Altitude wide launch + demo restrictions

[NomNom]

Link to the Altitude section on the steam forums if you want to show some support/help the newbies:


http://forums.steampowered.com/forum...play.php?f=793

[WillowEsp1]

Originally Posted by lamster

You can continue with your old account. When you buy the game you will receive a registration key via email: simply log in, you will see the "Demo Expired" popup, click "Enter Key", and paste the key from your email.

Thanks for that.

[Pestilence]

I was about to suggest that you update the folks on Something Awful about the $10 sale, since a lot of them really wanted that last round. Apparently you're two steps ahead of me as always, Lam.

[Evan20000]

Lam is a something awful goon? Tsk tsk tsk...

[art]

Originally Posted by lamster

Altitude will launch on Steam/Direct2Drive/GamersGate soon, and to make sure our servers don't melt down under the load we will be implementing new demo restrictions.

From now on demo users will be limited to 3 hours of total play time. With Paypal (from our website), Steam, Direct2Drive, and GamersGate processing orders, everybody should be able to find a payment option that works for them. In addition, for this week only, Altitude will be on sale for $10. There has never been a better time to buy!

Just bought a second account to gift at xmas. Couldn't pass up the half price deal.

I did a quick survey of Steam/Direct2Drive/GamersGate, and only Direct2Drive supports any platform besides Windows (they support Mac). That's a shame, since this is a shining example of what cross-platform gaming should be, and it's on at least the Big 3.

Did you consider selling through Greenhouse Games (playgreenhouse.com)? That's where I bought the Penny Arcade "On the Rainslick Precipice of Darkness" games because they carried Linux versions. The store was launched last year by the Penny Arcade and Hothead Games people. Seems like it would be a good fit.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by art

Just bought a second account to gift at xmas. Couldn't pass up the half price deal.

I did a quick survey of Steam/Direct2Drive/GamersGate, and only Direct2Drive supports any platform besides Windows (they support Mac). That's a shame, since this is a shining example of what cross-platform gaming should be, and it's on at least the Big 3.

Did you consider selling through Greenhouse Games (playgreenhouse.com)? That's where I bought the Penny Arcade "On the Rainslick Precipice of Darkness" games because they carried Linux versions. The store was launched last year by the Penny Arcade and Hothead Games people. Seems like it would be a good fit.

Using your Altitude account you can login and play the full version of the game from any computer (windows, mac, linux). So even though you bought the "windows" version from steam you can still use that Altitude account on a Mac or Linux computer.

[-MH-CaptainVogez]

I made it to full version guys

Cheers agan Lammy and Karl!

[art]

Originally Posted by Karl

Using your Altitude account you can login and play the full version of the game from any computer (windows, mac, linux). So even though you bought the "windows" version from steam you can still use that Altitude account on a Mac or Linux computer.

I know, and that's awesome, but it wasn't really my point. Mac and Linux users can't use Steam or GamersGate as a delivery system for the software. As a consequence, neither store points out that the game is cross-platform at all. Mac users can buy the game from Direct2Drive or directly from the main site, and Linux users can buy from the main site only.

I was curious about Greenhouse because they support all 3 platforms on equal footing (and they're run by indies). I was thinking in terms of sales portals and delivery systems, not the game's capabilities.

[Karl]

Originally Posted by art

I know, and that's awesome, but it wasn't really my point. Mac and Linux users can't use Steam or GamersGate as a delivery system for the software. As a consequence, neither store points out that the game is cross-platform at all. Mac users can buy the game from Direct2Drive or directly from the main site, and Linux users can buy from the main site only.

I was curious about Greenhouse because they support all 3 platforms on equal footing (and they're run by indies). I was thinking in terms of sales portals and delivery systems, not the game's capabilities.

D2D and GamersGate just email you an Altitude Registration Key just like our PayPal system does. So if PayPal doesn't work for you use D2D or GamersGate.

1. buy game from D2D or GG
2. Launch game on linux
3. Login to your Altitude account
4. Click Get Full Game
5. Paste in Altitude Registration Key emailed from D2D or GG

[Tosconi]

I think Art was rather aiming to give you an advice how would it be possible to promote the game further. It's very true, that noone can actually see that the game is cross-platform on the steam. Since I use a mac, I don't really know how linux users find their games...but it's quite logical to put a game on the site, where all the 3 platforms are supported (which means, linux and mac users actually USE these sites - and due to the lack of games on these OSes, they most probably use these sites). It's just a point of connecting demand with supply. Because how else can non-windows users find the game actually, since they're physically don't use windows game zones.

[lamster]

We appreciate the suggestion! I'll fire off an email to Greenhouse but I'm not sure the site is still accepting submissions: they haven't added a game in months while most of the other digital distributors have been adding several games a week.

[Tank]

This is kinda of topic, but it relates to the demo restrictions.
I was one of the long-term demo users before the restriction was added. I wanted the full game, but my parents were "unwilling" to buy it for me. In the end, i had to get my friend to buy it (i payed him back). But i think this will really hurt the amount of people who eventually do buy the game. 3 hours isnt enough time to meet friends in the game, and get good enough to be respect. Now all your getting is noobs who get pwned by big time players and it makes them not like the game, and not have enough time to get good enough to loike the game. thats just my opinion.

[art]

Originally Posted by Karl

D2D and GamersGate just email you an Altitude Registration Key just like our PayPal system does. So if PayPal doesn't work for you use D2D or GamersGate.

1. buy game from D2D or GG
2. Launch game on linux
3. Login to your Altitude account
4. Click Get Full Game
5. Paste in Altitude Registration Key emailed from D2D or GG

Good to know, thanks. They don't make that obvious on their respective sites; I assumed all of their games were pre-activated downloads or something.

[MonstaFondla]

Originally Posted by Tank

This is kinda of topic, but it relates to the demo restrictions.
3 hours isnt enough time to meet friends in the game, and get good enough to be respect. Now all your getting is noobs who get pwned by big time players and it makes them not like the game, and not have enough time to get good enough to loike the game. thats just my opinion.

I can see what you mean. But then again, surely players realise that if they like the game, bought it because of that, and got better, they would "be respect(ed)"?

(Not that the respect for 'flying' a sprite is worth all that much, but I'll let that slide).

[spc]

the 3-hours time limit for demo users was a great move. 3 hours is enough to get to know the game. i myself started to like altitude in the first 3 hours and that will totally encourage people to buy the game.

[tals]

Isn't the login the aspect that identifies whether you are registered so a player who buys on pc but wants to play on his mac can just login to that on the mac version?

[lamster]

Yes -- you can log in to your full version Altitude account from any computer.

[Fatknacker]

Originally Posted by nobodyhome

... Some people get effing married after only spending 90 hours with each other.

And these people are now called “Divorced”

[Rock]

1. What week will it only be $10?

2. What is to keep demo players from spamming accounts when their hours are up?

Will it be the week of Christmas or what?
Maybe I didn't see the posting... ???????

[mutra]

It is trash. The three hour limit should be extended to at lest one day. Otherwise people cant get the hang at all of the game for threee hours.

[Tosconi]

it seems actually that they can.

In case Karl or Lamster read it - is there actually any statistics, how many demos have tried the game and how many of those bought one?

[Vi*]

Originally Posted by Fatknacker

And these people are now called “Divorced”

Luckily Altitude is much cheaper than both marriage and divorce!

I'd marry Altitude after 3 hours.