🚀 go-pugleaf

"Lucian Wischik" <lu.nn@wischik.com> wrote in message 
news:kedqt1db4bu96bd691ifuo9t1egavkl0hk@4ax.com...
> "Brad Wardell" <bwardell@stardock.com> wrote:
>>The angst on the program really mystifies me because the thing is designed
>>as the dream program for Usenet people.  No DRM, no copy protection, no
>>spyware, integrated chat, integrated forum discussions.  It's used by over 
>>a
>>million people each month (mostly on the non-games).
>>The technical issues that some people have had are related to the sheer
>>download size -- people redownloading the full copies.  Even iTunes 
>>doesn't
>>allow for redownloading.
>
> I know what... HTTP does allow for reloading! You could distribute
> patches via HTTP as well!

We do. We always have and we still do on patches.

>That way we could download the patches using
> OUR OWN resumable download-managers, we could burn them onto CD, and
> we could be in possession of our own software which we have already
> paid for, and we wouldn't be forced to have yet another pointless
> piece of software installed.
>
> HTTP patches also have no DRM, no copy protection, no spyware.

Yes, and there's the catch.  On redownloading the full thing -- i.e. the 
full game, there needs (from the developer's point of view) to be more 
control IMO.

> MSN/AIM/IRC are better chat programs. Forte Agent is a better piece of
> forum software. HTTP is a better resumable-download protocol. In all,
> stardock is forcing us to put up with second-best in every area it
> serves. Hence the angst. No mystery about it.

So which retail games are you running that you can currently just redownload 
the entire thing via HTTP?  If I blow away my Age of Empires 3 CD or 
Civilization 4 CD, can I go to their site and simply download the whole 
thing again?

We at least give you the option and all the user has to use is a fairly 
small program to do so that's pretty easy to use and has resume and all 
those other niceties.

For patches/updates, users can either use Stardock Central OR they can 
download the patch from the web just like every other game.

The mystery I have with the angst is that here we're doing something that 
few if any other publishers are doing -- letting you get the entire game 
electronically -- even if you bought it at retail 3 years before. And rather 
than people going "Hey, that's cool, I remember when I lost my Total 
Annihilation CD, would have been nice to be able to go and redownload the 
whole thing and burn that to a CD for backup or whatever -- for free" we get 
"BOO! You require us to install a 5 megabyte download manager you scum! Your 
mother was a hamster!"

Well, not including the hamster part that is..

Brad
--
Brad Wardell
Project Manager: Galactic Civilizations II (www.galciv2.com)
Stardock - http://www.stardock.com

>
> --
> Lucian