Re: Business models

[Steve Baker <sjbaker1@airmail.net>]

Joel Utting wrote:

> But ! Of course people could make copies of the original file and use
> the copies to get extra time. Oh well.

Or people could write a small utility that uses the binary-only decrypter
to decrypt all the level files and store them in non-encrypted form. Then
a small hack to read unencrypted files would result in a 100% free game.

I think that a very large part of the game would have to be closed source
in order for this to work.  You'd probably be better off simply releasing
the game as closed source and provide an extensive scripting facility to
allow people to modify it heavily.

In the end, the big question is how many people would actually rip off
the level files if you expressly forbade it.  If this scheme can be made
to work at all, you could probably simply give away the game engine and
one free level and sell the remaining levels without encrypting them at
all and still make 90% of the money you would have done anyway.

Besides, this model of selling levels doesn't work for all games...you
could hardly use it for something like Tetris for example.

----------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------------
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