Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!midway!chsun1!kusumoto From: kusumoto@chsun1.uchicago.edu (Bob Kusumoto) Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2 Subject: Re: Software "rentals" (was: piracy) Message-ID: Date: 20 Sep 90 18:05:31 GMT References: <692@servio.UUCP> <1990Sep18.194411.4851@eng.umd.edu> Sender: news@midway.uchicago.edu (News Administrator) Organization: University of Chicago Lines: 33 russotto@eng.umd.edu (Matthew T. Russotto) writes: >In article kusumoto@chsun1.uchicago.edu (Bob Kusumoto) writes: >>charging for it. I really don't think U6 is going to come out for the Apple >>because of piracy and piracy will probably end up killing the Apple II >>market altogether. I'm not going to stand on the soapbox and say that >>people should stop pirating games because you know that someone out there >>is going to do it anyway and just sap the market (well, not only that but >>the fact that there aren't that many Apple II owners left to buy this stuff >>compared to a platform like the PCs and the Amigas). >If you think that piracy in the IBM world isn't rampant, you are way off base. I'm not saying that piracy isn't a non-issue on any other platform, but if you compare the volume of sales for PC game (or an Amiga game, although I'm not quite sure on this one) and an Apple game, you're going to find out that more copies of the PC are sold, just on the fact that there are a hell of a lot more PC people out there actually buying the game compared to the number of people still buying apple games. I might be wrong in a few specific cases but I'm pretty sure that in general, software companies are making more money off the PC games than Apple games (why would they make the PC version of the games first? Some companies now have this policy of making the PC version first and other platforms later if time and sales permit). Just to go back to the example, how many copies of Ultima VI were sold since it came out for the PC? How many do you think are going to sell for the Apple II line? I don't have sales figures or the break even point for Origins but when you're in the business of making money, you gotta consider these things. Bob Bob Kusumoto | Find the electric messiah! Internet: kusumoto@chsun1.uchicago.edu | The AC/DC God! Bitnet: kusumoto@chsun1.uchicago.bitnet | - My Life with the Thrill Kill UUCP: ...!{oddjob,gargoyle}!chsun1!kusumoto | Kult, "Kooler than Jesus"