In article <Pine.BSI.3.96.970913094324.22794B-100000@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>, you wrote:
>My point is that some people won't program for the 2600 because they can't
>make money. If there really is a lot of interest in playing these games,
>then there is money to be made if it's done properly. A utility that at
>least hinders piracy could make .BINs commercially viable distribution as
>well.
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Money shmoney! I just love the funny look people give me when I tell them I
can write programmes for the 2600. The money is a bonus.
I think anything that hinders piracy may also just act like incentive to
encourage hackers to pirate it. I don't think .BINs will ever be a
commercially viable distribution method. Downloading something off a web
page and then paying for it just isn't as concrete as buying a cartridge
or a cassette or a CD. Even though the end result is all the same game,
you actually feel like you've gotten something when you've got an
actual tangable object in your hand.
Use the .BINs to demo your game (either in the form of a fully functional
demo, or a disabled demo) and then sell the game on some sort of
physical medium. A sort of variation of shareware.
When it comes to making money, the "Colbert" method of release seems like
a surefire guarentee of at least $500us. And, unlike Bob, if you continue
to take a $5 royalty on the sales of your cartridge after the special
release you'll still get a trickle income from the game. When you work
out the hours involved you're probably only coming up with minimum wage,
but it a self sustaining hobby.
I think to get into this you've got to have a love of the 2600 and a love
of programming. If all you're after is the money then you'd be better off
investing your time in learning to programme for the PC or the N64.
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>That's why I've been on the .BIN side of the cart vs. bin debate. I think
>that SC .BINs are the superior programming environment and the more
>convenient distribution format.
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Actually, the cartridge has got to be the easiest form of distribution for
the programmer.
Send Randy Crifield your .BIN (and manual and labels if your want anything
special printed up) and then sit back and wait for your royalty cheques
(which he will also send you in the form of cartridges too if you wish.
That's how I got my Edtris. Just asked him to hold back the 1st $16 of
the RBB sales and use it to send me an Edtris)
With the cart you don't have to worry about taking orders, making the cart,
or shipping them out. Infact, if I was doing all that myself there would
be no way I could sell the carts for $16 and make a profit mostly because
the price of Canadian postage is so high that it would be almost impossible
to sell for $16.
CRACKERS
(Which came first, the cartridge or the .BIN from hell!!!)
--
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