Green-Ear SDK and Voice Slots NEW pricing and definitions!
by Leba Lualdi · 01/30/2009 (3:04 pm) · 21 comments
So there has been much confusion over our voice slots, which give players access to the Green-Ear Network. So, we are doing away with the old definition where it comes in bursts and is impossible to calculate. Well, nearly impossible. Voice Slots will now mean a concurrent user on the network. You know, the way everyone thought it was to begin with.
In order to offset the cost of the voice slots, the SDK will now be offered for FREE. Yeah, free.
So, although the changes have already, or will very shortly, have taken place on the website. We are offering a special limited time offer to all of you for being so dope. Now through February 15, any Voice Slot purchase will be honored at the maximum number of connections quoted in the original definition. So, all of you who had purchased an SDK and were waiting on voice slots or any of you that had the intent to purchase under the old agreement still have a chance to get in under that deal. Sort of a better deal because now instead of a variable range of numbers you will know exactly how many SIMULTANEOUS connections you will have and you will be automatically upgraded to the highest end, regardless of the chattiness of your game.
Here's the way it breaks down, until Feb. 15, if you buy 10 slots, we will honor that as if you purchased 450 slots. And so on, see handy chart:
10 slots = 450 slots
25 slots = 1800 slots
50 slots = 4000 slots
100 slots = 9500 slots
500 slots = 55000 slots
We wanted to give you a fair chance to follow through with any plans you had made for future slot purchases. The switch will be taking place on February 15, anything purchased before then will be counted at the higher number of slots on the network side, anything after that will follow the new model where 10 slots is equal to 10 concurrent connections. I hope you understand the changes and feel that the offer we are making to the community is a fair way to transition.
Thank you for your continued feedback and support.
-Leba
#2
Is it possible to implement it so that a player can "ignore" another player (say, that other player is just spamming the line or something...)?
01/30/2009 (10:04 pm)
Also, one more question:Is it possible to implement it so that a player can "ignore" another player (say, that other player is just spamming the line or something...)?
#3
You may get a few people grumbling that bought the SDK for $49.95 and about 3 months after it first came out it's now going to be free. Personally I think $50 for the SDK is a bargain given exactly what you get for the price.
Will the free SDK still include the 5 free tester slots? If so that's a great bonus for the guys here as they wouldn't have to purchase any slots til they were ready to release although it could be a concern for you guys and bringing in revenue.
Slightly off topic but could I suggest that you look at getting a forum(s) setup though as the one on Garagegames has disappeared with the site updates and offering the SDK for free will no doubt bring a lot more queries, questions and support - a forum would hopefully reduce the amount that support hit your team via emails/phone not to mention people being able to support each other.
@Chris - I can't answer all questions as I'm not part of Green-Ear but we've implemented it into our game so I can say some of them:
- Yes it does work with TGEA (our game is TGEA), the SDK comes with instructions on adding Green Ear to TGB, TGE and TGEA.
- You can't mute other players at the moment but on a recent survey the Green Ear team sent out asking what features we'd like to see it was one of the items on there (and that got my vote) so hopefully we'll see it in the next release or two.
We've been really impressed with Green-Ear, our team is spread out across the UK, USA and Australia so Voice chat has been a real bonus not to mention it's crystal clear and I get none of the delay in hearing people I've had from using Skype or similar.
01/31/2009 (3:03 am)
@Leba - Great news as that was a confusing part to the licensing, as Chris mentioned though I'm interested to know what the levels will go to after February 15th, because 10 concurrent connections for $50 is a big difference to the current licensing.You may get a few people grumbling that bought the SDK for $49.95 and about 3 months after it first came out it's now going to be free. Personally I think $50 for the SDK is a bargain given exactly what you get for the price.
Will the free SDK still include the 5 free tester slots? If so that's a great bonus for the guys here as they wouldn't have to purchase any slots til they were ready to release although it could be a concern for you guys and bringing in revenue.
Slightly off topic but could I suggest that you look at getting a forum(s) setup though as the one on Garagegames has disappeared with the site updates and offering the SDK for free will no doubt bring a lot more queries, questions and support - a forum would hopefully reduce the amount that support hit your team via emails/phone not to mention people being able to support each other.
