Adventures as shareware

[misterskipperdoo]

Hey, you guys remember how apogee and epic used to release their shareware?

Put out one chapter of a really good three chapter game. Let everybody download and share the first chapter, get blown away by it, and sell the last two chapters to continue the story.

Has anyone ever tried this for adventure games? Make three chapters of one long game. Each chapter would be about 15 hours of gameplay time. Sell the next two chapters for dirt cheap (say, $5 each) and let those who want complete the story keep going.

I'm not advocating an end to freeware adventures. I just say that with the market the way it is, maybe adventure games should be sold in a bit of a different way. If you keep the crew on each game to a smaller size and make the graphics and music decidedly retro, it could work.

[Alarcon]

1) "Each chapter would be about 15 hours of gameplay time."  This is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.  Has there ever been a 45 hour long adventure game?  Ever?  Fifteen hours is on the high end for a commercial adventure game.  The longest freeware games are, what, five hours?  Your proposal is so chimerical as to deserve Larry Values: 

2) Why not just use the demo / retail system and not call it episodic?  You don't need anywhere near 15 hours to hook a player.

3) It seems unlikely to me that pricing a game at $5 rather than $15 makes a big difference.  If people like the game, they're willing to pay.  It's the hassle of making the purchase that discourages people.  Anything with a reasonably low price will be sold.

'nuff said.

[misterskipperdoo]

Point taken on the game length. You're right. 15 hours is overboard.

But I have to respectfully disagree on the rest. I think that the shareware model is different from the demo software currently in vogue. Back in the day, I spent hours on the first Commander Keen, and it was very much a self-contained game, with it's own levels and bosses. The commercial adventure game demos I download now consist entirly of a few rooms, with only a couple of characters, and that's it. Bone is a good case in point here.

If an adventure game marketed as shareware was really good, I think it would be a success. If a single episode cost the same as a double-shot mocha, nobody would balk at purchasing it.

[esper]

I was trying to get the people at the Game Maker forums to consider this one. Everyone release a demo game, we'd put them all on a CD and sell them as Shareware, blah, blah, blah. I mean, with the quality of some of those games (sure it was the early 90's, but those games STILL sucked) it could be pulled off...

[Vince Twelve]

If a game cost the same as a double-shot mocha, people would associate low cost with low quality and pass it over.  Unless of course you've already gotten them hooked with an introductory episode, at which point, they'd almost certainly pay more.  I agree with Alacron's point three.   People are more discouraged by the hassle associated with paying than they by parting with the money.  A $15 dollar price tag would probably be more succesful.

On a side note, keep an eye on Manifesto Games.  I really think Greg Costikyan has a good idea going here.  Something that could make a lot of money for independent game makers.  If I ever make a game that would be worth a price tag, I'd look their way.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

I remember "Teenagent" and "Black Star: Agent of Justice" were like that. Shareware, and chapters.

Now they're freeware. Thank God.

Duke Nukem, Commander Keen, Doom, Hocus-Pocus, that rather works as shareware. But, shareware adventure games? It's an odd notion my brain can't get around.

But then, my brain can't get around Bone's episodic system either.

[off-topic] Amazing. I think that in these past posts I've made, I've managed to talk a lot and not really say anything of any importance. [/off-topic]

[esper]

Rui, one word:

Hugo.

[TheCheese33]

Well, remember how well Serious Sam did? It was at a budget price of 20.00, and everyone loved it. I think that adventure games would well be in the 12 dollar price range.

With the quality of the games he's making (hell, they're even better quality than some commercial games!) I think Iceman's going to release DNG 2 as freeware, then make a team and make shareware games. He could even sell them on Steam!

Which brings me to another point: Any shareware adventure game should try to be sold on Steam. the way they distribute the games is absolutely perfect. As long as you remember your username and password, and as long as you have an internet connection, you get to keep the game forever! Plus, no way to sneak someone a copy, so you keep making money.

Gtg, playing HL: BS.

[Candle]

Bone: Out from Boneville

A mysterious foe. An idyllic valley. An unlikely hero.

Enter the world of Jeff Smith's Bone and a truly epic adventure will come to life.

As the saga begins, three cousins - Fone, Phoney and Smiley Bone - become separated in a vast, uncharted desert. One by one, they find their way into a deep, forested valley filled with wonderful and terrifying creatures and new mysteries that await them.

