Re: MUD Development Digest

["Dr. Cat" <cat#bga,com>]

> 	producing a graphical MUD takes a lot of time and money, and 
> 	until someone can run something akin to Ultima Online free of charge,
> 	there'll be aplenty of people who'll be quite happy to suffer the
> 	limitations of text-only interface just to be able to play for free.

Funny thing you should mention that.  I'm intending to run something akin to Ultima Online free 
of charge.  I think it'll be able to compete very effectively on price at least!  Forrester 
Research is currently forecasting that by 2001, 90% of online gaming revenues will come from 
advertisements.  If they're correct, then running an online game for free is a far more 
sensible business strategy in the long-term than charging money for one - at least for most 
types of games - the ones that fit the demands of that 10% niche being the exception.

I'm sure plenty of people will continue to play the text-only games even after there are gree 
graphic games though, I don't see why you have to view this as some kind of either-or.  The 
people that invented videotape didn't REALLY say "wow we can get rid of all books now", 
that's just a nasty rumor that was circulated by Spiro Agnew because he was commanded to by 
the alien mind-control rays.  I wouldn't worry about it if I were you.

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