You likely have Netflix, Spotify or any other number of subscription services. Software like Gamemaker is a service too. It's ever evolving and so requires a lot of upkeep. The fact that it hasn't been a subscription until now is surprising. As a business they are going to make the decisions that make the most sense from their perspective in order to continue functioning. This includes making you and others that share your opinion happy. I understand they may not have done that here, but it's not because they didn't consider it and were out to screw you guys. It's just a matter of business and the very minimal subscription model they have chosen is to bridge the gap with the indie community and hobbyists which they knew was going to create backlash like we are seeing in this thread.
No one likes to pay for things, but I think looking at what you are getting for your money should be the focus, rather than what you used to get. Things change, and prices go up over time. Why would we expect anything different with Gamemaker?
I wish I didn't have to pay for Netflix each month. Why can't we just pay $100 once for Netflix for life? (just so I don't have to defend this - I'm being facetious).
I think this answers you:
One of the key differences here is in the wording; you obviously view Gamemaker as a service; and rationalize as such. All good, and I'm happy that the new pricing scheme works for you.
Other people view GM as a tool, or like any other software they own on their pc. And most developers are very reluctant to lock themselves into using proprietary software to begin with; let alone one that has an ongoing cost. It's not very hard to understand this.
For people mocking 'cheap people who don't want to pay a subscription'; please stop. It isn't helpful. While I'm happy that for you the subscription just means skipping your Starbucks for the month, many people are in very different states of financial wellbeing; such subscription plans are the bane of most people in a bad financial place. Please respect people who have no desire to sign up for a subscription model; even if you can't understand it.
And NO, the only subscriptions I have is my Internet, Electricity and Insurance Bills. I DO NOT pay for Netflix or any other subscriptions. And the day Microsoft Windows will choose to be on a subscription model, that day, I will be using The latest available Windows that does not require supscription. And for Office, I paid office 2007 and still use it up to this day because I hate their new flat White GUI.
And YES, I still use GM 8.1 and I try to avoid GMS 1.4 because it obliges you to create a project before opening the app. Yes, I still use the OLD windows GM 8.1 style for my IDE because I am comfortable with it and because I am much more productive that way.
We are all human beings with different wallets, different priorities and different time schedules. I've been wanting to upload my new Skyrim SE Guide since past 1 year now but I can't because I have no time because...LIFE. So worrying about paying for a subscription of a software I don't use for months and then come back to it with a suprise subscription model for possible futur updates. Of course I am upset.
As I stated before, I understand the subscription model temptation for companies. But it should only offer side perks such as faster support, access to alpha and beta channels. You know, like a Patreon style where they may offer free apps but ONLY once the official build has released relying on subscribers to pay monthly to help them financially but give the supporters the benefit of having a word in the production.
I would plainly assume this model without saying a word. I want to have a 1 time payment plan, then I assume that the staff will take my requests last and prioritise all those on the subscription plan. I'm fine with that and I understand it and I will be happy with it. You know why? Because initially, when I used Game Maker, I never said a word to help it and it pleased me as it was. I only started saying something when GMS2 appeared with a complete GUI overhaul that interfered with all of those hard worked years. And guess what, I was heard, I was blasted and I was not considered. BUT, I'm still here because I cannot complain over an app I paid once.
Here's a small overview of how disastrous YYG did things that made me waste money for absolutely NOTHING!
• I paid GMS1 the full upgrade price
• They offered huge discounts for the export modules
• I made my first Android game - FINALLY
• A few months after their sale, they plucked out GMS 1 and made GMS 2
• NOW, all my export modules do not work anymore (Those I payed for, my licenses don't want to activate in the app)
• No more support for GMS 1.4
• GMS 2, that I paid for, did not offer me an alternative to my android export so no more android export for me
• Now, we are at a subscription model for futur GMS releases
How do you want me to be happy when the money I spent initially, cheap or not, ends up useless? I lost my export modeules that I so much waited for. Yeah, it's cheap for some of you, me, it's hard earned money, money I could have spent on beef instead of pork at the grocery. Money I could have used for fresh chicken instead of frozen nuggets. When I look at all of what happened after Mark Overmars, the transfer of ownership to a big company made things less personal, less considerate to it's users and now with Opera, it get's even worst with those subscription models.
Some of us buy apps like this as a little present to ourselves, to please this little desire in us stricing to do something fun aside from watching Youtube videos or creating levels in Mario Maker. We're not big developpers. We're not the highest users on Steam and we don't appear on popular reviews on YouTube but we love what we baught and all we ask is a small piece of happiness to enjoy simple things without being constrained with shelling out money every month on top of our life necessities. And most of all, not loose what we paid for with our sweat and time.
**edit**: If YYG/Opera, would decide to to give all of us, previous GMS 1.4 users at least 2 permanent export modules (if we already previously baught them) for GMS 2 to compensate our losses, this would calm a lot of us down. I have 4 different export modules but I actually only use 2, Desktop and Android, the others, I don't use that often or at all. That's not a waste of money or resources on YYG's part. And it would be a good heart action for all of us who suffered the passed YYG decisions and shelled out money into things that do not work anymore. This would also make us more willing to encourage YYG again.