Selling the Source

Anything and Everything about Uplink

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Schatten
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Selling the Source

Postby Schatten » Tue Jul 08, 2014 8:09 pm

Hello, all. New here. New to the game (GOG). I became officially hooked the other night when I successfully robbed a bank account for 1M creds, and shortly thereafter received an email telling me I am now ranked as Professional.

I realize I'm very late to the game. I realize what I'm about to post has probably already been posted, and will invoke the ire of some. Don't care, really. I'm going to say it anyway. I assure you that it is not said with malice or disregard, but rather with deep feeling from the heart. I know it likely won't accomplish anything, but that's not going to stop me from trying. Maybe it will have a positive effect.

To get on with it, then: While I am new to Uplink, I am not new to gaming or modding or even design of full games and utilities -- I'm more than 25 years in it now, and you might even have played some of the projects I've participated on... but I will remain anonymous here. I bought Uplink on GOG, and it originally listed the source code. "Oh, cool!" I thought. But then I saw that it was removed, and the reasons for it. Fair enough.

However. I cannot say I agree with the thinking behind the move.

You are attempting to sell the source code for $45.

* Obviously, if you were ashamed of the code, you wouldn't be selling it at all. So that's not the motivation.

* The code, selling for 3x the game cost, is not going to sell many copies. Most people lack the technical ability to make use of it. I don't know your figures of course, but if it sells 10, or 100, or even 1000 copies (which it won't), it's not generating very much revenue for your company.

* Selling it, of course, puts it out there. It is currently listed on some torrent sites. It's inevitable -- charge (what some people consider to be) an unreasonable price and your work will be stolen. In contrast, look at GOG's message: charge a reasonable price, and your work will be bought. I have over 40 games on GOG myself, and before GOG came along, I hadn't bought a game in years (not for piracy; for lack of interest in today's games). Yes, they charge less so they make less, but at least they make something. And I willingly play their prices, even for games I know nothing about and am simply willing to take a chance on. Like Uplink! I had no idea what it was. But it sounded neat. I think I paid $1.74 for it. It's a perfect arrangement -- I'm willing to take a chance, and they (you) make money.

* While Uplink is not "dead", it's certainly quiet. It's a very good game, and not ancient in terms of age. It deserves better.

* Modding keeps games alive. Source code releases keep games alive. Look at Thief. As lousy as the most recent release is (by an entirely different company), the only reason it came to be at all is because Looking Glass released the editor to the community so we could keep the game going. And today, by whatever avenues let it out, the source is available, too. So many bug fixes and improvements have come to all of Thief, Thief2, and System Shock 2 as a result. The community remains alive and interested with more than 1500 fan missions released to date. Spritual successors like The Dark Mod (doom3) and whatever that Unreal game came from love of the games over the years. If Thief had only the original missions, it would have dried up and died years ago.

However, that's not the case here, is it? The source for Uplink is available...
For the silly nominal price of $45.

My point is simple: You're going about this wrong.

You're selling your source code (which limits the reception and thus the use of it) for a pittance (which keeps you from making anything decent from it). Instead, if you gave it out free, you'd find people making patches, upgrades, and whole new versions of the game (the possibilities are endless), AND their hard work at doing so would be keeping YOUR GAME in the spotlight, which is free avertising for EVERY GAME your company works on going forward.

Please consider reversing your stance on selling the Uplink source. Give it out freely (with a license that protects your rights, of course), like every great open source project and many games do, to the benefit of their companies and the fans alike, and let us breathe new life into Uplink.

Well, that's it. Flamers, flame away, point me to mods, tell me to bugger off, or whatever else. I've said my peace. It's up to Introversion to see that it IS possible to continue to profit after a source code release, and in fact, it advertises for every game going forward. If they don't, it's just a shame.

Thank you
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NeatNit
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Re: Selling the Source

Postby NeatNit » Wed Jul 09, 2014 4:46 pm

I certainly can't speak for them, but I think their stance is that most people don't have a use for source code and it would be bad reputation to grab a few impulse buys from some kids who have no idea what they're buying. Setting the price high lets people make an educated decision. People who actually have a use for the source code are usually willing to shell out that amount.


You make some valid points, but I don't think Uplink is the kind of game to benefit from what you're describing. Literally half the owners of Uplink already have the source code from when it was on Humble Bundle, and we haven't seen anything come out of it. There's a reason for that.
apdapreturns
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Re: Selling the Source

Postby apdapreturns » Sun Feb 01, 2015 9:42 pm

It was out for about $1 with source code to Uplink, Darwinia and Multiwinia. Wait for a new Introversion Humble Bundle.

Just with releasing the source code, they risked someone removing the DRM and distributing it. Most of the developers don't even do that, think about it.

You aren't just paying the source code, you are paying access for complimentary forums, the SVN server that you can create your own branch and contribute for the game, for Introversion tools and access to their game assets. Think about the developers that are filling DMCA to modders so they get fined for making mods.

I don't have more arguments.

EDIT: Also, selling the source would have them remove it from Steam / GOG. They paid for distribution in these services.

EDIT2: Ask one of the developers or GOG for a dev account registration, if it was in the description and you didn't receive it you can.
Last edited by apdapreturns on Sun Feb 01, 2015 9:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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mr_anonymous
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Re: Selling the Source

Postby mr_anonymous » Sun Feb 01, 2015 9:44 pm

apdapreturns wrote:Just with releasing the source code, they risked someone removing the DRM and distributing it.

Um... what DRM?
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apdapreturns
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Re: Selling the Source

Postby apdapreturns » Sun Feb 01, 2015 9:45 pm

mr_anonymous wrote:
apdapreturns wrote:Just with releasing the source code, they risked someone removing the DRM and distributing it.

Um... what DRM?


The game detects if you are using an illegal copy, and it's all in the source code, nothing is snipped or made separate.
pusalieth
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Re: Selling the Source

Postby pusalieth » Wed Jan 24, 2018 2:05 pm

There is no DRM from any of those sources except steam. And in steam's case, the DRM isn't in the source code of uplink, but the boots trapper in steam to uplink, albeit only on initial download and start I believe. I could copy and paste the folder to another computer and I'm sure it would run just fine.

At this point though, I would just open source the game. However, I would use a clause with no reselling rights of compiled binaries, or source. I really don't see any value in keeping it closed source at this time. You could use GitHub's servers, and it wouldn't cost them a dime. You can still sell a game if it's open source. I've bought plenty of open source software before, especially when it's easily purchased through an outlet of some sort. Donating and junk just complicates it. For instance, I've purchased many from Android, because the store allows me to purchase it just like normal. If someone was going to rip it off and sell it without royalties, they would have already. I would just included it with the game from things like steam, gog, etc. That way the idea is, if you like the game, buy the value of our work, and you can see our work. Selling the source separately doesn't really contain value, but including it with the game does.
ElenePetties
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Re: Selling the Source

Postby ElenePetties » Fri Jun 22, 2018 9:35 am

nice post

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