A
Annoyed Grunt
Guest
I am trying to help a friend set up a GPS 1.4 installation (I explained to him the software is legacy already) but I'very found that it seems impossible to get a free license for his account?
You can't? That really sucks. One of the biggest appeals of GM was that you could get it for relatively cheep (or free if you could deal with the limitations). Now it's $100. That may not seem like much to some of you, but for kids and teens that's a whole lot. I'm really disappointed in YYG.GMS 1.4 has been discontinued. You cannot get new free licences anymore.
That actually is disappointing. You are right. They must have a reason for doing that, though.You can't? That really sucks. One of the biggest appeals of GM was that you could get it for relatively cheep (or free if you could deal with the limitations). Now it's $100. That may not seem like much to some of you, but for kids and teens that's a whole lot. I'm really disappointed in YYG.
IIRC they had a Lite version that was free but incredibly limited (~10 of each resource max, watermark in a corner of the screen) originally, then Standard (Windows export, no watermark or limitations) and Professional (could export to other formats, source control features and some other fluff) as paid versions. Standard was eventually made free but requiring registration (account), with some extra limitations added to free Standard versions so paid Standard users could still feel like their purchase was worth it.That actually is disappointing. You are right. They must have a reason for doing that, though.
If I remember correctly, GMS 1 wasn't free at first too, was it? They made the Standard version free later on. Just keep hoping something similar happens with GMS2.
I really hope they do something similar with GMS2 (if they can - I do understand it if there are reasons). Not because I want it, I have already bought it - but just because with a free version, they can reach more people (like they did with GMS1). Many people were able to learn game development and programming easily just because this great software was free.IIRC they had a Lite version that was free but incredibly limited (~10 of each resource max, watermark in a corner of the screen) originally, then Standard (Windows export, no watermark or limitations) and Professional (could export to other formats, source control features and some other fluff) as paid versions. Standard was eventually made free but requiring registration (account), with some extra limitations added to free Standard versions so paid Standard users could still feel like their purchase was worth it.
I'm pretty sure GMS2 isn't supposed to be a learning tool anymore, it's supposed to be used to make commercial products. Several of the new official tutorials basically seem like they're made to let people churn out decent-looking asset flip games, the new interface has a lot of cool features that save development time (autotiling, for instance) but takes a while to get used to and offers no real learning benefit...I really hope they do something similar with GMS2 (if they can - I do understand it if there are reasons). Not because I want it, I have already bought it - but just because with a free version, they can reach more people (like they did with GMS1). Many people were able to learn game development and programming easily just because this great software was free.
If you had this policy in 2010 when I discovered you, I would be on Unity. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't have helped your bills either.Second, if folk upgraded from "free" to Pro I'm sure we'd have kept a proper free one, but they didn't. We're not a charity I'm afraid we have lots of developers who we have to pay and everyone using a free version doesn't help pay the bills - such is life.
People had to buy to make HTML5, mobile, console games and make PC games without the 'Made with GMS' splash and some pro features. There was plenty to upgrade to and there were many who did. I doubt that those people who used the free version would buy GMS2 anyway.In 2010, there were 4 of us, and different economics applied. If folk don't buy, then quite simply the company goes under and that's good for no one. We may well open up more as time goes on, who knows... but I doubt we'll ever give away as much as 1.4 free had because it mean no one had to buy anything.
In 2010 your policy was extremely generous (and quite frankly your security was pretty lackluster, there was "freer" versions everywhere". I'm not saying give full access for nothing, but it's the point of me getting to see what everything was and where it was and how it worked (even if I couldn't use it) that swayed me over here from Unity. Now I've purchased GM8 from you and GM:Studio as well as the HTML5 extension, possibly Studio 2 in the future as well.In 2010, there were 4 of us, and different economics applied. If folk don't buy, then quite simply the company goes under and that's good for no one. We may well open up more as time goes on, who knows... but I doubt we'll ever give away as much as 1.4 free had because it mean no one had to buy anything.
