[mdlug] Suggestions for games for an elderly parent? Starcraft

[Jeff Hanson]

On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 4:14 PM, Garry Stahl <tesral at comcast.net> wrote:
> Rather isn't that salable.  Popular?  Everyone here runs it, but who
> last needed to buy any software?  Running openSUSE 11 I have never
> needed to buy software.  I need something that does something I fire up
> Yast and go get it.  That has been the story so far.

Closed-source commercial software is normally distributed through
retailers but that is changing a bit due to online services like Steam
(and the Linspire CNR).  Retailers make a profit off of every retail
sale.  The profit of $0 software is $0.  They are used to making
profit off of retail sales and letting the developers handle support.
The F/OSS distribution channel has mostly been online and that
includes many closed-source apps (and Steam is being ported to Linux).
 Most pirates distribute software online and many kids are used to
that distribution model (malware or not).  I suspect retailers will
stock some retail Linux software but in the long run they won't stock
any software as online distribution will make it obsolete.  With
online merchants pressuring their hardware profit margins they will be
forced to rethink their strategy of making up margins on software
sales.  Some will develop service models covering education and tech
support while others will drop out of the retail computer market
entirely.