Guest metric Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 I'm just trying to gauge reaction to the idea - me and a friend were talking about this earlier today. Thanks for the input! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest midnight Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 pfff, not a sniff :P one thing i definitely wouldnt do is charge for homescreens, unless...... it used some kind of commercial plugin (but would have to be pretty amazing), but then i'd be charging for the plugin, not the homescreen. The only other way would be specially commisioned work for businesses, but how many businesses use just MS Smartphone, and how many really care about homescreens? For example, if a company wanted to have a corporate homescreen that i created and it used RJHtml to pull info from their corporate database, then yes, of course i'd charge for that work. But, charging the general public for homescreens is pretty cheeky if you ask me, but then, i'm also opposed to people selling ringtones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kurtfhouse Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 Probably not mate, its nice to have a good home screen (MSN for example) but just can't quite see myself shelling out for one, sorry :? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest metric Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 Maybe if each one was tailor-made (i.e. guaranteed one-of-a-kind) would there be more of a market for those? I thought I had a nose for these things too :? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Disco Stu Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 I might well do if I could get my ultimate personalised homescreen. I just have no idea what that would be :? It's also great fun trying loads of different ones out :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest midnight Posted July 21, 2004 Report Share Posted July 21, 2004 but part of the enjoyment of developing homescreens is the satisfaction gained from the public enjoying your work aswell as comments and feedback from the community. Doing one-off's is no real fun (i know, i have done them in the past), and to be honest, if people request homescreens, then usually someone will make it anyway, for free. Especially if they provide images. Thats whats such a cool community we have here :P oh, and most people change homescreens once a month, i know i do, thats why i keep developing new homescreens when i get bored with my last one :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest [email protected] Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 Sure, if it's good enough. Midnights MSN seems to qualify... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Paul [MVP] Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 I don't think the work - v - cost model would work, for user specific homescreens at least. It takes a good few hours to make a top homescreen, and that pushes the cost too high... P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest flyaman Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 There are already fantastic free home screens on some web pages. For example, http://www.lemondeduskin.com/index2.php gives alot of nice possibilities (sorry guys, it's french site). (Of course beware of the jmms bug that must be fixed if you have the jmms) I just installed today this one : and this one : Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Disco Stu Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 "]I don't think the work - v - cost model would work, for user specific http://smartphone.modaco.com/viewforum.php?f=43>homescreens at least. It takes a good few hours to make a top http://smartphone.modaco.com/viewforum.php?f=43>homescreen, and that pushes the cost too high... P ..which brings us back to the demand for a simple homescreen editor Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest idavid Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 why would anyone pay when there are such high quality free ( and modaco plus) ones available? look at Midnights MSN homescreen, absolutely fantastic. to charge for them you would really have to raise the bar above all the quality homescreen producers making free ones, and its a damn high bar... :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest scott2eyes Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 My sentiments pretty much echo Midnight's on this one... As for a simple homescreen editor- I find that Notepad does the job perfectly! :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest drblow Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 Em ... if anyone wants to pay for any of my homescreens then great!! :P Na, only jokin! I 100% agree with midnight - I make homescreens for my own personal satisfaction & post them here for free so other people can use them if they like them. I think its one of the things that makes the community here great, coz many things which take hours/days/weeks to complete, are provided here for free. Anyway, there are far too many excellent quality homescreens available for free now for anyone to think there could be a market for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Disco Stu Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 Just to play Devil's Advocate a bit here (or me 2 years ago).... 1. what is Notepad ? 2. where do I get "a good few hours" from, and why bother if I can pay someone to use up their own free time (thereby creating jobs and economic security for the community.. :wink: ) ? 