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<H1>[MUD-Dev] Open Source Online Gaming</H1>
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<LI><em>To</em>: <<A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A>></LI>
<LI><em>Subject</em>: [MUD-Dev] Open Source Online Gaming</LI>
<LI><em>From</em>: "Aaron Mitchell" <<A HREF="mailto:aaron#fate,net">aaron#fate,net</A>></LI>
<LI><em>Date</em>: Mon, 13 Mar 2000 11:12:10 -0800</LI>
<LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI>
<LI><em>Sender</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu">mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu</A></LI>
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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hello everyone on Mud-Dev,<BR> <BR>Something I
am interested in working on is a MUD style game similar to AC, EQ, UO,
etc. Technically speaking, there are a set of tasks that have to be
tackled to start a project like this. However the questions I had for
Mud-Dev, hopefully which some of you can comment on or answer, are more business
directed. I know alot of you work in the industry of gaming and
particularily online gaming, so any feedback you have on this would be greatly
appreciated.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>First of all, has anyone heard of or built a
successful business model in the online gaming industry centered around an open
source project? I like the idea of open source products, especially the
community development aspects, but still would like to develop a commercially
viable product. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I know companies like RedHat maintain a completely
open source project that they do pretty well charging for, and it seems that in
the online gaming industry, it would be easy to extend this strategy to include
a membership fee structure. The membership fee could be associated with
use of the product on a specific set of servers, and the product could be sold
on CD or downloaded for free. There would most likely be a host of free
servers out there, since the server software (or maybe a portion of it?) would
be open source as well. Would the availability of free servers destroy the
commercial potential of pay servers? </FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The things that I imagine would help pay servers
remain desirable over free servers is most importantly bandwidth and low
latency. I doubt, unless some sort of online connection limitations were
implemented, that many popular free servers could be indefinitely maintained
without an income to pay for bandwidth and server costs. Another edge pay
servers would have over free servers is an abundance of high quality digital
artwork and graphics. A company maintaining a profitable server could keep
2d/3d artists on staff to continually develop the visual aspects of the game,
which I would think are very important to alot of mainstream
gamers.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Does anyone know of any companies with plans
similar to this? I'd also be very interested in hearing if any companies have
thought about this but already ruled it out for whatever reasons. Most
importatnly, any feedback on the potential problems or obstacles a project like
this might face would be very much appreciated. Thanks,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Aaron M.<BR><A
href="mailto:aaron#fate,net">aaron#fate,net</A></FONT></DIV>
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<li><strong><A NAME="00606" HREF="msg00606.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Open Source Online Gaming</A></strong>
<ul compact><li><em>From:</em> Bryce Harrington <bryce#neptune,net></li></ul>
<li><strong><A NAME="00603" HREF="msg00603.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Open Source Online Gaming</A></strong>
<ul compact><li><em>From:</em> galvin#oxygen,surfen.com (Ryan)</li></ul>
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<ul><li>Thread context:
<BLOCKQUOTE><UL>
<LI><STRONG>[MUD-Dev] Have openings</STRONG>, <EM>(continued)</EM>
<ul compact>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00609" HREF="msg00609.html">[MUD-Dev] Have openings</A></strong>,
Gary Whitten <a href="mailto:undiscoveredworlds#mediaone,net">undiscoveredworlds#mediaone,net</a>, Wed 15 Mar 2000, 04:06 GMT
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</ul>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00602" HREF="msg00602.html">[MUD-Dev] [OT] Sound in games</A></strong>,
Erik Jarvi <a href="mailto:ejarvi#megsinet,net">ejarvi#megsinet,net</a>, Tue 14 Mar 2000, 20:56 GMT
<UL>
<li><Possible follow-up(s)><br>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00604" HREF="msg00604.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] [OT] Sound in games</A></strong>,
Koster, Raph <a href="mailto:rkoster#origin,ea.com">rkoster#origin,ea.com</a>, Tue 14 Mar 2000, 21:11 GMT
</LI>
</UL>
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00598" HREF="msg00598.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] politics</A></strong>,
J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#cp,net">claw#cp,net</a>, Tue 14 Mar 2000, 01:36 GMT
<LI><strong><A NAME="00597" HREF="msg00597.html">[MUD-Dev] Open Source Online Gaming</A></strong>,
Aaron Mitchell <a href="mailto:aaron#fate,net">aaron#fate,net</a>, Mon 13 Mar 2000, 21:32 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00603" HREF="msg00603.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Open Source Online Gaming</A></strong>,
Ryan <a href="mailto:galvin#oxygen,surfen.com">galvin#oxygen,surfen.com</a>, Tue 14 Mar 2000, 20:56 GMT
</LI>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00606" HREF="msg00606.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Open Source Online Gaming</A></strong>,
Bryce Harrington <a href="mailto:bryce#neptune,net">bryce#neptune,net</a>, Wed 15 Mar 2000, 00:41 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00608" HREF="msg00608.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Open Source Online Gaming</A></strong>,
Bruce <a href="mailto:bruce#cubik,org">bruce#cubik,org</a>, Wed 15 Mar 2000, 01:54 GMT
<UL>
<LI><strong><A NAME="00610" HREF="msg00610.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Open Source Online Gaming</A></strong>,
J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#kanga,nu">claw#kanga,nu</a>, Wed 15 Mar 2000, 04:12 GMT
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