Golden age of freeware is over

eMTe · Post by **eMTe** » Sun May 17, 2009 2:27

Provocative subject. For fun rather than for discussion, but half truths are close to truths, aint? Caiman and freegame.cz for some months (freegame.cz even officially announced it) decreased pace of game adding. eMTe from CWF doesnt terrorize people with newly discovered and in consequence - quickly submitted, freeware gems. AGS forums - almost dead and even if new projects are being created theyre not great by any means. At least correct. Yoyo games - nothing revolutionary. Daily click - nothing. Nothing anywhere. Some news from time to time that renowned FREEWARE creator just turned commercial with his first "professional" game. I feel freeware world slowly loses its virginity. People who got to know how easy is to create something profi-looking (thanks to evergrowing availability of tools) try to make money. Inventiveness is being replaced with market-oriented thinking. So-called independent developers are more and more heavily promoted by you-all-know-which-sites and try to lick a bit of glory.

I'm not anti of any sort, but somehow words of Pixel, Cave Story's creator, sound to me more convincing:

"I developed Cave Story at my own pace, taking my time, and while doing so I released a few other smaller games as well."

"Some people say they'd like to see Cave Story come out on household gaming devices, but I'm not sure how to go about that. If I were to get into commercial development, I worry that I might not be able to create things the way I want to, so..."

"I've worked with others on projects. It was quite fun. However, when you carry out the planning and creation as a group, my impression is that you lose a lot of flexibility and have to take on all kinds of new troublesome issues. That kind of situation is for the pros (the ones who make games as a job), and I don't see a great deal of merit in it for individuals."

"I have no plans to make a sequel."

"If the benefits of going shareware were to outweigh the benefits of freeware, I'd go with shareware. Right now, though, I don't see much point in shareware..."

All taken from interview with Derek Yu, not hard to find... I dont think it's good to worship people for anything and I dont think the guy is crystal clear in his thinking, but he does show true artistic mind. I did what I did, people have fun, I'm satisfied, I have real-life. Creation done totally independently and without thinking of its future impact or possible sales. And no plans to change the way.

You know, when I read indiegames and all its affiliates I see people who dont want to make games. I see people who want to make career, set new grounds, invent new game-physics, get a job in "serious" company. Nowhere is to spot the spirit coming from Pixel's words. It's all about getting job and making money.

The guys who did Hurrican, one of the best games in this century, considering the fact that it is free project and they spent their own funds to make it. I havent seen them promoted anywhere. I dont know of these guys being featured in various expos, so heavily promoted by aforementioned sites, in USA. They should be imo, but they arent. They're not indy enough? Is it really a problem that guys are not from "the country"? We live in internet age, make them stars. Make interviews, show their faces, forget funny surnames.

But it becomes a bit troublesome if they dont want to show their faces and make market-oriented statements, huh?

I dont claim that whole rapidly growing so-called indy market is two-faced. But I feel that there's strong urge among some of young developers to become great instead to become old-fashionedly good. I had whole section of excerpts from interviews to write here, but I felt it would do more harm than good, so I decided to not quote some guys. Maybe except one, because he says much. Dont search for name.

"The response to the game has grown slowly through word of mouth over the years. I made a point of having a forum and releasing builds very very early on.

What has also helped spread the word is that I've submitted the game to IGF for... I think 5 years in a row now, which has gotten our website link onto the entries list page there each year. We haven't made it into the finals yet, but that linking alone has driven a lot of our traffic and slowly built our fanbase. The compounded exposure we've gotten over the years absolutely built our fanbase, which are now paying customers.

Also, the IGF deadline each year was a great motivator for me to get my ass in gear and hit some milestones. If it wasn't for IGF, the game would not be in a state that we could be selling it at this point."

"Yeah! This year there's at least five big indie-specific game competitions: IGF, PAX10, Indie Game Showcase, IndieCade, Slamdance."

I dont think the guy is bad and only wants to make name. But i'm afraid he is market-oriented. And this is where inventiveness ends. Even if he doesnt fully realize it.

