Path: utzoo!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: <1520@ndmath.UUCP>
Date: 6 Aug 89 16:17:20 GMT
References: <43756@bbn.COM>
Organization: Math. Dept., Univ. of Notre Dame
Lines: 79

From article <43756@bbn.COM>, by denbeste@bbn.com (Steven Den Beste):
> In article <1505@ndmath.UUCP> milo@ndmath.UUCP (Greg Corson) writes:
>>
> 
> So it is for software. In a deleted section, Greg says he understands why a
> compiler costs $500, but doesn't think that games should cost that much - $25
> at the most. The cost of developing a really high-quality game at a big
> software house is staggering, and can exceed the cost for a compiler.
> Even when this is divided among all the copies
> which are sold, it still represents a lot of money. Worse, in terms of
> accounting you have to think of that money as being borrowed from a bank, with
> interest to pay. A package costing $300,000 to develop (say, 4 person-years
> of effort) may need to pay back twice that before it breaks even,
> depending on the times involved.
> 

I think part of the problem is that many game (and other personal computer
software) manufactures have yet to discover some of the more advanced tools
that can greatly reduce the cost of their software development.  I've already
seen MAJOR industrial control software systems (like for a blast furnace) be
produced for less than the $300,000 mentioned above.  Software manufacturers
need to make better use of internal software libraries, cross compilers and
other such items to reduce cost.

> By the way, have you checked out the price on K&R's "The C Programming
> Language" recently? Last time I looked it was $25, and it's only 220 pages.
> The difference is that it is aimed at a nitch market, so the price has to be
> higher because the volume will be lower. (Also, Prentice Hall is milking it for
> everything they can get, because to a great extent they have a captive market.)
Also note $25 is still less than the average game.

> 
> It's been done. There were a couple of "magazine on a disk" that were selling
> for about $8 for the Amiga, and I believe they both went belly-up. More
> interesting is the fact that these were distributing documentation and software
> from the public domain, so they didn't have to pay the programmers - and they
> STILL went under.

Most of the software distributed via magazines on disk was not the sort of
thing anyone would pay money for.  No where near a commercial quality game.

> Even if the per-unit manufacturing costs is low, the total amount invested to
> try what you are saying would be large, and they don't really want to throw
> $40,000 or $50,000 down a rat hole. You are welcome give it a try when YOU
> have that much money you are willing to invest in an experiment...
> 
>>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.
> 
> However, I'll bet that someone else does the marketing and distribution for
> you.
> 

The latest game I wrote is available ON-LINE on the GEnie system, it's a
multiplayer game and currently has support only for the macintosh (other 
versions are on the way).  The point is, I know what the development of this
game is costing me...and it's no where NEAR the estimates given above.

I'm convinced one of the biggest money eaters in the games business today is
porting games to multiple computers.  Most places complete a version for one
computer, then frequently start almost from scratch for the next computer.
Few places know now to co-develop for several computers at the same time.

Please note, I'm not trying to slam the games business, I'm not accusing them
of money grubbing or anything.  HOWEVER, I do believe they need revamp their
development process to cut costs.  ALSO, my original message still stands...

The only way to eliminate software piracy is to make software cheap enough so
it isn't worth the time and bother to pirate it.  I never said this would be
EASY but history of other industries proves it's the ONLY way that has ever
really worked well.


Greg Corson
19141 Summers Drive
South Bend, IN 46637
(219) 277-5306 
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