I monitor the Vassal module’s evolution, and I’m rather perplexed about the recently-established policy of allowing permission to publish modules only without the charts.
In my opinion, is a commercial dead-end, if not failure, because the avg. price of wargames (esp. in country like Italy, where the wargames market is basically a monopoly of an importer) led wargamers to be much more discriminating on their purchases, and I’m sure that the best solution is akin to the shareware market model:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shareware
whose, incidentally, fits well into niche markets, as the wargaming market actually is.
The shareware/try-before-buy model I think can easily implemented on wargames; for example, at least the multi-scenario (quadrigames, etc.) ones, one can release only one scenario, but complete, allowing potential buyers to assess if the wargame really is what they want.
OTOH, the general concept can be successfully applied to initiatives like GMT’s P500; I’m confident that a “public demo” (let’s say, a single scenario or even a part of it, but fully playable, more or less) can easily drive the prenotations above the threshold more quickly, if not actually much more quickly.
and, what about proofs of concept of new gaming ideas ? feedback is key in success of new products…
I guess I have given enough food of thought and constructive criticism, so I give my
Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.