why freeware first?

[reubert]

Hi everyone

Started writing a question about registration, but realised I wanted to know this first so will ask the next one later

I read in a few places people getting told to release a freeware title first, make a name for themselves, then go shareware. Nowhere could I find a good reason for this.

So I'm thinking nah, why not just go shareware? A shareware title is always more likely to make money than a freeware title. Just how much would a 'good name' affect sales anyway? how many people would actually think 'I'll download that game because the developer released a good freeware title a while back'. And if they did, what's the difference form a 'good shareware title a while back'

perhaps peoples first released game is assumed to be crap?

I think this will be a good game, despite being my first release. It might even sell a few copies. So does anyone have a good reason to not try to sell it?

[Josh]

Originally posted by reubert
So I'm thinking nah, why not just go shareware? A shareware title is always more likely to make money than a freeware title. Just how much would a 'good name' affect sales anyway?I believe they do a lot. I always download every game Ambrosia releases simply because they have the track record of well polished, high quality games.And if they did, what's the difference form a 'good shareware title a while back'Because if they get to play the entire game and they know that it was high quality, then a shareware game must be even better and they are then more likely to register.

[Najdorf]

Going shareware is just some more work. If you believe that this extra work is worth the money you can get, it would be stupid to release it free. Really, you're not building much reputation with a free game anyway. To build reputation do like Danlab, make a lot of good quality titles (shareware).

[reubert]

I believe they do a lot. I always download every game Ambrosia releases simply because they have the track record of well polished, high quality games.

Good point. As Najdof said though, a reputation is built by releasing a lot of good quality titles. Ambrosia has certainly doen this, and one freeware title is unlikely to do much.


Because if they get to play the entire game and they know that it was high quality, then a shareware game must be even better and they are then more likely to register

Another good point. I'm still trying to get my head around it. Whether you're better off missing out on the potential proffits of the first game to try to help the second... dunno.

I think the goal is to make a game so good that the player just has to register and play the rest. If it's obvious enough that hours more fun will be unlocked by paying, I wouldn't think it mattered much how good the earlier title was.

This is all pretty hypothetical. Has anyone released a freeware game they wish had been shareware or vice versa?

[Jake]

I was told by some to release my first game as freeware, and I almost did, but I am sure glad I didn't! If you release your first game as shareware and it doesn't do well, then work harder on your next game, most first games don't do well, and if it does do good, you will have some extra cash :), maybe a few hundred extra dollars :)

[OneSadCookie]

You get a lot of goodwill from people if you release a game as freeware. If you release a game as shareware that's not of the quality people expect, you just get a lot of "what the @#$% is this ^&*! smoking that he thinks this piece of $%^& is worth &*!@ing $10?!"

You've gotta ask yourself, is $50 worth 20 hate-mails, as opposed to no monetary reward but 10 positive-encouragement-mails :)

[Najdorf]

I think nobody in the world released a game shareware and wished he had released it freeware, the other way round lots ;-)
If you're firmly convinced to put your game free because you want many people to play it, be good and generous, then give it free.
If you have made a good game and you are thinking about getting some money in return, and can accept the extra work of distributing it, setting up a payment system, signing some obscure contracts, doing a decent website, then it would be stupid not to go shareware. It's quite annoying to set things up (yeah! I finished!) but once you have everything running you can just post minor updates of your game and get money from it every month.

[reubert]

Jake - I think I read some of those comments to you, glad to here it went well for you going shareware.

OSC - lol Guess I'd better make damn sure its worth paying for and keep off the green stuff! (despite thats what its about)

[Najdorf]

You get a lot of goodwill from people if you release a game as freeware. If you release a game as shareware that's not of the quality people expect, you just get a lot of "what the @#$% is this ^&*! smoking that he thinks this piece of $%^& is worth &*!@ing $10?!"

You've gotta ask yourself, is $50 worth 20 hate-mails, as opposed to no monetary reward but 10 positive-encouragement-mails

You really won't care a thing of hate mails with 50$ in your pocket, knowing that some people actually PAID to have your game (that is a much bigger appreciation than a positive-encouragement-mail)

[reubert]

Najdorf - was that your first sharware title? did you release any freeware titles first? can we have a link?

I'm definately keen to do all the buisness/marketing side of things. Funnily enough I'm actually looking foward to it. I'm an artist as well (I do paintings) and have found that for me, one of the most enjoying/rewarding parts of being an artist is trying to sell the things. Thinking of ways to market yourself can be really fun. I can't wait to have a website for my game and watch the numbers of downloads and (hopefully) purchases. [edit - its kinda like fishing really.] The only downside is the accounting.

I'd almost be tempted to be a publisher, But without the creating side I'd go mad.

[Najdorf]

If you like the business stuff then how can you have any doubts?;)

radical rebound (http://www.radicalrebound.com/) is my game, my first released game: the first versions were free but from v3.0 I'm trying to sell it. I've done 40 $ in about 2 weeks.

[Damian]

Originally posted by reubert
So I'm thinking nah, why not just go shareware?So does anyone have a good reason to not try to sell it?

The leading reason is that the first game or two you make is likely to suck in ways you aren't even aware of, so for the sake of people not getting jack of the entire concept of shareware, and not getting an ugly PerversionTracker review, it helps to lower the expectations.

