Universe Sandbox should be Free

[Darvince]

Universe Sandbox over there in Ukraine is about 4% of his (MONTHLY!) income if he were to get an average paying job. Since that means that 50% or more jobs pay less than that, it's probably like 6 or 7 percent (really damn high for a game!) of his income if he were to get an unskilled job.

[tuto99]

Oh...

[Unreal2004]

I work hard for the little bit of money I make, I make about 25 euro ($31.78)a day (anywhere from 3-6 hours), half that at the end of the month goes to rent then half of whats left goes for gas then half of that goes for food, that doesnt leave me very much for purchasing things that arent needed to live or improve my situation, I know how tuto99 feels but I also try my damnedest to purchase something as cool as this program. 

[Dan Dixon]

Universe Sandbox 3 will supports Windows 8 and Linux ?

Windows 8 yes (v2 also works with Windows ... Linux is very likely also a yes.

We've already switched to developing with Unity 4.


The upcoming announcement is about Universe Sandbox 2 and schools, not about Universe Sandbox 3.


Having grown up in the United States in a middle class family that never really struggled, I never worried about my basic needs being met or how I was going to pay for housing, medical care, or food. For me, paying $10 for a game wasn't a huge deal. Unfortunately it is a big deal for most people in the the world and large numbers of people in my country.

To be fair, it was my freedom from worry about my necessities that gave me the opportunity to explore random ideas I was interested in. One of those ideas was a gravity simulator I once called 'Planets' that eventually lead to my development of Universe Sandbox.
http://dandixon.us/programming/planets.htm

I know that Steam does charge less for Universe Sandbox in Russia to better reflect average income in those countries, but even if they rolled this out for each country, it would not address the dramatic income divide in any single country.

Income inequality is an issue that has gotten worse over the last 30 years and has forever been an issue worldwide. Turns out we're all better off when income is more evenly distributed and everyone's basic needs are met.

It's too bad there isn't some way to charge (for example) 30 minutes of your personal wage for the software. So Bill Gates might pay $50,000+ while someone making $10/day might pay $0.50. Someone making $10/hour would only pay $5.

If you really can't afford or have no way of paying for Universe Sandbox, send me an email and let me know what's going on and we'll work something out. Money shouldn't be the factor that limits the quality of education and learning, yet it too often is.
http://universesandbox.com/contact/

Cheers everyone.

[Hellpotatoe]

I work hard for the little bit of money I make, I make about 25 euro ($31.78)a day (anywhere from 3-6 hours), half that at the end of the month goes to rent then half of whats left goes for gas then half of that goes for food, that doesnt leave me very much for purchasing things that arent needed to live or improve my situation, I know how tuto99 feels but I also try my damnedest to purchase something as cool as this program. 

This is 25 euro x 20 20 days in the month (removing Saturdays and Sundays) = 500 euro

1 euro = 2,60112827 reais (currency here on Brazil)
500 euro = 1300 reais

R$1300 is more than the salary of a teacher here
You have a good salary, from my point of view.

[Unreal2004]

I work hard for the little bit of money I make, I make about 25 euro ($31.78)a day (anywhere from 3-6 hours), half that at the end of the month goes to rent then half of whats left goes for gas then half of that goes for food, that doesnt leave me very much for purchasing things that arent needed to live or improve my situation, I know how tuto99 feels but I also try my damnedest to purchase something as cool as this program. 

This is 25 euro x 20 20 days in the month (removing Saturdays and Sundays) = 500 euro

1 euro = 2,60112827 reais (currency here on Brazil)
500 euro = 1300 reais

R$1300 is more than the salary of a teacher here
You have a good salary, from my point of view.

And you would be right but cost of living in Brazil is MUCH lower than COL here in Austria, when I lived in the US I would make $4400 a month working at Caterpillar, when I was layed off in '09 I moved here for an extended vacation/get away from hectic life and have stayed, 780 Euro is what I usually make in a month and this is considered below the poverty line for Austria, I have no TV, no radio (they tax both per year) only my PC and internet.  All told I have anywhere from 15-40 euro for a whole month to spend on other things after my obligations are paid (rent, food, toiletries e.t.c.)  Last month I had to take out a small loan because my car failed inspection and I had to spend 800 euro I did not have to fix it, my car is my livelihood and if its broken I dont earn money.  I can feel tuto99's problem perfectly and I can see his point of view, I know how hard it can be to even afford a game like this when you have to decide between a few days worth of food or a game.  Also I work 7 days a week even holidays because the paper prints every day except double holidays although I have not seen one of those in 2 years.  Average wage here is 30,316 eur (78855.85 Reais) a year, I made 5500 eur (14,306 Reais) all of last year ALTHOUGH my per HOUR wage is above average when you consider I only work anywhere from 3 to 6 hours a day depending on how many routes I have.  I do not argue with you that what I earn may be envious in your country, in mine it is not, I am fortunate enough to have friends that help and people that care around me.  I would still give money to someone who truly needed it if I had some to spare, I am that way and always have been and hope that if I ever need help I can get it in return  

[Hellpotatoe]

I work hard for the little bit of money I make, I make about 25 euro ($31.78)a day (anywhere from 3-6 hours), half that at the end of the month goes to rent then half of whats left goes for gas then half of that goes for food, that doesnt leave me very much for purchasing things that arent needed to live or improve my situation, I know how tuto99 feels but I also try my damnedest to purchase something as cool as this program. 

