DRM is a means to an end. A way to ensure Devs are supported. That is where (for some) the last thread that was closed was going.
This with a few changes is a post I was an editing and tried to submit after it was locked <_< .
Lets look at what the long perspective is. We are trying to do two things.
1.)get some more money into the pockets of who would make some games. Specifically games playable on a certain little machine.
2.)is to get some more games for this little sweet machine here
andora1:
3.)To not make the console in some way more undesirable/unpleasant to be used.
What your rank of priority between those goals is up to you.
People are torn on how much DRM would impact all 3 goals. I don't think you could read this topic and come to know how the whole community feels % wise one way or the other but it is definitely a divided issue.
I thought the raising of funds on a centralized site BEFORE a port is made was a good idea. Such a site would need to be some how legitimized because it would be dealing with lot of money. Something would need to be worked out as an insurance against any kind of skimming, misappropriation of funds and wrong doing. It would be best if one site would aim to do multiple games at once by talking preorders, after a general poll in which signed up users would state if they would preorder the game.
-After the poll someone from the site would have to contact a publisher. They would then try to work out a good deal for the game either negotiate for it to it to be released initially at some specific price or for some lump sum to be paid to make a native port.
__The publisher might arrange for the port to be done, but quality of the port would need to be assured to the people to will preorder.
__or the publisher will give the go ahead to pay a third party to port the game (assurance of quality might be easier).
What would not be negotiated for would be control of the distribution rights to charge money for distributing the game on Pandora. Those rights are worth money, and if a community organized for this to happen it would not be fair for one the working out the actual deal to arrange to personally gain ownership of some thing of monetary value. I doubt I am getting my terminology right but by this I mean; that if someone were to collect $20 per person from a 1000 people and then used that money to get the right to distribute a game port for Pandora and charge how ever much that negotiator wants for subsequent sales of the game, even if the preorders are still $20 the one who organized the whole thing would then be in the possession of some thing that they could charge money for, potentially make a large profit. Wile at the same time
because those rites are worth money, and they were negotiated for, the preorder money could have instead been lower. In that circumstances the negotiator for the Pandora port has bought some thing extra that is of no value to the part of the community that has paid for it.
Instead a list of potential preorders (a list people who claim to be a potential consumers) could be taken to a publisher to get there interest. The company might just try to go ahead with port and charge what ever they like for it, but there is an element of risk. How many on release day would actually buy the game and how many would wait for a crack and pirate it. If there were a large number of preorders (a number that might represent the total expected sales on such a small system as Pandora) I think a lower price for every one could be negotiated.
Preorders as a unit of monetary contribution sound good to me because it is NOT like a donation fund were everyone donates a different amount. If the amount of money raised is not enough it is not because to many people did not give enough but because not enough people were interested in making a purchase and so the project ends there (where it should). Also because it is a preorder and not donation if the project never does get started people would be entitled to a refund.
I know there are flaws in my plan and it does not sound complete even to me but it is an idea I had that might encourage more stuff ending up on pandora.
keaft's post does subject more of an emphasis on rewarding Devs rather than on compensation them but the distinction is not vast.
