Some game design tools never gain a large userbase. This is for a number of reasons, but one of the most notorious killer of game design tools is the limited time or limited run demo. This article will examine the phenomenon and to suggest a better way for game design tool developers to popularize their tool without committing suicide.
How Demos Kill Game Design Tools
Quick! You want to learn how to make games RIGHT NOW! You need a game design tool FAST! You want something to learn basic programming skills and how to design games. The first one you pull up only lets you run the program 10 times! Ok, well, there's no sense in using that one, there's no way you can learn that fast. The next one you pull up allows you to use it for 60 days. Pretty good, but what happens after 60 days? Oh wait, here's one that's free! You download that one and install it, already imagining the perfect game.
You have just seen a glimpse into the mind of a novice looking for his first game design tool. One of the most important (but not only) considerations that a game design novice makes in his selection is whether or not he can use it to learn with. If he feels that it doesn't allow him enough time, he will look for another that does.
Attracting novices to your game design tool is paramount because the people looking to use your tool are novices. An experienced programmer most often looks for a general purpose programming language and a library first. If you fail to attract novices, you will wind up with a very small or non-existent userbase.
The worst type of demo or trial is a limited run demo. This is great if you expect your userbase to be composed of people who already have some experience with a game design tool. The limited run demo allows them to look around and see what's on sale. Keep in mind, though, that these people are people who are left unsatisfied from another game design tool. Therefore, your potential user has to already have tried and failed to make games with other tools. You won't get the first time user. The limited run demo also leaves complete beginners out in the cold. Not only do they have to look around, they have to learn.
A bad demo is a limited time demo. A novice thinks that he could possibly learn to program in 30 or 60 days, but doesn't want to be obligated after that time. He knows that if he learns to make games with your game design tool and likes it, he will have to pay for it after the demo is over, or go through the trouble of learning how to make games with another tool. This is a ticking time bomb to the novice and discourages downloads.
The best solution is to give your game design tool away for free. That's right, completely free of charge with no obligation to the end user. Its how Microsoft and Game Maker do it. Instead of a demo or trial, they have a free version. Its understood that the free version is a slightly more limited version of the full version, which must be registered. However, the free version has enough features to get a novice and first time user well on his way to creating games.
This model has made Visual Basic and Game Maker successes like no other. There is no reason for a potential user not to try them. They know that they not only can take their time to learn, but if they get good at using your game design tool, they can get more features.
One thing you shouldn't do is allow the free version to be a demo of the full version. You might think that this allows a potential user to see the registered features and make a decision about whether or not to register your game design tool. In fact, novices look at it like losing features. After the "demo" he knows the registered features will no longer be available to him, so why should he learn them in the first place? If he does, losing them will discourage him from continuing to use your tool. The novice can see this at download time and therefore this can have a chilling effect just like a limited time or run demo.
Keep the registered features unavailable from the beginning. Chances are the novice will not have enough experience to use them anyway. If this is the case, the novice will naturally get to know the features of the registered version by involvement in the community. He will see games made by other users like those he would like to make. Then he finds out that they were made with the registered version. Then he thinks "I want that."
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Update : Brutus2D and Kevin Picone's PlayBasic
Since I first published this article I have learned that the developer of Brutus2D has begun using this model and the developer of PlayBasic, Kevin Picone has found a comfortable medium to attract serious users — but still discourages complete noobs. Kevin's solution is to offer a 60-day demo for PlayBasic.
Great job guys. Game Design communities everywhere appreciate your decisions.
Update : PlayBasic Unlimited Demo
Kevin has announced that he will offer an unlimited time demo of PlayBasic. This is probably better than a crippled free version. Limits to code size are sure to remain, but it allows enough "programming room" for a complete noob to learn how to program. Leave it up to Kevin to think of a better solution than us. Kevin rocks. :)
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