Why? That would only matter if you intend to charge money for your benchmark. In that case it would become a non-starter for many of us for that reason unless you make it a very affordable propitiation. Still, those of us who don't use Steam generally avoid it because of the DRM. If you're going to include DRM, of any kind, it's still a no-go.
Now to be fair, if it's affordable, I personally wouldn't at all mind buying a copy. However,I an never willing to pay for DRM. If it includes ANY form of DRM, internet access or "call-home-to-momma" functionality, it's a nonstarter for many of us.
You could do this. Or you could sell copies with a key system that is version specific and would only accept a key that is valid for that version.
Thank you for your post
@lexluthermiester ,
Indeed, the full version is a paid version costing around €3-4 (the Free version is fully functional, but limited), as I was mentioning in my earlier posts when defining the approach. During the beta, the full version could be used freely, but that’s why they had an expiration date. I hope no one was unpleasantly surprised by this. If so, I apologize for it.
This is why an anti-piracy system is important (in this stage, at least) —without DRM (why not? Just out of curiosity, not very familiarized with DRMs)—but for that, it would at least require calling a web server to store the unique licenses, for example. Honestly, I don’t know how I could implement an internal and offline system that allows registering a single key only once. How would other copies of the game know that the key has already been activated? The truth is, I don’t know how it’s done, so I usually rely on a simpler system, like connecting to an online database. I understand the paranoia
P) when it comes from unknown sources, but in this case, I don’t share it.
To be fair though. Piracy isn't the big bad wolf it's made out to be. I have and use a number of utilities that have no DRM except an install key. I have pirated none of them. They are all paid for. And while I'm aware that some people do pirate software, most people pay for at least some of what they use.
I partially agree. In my area, if it were simply "copy-pastable," I’m sure most people would distribute it among themselves and use it that way, if only for the straightforward ease of use, and then no one would "remember" to buy it. But well, it’s a doubt I’d rather not test for now. Sincerely, releasing my first game is a litle scary, and I feel I need to protect it for now (as when you buy a new car).
Another thing to consider is that if your benchmark continues to improve AND you make it easy to install & use, the chances that people will pay for it go up dramatically.
Sure! And I hope to make it more accessible in the future for those who don’t want it on Steam. At some point, I’ll care less about piracy and trust more in the good faith of users, but there’s still a way to go before that. For now, for example, it’s VERY important to me that users contribute their scores to the online database, which adds significant value. And for that, at least for now (I insist), since we are not too many users, it’s better not to scatter them but rather keep them concentrated—in this case, on Steam, for example.
That being said: in the future, when we have a large community and it’s no longer necessary to juggle things to consolidate scores and generate movement—when data always "stays alive" and updates quickly and easily—it will be much easier to release a free version without having to fight against piracy or struggle my mind. However, if I release a limited version now with X or Y features (some people wouldn't be happy), there would be no turning back. So, besides all of the above, I need to define it very well before doing that. And all that feedback first needs to be gathered from experience and user comments to make it as good as possible. Not to mention that before that, I still need to perfect the benchmark as much as possible and even add another map or two if I can.
In short, I’m keeping this in mind and I want to do it, but there are certain things that take priority, and my time and resources are limited. I wish I could do everything faster and with more money! (Just publishing it on Steam alone was $100, as example).
Thank you so much for reading this far, and I hope you all have the patience until the day comes. Thanks also for the patience you’ve had until now!
I will try my best.
Waiting to see your machine.
