Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!iuvax!ndcheg!ndmath!milo
From: milo@ndmath.UUCP (Greg Corson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: No more Cinemaware stuff for Amiga !!!????
Message-ID: <1505@ndmath.UUCP>
Date: 3 Aug 89 15:09:38 GMT
References: <6712@warpdrive.UUCP>
Organization: Math. Dept., Univ. of Notre Dame
Lines: 46

The only real way to end software piracy (in the real world with the kind
of people that are out there) is to make the cost and inconvenience of 
copying a game MORE than the purchase price.  This has consistantly proven
to be the case in many other industries.

Publishing for instance...nobody makes copies of a paperback book, because
it would be too much of a pain to copy a book that only costs $4.  People
rarely copy hard back books, because it's easier just to wait for an 
inexpensive paperback to come out.

Records & CD's are somewhat easier to copy...however a lot of people would
rather spend the $8-15 to get an original than go to the bother of making
a tape.

I can understand the reasons why things like C compilers & such sell for $500
and I'm willing to pay that much because I understand the product has a 
limited market.  A game, however, should NOT cost $50!  (particularly some
of the ROTTEN games I've seen out there).  A lot of the games I've seen
I would consider worth $5-$10 but VERY few are of $50 quality.

I think a lot of manufacturers have to get with it, pricing wise, computer
prices have been coming down at a staggering rate, but game software costs
have actually gone up.  Today I can buy a major motion picture that cost
$40 MILLION dolars to make...for $19.95...I can buy a 500 page novel that
someone took a year to write...for $5.  Games certainly cost less to develop
than a major movie, require about the same effort as a major paperback novel
and cost less to duplicate than the average video tape.  Granted, the market
is smaller, but so are the development costs.

I wish that just ONCE a software company would TRY distributing a really good
game for $10 a copy...just to see what happens.  If the sales of Dragon's 
Lair are as bad as people have been saying (since piracy) maby the manufacturer
could try it with that package as a test (what have they got to loose if
sales are near 0 now).

Next week...why do vinal records cost $8 and CDs cost $15 when CD's cost less
to make?

Greg Corson
19141 Summers Drive
South Bend, IN 46637
(219) 277-5306 
{pur-ee,rutgers,uunet}!iuvax!ndmath!milo
 
P.S.  Just so you know I'm not talking through my hat...I develop games
      as part of my living...so I know the effort involved.