Shareware: Difference between revisions
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* '''Trialware:''' You can only play the game for a certain span of time (typically about a month,) a certain number of times, or something similar. After that, it can't be played any more until it's purchased. In the early days, this could often be circumvented by [[Good Bad Bugs|setting your system clock forward several years before installing it; on reverting to the normal time, you would be told that you are on day -3467 of your 30-day trial]].
[[Shareware]] is intended to get distribution by way of [[Exactly What It Says
Buying shareware is often referred to as “registration,” because all that's usually included with one's purchase is a code (consisting of one or more special strings of letters and numbers.) This allows sales to take place via postal mail, telephone conversation, or (even over a decade before the web) online communication. When typed into the program, this code “registers” the copy installed on your machine as belonging to you and removes whatever restrictions existed in its unregistered state. This is all the [[Copy Protection]]/[[DRM]] typical shareware games have, and—most shareware authors and customers feel—[[The Power of Trust|all that they need]].
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== Companies and Creators ==
* [http://www.spiderwebsoftware.com/ Spiderweb Software] still operates on the classic shareware model, releasing 20%-40% playable versions of ''Nethergate'' and the ''[[Exile]]''/''[[Avernum]]'' and ''[[Geneforge]]'' series.
* [https://
** ''[[Escape Velocity]]'' was notable because the shareware release contained the full game plus Cap'n Hector, a friendly in-game character who would remind you to register the game. The "friendly" part only lasted until the game's trial period expired, at which point Cap'n Hector would hunt you down and ''murder'' you. And this was a game where your character could easily get [[Killed Off for Real]].
* [[Id Software]] was arguably the most famous company for using shareware. ''[[Doom]]'' only allowed the first 9 levels for free, leaving one to mail-order for the last 18 levels. ''[[Wolfenstein 3D]]'' had the same shareware model, allowing only the first 10 levels out of 50. Interestingly, ''[[Commander Keen]]'' is a special case. The first and fourth games were shareware with no limits or messages. However, the second, third and fifth installments had to be purchased, leaving parts of the story unfinished for shareware users. The sixth game had a demo of the first three levels due to a different publisher.
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* ''[[Halloween Harry]]'' (otherwise known as ''[[Alien Carnage]]'') is an interesting case. First it was released as ''[[Halloween Harry]]'' (with the first episode as shareware), but some thought the name would [[Viewers Are Morons|make people think]] it was a holiday game. So they renamed it to ''[[Alien Carnage]]'' and swapped the first and third episodes. Gamers could get the (formerly) third part for free now. That leaves only the second and fourth episodes that you had to pay for. It's all been released as freeware now, but it makes you scratch your head, doesn't it?
* ''[[Mini Robot Wars]]''
* ''[[Dungeons of the Unforgiven]]'' by Moraffware. The free section contained 20 large levels and 4 bosses. Any attempt to enter a non-free area triggered a pop-up telling the player to 'phone the publisher to buy the full version (price on application).
== Other Shareware ==
* ''[[As-Easy-As]]'', a spreadsheet designed to rival the then-dominant ''Lotus 1-2-3''.
{{reflist}}
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