M.A.C.E. Tower Defense

@LiveForIt

Quote:
That's what AmiStore is supposed to be...

@imagodespira
What about adding a donation button and/or popup on amiboing.de? It's relatively easy to do with Stripe.

Hans

@Hans: Ye we will add a donate button on Amiboing if we do the restart. The platform was dead for some years but we want to reactivate it and then we can link the games from there.

AmiStore: Yes, but it works not well ;)
Matthew has the MaceTD data since month, maybe the silent test release stops him to release it there. For future games we will got this way too (and alinea-computer in Germany, we will work closer together in future).

Itch.io is a try and also the W3D Nova/OpenGLES subsystem for all new games to get some feedback. We also got much feedback on a German Amiga Meeting some weeks ago (not Amiga37) it is great to speak with users directly. This helps and gives motivation.

@Hans

AmiStore is a dead concept. Too quirky, too many problems with payments, AmiSphere logins, user support etc. The only way for the future is a regular online store running on a secure, continuosly maintained shopping platform, not an in-house thing running on somebody's server down in the basement.

@trixie

Quote:
I think the concept is fine. Clearly the implementation needs some work.

If I were to write my own, I'd probably use a custom webview that accesses a custom themed portal on a web-server. There'd be some additional code to handle version checks & updates.

Quote:
I have a fully functioning online store for selling my software. I could theoretically sell third-party software there too, and maybe even install a multi-vendor plugin so that select parties could update their files themselves.

My preference would be for Amistore to be improved. I don't want to step on A-EON's toes, and adding third-party software to my store would take some work. I also couldn't offer automatic updates like AmiStore does (you'd have to use AmiUpdate for that).

Hans

@Hans

Quote:

Paying using amiga is bad concept, its not like you can't spy on every key stroke using exchange api, or spy on AmiSSL using SetMetod / SetFunction, its wrong to force people to use a unsecure system to pay cash.

Its more secure to pay with ipad or android, or something else.

@Hans,Trixie

Some big wall of text, sorry for, but just my through about as well :

Idea with AmiStore was good enough, just realisation is bad : app which should show the strength of amigaos4 like small-fast-bug-free app instead slow, buggy written on hollywood (with all respect to Andrea and hollywood, but AmiStore written even without without mui-royale, so no RMB support), no scroll bars, etc. And that i talk only about app itself. Another story is very bad support of everyone and developers, and users, weeks with no answers, months with no adding new entry from developers, they surely loose all interest then.

It's the same as with that amikit blog : was created, then simple forgotten. Again recreated aftre few years, and again forgotten.

Now, creating another store on someone's space it also no go.

Imho what can be done, is create app which somehow will be integrated with os4depot. Because os4depot prove for 15 years that they handle stuff right, and that they there for long , was for long and still for long. I do not know any other servie who can recommend yourself as os4depot for all the years of bad and good things with everything.

So imho, if one need to made an app which he want to sold, there need some tinkering with os4depot admins, to ask if they want to integrate that at all, maybe wrote some module , + aos4 client for it (on C , not on Hollywood this time, with all respect to Hollywood author who also prove yourself to be trustworty), which also will write not os4depot admins, but some one else who need that of course.

And then, all developers and users will be ok.

And for all that stuff in amistore, which is not Aeon's amigakit's can be migrated on os4depot.

For aeon's/amigakit's stuff, seeting how Mattew handle it all (low and not good at managment and communication with devs and users) , they just need to create sub area on their site, where sold things via web, so everyone can use any browsers and any platform to buy things they need.

Wall of text ends :)

@kas1e

Maybe something like this? :)

http://os4depot.net/?function=showfil ... /filetool/os4depotgui.lha

@LiveForIt

Quote:
Doesn't AmiStore support that already? At least, I thought it was possible to finish payment on another device.

@kas1e
Interesting "wall of text."

Personally, I don't think that os4depot is the right venue for a store. It's a great site for free software, demos and shareware. Adding a store component would detract from that. Also, integrating an ecommerce system is a big task, I'm not sure that Orgin would want the headache of handling the legal agreements, and paying out commissions to sellers.

Quote:
To be clear, I wasn't suggesting creating another store on keasigmadelta.com, but letting others sell in the already existing keasigmadelta.com store. I could build a dedicated web-store too, provided there's enough demand for it.

