You guys don't think that the developers making continuous update to their products, to get them in the "new items" on top of the shareware sites list, are a bit dishonest?
For my own curiosity today I looked at some SO CALLED "updates". What I've found is so just ridiculous that make me laugh. Things like:
-replaced ogg music with better one
-added 2 levels
-fixed mouse pointer with 16 color one

and so on...!!!!
When I think that I make an update only when I add really SOME new stuff (ubm 1.1 added multilanguage, german translation and fixed lot of bugs, about 3 weeks of work!), or at least even if I make small update I do them once per month maximum...

I think that the biggest sites should put a "update limit", since I can't ask them to check manually if all updates are FAKE like most I've found recently...

<<superprogrammerX updated Coolgame71 to new version 1.02.3.5.7.9-bis - changes: fixed my uncle surname in the credits page>>

I think the saying "If you can't beat them, join them", applies here!

adding 2 levels sounds like a decent update to me.

I'd much rather see small updates than YET ANOTHER FLOOD of maps and mods for retail games, which completely dominate the download.com what's new list this year....

I like to do updates about once a quarter. That usually allows enough time for a crop of bugs to be harvested and fixed, and maybe add in a new feature or two (usually user requests).

A danger of too-frequent updates is annoying your users, since there's a limit to how many times downloading and re-installing can be considered "exciting". On the other hand, during evaluation, people seem to like to see that the software has been updated within the past 3-6 months.

-David

I'm not averse to frequent updates, and it's important to get some updates out as quickly as possible (eg "Fixed crash caused by divide by zero bug" :) ) But I wouldn't want to do them so frequently as to annoy customers. Somewhere between Jack's suggestion of once a month and DavidRM's suggestion of every 3 months sounds about right, unless you have a critical bug that needs to be fixed yesterday.

I try to update at least once a month, adding new features each time. I feel bad about updating with pointless crap, yet I want to update often, so I just update with good new features :).

If you don't like that guy, report him, or join him!

I'm using frequent smaller updates as an incentive for people to register. Trial version gets updated only with major patches.

I'm considering using it as an anti-piracy measure as well... if you need a valid license number that hasn't been revoked due to naughtiness to update to the latest version and get new, free content...

Are you saying you're forcing them to update software they already purchased?

I thought Coyote was on about using the reg keys to authorise whether you can get the latest updates or not.. I think someone mentioned this is what Blitz uses.

I think what he said is that each frequent update can have a bigger list of forbidden serials than the previous build. So you find a serial for your product in a public forum, disable that serial, upload new version. Therefore people who download your product and look for a serial will most likely find a serial that no longer works.

I am not against the frequent updates to prevent serials.

But if you make one JUST for that, no need to resubmit to sites I think... unless you want to play dirty and you do that ALSO to get in the "newest addition" group... :D

To Cliffski: 2 levels was just an example, but consider a game like dweep or other that have 30-40-50 levels... who would make an update of just 2 levels? :)

I am saying that because often also I am trying to find new shareware stuff but is hard to find the REAL new stuff because more than 50-60% are just updates of old materials.

I wasn't referring to download.com in particular, because resubmitting to it costs money :P

I think what he said is that each frequent update can have a bigger list of forbidden serials than the previous build. So you find a serial for your product in a public forum, disable that serial, upload new version. Therefore people who download your product and look for a serial will most likely find a serial that no longer works.

Ah, I understand now. Thanks. :)

Who honestly resubmits to all the shareware sites every time? After submitting CustomBar once I have no intention of updating any listings other than the 3 or 4 that are actually bringing in traffic. And even those (including download.com) are just drops in the bucket in comparison to the traffic I've received from a handful of news sites and forums.

Resubmitting updates just to get to the top again seems like a really tedious and inefficient way of getting traffic.

unless you want to play dirty and you do that ALSO to get in the "newest addition" group... :D


"dirty games" Jack? :D

Don't know how about anybody else but I'd like to see our games always in newest additions (or instead of that Ricochete everywhere - for example). So, just say it to yourself and it would be easier for you guys - there is no any unfair competition, as well as the fair one. You either compete or not... No?

PS I almost don't resubmit our software at all. May be some time "by the way" with new titles - but that's absolutely another story. Because: 1) I'm lazy and 2) I hate ALL that stupid download archives who gives you nothing just pain in... (do you know where? ;) )

Ok you convinced me :)

...expect a UBM update very soon! ;)

... good boy... :D
You are convinced to be as all of us from now... ;)

Sites that support PAD files don't usually have to be re-submitted to. You just update your PAD file, and they catch it on their next poll.

-David