I've read that shareware games are about finding potential niche markets that haven't been fulfilled. So how about a game where you play a network systems administrator? I'd imagine that if it's good enough to gain a front-page story on Slashdot, it'd get quite a bit of exposure. And I'm sure the Slashdot community are less likely to be timid about buying a game online. So what kind of gameplay mechanics could you design that capture the essence of what it's like to be a sysadmin? How would you be sure that it's fun for both a hardcore network systems designer and a casual computer geek? How could you avoid the mindless "_______ Tycoon" mentality, where a graphical theme is slapped onto the usual management game? [edited by - beantas on January 5, 2003 1:44:31 PM]

to be honest, I can´t imagine that a concept like that would work.... imo you should start with a good idea, not a good marketing concept.

it would be fun to create a fictional computer liguistics.
what i am going to struggle to communicate can hopefully be helped with this question, "who wants to be a hacker, like in the movies hackers?"

i do.

but who knows enough to be a hacker?

average players like me dont.

so i think an alteration of your idea would be cool for a feature in a game; maybe for a massive multiplayer game or single player strategy game. in which i learn how to become a hacker, and it could be a parody of what hackers actually do, have done in real life or even in movies.

i think your idea is very good, intensions aside and reasonless.