[LGM]

You guys at Shrapnel should consider making SEIV Gold downloadable with a unique per system activation code based on system information. This would make SEIV much harder to pirate. Make the game good for two to seven days without an activation code so people can try out the full fledged Version (no need for a separate demo).

I would even suggest that you make activation codes work for only one year, so we have to buy it each year. The annual fee would serve both you and your customers. It would encourage you to keep developing the game and to fix bugs while giving you a continual cash flow each year to fund further development and bug fixes.

Before anyone complains about annual licensing, how many games other than SEIV are you still playing daily after one year? You certainly get your money's worth out of it do you not? (Actually, I play Stars almost every day, but it is the same kind of game as SEIV).

Another advantage to annual licensing is you can make the game continually upgradable instead of coming out with separate Versions. That way, people who buy it just before the next release comes out will not feel cheated (as some of the recent SEIV Standard purchases have expressed on this forum).

Making it downloadable would also make it easier to distribute: Smaller Distribution costs. Allow people to cut CDs to give to their friends still in 56/28.8K hell. Setup your website to enter a credit card and a response code based on system information and give them an activation code instantly (email one too if they want a second record of it).

Make the manual PDF format so anyone can print it with Acrobat Reader (which is free). Make the manual downloadable too. In other words, but all your money into development (OK, not all, but more. Some has to go in your pockets, we understand you have to eat sometimes). Why waste money on CDs and Printed Manuals. I bet many players do not load the CD everytime they play the game. The only reason to load it is to play the music which gets old after a few hundred hours.

If players want you to cut a CD for them, then charge them a minimal fee for making it and shipping it (it is a Demo until they call and register it or access your website). Likewise, let them buy manuals if they want one.

I for one would like to see more money going to on going development than for production runs.

You could even offer a perpetual license that never expires (until the machine does). Then when you decide to stop supporting the game (and relicensing it), make one Last patch that takes out the licensing requirement so that we can continue to enjoy it as shareware.

[ 18 December 2001: Message edited by: LGM ]