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From: rmh@apple.UUCP (Rick Holzgrafe)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac
Subject: Re: Shareware (was Red Ryder)
Message-ID: <6606@apple.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 2-Nov-87 13:07:50 EST
Article-I.D.: apple.6606
Posted: Mon Nov  2 13:07:50 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 6-Nov-87 02:44:07 EST
References: <377UD069225@NDSUVM1> <172@ut-emx.UUCP>
Reply-To: rmh@apple.UUCP (Rick Holzgrafe)
Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, USA
Lines: 56

In article <7082@prls.UUCP> gardner@prls.UUCP (Robert Gardner) writes:
>I think a lot of people who provide shareware post their stuff in an
>incomplete stage thinking that if interest warrants (i.e. enough
>dollars come in) then they will finish the product, support it, re-
>release it, etc. However, I get the feeling that most shareware USERS
>refuse to pay for incomplete, buggy software. So they don't pay, the
>provider doesn't think it's worth his/her time to polish the product,
>and shareware gets a bad reputation, both from the provider's and the
>user's standpoint.
>
>I once heard a successful developer (I believe it was Chris Crawford)
>comment that it's the final 10% of polishing that makes the difference
>between a fun, usable program (he was talking about game software) and
>a flop.
>[...]
>Robert Gardner

Hm.  Makes sense, but... I'm a shareware author ("Scarab of RA", a graphics
adventure game for the Macintosh).  I spent nearly half the total
development time on that "final 10%": getting out bugs, polishing the
user interface, writing (and re-writing and editing) a massive on-line
help feature.  I wanted to release a polished, finished product; after
all, it would have my name on it, and I would be asking money for it.
I think I did a pretty good job (if I do say so myself. :-)

I asked what I thought was a good bargain price, ten dollars, and released
it in February 1987. To date, I've had slightly over fifty sales.

Now, I'm not complaining. I had fun building it, and I knew when I started
that I was unlikely to become a millionaire $-) as a result.  But I was
hoping for a little better than a projected 70 sales a year for a quality
product!

So why doesn't it sell?  I dunno - could be a) poor distribution (nets, BBSs,
user groups, and Jasmine disk drives - is that a lot?), or b) it's not
as hot as I think it is :-( or c) people are playing it in droves, but
not paying up, or d) it just takes time to get noticed: a few months to
be seen, a few months to get around to trying the game, a few months to
decide to keep it, a few months to get around to sending the check.

The reason is kind of unimportant though.  Unless the money suddenly starts
to pour in (see hypothesis d, and cross your fingers for me, I have a
mortgage), I won't be writing any more shareware.  Scarab was between 6 and
12 man-months (not calendar months) in development, and a return of maybe
$700 per year on that kind of effort is not real inspiring.

Anybody have any counter-arguments?

(Before I close, let me direct your attention to the disclaimer below, and
add that "Scarab of RA" is not an Apple product.  Not a Claris product either!)
==========================================================================
Rick Holzgrafe			 | {sun,voder,nsc,mtxinu,dual}!apple!rmh
Communications Software Engineer | AppleLink HOLZGRAFE1 (I don't look often)
Apple Computer, Inc.		 | "All opinions expressed are mine, and do
20525 Mariani Ave. MS: 27-Y	 | not necessarily represent those of my
Cupertino, CA 95014		 | employer, Apple Computer Inc."