Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    How was the game while it lasted - was it Amigaitized or a straight
    port?
    
    I thought software couldn't change the WCS unless you did some hardware
    hacking to disable the latch.  I suspect the engineer may be wrong,
    since that kind of protection scheme would die horribly on the
    500/2000's Kickstart ROM.
    
    Either the disk duplicator was having a bad day, or Microprose really
    ruined the market for Amiga Silent Service.
    
    -dave

    The game was great, while it lasted... definately Amiga-ized, with
    digitized pinging, ship wrecks, etc.  Excellent graphics. I have
    not seen the ST version, so I can't really say if they enhanced
    the graphics at all.
    
    Maybe I mis-understood the CBM guy... He said 'Microprose must have
    patched the OS', by which I assumed he meant WCS.  Maybe they just
    mucked with the disk.device or whatever it is that shouldn't be
    mucked with...
    

    Well, I just received a new copy of Silent Service from the Memory
    Location.  Don told me that virtually every version that went out
    came back in.  Apparently, when a mission has ended, and you add
    your name to the Naval Hall of Fame, the write process zaps the
    copy-protected tracks.  Microprose is aware of the problem, and
    certainly does not wish to alienate the lucrative Amiga market,
    and will be issuing a revision in a few weeks or so.
    
    In the meantime, leaving the disk write-protected will prevent any
    problems.

    I didn't want to start a new note and the title of this one seemed
    quite appropriate, so here goes:
    
    I was in an Amiga computer store a few days ago when a new Amy 500
    owner came in complaining that his workbench was no longer working,
    it turned out that he had been playing a game (don't remember which
    or who made it) and after resetting the machine, when he got tired
    of the game, he put back his WB disk to reeboot and got nowhere.
    The instructions in the game said to TURN OFF the Amiga after finishing
    up, if this was not done, a "virus" stowed in memory erases all
    other disks put in.  Mind you all was said was to turn off the
    computer, no mention was made that other disks would be eaten up!
      
    Jean
    
    Good thing I don't play games
    

    Which game was this?

    The copy of Zoom! I bought had a warning on it stating that it was
    a good idea to cycle power before and after using the game, to avoid
    propogation of viruses, but the text seemed more like a warning
    about "safe booting" more than any sort of implicit threat.
    
    Perhaps the guy just misunderstood the intent?

    Wonder what damages they'ed be liable for knowningly selling a product
    that may destroy data they do not own?

    Il'l try to go back to the store so that I can find out what the
    name of the stupid program.
    
    Re -.1  The suewer (herefore reffered as the person whose data was 
    erased) would have as mutch chance of getting reparation as software
    companies who get zip from pirated copies of thier software.  All
    in all an ugly scene.
    
    On copy protection: If software companies would sell the software
    at reasonnable prices, they would sell more, just look at what we
    are doing, the first computers DEC sold were quite expensive, but
    as developpement costs were absorbed, the price for a given performance
    level went down.  Sinclair's ZX80 originally sold for $200, but
    as more units were sold, the price went lower than $30 (for the
    ZX81).  These are market laws, they hold up for hardware, milk,
    you name it....EXCEPT software!  I can understand that the software
    designer expects a certain market penetration, but after it is
    attained, the price SHOULD drop, these people think that after the
    goal is reached, the rest is gravy, the fact is that after the goal
    is reached, the pirates take over.  If you don't play by the rules,
    you get your just deserves.
    
    If you think that the time and effort put in by software designers
    deserves sutch high prices, wonder at the time and effort put in
    by authors of BOOKS (novels, non-fiction...) they don't command
    the same high prices, why?
    
    enough ramblings
    
    Jean
    

 > wonder at the time and effort put in
 > by authors of BOOKS (novels, non-fiction...) they don't command
 > the same high prices, why?
    
Many more copies are sold, in the case of popular books. There are no
hardware requirements, and the majority of popular books do not become
obsolete in 2 years. Competition between publishers is tougher in terms
of numbers of new items available, and all items are available to anyone,
not just those with specific hardware. Technical books, which have small 
audiences and require revisions to stay competitive, have prices comparable 
to PC software. Software manufacturing (duplicating) is more expensive.

Now, if you write something of which every Amiga owner will buy 4 copies...
And keep the movie rights... :^) And the serial rights, ala Zork I...

JO

    Re -.1
    
    Not quite true,  I live in the province of Quebec, which is the
    french speaking part of Canada.  Many people write novels in french
    just for our market, sometimes, if the subject is VERY popular,
    it will make it international to all french speaking countries and
    then it will be translated to other languages, even then the
    penetration (number of copies sold) is smaller than the number of
    copies of popular software sold in the US of A.  How many copies
    of lotus-123 have been sold? does it still command what they are
    asking for it? same for dBase*...just to mention productive "tools".
    
    
    Jean
    

    The idiots making the stupid copy protection I described in .4 are
    the good folks from MICRODEAL.
    
    Jean