'Free' CD/DVD compilation

[dorne]

I'll be conducting a product experiment. I will download and repackage various FOSS games into one CD/DVD, and sell that CD in a jewel case. I wlll provide a Windows binary, as well as the sources. Proper documentation would be needed to ensure compliance with all the mixed licenses, and that all licenses can be seen either before or during the attempt to install. Later on I may make a python setup program to more easily choose which games to install (by genre,by maturity rating, extra pictures, ratings, by date turned GPL, etc.), but for now, text documentation should do.

The target market are those interested in FOSS compilations, as well as those who value good game compilations in general. CD cost is usually 0.88c CAD(Canadian), so a price of between $3.00-5.00 seems fine. For DVD's the price should be double so that the compilation is $8.00-$15.00.

The amount of games I have selected are too much for one CD, so I will create multiple CD types. As well some games may be removed because of source/windows binary issues. Linux and Mac compilation CD/DVDs may be made after I finish with creating the Windows compilation. I might even be able to fit it all under one DVD later on.

Here are some games I have scrounged up:

Games list (2.39G in total)


Advanced Strategic Command
Armagetron Advanced
BZFlag
Enigma
Fillets-NG
Flight Gear
Freedink
Glest
Globulation 2
GLTron
Lincity-NG
Neverball
Neverputt
Open Alchemist
OpenTTD
OpenTyrian
Pingus
PokerTH
pushover
Rocks'n'Diamonds
Scorched3d
Secret Maryo Chronicles
SolarWolf
SuperTuxKart
The Battle for Wesnoth
Warzone 2100

October 9, 2010
Plee the Bear

List of games deemed insufficient for this compilation:
0 A.D. (Alpha stages)
Gang Garrison
Seven Kingdoms
Torcs

Anyone is welcome to use the compilation list, and if you want, you could also help me add more good quality games. I do want help in copyright, and some disclaimers to protect us/me from legal liability.

[qubodup]

1. 0AD is not ripe
2. Gang Garrison art license is not clear to me
3. Torcs has official car packs that are non-free I believe, also proprietary advertising images. Speed Dreams (a fork) might be a better choice
4. I'm sure Seven Kingdoms has non-free art assets

I like the idea but can't imagine why anybody would buy it, except for non-knowledge of the free/gratis nature of the games.

Would you inform the buyer of the free license the games are under before they finish the purchase?

How would you sell them? Ebay? (this has been done before, still being done. Amazon? A local stand?

Game recommendations:
http://code.google.com/p/pink-pony/
http://github.com/neuromancer/BOFH (FG review)

[dorne]

I'll take a look at your recommendations, pink pony looks like fun. What's the premise of neuromancer/BOFH?

I'll also probably remove torc, 0ad, gang garrison and seven kingdoms as well. "The game code for 7K2 is under the GPL, however the game data is not."

I'd like to think that by organizing such games into a compilation, people can appreciate what games that are being developed.

I was thinking about whether or not to disclose the licenses before sale, as standards usually don't tell that they are proprietary software at the start. However, it would be better to say from the getgo that the software included in the compilation can be freely used, modified, and distributed, following each game's license.

I would try and include Spring RTS with 'free' mods like Spring 1944 or Kernel Panic but because of the updating nature, most multi-player only games don't seem to have much value in a compilation like this.

I'll buy 10 CDs, 0.88c Canadian each. I'll fit them with a decent games list and proper documentation and just label them as 'Free' Video Game Compilation. I'll sell some copies for $2-5 to a few colleagues of mine and ask them to evaluate the software, to see if any game catches their eye, what is good about the compilation, what they didn't like. From there, I update and improve the CD.

[aside]If any of my colleagues decides to market it themselves, then the free license is working, but I'd have some competition.[/aside]

I'll invest a small amount of money to make custom designs for the CDs and jewel cases.

Now, sales and distribution is another problem I need to deal with. Where could I sell this game, and to who? I could try and sell it at my local College which has FSOSS reputation (though how the security would think of this I don't know).

I could create a project of this online and distribute the iso via torrent, and ask for donations to continue improving the CDs, creating more variations and even making a DVD compilation.

[qubodup]

What's the premise of neuromancer/BOFH?

You mean "why use the neuromancer branch?"? - I couldn't get the original source to compile.
Or do you mean "why include the game?" - it is complete and fun.

[charlie]

Those Funny Funguloids:
http://funguloids.sourceforge.net/

Kiki the Nanobot:
http://kiki.sourceforge.net/

[charlie]

F1 Spirit Remake:
http://www.braingames.getput.com/f1spirit/

Plee the Bear:
http://plee-the-bear.sourceforge.net/

Frogatto & Friends:
http://www.frogatto.com/

[TheAncientGoat]

Charlie: Isn't Frogatto's assets non-free? I know they release their outdated assets as CC, but their current ones aren't, if I recall correctly...

[dorne]

Plee the bear played ok. I think the platforming played well, though in level two on single player I ended up in the two-player path and got stuck. I'll take a look at more of your suggestions soon.