Of course, if you are experienced and professional about it then there's no problem. It's just that, with releasing software on the web being so easy now, I'm expecting to see a Hello World posted on VersionTracker one of these days.:shock:

[Najdorf]

The leading reason is that the first game or two you make is likely to suck in ways you aren't even aware of
:lol:
Anyway people criticize a lot also free games ;)

[Jake]

Originally posted by Damian
The leading reason is that the first game or two you make is likely to suck in ways you aren't even aware of

I like that quote :). I think if your first game is going to be shareware than you need to do ALOT of beta testing, I did a medium amount, and my first release on VT was pretty bad, after a few small updates and about 4 bad reviews of bugs freezing users computers Escape was finally polished enough to be a decent shareware game.

[Danlab]

Originally posted by Damian
The leading reason is that the first game or two you make is likely to suck in ways you aren't even aware of, so for the sake of people not getting jack of the entire concept of shareware, and not getting an ugly PerversionTracker review, it helps to lower the expectations.


i see my game Crazy Golf on perversiontracke !! this make me laught.. to see people speaking about a game like that..
I think we cant take care about web site like that. I can make my perversiontracker web site tomorow..

The best feedback is user feedback.. im receving a lot of e-mails about my games, and this retrun is very usefull for update and improve the game.

the best way is to do a freeware in that way you can see how people react ..

But if you want to do a sharware.. think about this:
1/ there is another game like your game
2/ The price must to be "shareware price"
3/ you make games for fun or money ?

nb: excuse me again for my baaad english :-)

[igame3d]

Ah, just go shareware. If your game blows chunks and you get lots of bad reviews, just take it off the net a month before you release the next one, or turn it freeware after a year or two. Lots of publishers release bad games, and they have money.

You don't have to answer the "do you make games for fun or money" question, it is only two sided and will never cover the spectrum of reasons to be a game developer.

Maybe the answer is just "Because I can."

There would be no Apple Computer today if it was not for Steve Job's "For the money" attitude. Steve Wozniak built computers for fun.

Sometimes you need the devil on your shoulder saying "Sell it".

[jSTIN]

Ok, I went shareware on every game I've made. I would do shareware, cause if our gong to do that in the future than you should start practising it now. You'd hate to ruin a good game you'll make down the road, by making it your first shareware game, and not knowing how to promote etc. it right. Releasing shareware
and getting sales takes practice to get right, its not all the product by any means (though that helps a lot).

If your worried about reputation, I'm not sure, but I think doing freeware can give a bad rep too. Some people think "Freeware, can't be good, people will want money if they have a good product." You can't be too careful about it either or you'll be afraid to release anything.

[Najdorf]

I pretty much agree with you, jSTIN, on all your post;)

[reubert]

Didn't know perversionTracker existed. man that freaks me out. Thats completely unfair on you danlab.

still, thanks for all your comments, I've decided to definately go sharware. If I get a few extra downloads directed my way from perversion tracker then so be it.

[Damian]

Originally posted by Danlab
i see my game Crazy Golf on perversiontracke !! this make me laught.

I don't think Crazy Golf deserved to be perversionTracked. However, if you read some of the other reviews, you'll see what I mean about people releasing everything they write after (and perhaps one day including) Hello World.

In the case of Crazy Golf, the name kind of suggests a gross perversion of the rules and concept of golf (human heads on a cannibal island or something), and so it was the name they were ripping into rather than the game, which was highly polished.

[Damian]

The test I use is "would I pay for this?" Since the only shareware I have paid for is GraphicConverter, it looks as if it'll be a while before I charge for anything!

[GoodDoug]

I think I should release "Hello World" and put it up on Version Tracker. That would be funny.

A cute story from a few years ago:
Two of my good friends are talking, both are expereinced programmers and very funny people.
Friend One: "Have you learned Java yet?"
Friend Two: "I've just written 'Hello World' in it, that's all"
Friend One: "Oh my God! You wrote 'Hellow World?' isn't that like a famous program or something?"

At which I spewed beer out of my nose, they still have the marks on their rug to prove it.

[Brad Oliver]

Originally posted by reubert
I read in a few places people getting told to release a freeware title first, make a name for themselves, then go shareware. Nowhere could I find a good reason for this.

I guess it depends on the situation. In my case, I made a name for myself with free ports of MacMAME, an editor for the LucasArts game Dark Forces and a port of Raven's Heretic.

On the strength of that, I was able to get a job at Westlake doing what I like best. Creating new games isn't my forte, so this suits me better. It's possible that things would have turned out the same if I had perhaps done shareware stuff instead, but I don't know. I'm not sure I would have been able to whip up something shareware with as much visibility. Obviously, YMMV. :)

[applekid]

Originally posted by Brad Oliver
I guess it depends on the situation. In my case, I made a name for myself with free ports of MacMAME, an editor for the LucasArts game Dark Forces and a port of Raven's Heretic.

On the strength of that, I was able to get a job at Westlake doing what I like best. Creating new games isn't my forte, so this suits me better. It's possible that things would have turned out the same if I had perhaps done shareware stuff instead, but I don't know. I'm not sure I would have been able to whip up something shareware with as much visibility. Obviously, YMMV. :)

:ohmy: It's THE Brad Oliver :wow: :wacko: It's really you... :shock: Enough of my arse kissing... :D

[Steven]

Originally posted by Brad Oliver
an editor for the LucasArts game Dark Forces

I used that for years!!!
I still have a copy of DarkForge hiding somewhere on my hard disk... :p

[igame3d]

Of course if DarkForge had been released commercially, I bet the Sith Lawyers would have been all over it.