It's an example. If you find the whole interview, dont judge him. I took what I wanted to show my point of view. And the whole post is provocative. I want to anticipate what will happen anyway.

When you stop thinking about what you do and start about an impact on others (or an impact on your wallet) art ends. Art, implied as a totally free-minded result of somebody's efforts. And this refers to music, movies, painting, writing and everything else. But it's another subject I believe.

Post by **Chroelle** » Sun May 17, 2009 10:14

We all know that the world moves in a sort of wavy pattern, where things die off for a while and then come back with avengance. I believe that there are more and more bigger sites that have less and less artists making games on their sites, as more and more developers that make good games have their own sites to promote them. The sites like AGS and others that promote a specific tool - of course - drag in a lot of people just playing around with the tool. The knowledge of using computers for things like that as an amateur has become more widespread, and thus more people with little skill are trying to master it.
The artisitc developers are still making games, and some of them for free still, but they are becoming even more independent and self-surplying. Where games used to be a group-effort more and more are doing it by themselves.

Making freeware developers known is one of the proudest goals of CWF, so we could toot our own horn here and invite more developers to join in and present their games. I must say that I have gotten a kick in the rear towards writing more interviews aftr reading this.

eMTe · Post by **eMTe** » Mon May 18, 2009 0:57

Well, my post is not offensive. Neither it is pro-free and anti-commercial. Everybody is free to do what he/she wants. Best games/movies ever created are commercial ones. The problem I see is in approach. You know, there's hundreds (thousands?) of shareware companys releasing infinite number of clones of lineup or tetris games only to gain some bucks. Full right to do this. But nothing comes of this for serious gamer. It's business, not gaming. And I smell something bad in this so-called indie movement. Maybe because I dislike organised groups in general. You know, everything indie and free becomes mainstream at some point, especially when it tries to be indie and free together with others thinking alike.

Freeware is not always high-class, but it's always proof of innocence. I believe so.

Pater Alf · Post by **Pater Alf** » Mon May 18, 2009 17:10

I wonder if the so called indie developers really make money out of the games they publish and the way they distribute them. Some days ago there was an interview with the developer who created "And yet it moves" and he claimed that his game has a piracy rate of about 95%. Other developers told the same some time ago. I wonder if they wouldn't make the same money if they publish their games as freeware and friendly ask for donations (and maybe offer some extended content if you donate something)?

Is the golden age of freeware over? I don't know, but it's a fact that several sites that were quite popular slowly die away or don't get regular updates anymore. Just think of Acid-Play, Planet Freeplay, HippoGames, Ytanium, Home of the Underdogs, etc.

On the other hand there are still lots of interesting freeware projects and I think there is a new freeware developer for every old one who leaves the scene or decides to turn to commercial projects (which isn't a bad thing).

eMTe · Post by **eMTe** » Mon May 18, 2009 23:30

Piracy is another problem and it shouldnt be linked with indie movement. Piracy touches everyone. On the other hand youre probably right with donations. Analogy: democracy is the system in which people are free to do what they want (within several borders, but not the case here), and somehow it wins, contrary to what autocracists claim(ed) that people should be controlled, otherwise we'll reach state of anarchy and war. Same with freeware. Probably you can gain more money from doing a good job (in eyes of consumers) and asking for donation than doing self-claimed good job and wanting money. Take examples from big world and another culture. Pearl Jam, Tori Amos, Rolling Stones. Not following changing fashions, doing what theyre good at, not chasing bootleggers. Diehard fans dont even think of stealing. Maybe from time to time, but majority of them feels that they face the bona fide artist and they're obliged to show some respect, even if this respect is limited to not cheating.

Post by **Chroelle** » Wed May 20, 2009 11:47

When I see that the colossus(es) of freeware game sites turn down their pace and starts to show smaller interest in the world of freeware then I know WE are on the right track. As they turn down their pace our site WHICH PROMOTES developers (and might do so even more in the future) might get more attention. Please note that I am not saying that I think it is a good thing they are closing but I am saying that if they are gonna slow down their pace and care less, then it might be a good thing that more people come here where we still care enough to work hard.