Mind you, there's nothing to stop individual developers setting up their own stores. It's gotten a lot easier these days with services such as FastSpring and 2Checkout (neither of which I use, BTW). An Amiga web directory could point to all the individual stores. Not as easy as having a dedicated marketplace like an app-store, but not that hard either. Well, IMHO, that is. I'm sure some developers would disagree, which is why they don't want to set up their own store.

EDIT: Might need to temper that "its not that hard" to set up your own store a bit. Global tax rules (especially EU VAT) are a pain in the butt, and are best handled with paid plugins/services (e.g., FastSpring).

Hans

For me, it would be enought to use an existing online shop. Security, Payment etc. is all handled by the shop system and works on most platforms. Also if the PayPal payment is not possible in Odyssey, you can use other payments or just drop the items into your shopping cart, collect what you need and login with your phone to finish the order.

With this way, we could focus on software to use and not on platforms to buy the software which never get written because we need to code and update a shop system ;)

We do it with Alinea-Computer and it works fine:
https://www.amiga-shop.net/Amiga-Softw ... 9_53.html?filter%5B1%5D=2

@imagodespira

Quote:
So you've already got everything you need. Amiga-shop.net might need a bit more visibility, though, because I wouldn't have thought of going there to buy your stuff.

Hans

Yes, in germany it is is more known and german users also want often buy in such webshops. In future: itch.io, Alinea-Computer (amiga-shop) and AmiStore. When we make physical releases, we also want to work with Alinea as we also have personal contact since years on Amiga Meetings.

I've had problems using Amistore several times, unfortunately.
Now I use other services if possible.

When I ordered an Enchancer package a few months ago, I bought it
via AmigaKit's own website in physical form instead, since I
could not get Amistore working properly. No reply from customer
support to help me. I've also contacted A-EON on several other
occasions without reply as well, which is sad.

This is bad for motivation, and I assume people newer to AmigaOS
4 would perhaps give up on both Amistore and the platform when it is
so hard just to make a purchase, get answers to questions, etc.
Especially if you have forked out a lot of cash.

In this respect I'd like to mention the webpage of A1222 pre order, which
was updated 7 December 2020. Have asked questions
about the A1222 to A-EON, but not received an answer, which I
could for example put on my blog to help promote the platform.
I know I'm not the only one not receiving an answer to questions
in this case. Changing the date of last updated to 2022 would make
things look more up to date.

When I was going to buy Swamp Defense (an excellent and fun game
btw!) to review for my blog. I then decided to go to Alinea
instead of Amistore, since I know that Alinea delivers the goods
without any problems. There I bought my first Sam (Sam440ep) over
10 years ago. I bought the game as a download from their webshop
and it was available shortly after. I could pay safely with card
without worries.

Like others have mentioned, I think the best, safest, and easiest
ways to offer paid downloads, is to host them in a webshop.

Is it vital that we can buy software through an appstore? My
opinion is no. Best to make it as easy as possible to purchase.

Offer a good selection of AmigaOS 4 commercial software in a
secure webshop, and I'm sure sales will increase too. A lot of
people like shopping from their mobile phone for example, comfy
in the sofa, and suddenly gets an impulse to buy - then it is
good to have some quality titles available for quick purchase.
The user can then download the titles later when in front of
their computer.

Sorry for the wall of text here, but I had a lot on my heart
about this. I do appreciate A-EON and all they do for the
platform, but there are things which could be improved.

To A-EON if you are reading this: If anyone has dropped out of
the pre-order queue, I'd be VERY interested in getting that
place. Have asked through e-mail, but no answer.

@imagodespira

I was tempted to buy a few items @ Amiga37 but no one had plastic bags, have they stopped selling plastic bags in Germany? I wonder was it only me who came unprepared for that. I ended up buying ONE small item to put on my keys and got free AmigaBill sticker, this is what when home with after jump on flight to Germany.

LOL

No, plastic bags are the evil here but they sell it in supermarkets (years ago, it was for free). It is strange that all Amiga dealers have forgotten to offer bags ;)

Just made 10€ payment for this game, thanx for supporting Amiga platform!