Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!wuarchive!sdd.hp.com!caen!dali.cs.montana.edu!milton!yoda.eecs.wsu.edu!pcooper From: pcooper@eecs.wsu.edu (Phil Cooper - CS495) Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.games Subject: Re: Run (don't walk) to your store. Lemmings has been released. Message-ID: <1991Feb23.084734.15334@eecs.wsu.edu> Date: 23 Feb 91 08:47:34 GMT References: <1991Feb18.051008.11300@zorch.SF-Bay.ORG> <52197@cornell.UUCP> <2323@odin.cs.hw.ac.uk> <1991Feb20.064217.26621@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu> <5215@vela.acs.oakland.edu> <19228@cbmvax.commodore.com> Reply-To: pcooper@yoda.UUCP (Phil Cooper - CS495) Organization: Washington State University, Pullman Lines: 108 In article <19228@cbmvax.commodore.com> kominetz@cbmvax.commodore.com (John Kominetz - Product Assurance) writes: > > Software manufacturers will produce their software for the most >common configuration of each system. An Electronic Arts Rep said that Not true... Good software manufacturers WILL support extra features in their targeted computers. In the PC world, advantage is often taken of expanded memory, higher level graphics, and hard drives. I can't even THINK of a business application for the PC which is not HD installable. Sorry, I can't comment on PC games...when I want to play a computer game, I head for my amiga. >over 90% of their sales (or at least those that sent in the reg. card) >in the Amiga market are straight A500s: no ram expanders, no external >drives, nothing. They will not change their policies until they are >convinced (by their market info.) that accelerators, extra ram, etc. are So? What is your point? With over 2 million Amigas sold, the 10% of them with expanded capabilities represents over 200,000 machines. More, those with the $$ to purchase system expansions probably have the $$ to purchase games as well. They want their software to take advantage of the investment they have made in their system. >the rule, not the exception. Since many companies base this on their >registered owners' responses, your boycott not only deprives you of good >software but insures that manufacturers won't change their behavior. > I would argue the point that software which is not HD installable is "good". I would say it is brain-damaged and not worthy of my hard earned money. I mean really, how much extra effort is required to support a hard disk? Can you say little to none? A boycott may not change the manufacturers behavior, but it might drive them out of business. This is good. Businesses which fail to identify customer needs go bankrupt every day of the year. This opens up opportunities for companies that really DO care about their customers. > First, the goal of copy protection is to discourage the common user >from reproducing the software. No protection method will stop a good >hacker, but the average user (with his stock A500) can't copy something >unless one of the copy programs does it. This gives software months in the I have a LEGAL right to make a backup copy for my own use. My rights are being denied if I purchase a software product and am prevented from making an archival copy. Please people, do not support companies which deny you your rights under US law. There are enough companies out there producing enough software that can be backed up, that we do NOT need the ones that don't. >marketplace. Pirate BBS's threaten this, but the number of modem owners >is still low enough (and the numbers difficult enough to find) that it >isn't a problem. > > Second, no analogy to the current PC market is valid. With 20+ million >MSDOS platforms out there, any PC product can afford dramatically higher >piracy rates and still sell more pieces of software than there are Amiga >computers. Back when the PC market was around 2 million, software >(including lotus, wordperfect and games) was copy-protected anyway. PC companies did not, in a fit of benevolence, decide that the number of PC's sold had made piracy rates acceptable. They were literally FORCED through a tremendous consumer backlash to de-protect the software. I know, I was part of it. As long as we continue to tolerate it, software companies will continue to do it. > > In conclusion, software companies listen to the people that buy their >software, not the ones that would "if..." The surest way to convince a Wrong...Smart companies are always looking to expand market share. This means attracting NEW buyers, not just keeping old ones. Smart companies listen to what prospective buyers have to say. If these companies are ignoring potential customers who would buy "if...", they are making a grave mistake. Other companies will provide similar software that includes desired features and they will have that customer. Not the one who continues to plod along with blinders on. >manufacturer to leave the market is to stop buying its product, especially >since all these companies can sell ten times more product in their MSDOS >lines. You will miss out on a great game for the Amiga by not buying >Lemmings, and your attitude will certainly not improve the situation for >anyone in the Amiga Community. > John, you sound so confident, so sure of yourself in this advice. I think you are 180 degrees wrong here. I for one could live without another game, and certainly would not notice the demise of Psygnosis. If nothing else, it would put other vendors on notice that they MUST provide a means for legal backups and support for expanded systems. You sound like we should be grateful for another whiz-bang neato game that forbids HD installation and prevents our LEGAL right to make a backup. I am insulted and resentful. If we continue to support these jerks by buying their games, what motivation do they have to change their behavior? None. > John Kominetz > >disclaimer: These are my opinions and may not reflect those of Commodore. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Thank god for that! -Phil- -- /********************************************************************\ * Real Life: Phillip R. Cooper * * Email: pcooper@yoda.eecs.wsu.edu * * Disclaimer: Disclaimer?? I don't need no stinkin' disclaimer!!! *