Hi Petr, Well, there are ways to make money with open source products like Linux, but the business mottle Red Hat, ubuntu, Suse, Debian, etc use wouldn’t work for a company like USA Games. The way the open source business mottle essentially works is that the Linux Company downloads the source from the maintainers/developers, compile, and package the software and the company makes it available on the internet as a free download or a boxed product with a cd and printed manual. They can charge for the boxed copy you buy at Best Buy or other computer stores because of the printed manual and cd as that is the physical media, but the software is regarded as free. They also make most of their money through technical support services, and have certified Linux engineers set up Linux servers, networks, etc for companies which helps bring in money for the Linux developers and maintainers. All of that is well and good if you are are large Linux company who are mostly selling technical support by phone/e-mail, offer onsite setup services, etc to a company to maintain there network servers etc. It is quite another when you are a small game company like USA Games who makes all of our sales on internet downloads. In order for us to make money using the open source business mottle it would go something like this. When we release a game we would post the game and the source code on our website for free with no technical support, maybe a text version of the manual, and nothing else. Then, we’d have a shopping cart link where you could order it on cd with a Braille or audio manual and one year of technical support. As you might guess there is a lot of problems with this business mottle. For one thing if someone can get something for free they’ll download the game and source and try and figure it out before paying $35 for the physical media, tech support, and manuals. People won’t pay for something if they don’t have to. So for me to offer cd installations, Braille manuals, etc that will cost me even more to produce those materials as I have to buy the disks, burn them, to say nothing about the cost of Braille paper these days. Plus we have the added cost of shipping and handling worldwide. It is just not a practical business mottle for a small company who can’t depend on technical support phone calls, onsite setup and printed books, etc to help raise money for the company. As I said you can make good money with open source products, but only through selling support services, books, physical media, putting adds on their websites, and other things they do to make money for the company. That’s why even though I like Linux, wish more software would go open source, etc I also know the reality is that a software developer who can’t make money by selling his products is a poor programmer living on the street. So even if I do make Linux versions of my games available they’ll use a standard commercial business mottle as that happens to be the one that works in most cases. The more I earn on the sales from my games the more money I have to invest in sounds, music, acting, license libraries like FMOD for Linux, whatever.
Smile. On 7/11/10, Petr Bláha <[email protected]> wrote: > Hello Thomas, > thank you for your describtion, > now everything is clear for me and i have to agree with you that i would > rather purchase game which is compiled directly for linux than emulation > of the windows one. > I also agree that the way of all the software for free is absolutely > unreal. And my opinion is that developement of good and useful software > should be payed. Also programmers have to live. And unfortunately - > money is quite important thing for living nowadays (smiles). > Off course, there is way how to earn money and have the software free. > Adwertisement. But to be honest, i have to say that i would rather pay > for software, than use software full of advertisement. > So i will pay for software which i consider to be good and usefull for > me even if it would be game. > When i use piece of software often and when it makes important job for > me, or when it brings me entertainment, i don't regred money which i > have pay for it. --- Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to [email protected]. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to [email protected].
