Best Practices for Professional Game Release
by Blake Drolson · in Torque Game Builder · 12/07/2011 (6:54 pm) · 5 replies
Hi there,
My partner and I are finishing up the development of a game built using TGB, and we have a few questions about things we might need to do to prepare for release, if we want to follow best practices. Specifically we are wondering about installers, patchers, and anti-piracy measures.
We have the PC version of the game just about done, and hope to have the Mac version done as well, for simultaneous release. We would love it if we were accepted for Steam, and also plan to try to use DirectDrive, Impulse, and the MacStore. The game is a single player TGB game with some slight changes to the base C++ code, and tons of custom script code.
As to installers, what is the best option on the PC. I was looking at installshield, but thats $600. Are there any free or cheaper options to create an installer, that are solid choices? Do any of these handle patching? What about installers for the MAC?
We would love to have the game check for updates automatically at startup, then patch itself with user ok. Is this what most TGB games do, is there tech like this to use and leverage? Or do most TGB games have users apply patches manually after they download them?
Finally as it relates to anti-piracy, what do people use for this? We are not confident that we can use any great anti-piracy tech that will keep hackers out, but what about a simple tech to prevent a low tech user from doing a simple copy and give to a friend etc. What do most TGB games do in this area?
Thanks in advance for any help. :)
My partner and I are finishing up the development of a game built using TGB, and we have a few questions about things we might need to do to prepare for release, if we want to follow best practices. Specifically we are wondering about installers, patchers, and anti-piracy measures.
We have the PC version of the game just about done, and hope to have the Mac version done as well, for simultaneous release. We would love it if we were accepted for Steam, and also plan to try to use DirectDrive, Impulse, and the MacStore. The game is a single player TGB game with some slight changes to the base C++ code, and tons of custom script code.
As to installers, what is the best option on the PC. I was looking at installshield, but thats $600. Are there any free or cheaper options to create an installer, that are solid choices? Do any of these handle patching? What about installers for the MAC?
We would love to have the game check for updates automatically at startup, then patch itself with user ok. Is this what most TGB games do, is there tech like this to use and leverage? Or do most TGB games have users apply patches manually after they download them?
Finally as it relates to anti-piracy, what do people use for this? We are not confident that we can use any great anti-piracy tech that will keep hackers out, but what about a simple tech to prevent a low tech user from doing a simple copy and give to a friend etc. What do most TGB games do in this area?
Thanks in advance for any help. :)
#2
forums.indiegamer.com/showthread.php?17891-How-to-Sell-Your-Game-Boot-Camp
People there are extremely friendly and helpful. As soon as I am done with my game I'll be there too :)
Good luck with yours
12/08/2011 (8:14 am)
Congrats on your game Blake, here is the site where you can find almost all answers about indie games :forums.indiegamer.com/showthread.php?17891-How-to-Sell-Your-Game-Boot-Camp
People there are extremely friendly and helpful. As soon as I am done with my game I'll be there too :)
Good luck with yours
#3
12/08/2011 (12:12 pm)
Vlad, Connor, thanks for the excellent links! I will be checking out Astrum and HM NIS Edit as alternatives to install$hield
#4
I like that the pro version of Installwizard has an autopatcher option. Anyone ever used it, or used the patching capabilities of NSIS?
Also wondering about the SoftwarePassport DRM software Amanda listed, anyone ever used it, and have feedback to share?
Oh and what do you guys use for taking orders , paypal? Plimus? BMT?
12/08/2011 (9:15 pm)
Vlad and Conner great info, thank you. The document from Amanda was good. Looks like installwizard and NSIS and both good choices. I like that the pro version of Installwizard has an autopatcher option. Anyone ever used it, or used the patching capabilities of NSIS?
Also wondering about the SoftwarePassport DRM software Amanda listed, anyone ever used it, and have feedback to share?
Oh and what do you guys use for taking orders , paypal? Plimus? BMT?
#5
People there are quick to respond, Thomas the owner of BMT is on that site forum indiegamer.com all the time. You can ask him right there about anything.
Personally, I'm gonna use BMT ( I only heard good things about them e.g. good service mega quick respond , they can custom make check out page for you on the flight - like special promos discounts etc)
Regarding DRM I can not say it is bullet-proof 100% , what the hell even Microsoft can not fight piracy, and they have bigger guns for sure. But it is the best service out there for us. Almost all indie game developers use it unless you bother to encrypt it yourself, which is way too much of a hustle for me or in my opinion for any indie game.
Go sell your beast ! :)
12/09/2011 (5:52 am)
Blake, people use different ways of payment processing service. But for the last few years developers prefer more and more BMT.People there are quick to respond, Thomas the owner of BMT is on that site forum indiegamer.com all the time. You can ask him right there about anything.
Personally, I'm gonna use BMT ( I only heard good things about them e.g. good service mega quick respond , they can custom make check out page for you on the flight - like special promos discounts etc)
Regarding DRM I can not say it is bullet-proof 100% , what the hell even Microsoft can not fight piracy, and they have bigger guns for sure. But it is the best service out there for us. Almost all indie game developers use it unless you bother to encrypt it yourself, which is way too much of a hustle for me or in my opinion for any indie game.
Go sell your beast ! :)
Conor O'Kane
cokane.com
For installing on Windows I use HM NIS Edit, which is a free visual interface for the Nullsoft scriptable installer: hmne.sourceforge.net/
I haven't found a good free installer for MacOS so I generally distribute my games as a zip file for Mac. If you're distributing on Steam then Steam does the version checking itself before launching the game and prompts the user if they want to download the latest version, that way you don't have to include it within your game.