IMG has published the first in a three-part series by Chris Barylick entitled "The Slacker's Guide to Shareware":

If there was one thing the Slacker learned from a childhood spent watching “The Wonder Years” and playing with those old-school sticky spiders that came in cereal boxes (and would go down about three walls before becoming too encrusted with small bits of dirt to function properly), it’s this: sometimes a really good thing slips by. In the midst of the Halo hubbub, Myth 3 mania and Oni ogling, some terrific games have gone unnoticed.

This happens to the best of us and is neither the fault of the programmer or the intended customer. The simple truth of the matter is that these games are shareware, registering only as tiny blips on the radar of the Macintosh gaming industry. Sometimes a great game will emerge and become so wildly hyped that its presence becomes unavoidable, the lack of marketing dollars providing no hindrance whatsoever. Other times a significant company like Ambrosia or Freeverse will push a good game to greatness, its time, effort and marketing dollars ensuring that the game winds up on as many Macs as possible while taking a share of the profits in return. In the end, only a few shareware game titles truly shine above the rest and become part of the Mac gaming community’s collective consciousness. Once absorbed, these games provide a great value for a low price despite the thousands of play hours lost, millions of consumed caffeine beverages and the wail of the neglected significant others they leave in their wake.

Inside Mac Games

IMG Feature: The Slacker's Guide to Shareware - Part 1

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