Path: chuka.playstation.co.uk!news From: "Nigel Critten" Newsgroups: scee.yaroze.freetalk.english Subject: Re: Cool Date: Mon, 16 Aug 1999 22:36:10 +0100 Organization: PlayStation Net Yaroze (SCEE) Lines: 49 Message-ID: <7pa09v$htr2@chuka.playstation.co.uk> References: <7p7e72$i8s22@chuka.playstation.co.uk> NNTP-Posting-Host: gameware.demon.co.uk X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Newsreader: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2314.1300 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2314.1300 What I would really like at this moment is a collaberation between some hobbiest programmers, to release some software for something like £4.99 or £7.95 (for real retro fans)all original, along the lines of the old 8bit days when you could do anything put it out and sell it, a £4.99/£7.50 price point is good the whole system would be based on royalties, not the current advance system that currently excists. There are however two problems that I can see. 1. What platform do you support, Sony won't let us release Yaroze games and even if we could no one could run them unless they were converted to run on a Grey Playstation, and that would mean licensing to Sony (maybe they will relax that when Playstation2 comes in, but then everyone is off doing PS2 stuff) and with a £4.99 - £7.95 title there is no money for licensing Which pretty much leave the PC, Mac and budget games don't work on these machines, people would prefer to pay £35 as they think they are getting more for their money (which in many cases they are not) The new Amiga's and systems from Phase 5 look very exciting but the installed user base at the moment is ZERO. The other chance is the VMLabs NUON system again no user base at the moment but has potential, I've talked to the guys VM Labs for the past year now and they have some interesting stuff happening (if I go to this ECTS I'll meet them in person) there was talk of releasing a Yaroze style system but not at the moment. 2. Well actually I addressed this in the first point, it's the perceived value for money. Maybe we should all rebel and go back to our Spectrums and C64's I'd really like a scheme put in place that would allow Yaroze members to distribute their work, but then I suppose full developers would complain... Let be honest it's a pipe dream that will never come true unless something like the Spectrum / C64 comes along that is popular with no overlords licensing dev kits, £7.95 is probably not realistic these days anyway probably closer to £14.99 to get any return :-( Nigel