@Chris - I can't answer all questions as I'm not part of Green-Ear but we've implemented it into our game so I can say some of them:
- Yes it does work with TGEA (our game is TGEA), the SDK comes with instructions on adding Green Ear to TGB, TGE and TGEA.
- You can't mute other players at the moment but on a recent survey the Green Ear team sent out asking what features we'd like to see it was one of the items on there (and that got my vote) so hopefully we'll see it in the next release or two.
We've been really impressed with Green-Ear, our team is spread out across the UK, USA and Australia so Voice chat has been a real bonus not to mention it's crystal clear and I get none of the delay in hearing people I've had from using Skype or similar.
#4
I "bought" the SDK for free last night and it added "Ayalogic: Green-Ear SDK" to my private forums list.
01/31/2009 (5:48 am)
Quote:Slightly off topic but could I suggest that you look at getting a forum(s) setup though as the one on Garagegames has disappeared
I "bought" the SDK for free last night and it added "Ayalogic: Green-Ear SDK" to my private forums list.
#5
01/31/2009 (8:19 am)
I purchased Green Ear a few months back and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to get voice chat into their games. Easy to integrate, good quality and good support.
#6
01/31/2009 (9:38 am)
Thanks Ross - they've appeared for me too now, not sure whether someone spotted that and added them for me or if I've just been blind this last week looking!!! (Both are quite possible).
#7
-You need to "buy" additional seats, because it provides you with a product key per developer. Although the SDK does include 5 tester slots for your team to use.
-The 10 slots = 450 slots only until February 15, after that 10 slots will be $49.95, meaning 10 simultaneous connections. That is a jump from the original but it is a necessary one and is cushioned by the zero cost SDK.
@ Andy, you should have received an email, as should have all people who purchased the SDK at full price to notify you of the extra compensation you will receive. Let me know if you have any questions.
-The forums are currently for people who have downloaded the SDK, it should add the forum automatically.
-The ability to mute 'ignore' other players is coming in release 2.1, coming very very soon.
@Andy and @ J.C.- can I use your quotes about Green-Ear on our website, I am compiling some testimonials and I'd love to use your comments above.
Thanks Guys!- Leba
01/31/2009 (9:41 am)
Hopefully this will clarify things:-You need to "buy" additional seats, because it provides you with a product key per developer. Although the SDK does include 5 tester slots for your team to use.
-The 10 slots = 450 slots only until February 15, after that 10 slots will be $49.95, meaning 10 simultaneous connections. That is a jump from the original but it is a necessary one and is cushioned by the zero cost SDK.
@ Andy, you should have received an email, as should have all people who purchased the SDK at full price to notify you of the extra compensation you will receive. Let me know if you have any questions.
-The forums are currently for people who have downloaded the SDK, it should add the forum automatically.
-The ability to mute 'ignore' other players is coming in release 2.1, coming very very soon.
@Andy and @ J.C.- can I use your quotes about Green-Ear on our website, I am compiling some testimonials and I'd love to use your comments above.
Thanks Guys!- Leba
#8
So get 450 simultaneous connections now for $49.95 or wait till after February 15th and only get 10?
01/31/2009 (10:09 am)
So how is the Mac version coming?So get 450 simultaneous connections now for $49.95 or wait till after February 15th and only get 10?
#9
The Mac version is close. I will post it when I know exactly but I think its in the next month or two? That's not a promise or official, it's just what I think I recall. I will update you when I have the full schedule close by.
01/31/2009 (10:18 am)
Yeah, pretty much get 450 connections now for $49.95 or wait and get 10. We thought it was better than changing it in the dark of night and jumping out and yelling, "SURPRISE!"The Mac version is close. I will post it when I know exactly but I think its in the next month or two? That's not a promise or official, it's just what I think I recall. I will update you when I have the full schedule close by.
#10
01/31/2009 (10:38 am)
Thanks for the info. Kind of been waiting for Mac version before ordering but obviously looks like best to buy now. Guessing the Mac will be a free addition since the SDK is free already?
