In Free Software Foundation‘s December Bulletin we can read The Free Game Lag, wrote by Sarvodaya, about relationship between computer games and free software.
For the most part I agree with Sarvodaya, but I think the issue is more important that he says. According to the author:
There is a natural tendency for free software to take on more essential aspects of computing first. While subjective, it is clear that gaming is not a top-priority and, as such, has not advanced as rapidly as say, web browsers or word processors.
Yes, it’s true that it’s very important to focus efforts in programs like web browsers, but it’s also important to develop a lot of free games for attracting new generations of programmers and users. Many of us have enter to the computer world thanks to games, developing some little game or modifying an existing one. It’d be very interesting to use communicative power of games to transmit the free software ideas, freedom and collaboration.
But, how can a games company, with the actual model, make money in the free software world? According to Sarvodaya, It can’t, but it can be better. The Internet and music downloads have made the music bussiness model obsolete, and traditional games bussiness model is arriving to the end too. It’s clear that charging per copy isn’t too profitable, except for some big companies, and little Javascript games in a web with free access get more players. Accessibility wins.
But, how is possible to make money with free games? Ok, I don’t know. Advertising, network games with subscription, … Some years ago nobody knows how to make money with search engines, until Google found the gold mine with advertising. Whoever finds the new bussiness model for computer games will become the Google of digital entertainment world.
P.D.: A game called “Transport Simulator”, and illegal copy of the free game Rigs of Rods, is being sold by the “company” Butterfly Software and distributed without its GPLv3 license and without source code. More information here.