3. I don't care how easy xml is, I've got no intention of messing with it Just wanna pay, plug & play dudes :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jcjdoss Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 Em ... if anyone wants to pay for any of my http://smartphone.modaco.com/viewforum.php?f=43>homescreens then great!! Â :P Â Na, only jokin! Â I 100% agree with midnight - I make http://smartphone.modaco.com/viewforum.php?f=43>homescreens for my own personal satisfaction & post them here for free so other people can use them if they like them. Â I think its one of the things that makes the community here great, coz many things which take hours/days/weeks to complete, are provided here for free. Â Anyway, there are far too many excellent quality http://smartphone.modaco.com/viewforum.php?f=43>homescreens available for free now for anyone to think there could be a market for them. But what is not being said is that money = innovation. When you get money involved you get more people interested in making the screens, which I agree is easy, but you also have more people making plugins, which is a little harder. We are lucky to have Midnight who "shares" his product. But don't be fooled Midnight gets paid. Maybe not in direct cash, but he gets modaco to be a bigger better website and forum, more members. In turn modaco keeps a personal and business relationship with Midnight. Quote from Midnights Alien Invention site "Alien Invention Forum now open by kind permission of MoDaCo.com, click here to enter the forum. Any questions regarding Eclipse: First Wave can be asked and answered here." Also the more freebies(advertisement) Midnight gives on Modaco(smartphone Website and forum) the more customers he gets for his Smartphone games and programs. I'm not trying to belittle Midnight, I give him big time props as a business man. But to say that everyone should give their work away is a bit of a contradiction to what Midnight himself is doing. Much respect Midnight. No offense meant. I don't think us cell phone geeks on the forum would pay, but end users would. You would have to market it to the right group Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest idavid Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 money = innovation. i dont think thats true. its not money that has created the multiple great homescreens available for free, its peoples enjoyment of making and sharing things, testing their abilities and showing them off. granted making a great free homescreen might improve someones advertising but quite frankly i doubt it contributes much in the way of profit. if their was money to be made in homescreens why dont established companies do it? why doesnt orange give it a go? simple, it cant compete with people with a genuine interest who want to do it for the sake of it. thanks to everyone who has made a homescreen i have downladed and used (tons), i hope i speak for everyone when i say that it is greatly appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Disco Stu Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 ...and not everyone on this forum is a geek, cellphone or otherwise :wink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest metric Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 I don't think it's money=innovation ... there's a subtle distinction to be made: I think it's more like reward=innovation. Respect, reputation, exposure (using the example of Midnight, we can see his other projects gain from being under the midnight banner). Another hindrance to the big players (networks, manufacturers, and other ppl currently peddling wallpapers, ringtones, etc), is the DRM. By definition, (by all means correct me if I'm wrong), on release, the finely-crafted XML and backgrounds are handed out 'in the clear', i.e. there is nothing to stop someone dissecting what you made, and ripping it off. This will always prevent the monetisation of the homescreen market. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jcjdoss Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 if their was money to be made in http://smartphone.modaco.com/viewforum.php?f=43>homescreens why dont established companies do it? why doesnt orange give it a go? simple, it cant compete with people with a genuine interest who want to do it for the sake of it.Do they sell ringtones and wallpapers, of course, it is main stream. If Smart Phones were mainstream, which they will be someday. You'll see the mobile companies do it. Don't think for a second our beloved Cell phone providers wouldn't find a way to make a quick buck. thanks to everyone who has made a homescreen i have downladed and used (tons), i hope i speak for everyone when i say that it is greatly appreciated! I also send out my thanks. You guys rock! Let me be annoying and over explain myself. My post was not to encourage anyone to charge here, but to encourge someone business aspirations. You will have to market to end users. Not the guys that sit in the forums and pick these things apart. ...and not everyone on this forum is a geek, cellphone or otherwise  :wink: Let me be politically correct, Mobile Phone Entrepatuers :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jcjdoss Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 I don't think it's money=innovation ... there's a subtle distinction to be made: I think it's more like reward=innovation. Â Respect, reputation, exposure (using the example of Midnight, we can see his other projects gain from being under the midnight banner). Another hindrance to the big players (networks, manufacturers, and other ppl currently peddling wallpapers, ringtones, etc), is the DRM. Â By definition, (by all means correct me if I'm wrong), on release, the finely-crafted XML and backgrounds are handed out 'in the clear', i.e. there is nothing to stop someone dissecting what you made, and ripping it off. Â This will always prevent the monetisation of the http://smartphone.modaco.com/viewforum.php?f=43>homescreen market. Oh man, you killed my comeback before I even posted! :wink: (nervously awaiting Midnights response) But, with money comes negitives like security. The big dogs would invest in security measures to reduce the amount of rip off. More money in thier pocket. I agree with you, but