#11
01/31/2009 (10:45 am)
Yeah, the Mac would be an addition to the SDK, and it would still be free. If you were planning on buying it anyway, I'd stock up on the bonus voice slots now. That's really why we offered this interim period because we knew there were people out there that were hesitating and I was worried that if then we changed the pricing without notification you'd get locked out of the deal. So it's really just offered out there for people just like you, anyone who has been following along with us.
#12
I guess if I'm going to get Green Ear, it'll have to be an all-or-nothing thing in the next 15 days. I just have to decide how well I think the game will sell :-p
One more quick question:
Is it possible to hook the script calls through a DRM scheme in the executable? So, for instance, there's an authentication that has to be made for the game to run online... obviously, I don't want them to just add a couple of lines of script and play it through LAN taking up Green Ear slots or play it through an illegal master server or anything of that nature. Securing it in the C++ code would be nicer.
Thanks for the information
01/31/2009 (11:39 pm)
Whew... This is going to be a tough decision here. 450 connections for ~$50 is a great deal... but 10 for $50 is heavy. That's $5 per person... usually Indie games would run about $20 a game, so essentially, you'd have a 25% royalty to pay, unless you're betting your players don't play at the same times.I guess if I'm going to get Green Ear, it'll have to be an all-or-nothing thing in the next 15 days. I just have to decide how well I think the game will sell :-p
One more quick question:
Is it possible to hook the script calls through a DRM scheme in the executable? So, for instance, there's an authentication that has to be made for the game to run online... obviously, I don't want them to just add a couple of lines of script and play it through LAN taking up Green Ear slots or play it through an illegal master server or anything of that nature. Securing it in the C++ code would be nicer.
Thanks for the information
#13
@Chris - The steps to get into chat looking like:
1. Connect to Green Ear network with your Game Studio & Title.
2. User login - End users username & password (or register a new account).
3. Request a chat channel or join an existing chat channel.
You could test if using LAN or WAN play and just simply not call the Connect to Green Ear network function if they're using LAN play or single player. To go further by default the Green-Ear SDK provides the ability to do this all from script but you could remove that from script and just embed it into C++ wrapped with some additional authentication.
02/01/2009 (12:21 am)
@Leba - by all means use my quote if it will help, I put something something similar when I filled out your questionnaire and thanks I got the second email from you on the extra slots a few hours after posting here.@Chris - The steps to get into chat looking like:
1. Connect to Green Ear network with your Game Studio & Title.
2. User login - End users username & password (or register a new account).
3. Request a chat channel or join an existing chat channel.
You could test if using LAN or WAN play and just simply not call the Connect to Green Ear network function if they're using LAN play or single player. To go further by default the Green-Ear SDK provides the ability to do this all from script but you could remove that from script and just embed it into C++ wrapped with some additional authentication.
#14
02/01/2009 (12:27 am)
Well, that's pretty nice. Thanks for the response Andy.
#15
02/14/2009 (4:28 am)
I downloaded the SDK, but it seems to come with integration for the TGE/TGEA/TGB engines only. Is this offer also valid for the Torque X (2D/3D) engines?
#16
Thanks for your interest!
02/18/2009 (12:51 pm)
@Thijs: Although the Green-Ear SDK is not yet integrated with Torque X, we have it slated for later this year. If you have an immediate need or if we hear from the community that this is more urgent, this will help us prioritize our new features. Thanks for your interest!
#17
Thank you!
02/18/2009 (2:08 pm)
Thanks for the reply! I already bought a slot pack and I plan to use the Green-Ear SDK in a Torque X game I am working on. I don't need the SDK urgently yet though, I will send you a mail once voice chat is in sight on my planning :)Thank you!
#18
like before feb 15 it was
10 slots = 450 slots
25 slots = 1800 slots
50 slots = 4000 slots
100 slots = 9500 slots
500 slots = 55000 slots
and now its more like
10 slots = 10 slots
25 slots = 25 slots
50 slots = 50 slots
100 slots = 100 slots
500 slots = 500 slots
Im just asking, because while we would have used this for our next project, paying 10.000 us$ for 4k simultanious connections instead of 175 us$ as we would have needed is just not a option (while saving 50$ on the SDK i can see how that merits us paying 9825 us$ extra for the slots).
