[GRLUG] Mass Market Software

[peyeps at iserv.net]

>
>>> Is it there even a future a small company (I'm talking under ten
>>> employees) to make money writing mass-market software to be
>>> distributed any more?
>
>>mass-market?  No, but I don't think there has been for a long time
>>already.
>
> I don't know if a video game counts as "Mass Market Software"  but 2D
> Boy is just two people, and they've been incredibly successful selling
> copies of their "World of Goo" game (which runs on Windows, Mac, and
> Linux, and contains absolutely no DRM)
>
> http://2dboy.com/about.php
>
> I certainly think it's possible to do, as long as the software is
> priced realistically. The software I see most pirated is the software
> that's way overpriced, (Microsoft Windows / Microsoft Office / Adobe
> Creative Suite not worth X-hundred-dollars per copy), or on the low
> end (SmartFTP costing $40 dollars a seat)
>

Apparently Apple's App store for the iPhone is a model to be considered.

Took a look at 2D Boys World of Goo, and they want $20.00.  They have for
competition things like Ravenhurst at Big Fish Games to compete with,
where the price per download is seven to ten dollars a download.  Know
from personal experience, (my beloved has purchased a number of games)
that this is a viable model.  I would have to assume that it is a very
viable model, even though the game pattern is very similar for a number of
games, because the number of titles are added to on a almost weekly basis.
 Haven't a clue as to who is writing the stuff, but it is getting better. 
Trouble is it is for Windows primarily, and Mac as they appear to get
around to it.  There seems to be several months delay between some windows
titles coming out and the Mac version.  (The windows version seems to want
more control of how it is installed, so I've not installed any on windows.
 On Mac, it is simply download, copy to apps folder and you are good to
go.  After the trial period it asks for the key.)

www.bigfishgames.com

Perhaps it is time to establish an App store for stuff that runs on all
three platforms.  There is a market for ten dollar items.  I would bet
that even Linux users, who prefer the FOSS concept would not mind popping
for ten bucks for a purchased game.  I know this goes against the grain of
FOSS, so maybe it wouldn't fly.  But if we are going to assume that Linux
is desktop ready, then we need to be able to purchase for it the same way
we purchase for Windows or Mac.  Linux needs to develop a purchase
software friendliness.

(Running and ducking for cover.)