Re: [pygame] Game demo for review

["David Mikesell" <dave_mikesell@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Uh, yeah, this is why I'm only targeting the Windows market.  It's the
only one that exists.  ;-)

On Thu, 12 Jan 2006 11:33:58 +0100, "Troels Therkelsen"
<tt@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> said:
> David Mikesell wrote:
> 
> >Thanks, but I'm not looking to make this an open source project and am
> >initially only targeting the Windows market.
> >
> >So, does anyone out there use Windows?
> >
> >  
> >
> There's two things I foolishly feel compelled to say at this point.  I'm 
> probably going to regret it, and people are probably going to think I'm 
> some sort of brainwashed OSS zealot.  But here's what I think:
> 
> First, closed source does not mean people won't reverse engineer your 
> game and copy it (especially if your platform is Python/pygame -- Python 
> is very easy to decompile).  In other words, if you have written some 
> truly ingenius code, it will be easy for other people to rip you off, 
> closed source or not.  The way to deal with this is not trying to keep 
> your code hidden, because all code can be reverse engineered, but 
> instead get proper legal counsel so you know which legal actions you can 
> take to protect your intellectual property.  Security through obscurity 
> is no security.
> 
> Secondly, open source does not mean you can't make money off your game.  
> Again, if your game is truly worth it, people will be willing to pay for 
> it -- regardless of whether they can read the source code or not.  Being 
> able to download a limited shareware version of your game has nothing to 
> do with whether you ship the source for the game.  In general, however, 
> making any significant amount of money off end-user applications (games 
> or otherwise) as an independant software developer, is unlikely (but 
> certainly possible).  Don't mean to burst your bubble, but that's just 
> how it is.
> 
> Now, I realise that it's your privilege to write closed source 
> applications (whatever your reasons for doing so), and honestly, I 
> welcome more commercially successful games written in Python/Pygame 
> whether they are open or closed source.
> 
> However, it's also my privilege to deny you my help because you have 
> decided to write a closed source application.
> 
> Best wishes,
> 
> /Troels Therkelsen
>