Shareware Heroes takes readers on a deep-but-accessible narrative journey through the golden age of shareware and its part in the rise of indie games publishing and development.
Long before Steam, GOG, or the App Store, and even further back from the emergence of microtransactions and in-app purchases, shareware introduced such ideas as "try before you buy" and "pay to unlock more content". And it was a huge success, with thousands of games, apps, and utilities sold under the model. Very few shareware game authors were able to earn a living from the model, but those who did could make a fortune — and some of them changed both the games industry and entertainment at large with their product.
This is the story of those heroes of the shareware age — the people who changed the world, the ones who tried but failed, and the creatives who just wanted to make something they loved.
The book draws its narrative from a blend of interviews and archival research. People interviewed include:
[still to come - highlights, games and people/companies covered, etc]
Paperback or DRM-free ebook Bookshop.org (Paperback) Amazon UK (Paperback or Kindle) US Kindle edition Book Depository (Paperback) Amazon US (Paperback) Audible Audiobooks.com
(While you wait, you can play with the Classic Mac-themed website for my other book.)