Downloadable Content

Networking & Multiplayer
#1

My latest creation Tiltilation is level based. You’ll get 15 levels in the demo + an additional 50ish in the full version. However, I’m considering offering downloadable level packs to registered users, something like

  • Hardcore - difficult levels like in the current version
  • Kids - really simple but colourful levels

It being a casual game I don’t want people to have to go off to the web to get the levels and then install them in some ornate directory (like say Quake) but rather have an internal interface that allows the game to go and retrieve level packs at the click of a button. This has the added benefit of helping me check registration keys frequently.

I’m worried about having an extra pay for feature that relies on having an internet connection. Is this a problem these days? Do people still get annoyed when they find a feature they can’t use because they’re not connected?

Kev

#2

Wont they have to be connected to get the game at all?

#3

Sure, but dial up users don’t always stay connected - I guess its also the same issue with online best times - when do you connect to the webserver to upload them?

Kev

#4

the brodband conections are drimaticle incrising in the western world :o ;D

#5

I think everyone will understand that the content has to come from somewhere. People will only really get annoyed if they have to access the internet to use the content they already have locally (I’m looking at you, Steam)

#6

Maybe you should be clever about it and detect whether they have an internet connection when playing the game; if they do, just start downloading content in the bg.

Upon exit, if any level is downloading and hasnt finished yet; just delete the entire level and try again later…

DP

#7

Some ppl might get scared off by a firewall alert if u did that tho.

#8

Preface the action with a popup that says

Wow! New levels are available for you. :o
Would you like to download them in the background or wait until later?

[ Download ] [ Wait ]

#9

Its been suggested elsewhere that I should supply the level packs as seperate installers available from the website. This works for windows but is going to be a nightmare on linux and macos (since I don’t have an install strategy there :()).

Oh well! :slight_smile:

Kev

#10

This brings up something that I have been worried about lately: content protection.
For a content provider, asset protection is fundamental. With a game that a user can play offline, you notice that the cached content with Java Web Start can be hacked by unjarring the resources.jar.
I currently have a DRM-like protection mechanism in my deployment pipeline, but I am very curious how our Java community deals with this issue!

Waniso

#11

DRM in java? Right.

DRM mainly screws your paying customers - for more detailed information search this forum a bit because there are lots threads about this subject.

#12

Forget DRM! (I said DRM-like :wink: )
Question: how do you make it then impossible for someone to steal your game resources?

#13

Don’t give them to them in the first place. Anything else is just a delaying tactic.

#14

I guess you misunderstood me :wink:
What I meant was for a game deployed online using JWS, you can unjar the resources if you go to the cache folder e.g. Application Data\Sun\Java\Deployment\cache\javaws\http

Out of curiosity, how are you planning to make a game playable offline if the resources are not cached??? :o

#15

What rangy ment was that you have to keep the stuff for yourself if you want to ensure that no one else gets it.

What are you afraid of anyways? That someone steals your assets and sells a game with em? Well, there are laws for that, which is also a reason why pretty much no one cares about it. Popcap for example doesnt even bother with packing those files. If someone steals em and you sue em you’ll make way more money than you have lost (which is pretty much nothing… its totally unlikely that someone wont buy your game because he bought a game from s.o. else with some of those assets before).

#16

Yeah. Clients are insecure. There is no way around that.

Question is how much effort to you want to put into building the meta-game… which is the puzzle for the pirate trying to crack it.

#17

I like that perspective on it. You can almost charge extra under those conditions since the cracker is getting two games in one! :smiley:

#18

You can’t build installers on Linux/MacOS ? Check IzPack : http://www.izforge.com/izpack/
I used it to deploy a demo some time ago, and I can tell you it works really really well.