Cheap people...

[yanuart]

Hi, recently I just received an utterly bogus email.. so funny that I seriously think that this maybe a joke somehow :
My name is Chris, I am working on a website with flash games. I'm collecting a lot of games and then post them and keep high scores, with prizes. I was wondering if you would like to donate a game or so.
I like the Pest Attack game. If you would like, you can reply with
the source code. Please note that the page is not a profit seeking
one, so I cannot pay for the games.

Best Regards,
Chris
wow.. talk about cheap :eek: the guy even bother to ask for the source code !!, provides prizes for the player yet he said his site is not profit seeking :D.. wow.. who does he think i am ? a 12 yr old kid ?

now, seriously, is this how the future of webgames turn into ?
I wonder if you guys ever get this kinda mails for your products whatever that is..
heh.. i probably won't reply and if I do.. i don't know what to say heh
just feel like sharing this weird experience with you guys and to mention again that this is a tough business jungle..

[Ricardo C]

Scammers will always be around. Thankfully, so will the words "f*ck off, asswipe" ;)

[mahlzeit]

I don't see the problem, it seems like an honest request. At least he doesn't just steal your software. Just tell the guy you don't give away your games and point him to your games licensing page. What's the big deal?

[yanuart]

the big deal is that ppl think they can have things for free, which is kinda weird to me and give me a second thought on my business plan.. do they always think like this ?

what makes him think that someone will give away their games for free (even asking for source code??), it's not like i put my games on the "free download/tutorial" section.
and seriously, I'm beginning to think that that guy is a potential leecher ..

I also have several other requests, usually they're not lucrative enough and I turn them down but at least they always start with asking for a license deal and low price (never "so I cannot pay").. hehe. Sometimes they don't wanna pay but give a good explanation about the website our their goals. I always spend my time replying those requests eventhough I know it won't do any good to me.
even so.. do you think that guy's letter is okay ?? is that how you write proposals ?

hehe.. is there any other business that doesn't require capitals/resources? if so I'd like to know and maybe I'll join them :D

[mahlzeit]

Lots of people give away their games for free, so it's not unreasonable to assume you would too. After all, the game is free to play on your website. I can imagine that people don't immediately recognize that you are commercially licensing these games.

do you think that guy's letter is okay ?? is that how you write proposals ?
It's just an email asking a question. Probably from some kid, even. Hey, maybe he is a leecher. But maybe he is just someone with an idea and a question. It never hurts to ask for things. Sometimes you might even get it. :)

[Stu]

We had a college kid e-mail us and say that he really liked our product and wanted it so bad but he didn't have any money. We noticed that he kept going through the order process right up to the confirmation but never went beyond. He was just practicing I guess. We sent a very polite response but did not provide a free copy. About a week later he bought it. It looked like perhaps he spent his Christmas money on it.

The point is, I believe his initial request was sincere and it was just difficult for him to afford it. We treated him with respect and he ultimately bought the software. Everyone wins. :)

[KNau]

Perhaps this is a result of developers throwing around the "free games" label when their products are nothing of the sort. Every damned website is "free games, we have free games, try our free games" when in fact they are just limited demos - at best a grey definition of a free game. I've even seen sites that say "free full games" in reference to their limited demos (lame!).

You have labeled your webgames as "free", I can understand how some kid would get confused by the idea of free games that require a licensing fee.

[yanuart]

The point is, I believe his initial request was sincere and it was just difficult for him to afford it. We treated him with respect and he ultimately bought the software. Everyone wins.
well, like I said bfore, i do receive several requests like this and I always reply to them with respect too but this one.. i dunno, i really find it weird.. "a nonprofit site who provides prizes for playing games??".. will you believe that ?

yeah, I kinda agree with you, it seems alot of people consider "free to play" webgames is also free to distribute or to use for your own benefits. Hmm.. now I see a loophole in the system :p
I got 1-2 mails like this per month.. sometimes I just got tired replying all of them and this mail is the most bogus of all, that's all.