Game Design Music and Art

Making money off an open source game – CPUFreak91

CPUFreak91

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Posts: 2337
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Registered: 02-01-2005
I had this thought, and would like to see what some of you think. Would you release a comercial game but make it open source instead of proprietary? I could answer for several by saying no. Have you thought of this scenario?

You've spent $10,000 on a game, but want to make it open source and make a nice profit. Considered open sourceing the entire client and parts of the server, make it so that if someone wants to make their own server they've just got a barebones one. Don't release anything else that you've made for the server (such as maps).

As for the client, release the entire client without any features missing (like you would for a demo) but ask the user to buy a serial or a membership (for an account).
Have your server only accept binary clients (that send out some signal to the server that makes them different from the default source code version) so that someone doesn't cheat or bypass the whole membership process.

What do you think? Would that be possible? Would that be profitable?

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All Your Base Are Belong To Us!!! chown -r us ./base
"After three days without programming, life becomes meaningless.'' -- Tao of Programming Book 2

NetCog

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Posts: 149
From:
Registered: 06-15-2006
you could make money if you were really good about providing content and things to keep people interested.

eg. www.multiverse.net

Playability, interest, and content (and support / responsiveness) make games. Not the code.

Additionally:
Open Source client.
Open Source-ish Server w/ License - small charge for the server/engine. Didn't UT do this?

CPUFreak91

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Posts: 2337
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Registered: 02-01-2005
Oh, another thought. The GPL doesn't force you to give the source code to someone if you've never released a binary. Therefore you could create a server, make it open source, but never give away a binary of it or it's source code.

NetCog: Multiverse? Nice! They're doing the Firefly TV Show MMOG!! (Something I *must* get).

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All Your Base Are Belong To Us!!! chown -r us ./base
"After three days without programming, life becomes meaningless.'' -- Tao of Programming Book 2

D-SIPL

Moderator

Posts: 1345
From: Maesteg, Wales
Registered: 07-21-2001
It's often a problem that I come across. I have a wife and home to run and being at Uni full time I have to write apps for money. Contract work is always good, recently I wrote a Estate Agent diary and booking system in Python-Cgi. I told them that license was Open Source, but I was paid around $2000 for it. They don't mind the license becuase they are not in the business of software.

With Open Source, you can charge users for code. Possibly release the binary of the game for a charge, and also charge for a copy of the code. Most gamers don't care about code, they just want to play the game. Game developers will want a peak, but i suspect thats a minority.

Support contracts are large earners of Open Source companies. Thats definately one way to capitilize on getting funds.

Be creative

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samw3

Member

Posts: 542
From: Toccoa, GA, USA
Registered: 08-15-2006
It seems like this idea could foster a bunch of bots being written for the game that wouldn't make it very fun.

quote:
Have your server only accept binary clients

I'm not sure this would work with GPL, since (if I am correct) any derivatives must be open source as well. i.e. the added "signal" code.

The OSF is really hot on this topic and has nailed big companies like cisco with lawsuits for not releasing their modified code for routers.

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Sam Washburn

CPUFreak91

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Posts: 2337
From:
Registered: 02-01-2005
quote:
Have your server only accept binary clients

quote:
Originally posted by samw3:
I'm not sure this would work with GPL, since (if I am correct) any derivatives must be open source as well. i.e. the added "signal" code.


Oh, yeah. That's right, it is a modification distributed as a binary, therfore you have to release the code. Looks like a paid account/membership is the non-lawsuit option.

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All Your Base Are Belong To Us!!! chown -r us ./base
"After three days without programming, life becomes meaningless.'' -- Tao of Programming Book 2