Well, it’s not too for removed from the ransom model of publication, which has already proven successful. Kickstarter is only the most recently famous incarnation of that model.
Well, this is indeed a thing we can do nothing about. But the AppStore apps are rather difficult to get via piratebay. The main reason is that i.e. you have to jailbreak and so void the warranty of a $600+ piece of equipment just to get a $1- piece of software.
Let’s examine the Dreamhold by zarf, these days’ release on the AppStore. The game is a masterpiece for entry level IF. It has a mapping tool (and a very cool one, also). It’s soooooo much iPad friendly that it looks like it has been designed along with the machine.
Of course, we are talking about an IF piece which has been around for ages and that one can get for free in a different medium (…well, you can get it for free in the iOs also, but, anyway).
Let’s imagine a game that good, with all the eye-candy of the Dreamhold, which is there just in the AppStore… and which costs around 1/2 dollars. How many would NOT buy it?
Think about the FinalFantasy franchise, which can now be bought for a fair higher price in the AppStore, and which is oddly 20 years old. Ask Square Enix how many did they sell.
Retrogaming is alive and kicking in the portable market (and not even that much as it could). IF is the perfect thing for an iPad or a Kindle. Money should not be a problem as long as one doesn’t ask 50 bcks for a text adventure… No one will probably get filthy rich by selling IFs, but I’m a believer…
Heck, let’s think Haedan Lands. Zarf got a lot of people to pay him in a very short time.
And let’s think of Textfyre, who has come up with a nice website, deluxe versions, their own virtual machine, and well-known authors, and seems to be struggling along.
Good point. I was going to argue that actually relatively very few people have iOS devices, but then again I guess 30 years ago relatively very few people had personal computers.
Sorry to bring an old thread up, but will there be any chance that the other interviews from Infocom people will be released as well? I’ve watched Dan Horn’s, Stu Galley’s, as well as those who are/were part of the more modern IF community, and I was interested to see more of those from the Infocom era.
After a few months, I see only Marc Blank’s and Jon Palace’ interviews have been added. Perhaps the others were not as lenient about releasing theirs?
Jason has indicated that he’s handed that footage off to the interviewees for final approval, so whatever happens, happens.
I know this is WAY old but I came across it, liked it and wanted to respond. I think the above statement has some truths in it. Firstly if there was a time when something that was sold in the 80s could potentially be sold again its certainly now with all the retro focus. Also yeah I think you could go old school and sell the games for maybe £2 ($3) in certain ways; if only working on the logic that you can sell a lot of things for £2 if you try.
Hi,
Over at Strand, we’re currently working on re-releasing the Magnetic Scrolls’ adventures. Like the guy said, there’s no money in it, but it’s worth doing.
We’re charging the “pound a punt” model. Whereby we take £1/$1/1Euro, then add fees + tax. Amazingly, this can add up to £1.79 (30p tax, 15p share with itch.io, ~35p payment processor). The remaining £1 goes to running the web hosting, domains, Apple developer fees etc.
If things went really well, we’d like to make sequels, but hey.
I’d say that the mobile software market has been upended at least twice since 2012. (Or three times? Downward trend in prices becoming a permanent status quo, transitioning to dominance of free-to-play games, an indie boom-and-bust cycle which probably counts as two up-endings…)
Think about the context when you reply to old posts, is what I’m saying.
Hope it goes well! Hey, if you don’t try stuff you’ll never know whether it would have worked!
Oh my goodness!!! I watched this documentary like 5 times and it inspired me to play IF back then. But, honestly, I never knew we have these extra videos! I’ll spend my whole day to watch them.
Thank you so much for everyone involved in this documentary. I appreciate it very much!