks...

Now if someone wants a new version sent to the email address they registed under, that''s a different story and it''s pretty obvious they are a genuine customer.

Also you would only get one dicount for any registration, I think this is probably the strongest incentive for not pirating

I will put a simple registration scheme in the game, similar to big commercial products. Bascially if the game is run without registration then it will ask the user to enter some... Name, email and reg number. Then this information will the displayed on the title screen.

That will be the extent of my "protection" the game just won''t run unless you fill out these fields... Though there is no checking there, as long as they put some value it it will all work.

Actually I like this idea and may take it a step further... by doing some limited check of the system (computer name??) and using that to validate the copy. So basically if it''s moved(copied) it will ask again for the reg code. Just as a friendly reminder to pirates

Jai Shaw

Just to throw something into the whole shareware discussion.


If you want your game to be large (ie. you want to unload more than a few hundred copies) then making unique unlock codes for each app is a major headache. The alternative is to use unlock codes that are based on a formula of some kind... which, as I can testify from my experience with playing other people''s locked games a week before they are released, is a bad choice because someone with a few codes and a few hours can crack the formula.

It is because of this that I personally am not a fan of unlock codes. In reality, and mostly due to the vastness of the internet, there is no good way to copy-proof games (or anything for that matter).

Of course, it is virtual suicide to try and market a game without demos or previews. I know that I''ve bought MANY games because I enjoyed the demo; I also know that I''ve rejected many more games because all I could find was screenshots. The most recent example was Jedi Outcast. Had it not been for the demo, I wouldn''t have bought the game, as cool as the screenshots are.

Shareware is a good concept, but as people get less honest (esp. this latest generation growing up with Morpheus, Napster, et al) shareware is less viable because people have less of a problem with ripping off your game.

Just some thoughts.

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Original post by LordKronos
Yes, I have been meaning to ask you how Aargon was selling without a demo. If you don''t mind talking about it, have you noticed any differences in return rates this way? On one hand, I could see it being higher because people could realize it''s not what they think. On the other hand, I could see it being lower because the people that immediately hand over the money must really want it.

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I can''t give out any specific sales figures because that would violate our confidentiality agreement with the developer (although if the developer wants to do so, he certainly can).

As for the return rate, it''s a bit too soon to tell (the game hasn''t even been out for 30 days yet, and we offer a 60-day unconditional money-back guarantee). But so far the outlook appears excellent.

One of the nice things about attempting to sell a game with no demo is that you get the potential customer to make an immediate decision when they visit the web site. The downside of offering a free demo is that people may get as much fun as they need from the demo and have no reason to buy more.


Steve Pavlina
Dexterity Software
www.dexterity.com

Thanks for the usefull information.
To tell you the truth, I don''t think that hackers and warez sites are interested in hacking games that are not from the industry or of the big boys.
In my opinion the best solution is to use a demo, and to sell the full version via downloading from the internet.
The purchaser''s information will be encoded into one of the game''s vital files, and will be displayed in the game.
Maybe also a warnning against copying the game(next to the customer details) and the anti-piracy assosiation symbol.

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Original post by GroZZleR
What is inconvienent about having to enter "ald948ak5918" and suddenly having the full version of the game, the exact same game you''ve been playing and want to buy.

Its inconvienent to make them download something new.

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Another way of looking at it is that they had to download the whole game just to play the demo, when in fact they may not want the whole game.
As download size increases, the number of downloads falls.

Another option is to only make them download the difference between the demo and full versions. Of course this has its drawbacks, like what happens when their demo is an older, out of date version? To remedy this, you could do an install from the web type of thing, and check which files need to be installed or replaced and only downloading those files. The problem with this is a lot of users want to keep a backup copy for reinstalling.

For a full version less than 5 MB, its probably more trouble than its worth to do this. Similarly, if the demo is 2MB and the full version is 15MB its probably not worth it either (since the savings are so small.

Ron Frazier
Kronos Software
www.kronos-software.com
Miko & Molly - Coming July 2002

I have had my games hacked and Keygens made for them , And I am a humble shareware author.

http://www.positech.co.uk

Crackers will go after just about anything. Programs from independent developers seem to be cracked just as much as retail software.


Steve Pavlina
Dexterity Software
www.dexterity.com

Offer some ongoing incentive to the peep that has paid and lock it down to the PC. As long as you allow a reasonable means for them to recode to a new system etc. Lots of advantages here since you can keep in touch with your players and get feedback etc. If the player wants to be on the world wide score table or whatever they will need to keep their version away from the hackers. If the ongoing incentives are sufficient then any cracked version would be little more than advertising since someone who wanted to get involved would have to get a valid copy.

I know this wouldn''t work for all game types but for some it is a very effective model. It''s akin to the nice manuals etc you traditionally got with your microprose TankKiller XLVII sim.

Regards

BaelWrath

If it is not nailed down it''s mine and if I can prise it loose,
it''s not nailed down!