everyone gets paid. Satisfaction, reward, but it always comes down to product or or money. But it is way to big of a break down to prove my point. (nervously awaiting Midnights response) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest idavid Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 Do they sell ringtones and wallpapers, of course, it is main stream. Â If Smart Phones were mainstream, which they will be someday. Â You'll see the mobile companies do it. Â Don't think for a second our beloved Cell phone providers wouldn't find a way to make a quick buck. but htis is the great thing of the Smartphone OS over all these crappy nokia things. the ability to make these backgrounds already exists. i doubt there will ever be a market for Smartphone themes as the markets already saturated with skins. this in my opinion is one of the best things about the OS. everythings available, from ringtones, to games, to skins. there's no need to bother with these terrible ringtone companies! :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jcjdoss Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 but htis is the great thing of the Smartphone OS over all these crappy nokia things. the ability to make these backgrounds already exists. i doubt there will ever be a market for Smartphone themes as the markets already saturated with skins. this in my opinion is one of the best things about the OS. everythings available, from ringtones, to games, to skins. there's no need to bother with these terrible ringtone companies! :P I agree again, however, that is why I keep meantioning end user. The end user doesn't have the time or energy or intrest in finding the "free resources" Time=money, entertainment, relaxation. Those end users would pay the 5 bucks for a complete theme and maybe a buck for wallpaper. And maybe $7-$10 for custom skins. You have to have a good feel for design to use the theme manager to make colors and contrasts flow. And I agree that Nokia is crappy, but thier pockets are padded with all the money they are making on ringtones, wallpapers, etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest drblow Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 I don't think it's money=innovation ... there's a subtle distinction to be made: I think it's more like reward=innovation. Â Respect, reputation, exposure (using the example of Midnight, we can see his other projects gain from being under the midnight banner). I think your statement implies there has not been enough innovation in homescreens, which is bot true. This forum has seen the release of several different homescreen plugins, all of which have been exceedingly innovative - infact, the media player plugin won the modaco innovation award! :P So, I don't see how your argument holds up. There has been a steady flow of innovation from users of this forum from day 1 - all, or nearly all, for free! It's one of the things that makes this such a successful forum. Madbeetle produced an alarm plugin, which was available commercially. I don't think I've ever seen a homescreen using it, it just didn't catch on. & there was some fairly vocal opposition at the time! :twisted: If you can sell homscreens to these 'end users' you speak of, then good luck to ye! :D but I wouldn't expect to get much support around here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest midnight Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 hey, i just said 'I' wouldnt sell homescreens, and, in general, i cant see me ever selling a homescreen (unless for corporate use), however, if someone wants to try and sell homescreens, good luck to em, but spending all day making a one off homescreen for 5 quid seems a little silly to me :P i personally get much more satisfaction from spending all day making a homescreen and releasing publically for free, and, without gloating, enjoy the praise/feedback, that just encourages me to do more :D money does not mean innovation praise, feedback, respect, competition=innovation :D oh, and going back to the earlier comment, ive been doing homescreens long before we set up Alien Invention, and even before i was a mod (in fact, its through my hard work with tweaks and homescreens that i was invited to be a mod). I was the first person to discover all the extra screen tweaking (look at the AI homescreens, Alien Invention was at the time, just the name for those homescreens, but we liked it so named the company after it). Not bragging, just stating facts. :lol: PS. i actually think i'm more well known for the Reg Tweaks and Homescreens than i am for my games, but did help when we released Eclipse cos all the websites actually said 'Midnights game', which err, wasnt true cos Muff and Reed where involved aswell, and a damn fine job they did aswell :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest metric Posted July 22, 2004 Report Share Posted July 22, 2004 I think your statement implies there has not been enough innovation in homescreens, which is bot true. This forum has seen the release of several different homescreen plugins, all of which have been exceedingly innovative - infact, the media player plugin won the modaco innovation award! I was siding with jcjdoss - not targetting any particular group of theme designers (how can I form an opinion!? I've only been here a week :P ). The point I was making, which is a strong one and well-established when discussing other free-as-in-beer projects, is the non-monetary motivators behind homescreen/plugin development is often a product of a mix of underlying factors, which outweigh the desire for monetary gain. Similar projects (e.g. open source software) have been examined before, interested readers may wish to read the results of the FLOSS surveys. Motivations for developing Open Source / Free SoftwareMain FLOSS Report Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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