The way some companies deal with free stuff

Take the first Sims-game for instance.

Maxis brought out that game with full intention of selling add-on disc after add-on disc. Only to realize early on (probably somewhere in the development phase) that people themselves might make some add-ons.

In fact it isn’t that much of a stretch to believe that those people who could program would help or even teach the ones who could draw.

So within days the Sims community was filled to the brim with hundreds after hundreds of shiny wallpapers for your house. Celebrity after celebrity skin to live in your house. And all kinds of objects from various types of skateboards to adult toys (it’s still the internet after all).

In fact, I always find it rather amusing to keep in mind that the first alteration of the Sims-game wasn’t necessarily a new wallpaper – it was removing that annoying blur when a person was showering.

When I played the game (and I’m always late when it comes to these kind of things) I had a cornucopia of wallpapers to choose from. Especially since the Gothics and Emos had taken a liking to the game I could build my own personal castle.

Which caused Maxis to, later on, develop add-on discs in that direction. Making magic was one of those (helped by the popularity of the Harry Potter franchise no doubt).

Now why this introduction concerning this rather old game? Because I wish to talk a bit about content between developer and user. In Maxis’s case, I argue, the official content was still the best. Moreover, the various add-on discs still sold like hotcakes. So Maxis allowed amateur designers to have a go at adding content to the game.

Though I doubt they would’ve been able to stop it if they wanted to.

Now take another example: DAZ.

DAZ is a 3D program that allows the user to pose a character (male, female, child or some otherworldly characters), dress them up like a Barbie doll and render a photo or even a short movie from it.

The only catch is that this isn’t a game that comes with the basics of necessities. The user has to buy everything! And I mean everything. A potted plant – 7,95. A new dress – 8,42 (discount). A penis – 40,- (it’s the internet after all).

So the program may be free of charge. The stuff you wish to use will cost you a pretty penny.

But now we get into troubled waters when we consider the internet. There are numerous people that who offer a (slightly different –but very good) potted plant –for free!

That, I believe, is the issue DAZ is facing.

I am sugar-coating it a bit of course. In truth it isn’t all ‘capitalism versus free folk’. There are quite a few creators of content who ask a pretty penny for their work. I can’t blame them (that is, unless it is ghastly to look at).

I actually tried to use DAZ once and I found that it wasn’t the program that didn’t work for me (though they layout does overcomplicate matters). Rather it was the fact that I suddenly had a million folders with bits and pieces scattered all over my computer. Seven folders within each other containing a texture. Twelve other folders within each other containing the one object file. If you like clicking things this is a dream come true. For me, I more than once cursed: ‘Now where the heck did I leave my potted plant?’

A now, for a few years, we have steam's Source filmmaker.

Now this isn’t made for realism (neither is DAZ, really). But it is there to fill the need for creativity.

Like the Sims filled the need for a user to create his/her custom house so does Source filmmaker fills the need for the user to create his/her own scenes from a game.

It’s a nice thought to believe that the Sims prepared all those Millenials who were teenagers back then on moving out.

Source filmmaker offers the users the tools to create a scene using the bits and pieces from the actual game itself and the internet responded with glee.

It’s not technically legal when a user uses an animation from a copyrighted game. But in the ‘free usage-law’-spirit of things the users get up to some great little movies.

Including computer-game-pornography; it’s the internet after all.

They even create own textures and objects to use in the program. And everything is (pretty much) allowed. Except, of course, -we live in a capitalist world after all- to get the program you need to register on Steam.