Question - Code Marketplace Publishers - how to support 1.x and 2.0?

[csanyk]

I've developed a number of assets for the Marketplace under GMS1.x.

I have not tested them in 2.0 yet, but I expect that they may or may not work in 2.0. Some may work, but with compatibility scripts.

I would like to continue offering my assets to users of 1.x, for as long as I can.

I would also like to update my assets for use with 2.x, so that they will all work without the need for any compatibility scripts.

As it currently stands, it seems I would need to create a new Asset listing in the marketplace, so that I can continue offering the last version still compatible with 1.x, and a 2.x-compatible version.

However, I would like to be able to offer someone who purchased my assets under 1.x to be able to upgrade to the 2.x version, without having to purchase the new version.

It seems that these two desires cannot both be accommodated. Either I upload a 2.x native version of my asset, and it breaks anyone who hasn't upgraded from 1.x yet, but users who have purchased the asset under 1.x and have upgraded to GMS2 are able to upgrade to the latest version of my asset for free, or I have to create a new listing for the 2.x version of my asset, allowing users who are still on 1.x to have access to the asset that is compatible with 1.x, but forcing users who have upgraded to GMS2 to re-buy the 2.x-native version of my assets from their new listings.

May I suggest modifying the asset listing so that there are two "slots" to allow developers to upload a 1.x version and a 2.x version?

Alternately, allow us to link asset listings together, so that someone who has bought the older, now legacy, version can automatically upgrade to the new version if/when they are ready to do so?

 

[csanyk]

This sort of relates my posts below indirectly.

https://forum.yoyogames.com/index.php?threads/marketplace-on-gms-2-0.13342/
https://forum.yoyogames.com/index.php?threads/querying-gms-version.13361/

Looks like there is some work to be done on the MP front.

My extensions are DLL only, so I really need to have a way to determine what version of GMS is running so my DLL's can behave correctly.

Yes; and I would hope that YYG provide some guidelines and recommendations for how to manage our assets as we bridge the two versions of GMS, and provide us with flexible tools that allow us to do so.

 

[kburkhart84]

I've had thoughts about this issue. If I were to have to deal with what they have set up, as in they weren't going to do anything at all to support us with this issue, then what I would intend to do is simply upgrade my asset to GMS2, and keep my GMS1 version handy. The marketplace currently has data on who all has purchased the assets, even though it doesn't show emails. It has a number and has an e-mail that is "censored" with asterisks. This is enough to prove someone bought the asset. I'm counting on more people updating than not, so I'm thinking I'm probably not going to update for GMS1 after I get this re-write out except for bug fixes. So if someone really wants the GMS1 version, I will provide it.

Of course the reality is that I think Yoyo will provide some solution to this, though I'm not sure what it would be. I would hope they would let us simply provide multiple downloads(GMS1 and GMS2), as that would be the best solution.

 

[Nocturne]

There will indeed be changes to how the Marketplace handles this... I suspect that we'll be able to upload GMS1.4 and GMS2 versions of the same asset and let the user choose which to download, but it may be that you will be required to create a new GMS 2 asset... Just hold out for a week or two until the Web guys get it sorted!

 

[csanyk]

There will indeed be changes to how the Marketplace handles this... I suspect that we'll be able to upload GMS1.4 and GMS2 versions of the same asset and let the user choose which to download, but it may be that you will be required to create a new GMS 2 asset... Just hold out for a week or two until the Web guys get it sorted!

Of course I expect for there to be changes to the MP coming soon to accommodate GMS2. I do hope that the feedback here helps the web guys to know what we users would like, and so plan out a good solution.

 

[Mike]

We are still working on Marketplace integration, which is part of the reason creating new 2 extensions aren't available just yet. The goal is to allow both 1.x and 2 from the same asset - we'll need to see if this works

 

[gnysek]

For me, they can be two different assets if you can somehow link them (so there will be link on marketplace page to 2.0 or 1.4), if that's easier to code for you.

 

[@Alex@]

The problem with requiring a new asset listing for an otherwise identical GameMaker Studio 2 asset is that at the moment your display name needs to be unique. Adding tags into the name like GMS2 only serves to clutter the listings.

 

[Yal]

*keeps using Itchio, unshaken by this turn of events*

If 1.x and 2.x assets are displayed as the same resource on the Marketplace, it would probably be pretty nice if the Marketplace site itself indicated what versions are available, so people wouldn't end up accidentally buying assets they can't use, and maybe have a filter option where you can just hide all assets you can't use.

 

[gnysek]

The problem with requiring a new asset listing for an otherwise identical GameMaker Studio 2 asset is that at the moment your display name needs to be unique. Adding tags into the name like GMS2 only serves to clutter the listings.

Since some functions are removed, it's hard to keep assets identical.

 

[@Alex@]

I feel like there's been a misunderstanding here. I understand why maintaining a single asset isn't universally feasible but what I don't want to see happen is that we are required to create a new listing with a different name for a simply updated asset. Because we cannot have an additional listing with the same name, to differentiate it from the GMS1 asset we'd have to either change the name (in some cases making it less clear what the asset does) or add clutter to the asset's name such as "GMS2" or adding some sort of branding to the name.

Creating another asset but being able to list it under the same name, such that users can select both a GameMaker Studio 1 and a GameMaker Studio 2 asset is, to me, the ideal.

 

[csanyk]

For me, they can be two different assets if you can somehow link them (so there will be link on marketplace page to 2.0 or 1.4), if that's easier to code for you.

The problem with requiring a new asset listing for an otherwise identical GameMaker Studio 2 asset is that at the moment your display name needs to be unique. Adding tags into the name like GMS2 only serves to clutter the listings.

My preference is to have the ability to upload a 1.x and 2.x version of the asset under the same listing if I want to. If there's no explicitly 2.x version, then allow the user to download the legacy 1.x build in GMS2, with a visible indication in the listing saying which GMS versions are supported natively. Probably it would also be a good idea to allow the publisher to indicate whether a 1.x version of an asset has actually been tested and confirmed to work in 2.x or not.

An asset that only has a 2.x version should likewise warn the customer that it is only compatible with 2.x. If the Marketplace account is able to know which versions of GMS the user has, that could be used to customize the MP so that it allows the user to hide (or at least identify) assets that they can't use.

*keeps using Itchio, unshaken by this turn of events*

If 1.x and 2.x assets are displayed as the same resource on the Marketplace, it would probably be pretty nice if the Marketplace site itself indicated what versions are available, so people wouldn't end up accidentally buying assets they can't use, and maybe have a filter option where you can just hide all assets you can't use.

This. There are a lot of features I'd like to see improved with the MP website... It'd be great, for example, to hide assets for which you are not licensed (ie, if you don't own Mobile, allow me to hide assets that are intended for/require Mobile.)

I like itch.io, too -- they have a lot of fantastic features that the MP would do well to imitate, such as bundles and name-your-price, and being able to follow users.

 

[kburkhart84]

We are still working on Marketplace integration, which is part of the reason creating new 2 extensions aren't available just yet. The goal is to allow both 1.x and 2 from the same asset - we'll need to see if this works

This would be the perfect and easiest solution. Yes, the store could use some features from other marketplaces, but at a minimum this specific thing would satisfy our needs for the moment with the GMS2 upgrade.

 

[Mike]

So I've confirmed that the plan is to allow you to upload both assets to the same marketplace item. 1.x and 2 will then get the correct item, and you will be able to manage both properly on the website. Not sure when this will appear.