Shareware = shareware version (S) + registered version (R)
Not shareware = demo version (D) + full version (F)
R = S + more levels, features, etc.
F = D + more levels, features, etc.
S.price() = D.price() = 0
price(R) = price(F) > 0
S & D can be found everywhere
S = D
R & F can be bought on the internet
within the internet R = F
F can be bought in retail stores while R cannot
only in stores where the $ can be found in big amounts R != F
d internet.size()
--------------------- > 0 (internet''s growing)
d time
lim F-R = 0 (with the time as the internet grows the line
time-->inf between shareware and not shareware fades away)
as all the people move to the internet to buy (cos prices are obviously lower being no need to pay distributors and retailers) we will have S=D & R=F and more oportunities for small developers and big corps not monopolizing everything so much, is that too optimistic? I know we heard the same stuff a few years ago and it didn''t happen so perfectly as people predicted but I think it''s just a matter of time.

You have a few options:

1) Freeware - This way you''d get a lot of advertising, and if its good, people will probably remember you and BUY your next game.
2) Shareware - This is probably a good way of selling the game. But first you''ve got to advertise in MILLIONS of sites to let people know it EXISTS! Otherwise they basically won''t know.
3) Sell it through Xtreme Games LLC - They offer very good publishing deals, you ought to check this out! go to their page at www.xgames3d.com they are very good, very good loyalty rate etc.
4) Professional Publisher - You could approach a few companies with your game, like Ubisoft. But your game would probably have to be incredibly good, so...
Judge for yourself!

Quote: <1) Freeware - This way you'd get a lot of advertising, and if its good, people will probably remember you and BUY your next game.>

Yes, and you maybe have just thrown some thousand dollars in a trashcan. Because: If your game is downloaded much, you lost many potential buyers. If your game is downloading less (because it maybe isn't good) you won't get much advertising either
...

Quote: <2) Shareware - This is probably a good way of selling the game. But first you've got to advertise in MILLIONS of sites to let people know it EXISTS! Otherwise they basically won't know.>

It is not THAT bad. I informed some major sites about Smugglers and now it is spreading itself. It is just most important that you get on the front site of some major sites. This only happens if your game is good though. I made two games before Smugglers and they had - online - not very much success.

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Edited by - Jester101 on April 16, 2001 6:07:58 AM

lamothe is a thief, he is more a budget agent he steals 50 %.
An agent takes normally 10%. And then I talk about the big agents, who works for Sid Meyer and the other well known companies.

I kinda have to agree with Hase here...
Apogee games were GREAT! I dl''ed those countless times from bbs (Now those were the days). The fact of the matter is the sheer volume of shareware hasnt decreased...but I think its the quality...

I visit many dl-sites for games and over the past 2 years nothing has really gotten my attention. There was a few shoot''em space games and some mind teasers but nothing that I could honestly say grabbed me like old Apogee games.

It kinda has to go along with the GameDev artical on ''12 things that are wrong with games today''. Demos have just gotten to damn big...and it seems that every tom, dick and harry thinks that they need to make the next Quake3. Best game I''ve ever played was Might and Magic 3...I even still play it today. It can fit on like 2 - 3.5''s ... and is very fun to play.

I''ve often wondered if I created a multi player version of that type how good it would do...free of course...

oh..and shareware mailing lists...when they would send you 10 5.25 disks full of shareware...ahhh..how I long for those days to return. hehe...flashbacks *sigh*





Jenison
''Things are more like they are now then they ever were before'' - Truman

Do NagWare. My games are free, but you get annoying messages. To make the messages go away, send money.

I made ~$5000 last year and look to double it this year.

Thanks for the response so-far.

I don''t know about getting published. This is my first game, and in comparison to commercial titles the graphics, sound, and engine are almost certainly going to be a bit poor. Hopefully the gameplay will be alright. I really have no clue how popular it will/will not be.

Also do you think that I should release a game made with Creator, and provide creator to those who register, or provide Creator, and then send an adventure, with graphic tiles and SFX?


BTW I played the demo of Jester101''s Smugglers. It is quite fun, and addictive. It is funny how simple it all is. Not meaning to be rude, but if it is selling as well as he says then there is certainly hope. Like I said, I am not trying to be rude... it''s just that, although fun, the game is not much to look at compared to simularly priced old commercial titles. I mean, given the current exchange rate I can buy Dungeon Keeper2, or Theme Hospital, or System Shock 2!! for the same price.

Oh, Jester101... if you are going to make a demo cut out after a certain amount of games, you really ought make it easier to bypass than uninstalling, and re-installing. You''ll probabally get a few more sales that way.

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Why run? You''''ll only die tired.
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If your game is of good enough quality then shareware will provide a reasonable income. In my case I develop for CE so I need to update my devices often and the income from royalties pays for all my kit with a little left over.

I would go for shareware with a modest fee for registration but make the level designer free so that you can encourage people to enhance the game and give away levels making it even more likely that you will get more registrations.

If this is your first game you have to find out all about shareware sites, making setup programs etc & you should test much more than you think using beta testers when it''s stable enough.

Ian

Buster,
Congrats! That''s a pretty good chunk of change to make off of a shareware game. What game(s) did you develop? Do you have a web site? What did you do to spread it around? What sites did you upload to? Share the knowledge, man.

Shareware dead ? Let me say two words :Spiderweb Software.