Pater Alf · Post by **Pater Alf** » Wed May 20, 2009 16:41

But maybe the big sites turn down their pace or close their gates, because many people don't care about freeware anymore?

BTW: Our pace isn't that great at the moment too (at least my isn't). Summertime and real life takes its tribute...

Post by **Chroelle** » Wed May 20, 2009 17:30

In my case it is wedding and illness.

I know our pace is going down too. I am not sure there isn't the interest out there anymore, I am however pretty sure that there is a different interest out there now. I think freeware games have become more aware of quality and thus dont seek out the sites with huge stores of all kinds first-time-tries lying around anymore. They seek out the developers own sites and the sites hosting the good freeware. But I have no real evidence to back this up on other than a gut feeling. This gut feeling could of course be created by a desire for CWF to succeed...

Post by **Zyx** » Wed May 20, 2009 21:10

Guys, I'm just closing the two real-life projects that have been keeping me busy.

The new CWF will be released in the summer.

eMTe · Post by **eMTe** » Wed May 20, 2009 23:56

Nothing's going down. Games are being submitted with same pace as years back. But now site is bigger and each temporal slowdown looks like disaster. Non-gaming forums are less lively, because many members left and gaming forums are less lively, because weve discovered 90% of games worth playing. Apart from this I dont see any slowdown. In fact I see things even more optimistic then in past. Check extreme tracker. Now the best thing to do is keep steady pace, try to make friends, make some interview from time to time. After 3 more years people start mention us in web as a stable source of quality games, after next 3 years more we'll be dinosaurs. Stability in this world is a great advantage.

Btw, Zyx is calling! New CWF's coming!

Pater Alf · Post by **Pater Alf** » Thu May 21, 2009 1:24

Zyx wrote: The new CWF will be released in the summer.

eMTe · Post by **eMTe** » Fri May 22, 2009 0:43

Banana party, yeah!

You know, the only thing I feel is important right now is doing what weve been doing in 2006 and 07 when CWF was nothing. Playing games, having fun with that, contacting developers from time to time, talking on forums, being slow. Three years have passed since Ive registered in here and I think the best way to survive is to be slow and having fun. After ten years we'll be probably one of the last to survive, because of the correct approach. Web is designed for overeemotional quick-thinkers, but we should be not. Imagine yourself in your fifties, being member of the only surviving site promoting freeware games (what's that?). It's worth trying, even if you dont feel it right now.

Pater Alf · Post by **Pater Alf** » Fri May 22, 2009 0:48

Oh, I don't feel things are going wrong here and I like the way the site is developing. I'm just not quite content with my own pace at the moment. There are so many things I want to do and games I want to play, but I can't find the time right now. But that's life I guess.

Post by **Zyx** » Fri May 22, 2009 7:50

The real value of CWF is the hard work you guy do collecting and curating games for the site.

The reason we'll survive is that our goal is to have the best, not all freeware games.

The next big thing is to then add information about the games we have here: Reviews, interviews, walkthroughs and stuff like that. This is something we might be lacking today, but I hope the new site will encourage more people to add stuff here.

Post by **Chroelle** » Fri May 22, 2009 11:43

New CWF coming this summer:

I am really looking forward to that. As much as I like this site, I really love the fact that we will now once again seem to be evolving into something better.

I have no fear of this site shutting down anytime soon. As I said before - I think we have the right way of doing things. If people get tired of doing this they dont quit, they just take a break and do something else, and then return at some point.

Post by **Chroelle** » Fri May 22, 2009 14:59

Zyx is this official enough for me to announce it on the frontpage news?

Post by **Zyx** » Fri May 22, 2009 16:38

Let's not announce it until we're ready to deploy it on the site.

Post by **Chroelle** » Fri May 22, 2009 18:00

Ok. Cool. You say when.

Pater Alf · Post by **Pater Alf** » Sat May 23, 2009 9:20

You guys know that you are discussing in a public forum, don't you?

Scythe · Post by **Scythe** » Sat May 23, 2009 13:21

I was just thinking the same thing.