Shareware

KyeMan · 08-07-2009, 12:43 AM

Hello all. I recently read about what happened with the Duke4 team being laid off. It's very sad news.

I haven't been very active on this forum for the past 7 years although I've been checking the 3DR site now and again to see if DNF was any closer to release. I didn't really expect to see this.

It seems the reason they could never push DNF to release is because 3DR had a relatively small team. I guess by the time they got close to having a game that could be pushed to final it was already looking dated. 3DR decided to keep going back and redesigning it because they were under a lot of pressure to produce a cutting edge game. That's my understanding anyway. Nothing else could really explain the engine changes and content resets.

If the above is true then nothing could be worse for Duke4 than the current situation. By the time they get a new team together, some of which might be unfamiliar with the existing art and code base, they are probably looking at another content reset or engine change.

According to some information I read, which I can't verify, Duke4 had a few levels that were playable. If that's the case then why not release those levels as some type of downloadable shareware with maybe some small payment model attached that might be able to fund the rest of development? And yes, I understand that even producing a shareware version of some playable levels probably still requires development, although this seems like a much more achievable step. Gamers wouldn't be too concerned about graphics and such by final release because they'd be buying a game which is a full extension to something they've already played.

The game industry seemed to abandon shareware and demos at some point but I don't think there was a really good reason for it. It doesn't seem to have been in the interest of the consumer.

This suggestion might be a no-brainer, maybe others have already mentioned it in threads I haven't read, but I'm sure everyone here knows that if something along those lines doesn't happen we may not ever see Duke4 as a full retail game.

My 2 cents.

Rapture_Rising · 08-07-2009, 01:15 AM

Releasing a shareware DNF would be kinda ironic considering 3DR's perent company Apogee pretty much invented shareware or at least popularise the term.

What 3DR could do to get funding is to release public shares in the company could generate a bit of money for DNF but the owners could still have majority ownership and have control.

A demo would be excellent and finally get a taste of Duke Nukem Forever in all of its awsomeness (hopefully) but dont expect anything till either the Duke Nukem fan page goes up or the lawsuit is resolved.

SS202 · 08-07-2009, 02:40 AM

I dunno how many people would buy shares in a company with no money, an unfinished game, a lawsuit and only 3 staff... Apart from me but only because I still get the warm and fuzzies about childhood Apogee memories. I'm not trying to put them down but they're facts you can't ignore.

walker4409 · 08-08-2009, 05:16 PM

A "shareware version" built of a fragment? That would be like the worst case of necrophilia in videogame history. DNF was announced as the best ego shooter ever as a new measure in vg history and that shall be the outcome? NO, this would be pathetic, this would be the WORST scenario ever, all duke haters would bawl with laughter

08-07-2009, 12:43 AM	#1
KyeMan	Shareware Hello all. I recently read about what happened with the Duke4 team being laid off. It's very sad news. I haven't been very active on this forum for the past 7 years although I've been checking the 3DR site now and again to see if DNF was any closer to release. I didn't really expect to see this. It seems the reason they could never push DNF to release is because 3DR had a relatively small team. I guess by the time they got close to having a game that could be pushed to final it was already looking dated. 3DR decided to keep going back and redesigning it because they were under a lot of pressure to produce a cutting edge game. That's my understanding anyway. Nothing else could really explain the engine changes and content resets. If the above is true then nothing could be worse for Duke4 than the current situation. By the time they get a new team together, some of which might be unfamiliar with the existing art and code base, they are probably looking at another content reset or engine change. According to some information I read, which I can't verify, Duke4 had a few levels that were playable. If that's the case then why not release those levels as some type of downloadable shareware with maybe some small payment model attached that might be able to fund the rest of development? And yes, I understand that even producing a shareware version of some playable levels probably still requires development, although this seems like a much more achievable step. Gamers wouldn't be too concerned about graphics and such by final release because they'd be buying a game which is a full extension to something they've already played. The game industry seemed to abandon shareware and demos at some point but I don't think there was a really good reason for it. It doesn't seem to have been in the interest of the consumer. This suggestion might be a no-brainer, maybe others have already mentioned it in threads I haven't read, but I'm sure everyone here knows that if something along those lines doesn't happen we may not ever see Duke4 as a full retail game. My 2 cents.

08-07-2009, 01:15 AM	#2
Rapture_Rising	Re: Shareware Releasing a shareware DNF would be kinda ironic considering 3DR's perent company Apogee pretty much invented shareware or at least popularise the term. What 3DR could do to get funding is to release public shares in the company could generate a bit of money for DNF but the owners could still have majority ownership and have control. A demo would be excellent and finally get a taste of Duke Nukem Forever in all of its awsomeness (hopefully) but dont expect anything till either the Duke Nukem fan page goes up or the lawsuit is resolved.

08-07-2009, 02:40 AM	#3
SS202	Re: Shareware I dunno how many people would buy shares in a company with no money, an unfinished game, a lawsuit and only 3 staff... Apart from me but only because I still get the warm and fuzzies about childhood Apogee memories. I'm not trying to put them down but they're facts you can't ignore.

08-08-2009, 05:16 PM	#4
walker4409	Re: Shareware A "shareware version" built of a fragment? That would be like the worst case of necrophilia in videogame history. DNF was announced as the best ego shooter ever as a new measure in vg history and that shall be the outcome? NO, this would be pathetic, this would be the WORST scenario ever, all duke haters would bawl with laughter