•Ã,     Help Bone and his cousins find a way back to Boneville. Unravel curious puzzles, maneuver through mini-games and encounter un-expected surprises.   
•Ã,     Travel throughout the idyllic valley and meet the unique inhabitants. Brave and lovely Thorn, the great Red Dragon, rat creatures, talking bugs and more.   
•Ã,     Discover the hidden secrets of the valley. A mysterious map, a beautiful heroine with a past even she doesn't know about, a hooded creature with a grand scheme, and the power of quiche!   

With an in-game help system, you'll never get stuck for long!

You can play the first part for free then you have to pay to finsh the game:)
Bold for those that have a hard time understanding things that are not pointed out to them.
Now I'm out of here for today.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Ah yes, the Hugo games. I hate them. Add them to my aforementioned "Teenagent" and "Blackstar".

Candle - ...ayuh, we know about it. Episodic, like I said. Sorry, but I don't really see the relevance of your post...

EDIT - Thanks for bolding it so I could see it better. Now reread what I said: it's already been referenced. It's episodic. I don't see the relevance of your post, meaning I don't see what it adds of new to the discussion.

[TheCheese33]

What's better than buying a game at an inflated price that you already own, have played hundreds of times, and the only new thing they add is a new inventory item; a piece of cheese? I'll buy it, then wait for the deluxe deluxe version to come out, when they add the word "the" in the middle of one sentence of dialog, which was suppossed to be there in the Deluxe version, but they left out, so now they have to make a whole new version! 
EDIT: Sounds a whole lot like what Sierra is doing with the Leisure Suit Larry and King's Quest series by re-rereleasing them to the public, doesn't it?

[Kinoko]

Candle: Gonna have to back Rui up on this one 'cause I don't see what your point was either.

[Rui 'Trovatore' Pires]

Hey, hey, peace and love everyone.

Candle, thanks for bolding out the statement so I could read it better. My eyesight is not the same as it was. Now could you please tell us what you meant to say, without being condescending?

EDIT - Cheese, about the collections - heh, it's funy, but it seems like there's always a market for collections of old games. Guess us adventure gamers can't move on with the times. Look at me - I still treasure my Roberta Williams Anthology battered copy...

[Helm]

Everybody chill out? Candle was the only one being a confused and insulting lost person in this thread.

The old shareware system doesn't work, apparently. I read a report by Apogee years ago saying much of the same thing, shame I can't find it now. The big difference today would be direct sales online indeed, and maybe that will create a foundation for micropayments that could be applied to other sellable stuff like online comics or music. It's an exciting notion, episodic content for small money, and it might create the same sort of addiction comic book fanatics have with their comics, but I'm not sure if that's entirely a good thing.

[misterskipperdoo]

I've played through the downloadable section of Bone, and got to the end. I really wouldn't classify it as shareware. Only a few rooms, and two characters grand total. Not what I would consider a self-sufficient game.

Good shareware has always been a self-sufficient game on it's own, and thus buying the remaining chapters you can continue and finish the story. Hugo, Serious Sam, and Dare 2 Dream are good examples because they are really poor games to begin with, and would absolutely never sell in the traditional market.

I'm not even saying this idea would work, I just think it might be a viable option to the old-fashioned storefront, which really hasn't worked for adventure games since the early '90s. By putting adventures in places like game crazy and ebGames, I think we're reaching the wrong market.

[m0ds]

I'd love to release something as shareware, so I can relive the 90's and claim I had a shareware title, even if I am a decade or two too late I don't think there's anything wrong with releasing it as shareware, but it is without a doubt sales of such a thing these days is unconvincing.

[LimpingFish]

There is something to be said for episodic gaming. At least the way Valve have outlined.

Trying to think of a new way to sell "Traditional" adventure games, when the retail market for such has apparently dried up, is to be applauded, but most likely will prove fruitless.

When the entire publishing industry, and the gaming press at large, refer to the adventure game as "Not commercially viable" (Thanks for that bombshell, LucasArts!), then there seems to be little we can do. Other than continuing to love what we love, and being part of the thing that keeps what we love alive.

BTW: "Farhenhiet" proves that a fresh approach can turn a profit. But it also seems to be the exception to the rule.

...

Man!....Heavy! :

[Vince Twelve]

it is without a doubt sales of such a thing these days is unconvincing.

I'm sure the people who still make boat loads of money releasing shareware games would disagree with you.

Of course those shareware games are all in casual games, not adventure.

Posted this once before, but couldn't hurt to do it again:
Casual Fortunes: Getting Rich Slowly with Casual Games