My copy of “Shareware Heroes” by Richard Moss arrived this week. His previous book, “The Secret History of Mac Gaming” was an incredible look at how at so many times in the 80s and 90s the state-of-the-art in gaming was pushed forward by dedicated Mac enthusiasts who embodied the “Think Different” mantra, despite the weird relationship Apple themselves had with gaming.
This new book is a look at the rise and fall of the shareware model of games distribution, where the game was free to pass around and the expectation was you’d send in some money to register if you liked it. It allowed for a lot of creativity and experimentation in the games people would release. I’m sure it will be a similarly engrossing read!
Currently listening: Jesper Ryom - “Apolune”