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Matt Group: Admins Posts: 1186 Joined: Nov. 2002 Posted: Sep. 12 2006, 04:53 MusicVR was a labour of love. It seems a shame now that it is unlikely to see much additional distribution. Should Mike unlock it (ok, tell Colin to unlock it! and allow it to be distributed free of charge - e.g. on Magazine covers. It won't be long before changes in computer technology and operating systems make it difficult to install at all so why not allow it to be enjoyed as much as possible while technology allows. He might make more money from increase CD sales resulting from the exposure than he will make from additional licences. Anyone agree? -------------- "I say I say I say I say, what's got three bottles and five eyes and no legs and two wheels" Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Sep. 12 2006, 05:24 I think it's very unlikely to happen! The fact that Mike chose to use such a very inconvenient registration system for the game, and continues to use it, suggests that he still wants to retain a close control over its use. It worries me, actually. If Colin were to disappear from the scene ... what happens to our MVR games when we next change our computers, or reinstall Windows? But I don't see why it should be free, particularly. There's something to be said for Ruskin's point about books - that because you have to pay for them, you tend to choose them more carefully and respect them more. The MVR games already cost little enough - it's just a token payment, really. Of course MVR is already looking seriously dated in comparison to the best of more recent games, so there is a kind of built-in decline, isn't there? Back to top

torbenyj Group: Members Posts: 377 Joined: Jan. 2003 Posted: Sep. 12 2006, 06:28 yes Back to top

Matt Group: Admins Posts: 1186 Joined: Nov. 2002 Posted: Sep. 12 2006, 06:50 Alan, I disagree with your comparison with book purchase. MusicVR was fairly unique so there isn't a choice to be made between Mikes MusicVR and someone elses. The availability of the project at a cost when initially released meant that it was purchased, cherished and respected as you say by those who originally bought it. My concern is that it is now unlikely to have further distribution which means that many people who might have appreciated it if they had had an easy chance to try it are not now ever going to experience it. I am sure Mikes motivation for many of his projects is not purely financial. He believed in the MusicVR project as a concept and I would have thought he might be open to the idea of opening it up now to let as many people try it as possible. Mike did not believe that computers should be limited to just shooting people, with the change in attitude to games introduced by the Nintendo DS and now the Wii maybe the time is right to remind people of what can be done with music and visuals in the way that Mike presented them. Hmmm, how about a Wii-port for MusicVR, now there would be a project for Colin... -------------- "I say I say I say I say, what's got three bottles and five eyes and no legs and two wheels" Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Sep. 12 2006, 07:58 Quote (Matt @ Sep. 12 2006, 11:50) Alan, I disagree with your comparison with book purchase. MusicVR was fairly unique so there isn't a choice to be made between Mikes MusicVR and someone elses. I didn't explain well enough. I didn't see the issue so much about choice (though I see why you think I did - sorry), as about the fact that people often seem to regard something more highly if it's cost them something, than if it comes to them effortlessly. (The DVD that came free with a newspaper tends to be thrown away with the newspaper, but the one we bought is maybe more likely to find its way onto a shelf, even if we don't like it much.) I wouldn't want to carve it in stone as a principle, and there's no shortage of exceptions - but there is that human tendency, I think. Quote My concern is that it is now unlikely to have further distribution which means that many people who might have appreciated it if they had had an easy chance to try it are not now ever going to experience it. There's still a small but steady trickle of new members to the MVR forum, so it's still slowly finding new players. It will never be actually popular I think, even if free. Quote I am sure Mikes motivation for many of his projects is not purely financial. I'm certain you're right. He's spent an enormous amount of money on the MVR project, and income due to sales of the games can only be a tiny fraction of that. I don't think he's interested in the financial side of MVR at all - but the evidence suggests he's still interested in controlling its use. Back to top

Matt Group: Admins Posts: 1186 Joined: Nov. 2002 Posted: Sep. 12 2006, 12:33 Alan, I understand your point but am not sure that it holds the same weight when you are dealing with electronic distribution. Do people have more respect for the copy of an anti-virus package they downloaded after forking out $30 more than their free copy of firefox? Anyway, my main point is that I would love to see the software experienced and enjoyed by more people for the remainder of its life and can't think of any way to do that other than unlocking it and allowing free distribution. Turn the "trickle" you describe of MVR forum members into something bigger! -------------- "I say I say I say I say, what's got three bottles and five eyes and no legs and two wheels" Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: Sep. 12 2006, 13:28 Quote (Matt @ Sep. 12 2006, 17:33) I would love to see the software experienced and enjoyed by more people for the remainder of its life and can't think of any way to do that other than unlocking it and allowing free distribution. Turn the "trickle" you describe of MVR forum members into something bigger! Well, I agree entirely. I just don't think it will happen, unfortunately. Back to top

Matt Group: Admins Posts: 1186 Joined: Nov. 2002 Posted: June 25 2007, 05:18 Yipeeeee! -------------- "I say I say I say I say, what's got three bottles and five eyes and no legs and two wheels" Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: June 25 2007, 07:24 Well said, that man. Back to top

olracUK Group: Members Posts: 1683 Joined: June 2003 Posted: June 25 2007, 11:29 Remind me to never ask you to predict the future Alan   -------------- The answer is 42 - but what is the question? Back to top

Alan D Group: Members Posts: 3670 Joined: Aug. 2004 Posted: June 25 2007, 11:32 Quote (olracUK @ June 25 2007, 16:29) Remind me to never ask you to predict the future Alan   OK Andy, let's test your instinct. I have this feeling that you're going to win the lottery this week. Let's see if you're right ...... Back to top

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