Making free games and profiting on it?

[Charles Cossé]

Hi Andreas,
I agree that there ought to be a way and have spent much time, myself,
searching for such a workable equation.  Here
<http://netdispenser.github.io/> is what I've come up with ... welcome to
collaborate.
Best,
-Charles

On Mon, Aug 14, 2017 at 2:18 AM, Andreas Nilsson <an at bahnhof.se> wrote:

> Hello FSFE!
>
> I just joined the FSFE after having almost completely moved to using 100%
> free software, my laptop is running Parabola GNU/Linux-libre (probaby with
> a non-free BIOS) and my mobile phone is a Galaxy S3 running Replicant with
> F-Droid apps.
>
> Coming from a background in computer games, I was thinking really much
> about how to create free games and make money on it - to make it into a
> profession. First I thought about if the game is free software then it will
> no longer be a "commodity" in the same sense as todays games where you
> basically buy a license to be permitted to install the executables and
> artwork on your computer.
>
> So what can be sold then, if the free software game isn't sellable in the
> same sense? My thought was that there would need to be other commodities
> and services around that software to sell, so my ideas began swirling
> around stuff like: A news magazine that covers interesting and fun parts of
> the game, given out my paper and/or email. Courses and support for
> developing for the game engine or making mods if you want something quicker
> to get into. An art marketplace where you can buy and sell artwork
> (textures, sound files, music, special effects, maps, etc).
> I asked my cousin about this stuff since he's an economist, is it really
> doable? He thought there would need to be more to get out of it but it was
> interesting, the main question though was: Who is gonna want to have this
> kind of service? Programming, making artwork, reading a magazine?
>
> Could this be something to start working on a new kind of "Steam" for free
> software games? One that does not simply sell an executable and not tell
> you anything, but the opposite it will give you the source code and then
> sell you education for developing for it and offer tools to buy/sell your
> very own art?
>
> Please give your thoughts and if something like this has already been
> proposed before. I look forward to it.
>
> Andreas Nilsson
>
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