Najdorf Wrote:Of course the lecturer shouldn't hand out cracks, still i believe all serious software (say photoshop, CAD, other productive tools) should have a "student" edition at very affordable price free for non-paid academic use only, otherwise students will never learn to use the tool. If there isn't a student edition, there's not much alternative.

I think the student version is something like $200.

One thing to note: I couldn't afford some of the cool tools when i started developing, I pirated them, which got me started in the whole thing. I mean, when I didn't know much about programming or game development, but wanted to start, esp. at age 12, there's no way I'm capable of buying the kinds of tools a 12 year old as dumb as me could figure out, etc. [Note to FBI / Govt Agents / MJ12 : I'm kidding]

Guys, undercover CIA here, you're all under arrest.

Only if you can catch me! *jumps out of window*

I've never done Software, but I used to limewire a lot before the days of iTMS

@Najdorf: if the developer doesn't release a "educational edition" of their software, then it is simply the case that students should stop using that software - it is the developers choice to release a edu edition of their tools or not, but I'd hazard that a couple of years of students having no experience of the tool would decide the mind of the developers pretty quickly...

Regardless, the software concerned has a free learning edition (although I understand there are some incompatibilities between the file formats of the learning and professional editions, with the pro edition unable to import edu edition files.)

@Zwilnik: that is probably the plan as soon as the lecturer concerned isn't teaching on any of my modules...

I've released several shareware games on Palm OS and recently my first on Mac OS. I don't know if my games have been pirated, but surely they've been "casually" pirated among friends.

I'm using a separate demo and full version, which at least prevents reg codes from being posted. There's nothing I'm doing against posting full versions online. I don't know what I could do anyway that wouldn't inconvenience paying customers. I've basically taken the perspective that over the long term I'll need honest paying customers and several products to make a living. Paying customers are interested in getting on my mailing list, which makes marketing the next game easier, and that is very important to my strategy. In my business view, I can't justify the time to take extra measures to better prevent pirating. The idea of pirates is disappointing, though.

I'm also trying tiered pricing with my current Mac game. I have a lower price for students. And Apple got the idea of Family Licensing out there for people with multiple Macs. I'm trying that and it's actually working out well, 20% of my sales so far are a family license. I took the view that many people are willing to pay for multiple copies, just not full price for each copy. I can appreciate that view and decided to test it.

I've seen software that's $3000 (I'm not joking...)

I did pirate it but never got it to work...
(and a couple more from limewire)

I get a lot of "hand-me-downs" from my aunt... she goes through computers so fast it's amazing... and I take all the neat programs...
(like for instance... an old bryce... she left it on my grandmothers computer and my grandmother said I could have it)

But I don't let "any" of my pirated stuff out on the web (like renders from bryce)
It's all to learn, I intend to buy it all when I get a job... or something...
(although I used PS 3 to crop and image a while back............ for a screenie of my program....)

7. What do you think the shareware industry should be doing with respect to piracy? (Ignoring it, taking legal action, stronger registration systems, etc.)

http://mosnews.com/news/2006/03/23/beatpirate.shtml