Bioware Store

[Stilgar]

I didnt put this in any other forum, cause i wanst sure where it belonged.

Bioware now has a store where they intend to sell NWN modules first, but as you can read here maybe more for other games, and or other company's.
But lets first stick with NWN frist.

Bioware created a game, well not a game actually.
It was promoted as an editor, with an example module delivered with it.
With a "This is what we can do with it, we dare you to make something better".
I like the idea, and i was more then willing to pay extra for this (in the netherlands the game was 5-10euro's more then other games).

Soon after NWN was out, they created another module, the Witch's Wake, that (as they stated) soon would get a sequal.
Now years later there finally is a sequal (well more a remake) that you have to pay for.

In my opinion this goes against EVERYTHING NeverWinter Nights stood for. NL a free, neverending game, that would continue to get new modules aslong as someone wants to create one. I wonder how bioware would react when someone who created a very good module decided to ask money for it.

In the article they talked about other company's intrested in a 2.2miljoen member-comunity.
From my point of view the only reason bioware has this big community is cause of the games they create and the contact they have with their customers. That attaracks a certain kind of people.
In alot of ways the Bioware comunity looks alot like the Gamebanshee comunity, helpfull, open for discussion, friendly etc.
Some other large gaming comunity's lack this, alot (example: Blizzard).
Cause of this I dont think the gamers would respond it hey would get commercial ads from other company's about their games just cause they are a member from the Bioware community, and Bioware made a deal with that company to distribute their extra things for a game.

That brings us to the main question, what do you think about thhe fact that Bioware is now asking money (although its a small amount) for a few extra modules.
(Thats what you get from working with Microsoft on 2 major games)
Is this the start of a new trend, and do whe see that whe have to pay for bonuscontent (or even patches) for other games soon (not only Bioware games)?
And if so, why or why not.

PS. No spam/spam light please.

[Rob-hin]

If these are internal production, then they are free to sell them. Given the low price, it's a good way to keep a game alive. It's a service they provide and they are not obligated to do so, thus it's normal that they earn some money with it.

Besides, they don't foce you to buy anything. You can also download free modules, but as they are free, quality should be lower then payed modules.

I think it's a good idea, but not many people will buy them.

[Silur]

Unfortunately, companies do not survive very long without revenue. It's the way the market economy works. So although it may be nice to get everything for free, see it as supporting Bioware in giving you something you find worthwile. After all, I'd rather give money to a company that provides something I like (like Bioware and Blizzard) than give money to morons (like M$).

I dont see that Bioware would have any issues with someone else selling modules to NwN. They might want a piece of the action (eg royalties) but I doubt it would be difficult to reach a mutually agreeable solution. I havent read the license argeement on the Aurora toolkit, but my guess is that you can find on what terms you may release your modules there.

[fable]

I think Rob-hin's right, @Stilgar. You're looking at this from the perspective of a finished product with free modules from the NWN community; but there's nothing that says the developers can't do their own modules, and charge for 'em. If the modules are short, I suspect word-of-mouth will spread, and they'll find that nobody buys what they offer. If the modules are well-made and lengthy enough to figure as separate games, they'll make money on 'em, and get around the unintentional stranglehold that realworld distribution chains currently have on the retail game-selling business.

It all comes down to cost. The Sirtech folks (Wizardry, Jagged Alliance) closed down as publishers and let most of their development team go because of distribution costs. Another developer, Cliff Johnson, has decided to move to the Web for distribution of his future puzzle-based games (he designed some classics, like Fool's Errand, back in the 1980s and early 90s). I don't want to make it sound as though realworld computer game distribution chains are "evil people;" after all, the market can bear the prices they charge. The problem is that only the largest publishers can typically afford those prices. That leaves a lot of small developers--or in NWN's case, a medium-sized developer--searching for an adequate distribution venue that supports paid product.

The main problem with the Web as a distribution vehicle for game software has traditionally been lack of awareness to its potential market. This is the reason, for example, behind the poor sales of A-Sharp's King of Dragon Pass, which went with Web distribution. But NWN has the advantage of a branded product with a pre-existing market, thanks to earlier realworld distribution. The developers should be able to distribute new paid modules within the franchise, provided they've come up with an adequate form of code protection against unlicensed Web distribution. I only hope they have.