Submitted 980429, comments to bk@gamers.org.

Developer Kit

Summary:

The QE5 editor binary and source, the in-house development tools, and any other tools, sources or art collections should be released on a CD, shipping with the game, or as a separate kit product.

Advantage:

Competes with other companies releasing game tools along with the game. Emphasizes the extension/open character of the product. Makes it easier to enforce a EULA that does not allow CD ROM distribution, while keeping in mind those majority of customers that do not have cheap Internet access.

Disadvantage:

Takes additional space on the CD ROM, which might not be available. A second CD might add to the costs of the product. A separate product might be too expensive, distribution-wise.

Putting it along with a sold product raises issues of support and maintenance.

Effort:

In-house tools have to be wrapped up for distribution.

Alternative:

Unsupported release by Internet.

Related:

Art Reference Database. Also, from an e-mail exchange with John Carmack, 9 Dec 1997:

>Do you plan on shipping a TrinityEd for OpenGL with the
>game? In 1999, having tools and game running (or,
>for the former, at least crawling) on the same target
>might be relevant for sales. Running the game ref_lib
>for the editing 3D preview?

I hadn't really considered it, but we might.

Trinity is still likely to require extensive preprocessing, but loading the
ref_lib could still be a usefull workflow enhancer over running the entire
game.  I'll have to consider that.