I managed to pack in lots of dev stories, biz insights, and meta-narrative into this one. It covers the origins and early work of id Software, Epic (Mega)Games, Apogee/3D Realms, Ambrosia Software, Jeff Minter, and more, along with surprise hits such as Elasto Mania, Snood, Scorched Earth, etc, market failures like Star Quest 1, and quirky games like Grandad and the Quest for the Holey Vest, plus shareware distributors like TUCOWS and Public Brand Software, the UK licenceware and PD scene, the market shifts that happened as the big indie publishers emerged and then left the shareware scene, and more.
If you're wondering if it's worth buying, there's a thoughtful and fun article/review-ish thing over on Eurogamer: https://www.eurogamer.net/the-legacy-of-shareware-is-everywhere
And you can learn more and buy via sharewareheroes.com
@MossRC I just love the home page, gave back a lot of good memories! So I just had to order! Thanks!
@MossRC ooh, this looks right up my alley! 🤓
(+the website is just... 😙👌)
@MossRC Looks great I can’t wait to check it out. Quick note - for me the US Kindle version says it will be released on the 12th and only allows a preorder.
@MossRC @colincornaby Brings back memories of my Compuserve Navigator days which included me being the “unknown author of the Obnoxious Init” mentioned on page 77 of Son of Stupid Mac Tricks by Bob Levitus (https://vintageapple.org/macbooks/pdf/Son_of_Stupid_Mac_Tricks_1991.pdf)
Good times.
@mac84tv @MossRC @ultranurd hey neat to see an article about them! While it being at pax there’s not as much discussion of all their utilities but they were my publisher for iToner *right* after the original iPhone came out. Which did both them and I well until after the second release when Apple finally caught up on making ringtones better
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@MossRC The website for this is incredible!!! Although, I feel like the first chapter should be free! 😂
@MossRC @Lauren_nicole_roth will it be available on Apple Bookstore? This is interesting to me.
@MossRC I've been reading it (slowly...the only speed at which I read) and it is fabulous. I grew up at the very tip of the tail end of shareware, so it's fascinating learning about all the history, the different shareware models, and all that.
It's a good book.
@MossRC Sorry I just saw this. It does show up now, and bought. Thanks!
@MossRC My childhood was an IBM Aptiva 2144 (think it had a 486DX2?) and a CD-ROM with a few shareware games on it. Most of my days were spent playing through the first episode of Jazz Jackrabbit over and over. That's pretty much the extent of my shareware experience!
@MossRC I've just finished reading this boom today and really enjoyed it! It took me down memory lane, running shareware on our home Amstrad PC with the CGA graphics and 5.25" floppies in the late 80s/early 90s, and being too young and broke to register anything! In my older age and gainfully employed, I like to send an author some money for a job well done 🙂 Excellent job on the book, thoroughly researched and a fascinating read for those who remember the eras described 👍🏿
@MossRC I certainly enjoyed Wolfenstein and Doom, but Duke Nukem 3D was an absolute game-changer with the interactivity of environments and ability to cleverly use weapons!
Are you following the FPSDOC project I'm part of? We're including a big segment on Duke3D in there with some great material from Jon St John about voicing Duke, as well as a bunch of devs who both did and didn't work on it discussing how amazing the design and presentation was.
@MossRC This looks, and sounds, amazing. Thank you, Richard.
I was a Mac addict (and long-time subscriber to that magazine) during the years you write about. I remember them well.
It's a career highlight for me that I got to freelance for Mac|Life (I was too late to get in before the name change) for five or so years before it shut down. Wonderful magazine in its MacAddict heyday.