Shareware
Ongoing coverage on Shareware.
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Doom creator id Software used Taiwanese pirates to help distribute the game, John Romero reveals
Co-founder of id Software, John Romero, revealed that the company collaborated with Taiwanese pirates to distribute the game Doom during the Shareware era. Instead of fighting piracy, id Software provided cheap copies to pirates to ensure widespread distribution in regions where they lacked a presence. This strategy helped establish the game's reach and was considered crucial for distribution.
John Romero says id Software once sold empty Doom boxes to Taiwanese pirates so fans there could have legit copies:…
John Romero revealed that id Software once sold empty boxes of Doom to Taiwanese pirates to legitimize their distribution of the shareware version. The company was content with this arrangement, viewing it as a way to get the game out to as many people as possible before the internet was widespread. id Software also opted not to implement copy protection, believing it was a losing battle.
Doom legend John Romero says the FPS game's 20 million shareware players "were not 'pirates' by default" and "history is messier than 'pirates killed the companies'"
Legendary Doom designer John Romero disputes the notion that video game piracy destroyed companies in the 1990s. He argues that Doom's shareware model, where the first episode was freely distributed, means many of its 20 million players were not 'pirates' by default. Romero suggests that while piracy did cost money, it wasn't the sole reason for the decline of certain studios, and that the messy history of game distribution is more complex than a simple 'pirates killed companies' narrative.
In the early 1990s, Doom was famously installed on more PCs than Windows itself—but how many was that, actually?
An analysis explores the historical popularity of Doom in the early 1990s, citing figures suggesting it was installed on more PCs than Windows. While shareware downloads reached 20 million, a study referenced by Gabe Newell indicated Windows was on 30 million PCs in the US, with Doom being the number one product. The article questions the exact numbers and the significance of Doom's widespread adoption compared to the dominant operating system of the era.
Scott Miller, founder of Apogee, has over 1,000 hours in World of Warcraft and always plays a warrior in any RPG: 'I like to get right in their face and pound away'
Scott Miller, founder of Apogee Software, discusses his extensive career in gaming and his current gaming habits. He has over 1,000 hours in World of Warcraft and prefers playing warrior characters in RPGs. Miller also shares his thoughts on recently played games like Far Far West, The Drifter, and Stray, and his ongoing work with Apogee Entertainment.
Ubisoft got it wrong. The company won't stop making AAA games
Ubisoft clarified that despite reports, the company will not stop making AAA games. While Ubisoft plans to invest more in shareware projects and microtransactions, it will continue to release premium titles such as Far Cry 6 and Skull and Bones. The Division: Heartland is highlighted as an upcoming shareware title.