And this is what we hoped would happen when Standard was made free, but the reality is than you are (far) too few in number. The vast majority of users only want windows, and so "free" was good enough for them.What was once a free download has became a recurring customer for you.
thx for keeping on, the game maker series is great.In 2010, there were 4 of us
Honestly, I think you stand to gain a lot more by offering a free version. Not so people can produce games but so that people can see the quality of software that YoYoGames produces. Ban it from making .EXE files all together, have a huge, transparent watermark covering the entire screen and make sure people understand that the free version is solely to get a look at what it can do. Have every game start up begin with a splash screen that states "hey buddy, you wanna get rid of the watermark and publish your game? Let me buy my wife something pretty and everybody wins here".And this is what we hoped would happen when Standard was made free, but the reality is than you are (far) too few in number. The vast majority of users only want windows, and so "free" was good enough for them.
You can do pretty easy click GUIs by just using the Mouse Left Pressed events of objects with GUI element sprites. For click-and-drag, combine that with a static/lifted finite state machine (when clicked, start following the mouse until the next time the mouse button is released).I will be upgrading from 1.4 soon. but I would definitely be willing to upgrade further if there was a easy drag and drop gui, application, built in. If you could easily bridge between those two worlds I feel you would be able to grab a larger market share as there are a lot of VB / visual studio apps that if GM had the same similar ui for text etc built in. I have been using GM since ver 5, though only seriously here recently.
Im not talking about buttons, Im talking about fully functioning text applications with built in editors etc. To be able to create a function rich text boxes, printer interfaces etc with a simple form designer. And yes I have built them from scratch in GM, and I have purchased extensions that promised the same in the past, but they don't function like that.You can do pretty easy click GUIs by just using the Mouse Left Pressed events of objects with GUI element sprites. For click-and-drag, combine that with a static/lifted finite state machine (when clicked, start following the mouse until the next time the mouse button is released).
I'd surmise that the upcoming GMS 2 UI plugin system will allow people to create resource builders and custom editors like what you described.Im not talking about buttons, Im talking about fully functioning text applications with built in editors etc. To be able to create a function rich text boxes, printer interfaces etc with a simple form designer. And yes I have built them from scratch in GM, and I have purchased extensions that promised the same in the past, but they don't function like that.
I find interesting that people dont seem to grasp what I am saying, that GM could easily be more of a true visual programming language that could compete against Visual Studio and do so much more than games (it already can, but I mean with an easier interface.)
Really that sounds awesome!I'd surmise that the upcoming GMS 2 UI plugin system will allow people to create resource builders and custom editors like what you described.
Mike, I must say, you are a very rare breed indeed.I dabble a lot with making things, but I hardly ever make an EXE of them - the fun is in the making.
I think maybe you are missing the point here... It's not called GAMEMaker for nothing. The focus of the product is on making games, not UI and applications, and when making games it would be very difficult to have a "one size fits all" solution to making input GUI's etc...I find interesting that people dont seem to grasp what I am saying, that GM could easily be more of a true visual programming language that could compete against Visual Studio and do so much more than games (it already can, but I mean with an easier interface.)
When I hear people talk like this I can't help but think this is nostalgia and selective memory at play... I mean, I remember when the version of GM came out with restrictions and with splash screens and there was an UPROAR! Everybody said how terrible it was etc...I could show them Game Maker and they could easily install it and make something with it for free (even if it's plastered with logos and restrictions)
Especially when Mike has said previously:The hard reality is that you got most of your current userbase from your taster course.
What data do you have to back up your claims? Do you work at YYG? Last time I was in the office I don't think I saw you......the reality is we've seen the data, you guys haven't. We thought the same a few years back, we were wrong.
I wasn't paying full attention to my post and worded it so poorly that when I read it back to myself I couldn't even understand my point. I've fixed it now.What data do you have to back up your claims? Do you work at YYG? Last time I was in the office I don't think I saw you...
Nocturne said:@Rusty: I don't get your argument? The Trial version gives you enough to play with and see what the program does and how it works...? Sure the limits could be made less restrictive, but even now it's more than enough to know if you can use it and create something with it.
I understand 100% what I've done wrong now. Mike's mentioning of removing a "free" version is purely the free licensing of the Standard Edition of Studio 1.4. I assumed "Standard" was Standard and "Free" was the Trial software.Second, if folk upgraded from "free" to Pro I'm sure we'd have kept a proper free one, but they didn't. We're not a charity I'm afraid we have lots of developers who we have to pay and everyone using a free version doesn't help pay the bills - such is life.