Nice, but it would end up becoming an annoying spam. If you want to make sure about such a suggestion being delivered, try to plant one somewhere around the main menu in your game. I saw it already done and I think it works well as a reminder. Just a "donate" button, next to "options" button, in a transparent location, if you think one of the screen corners is just too obscure. Donations work on the basis of higher ethics, while a lot of people were not properly introduced to a such. I started to understand it thanks to the Linux social environment, but the point is, even if I do not donate or even if I say nothing at all, the developers will keep doing their job, because they can estimate their value on own behalf. If you quit because I did not donate out of free will, you prove me right the skeptic, that it does revolve around money. In such case, [b]Steam[/b] should be your option. [b]Steam[/b] took the other way in their policy, as they would rather wrangle with refunding all those masses of people the pre-paid purchases, rather than loose some turn going around, but maybe this ought rather be said about the developers who go [b]Steam[/b], with what expectations. Because [b]Steam[/b] also has "free-to-play". Personally, I like to wait sometime after trying out a game to see how much of a footprint has it left in me. If nothing of estimated worth remains shortly, I am either unwilling to donate or will donate very little, the latter in case all I remember is that the game was big fun for a brief while. Now, if a game makes impact, I will then try to evaluate it with some simple rule of thumb: "excellent /good / fair", which would then determine the step of the height of donation. That is the plan, at least. But I believe you do not expect to make tons of money if you allow "free-to-play", do you?
Hi Astronaut,
I think it's very unfair to say that encouraging donations is all about making tons of money (which, as you say, is very unlikely to happen!). And comments and ratings are just as valuable too.
If you're an indie developer in my situation, say (e.g. a full-time job and very little financial resources), then small things can make a big difference- whether it's financial (e.g. is it worth spending £90 to buy an audio recorder to improve sound effect quality in a game?), psychological (motivation can be very important- if people don't get any encouragement, they might just decide to spend their evenings sat on the sofa watching telly instead), feedback to improve the next game etc. etc.
All these things are vital, and the people who play the game are often the deciding factor on the outcome. All too few people actually do provide feedback and this is a huge problem.
Sure it might be a very minor annoyance to get one notification after every download, but you've got to weigh that up against, for instance, a dev who's spent maybe a year of hard work in order to get a game finished, which is being put out for free.
Sure it might be a very minor annoyance to get one notification after every download, but you've got to weigh that up against, for instance, a dev who's spent maybe a year of hard work in order to get a game finished, which is being put out for free.
Right, but mind the last thing you want to get is to make the customer give your product a negative review simply just because of having become annoyed by this one too many a spam that day, rather than to give no feedback at all, as perhaps originally intended. Simply for the stats.
When it comes to the feedback, it is of great value, especially when it starts to make statistical sense, I believe, but mind it does take some creativity from a contributor to post anything constructive. It does take to be constructive oneself to do anything constructive.
For the reasons to quit, I can see financial problems being possibly one, but there is always way if there is will, even if it ought to be a lesson in minimalism. {Natter, natter}. Anyway, I would quit if it was that I did not feel very good at what I do or if I was told with statistically true outcome that I simply waste my time. Lack of feedback or exposition to publicity is a problem and I can also see a lot quit due to that. That is due to lack in being provided of measure for self evaluation, thus feeling lost - or having low self evaluation.
But y'know how they say, true love is forever or whatever.
Honestly, for buying of expensive software, I would say, never overinvest, unless you exactly know what you do.