This is 25 euro x 20 20 days in the month (removing Saturdays and Sundays) = 500 euro

1 euro = 2,60112827 reais (currency here on Brazil)
500 euro = 1300 reais

R$1300 is more than the salary of a teacher here
You have a good salary, from my point of view.

And you would be right but cost of living in Brazil is MUCH lower than COL here in Austria, when I lived in the US I would make $4400 a month working at Caterpillar, when I was layed off in '09 I moved here for an extended vacation/get away from hectic life and have stayed, 780 Euro is what I usually make in a month and this is considered below the poverty line for Austria, I have no TV, no radio (they tax both per year) only my PC and internet.  All told I have anywhere from 15-40 euro for a whole month to spend on other things after my obligations are paid (rent, food, toiletries e.t.c.)  Last month I had to take out a small loan because my car failed inspection and I had to spend 800 euro I did not have to fix it, my car is my livelihood and if its broken I dont earn money.  I can feel tuto99's problem perfectly and I can see his point of view, I know how hard it can be to even afford a game like this when you have to decide between a few days worth of food or a game.  Also I work 7 days a week even holidays because the paper prints every day except double holidays although I have not seen one of those in 2 years.  Average wage here is 30,316 eur (78855.85 Reais) a year, I made 5500 eur (14,306 Reais) all of last year ALTHOUGH my per HOUR wage is above average when you consider I only work anywhere from 3 to 6 hours a day depending on how many routes I have.  I do not argue with you that what I earn may be envious in your country, in mine it is not, I am fortunate enough to have friends that help and people that care around me.  I would still give money to someone who truly needed it if I had some to spare, I am that way and always have been and hope that if I ever need help I can get it in return  

Yeah, the cost of living here is very lower. But we have very lower income too.
I can feel your problem perfectly too.

[Darvince]

please keep your "KILL ALL THE GODDAMN COMMIES" and other political comments to everything else

[FiahOwl]

please keep your "KILL ALL THE GODDAMN COMMIES" and other political comments to everything else

I don't recall him saying anything about killing communists...

[Unreal2004]

please keep your "KILL ALL THE GODDAMN COMMIES" and other political comments to everything else

I don't recall him saying anything about killing communists...

Exactly, please dont start a flame war now, Dan was just speaking his mind, he said he would love to charge customers that way but cant so you CANNOT then use his want and make it as if it were truth NOW, thats not fair, he is just charging what the value of the product is compared to how much it costs to make it, if he made U.S. at a loss the whole time just so people felt good then we would not HAVE U.S. 

Lets all just wait for the announcement before we all start shooting (figuratively here, don't take THAT out of context either) at each other and then look stupid when the announcement comes.

[Dan Dixon]

"Income inequality is an issue that has gotten worse over the last 30 years and has forever been an issue worldwide. Turns out we're all better off when income is more evenly distributed and everyone's basic needs are met."

Seriously?  The only Communists left that continue to fool their populace with that are North Korea and Cuba and that's only because it's at the end of a gun.  Equity is what people should strive for atl all levels, not Equality. History and reality has shown that Equality is a fools errand and a bottomless pit of confiscated wealth.

Denmark has the highest rate of purchases of Universe Sandbox per capita over all other countries; it’s twice the rate as the United States. And in just looking at purchases in America, guess which of the 50 states has the lowest rate of purchases per capita? (It’s the one with the lowest income per captia.)

Turns out I sell more copies in countries where people have free healthcare and free education. I sell more copies where everyone takes care of everyone else.

It's in my own selfish interests to strive for more equality.

Graph showing rising income inequality

So you are charging $19.95, which means you are targeting people that make $39.90 an hour, i.e. $82,992 a year.  You make Warren Buffett's secretary cry but not Warren of course.

Fair point. Although it’s only $9.99 on Steam.

I love your software.

Thanks, I really appreciate that.

It's a mystery to me how those with a mind to create something that requires so much logic are able to suspend that in relation to concepts that are simple.  You have a lot of impressionable young minds here...are you thinking about what you are saying?

Yes... I’ve given great thought to my evidence based understanding of our reality... that humans are causing climate change, that the Earth orbits the Sun, that humans share distant relatives with chimpanzees, that America's for-profit healthcare system results in higher costs and people dying because they don't have insurance, and that greater income inequality makes everyone worse off.

[Kreifi]

This is 25 euro x 20 20 days in the month (removing Saturdays and Sundays) = 500 euro

I'm little ashamed that in here you will get that much money without doing anything. You'll easily get even more than that and all you have to do is play videogames. :/ And the most sad part is that very rarely people would give away their wealth to help poor countries.

Denmark has the highest rate of purchases of Universe Sandbox per capita over all other countries; it’s twice the rate as the United States. And in just looking at purchases in America, guess which of the 50 states has the lowest rate of purchases per capita? (It’s the one with the lowest income per captia.)

Is this data available somewhere? I'm very interested how US has been selling, especially how it sold here, in Finland.

[Hellpotatoe]

This is 25 euro x 20 20 days in the month (removing Saturdays and Sundays) = 500 euro

I'm little ashamed that in here you will get that much money without doing anything. You'll easily get even more than that and all you have to do is play videogames. :/ And the most sad part is that very rarely people would give away their wealth to help poor countries.

I live in Brazil, how could I get 500 euro?
I don't even work lol

[miros_0571]

This thread is now officially closed.
Please do not add comment.

Edit by Dan:
I've locked the thread, but there's too much history here to delete it from public view.