Should it however be that 10 slots = 10 slots, we will just scrap the idea and then if the users want voice chat, they can just use ventrilo or something :).
So im very interested in how this price thing works :)
Thanks :)
PS : Email you on support green-ear email, just incase you doesnt come around here often :)
04/05/2009 (1:35 pm)
If i bought this now, lets say 50 slots, that means i get 50 slots ?like before feb 15 it was
10 slots = 450 slots
25 slots = 1800 slots
50 slots = 4000 slots
100 slots = 9500 slots
500 slots = 55000 slots
and now its more like
10 slots = 10 slots
25 slots = 25 slots
50 slots = 50 slots
100 slots = 100 slots
500 slots = 500 slots
Im just asking, because while we would have used this for our next project, paying 10.000 us$ for 4k simultanious connections instead of 175 us$ as we would have needed is just not a option (while saving 50$ on the SDK i can see how that merits us paying 9825 us$ extra for the slots).
Should it however be that 10 slots = 10 slots, we will just scrap the idea and then if the users want voice chat, they can just use ventrilo or something :).
So im very interested in how this price thing works :)
Thanks :)
PS : Email you on support green-ear email, just incase you doesnt come around here often :)
#19
"What are Green-Ear Voice Slots?
This is how access to the Green-Ear hosted and maintained network is acquired. Remember,
Voice Slots are only active when a voice channel is IN USE. Green-Ear’s network is engineered so
10 Voice Slots can serve 250-450 players depending on the audio bursts in the game, 25 slots
can serve 900-1800...etc. Results will vary depending on the games’ level of verbosity. ‘Chattier’
games use up more simultaneous spots than games where the audio is used in shorter bursts.
Reserve slots for end user usage in your game. You can buy as many or as few as you need to
secure your players have network access for in game communication. There is a one-time fee
with no expiration for the life of the title and no server rental needed."
No more problems from my side (thought slots could have been a bit less expensive for my taste) hehe.
04/05/2009 (5:56 pm)
Edit, saw this is SDK pdf, changes everything :)"What are Green-Ear Voice Slots?
This is how access to the Green-Ear hosted and maintained network is acquired. Remember,
Voice Slots are only active when a voice channel is IN USE. Green-Ear’s network is engineered so
10 Voice Slots can serve 250-450 players depending on the audio bursts in the game, 25 slots
can serve 900-1800...etc. Results will vary depending on the games’ level of verbosity. ‘Chattier’
games use up more simultaneous spots than games where the audio is used in shorter bursts.
Reserve slots for end user usage in your game. You can buy as many or as few as you need to
secure your players have network access for in game communication. There is a one-time fee
with no expiration for the life of the title and no server rental needed."
No more problems from my side (thought slots could have been a bit less expensive for my taste) hehe.
#20
So it is 10 slots = 10 players, in case anyone sees this and wonders :)
04/06/2009 (7:07 am)
Nevermind, all the PDF files is out of date.So it is 10 slots = 10 players, in case anyone sees this and wonders :)
Torque 3D Owner Chris Cain
http://www.garagegames.com/products/greenear
It looks like a great deal, but I have some questions about it.
Since the SDK is free now, if I implement it into my source, it's allowed to have more than one torque licensee working on that source at once, correct? Our team has an SVN setup, that's why I'm clarifying. It appears that the EULA on the product page may need to be updated to clarify that. I'm just trying to make sure that if I "buy" the free license, do I have to make my other teammates "buy" the free license as well, or what?
Also, if I buy "10 slots" on the product page for buying slots, that's 450 simultaneous connections... so I can have 450 users at one time (regardless if they're talking or not), correct? Will the product page be updated after Feb. 15, or are we going to be paying $50 for 10 total users of our game? Or is this just a temporary deal?
Does it work with TGEA?
Thanks, I'm looking forward to your answers, as I'm considering this product deeply now.