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May 1, 1998, 10:48pm

Hello. Here is a feature I’ve wanted ever since I got my new audio card
(about three-four months ago). DirectSound, DirectSound3D, and/or
Aureal 3D (A3D) enhancement, or at least some sort of a boost for sounds
with DirectX. I know Active Worlds is mainly video/graphics driven or
oriented, but you have added the MMX enchantments and did add the
DirectX/DirectDraw (whatever it is) graphic support. Well, even though
when you turn, the audio pans your speakers, and when you move closer or
farther the sound increases or decreases, where is the DirectX support
for audio here? Many more DirectX/DirectSound cards are coming out and
current ones getting cheaper. It would be a great benefit to implement
this feature NOW so that it will benefit you in the future. With all of
the new features coming out and the rumors with better RealMedia
(RealVideo/RealAudio) support, better sound enhancement would be great.
I currently have a Diamond Monster Sound, and I could imagine all of the
possibilities you could use. In worlds, you could play two or more
streams of audio at once, maybe even voice chat in the future. Why
wait? I’ve seen many citizens already that think it should be added,
and I was so enthused with this, that I was going to start a petition
for support of this feature. I don’t want to hurt anyone or anything,
but I’m dying for this feature!

-Builderz

May 2, 1998, 12:09am

Ummm...my spell checker kinda had a "blow-out." Sorry, the title is suposed
to be "enhancements", not enchantments. ;-)

[View Quote] > Hello. Here is a feature I’ve wanted ever since I got my new audio card
> (about three-four months ago). DirectSound, DirectSound3D, and/or
> Aureal 3D (A3D) enhancement, or at least some sort of a boost for sounds
> with DirectX. I know Active Worlds is mainly video/graphics driven or
> oriented, but you have added the MMX enchantments and did add the
> DirectX/DirectDraw (whatever it is) graphic support. Well, even though
> when you turn, the audio pans your speakers, and when you move closer or
> farther the sound increases or decreases, where is the DirectX support
> for audio here? Many more DirectX/DirectSound cards are coming out and
> current ones getting cheaper. It would be a great benefit to implement
> this feature NOW so that it will benefit you in the future. With all of
> the new features coming out and the rumors with better RealMedia
> (RealVideo/RealAudio) support, better sound enhancement would be great.
> I currently have a Diamond Monster Sound, and I could imagine all of the
> possibilities you could use. In worlds, you could play two or more
> streams of audio at once, maybe even voice chat in the future. Why
> wait? I’ve seen many citizens already that think it should be added,
> and I was so enthused with this, that I was going to start a petition
> for support of this feature. I don’t want to hurt anyone or anything,
> but I’m dying for this feature!
>
> -Builderz

May 2, 1998, 2:32am

The problem is COF needs more programmers. With one full-time and one part-time programmer, COF just can't keep up with current technology. COF doesn't have the budget for more programmers so it's a pretty hopeless cause. We either have to live with the limitations of AW or hope something better comes along soon. <enter The Continuum echoing into nothingness...>

[View Quote] > Hello. Here is a feature I’ve wanted ever since I got my new audio card
> (about three-four months ago). DirectSound, DirectSound3D, and/or
> Aureal 3D (A3D) enhancement, or at least some sort of a boost for sounds
> with DirectX. I know Active Worlds is mainly video/graphics driven or
> oriented, but you have added the MMX enchantments and did add the
> DirectX/DirectDraw (whatever it is) graphic support. Well, even though
> when you turn, the audio pans your speakers, and when you move closer or
> farther the sound increases or decreases, where is the DirectX support
> for audio here? Many more DirectX/DirectSound cards are coming out and
> current ones getting cheaper. It would be a great benefit to implement
> this feature NOW so that it will benefit you in the future. With all of
> the new features coming out and the rumors with better RealMedia
> (RealVideo/RealAudio) support, better sound enhancement would be great.
> I currently have a Diamond Monster Sound, and I could imagine all of the
> possibilities you could use. In worlds, you could play two or more
> streams of audio at once, maybe even voice chat in the future. Why
> wait? I’ve seen many citizens already that think it should be added,
> and I was so enthused with this, that I was going to start a petition
> for support of this feature. I don’t want to hurt anyone or anything,
> but I’m dying for this feature!

May 4, 1998, 4:11pm

Sorry Peep, your wrong....they do not need more programmers. You
just need to leave Roland alone. Let him create.

BB



[View Quote]

May 4, 1998, 8:24pm

Create? Create what? What does he create that doesn't take him eons what more programmers could do in a fraction of the time? COF DESPERATELY needs more programmers (Roland's told me so himself) but they just don't have the budget. I even exposed Neil Colvin (current Modeler developer) to him but he proved unresponsive to hiring him, bringing up the lack of a budget. AW should be developing FAR faster than it is.

[View Quote] > Sorry Peep, your wrong....they do not need more programmers. You
> just need to leave Roland alone. Let him create.

May 4, 1998, 8:58pm

they would have a bigger budget if they would listen to the ideas of
their customers to get rid of the yearly charge and make a one time fee.


[View Quote]

May 4, 1998, 11:41pm

If you want to pay for the next 30 years in advance, I'm pretty sure they
wouldn't object, but I can't afford it. ActiveWorlds is "not" expensive,
but some of us can hardly afford inexpensive items and are glad they chose
not to make it impossible for us to register.

TechnoZeus

[View Quote]

May 4, 1998, 11:59pm

um, I think you missed my point. I meant make the 19.95 a one time
fee instead of charging us 19.95 each and every year.


[View Quote]

May 5, 1998, 5:33pm

No, I didn't miss the point. I just don't think there's "any" chance of
that because of the way the upgrade process works. In order to be able to
upgrade world servers and universe servers, it becomes necessary to upgrade
"all" ActiveWorlds browsers once in a while. Most programs allow you to use
one version until you feel like paying for another, but if CoF was to make
non-expiring licenses for full citizenship privilages, they would be cutting
their own throats. I also would like to see AW free for everyone, but at
least to some extent, it is right now. Who knows?... Maybe some day
tourists will have all (or most) of the privilages that citizens have now.
Anyway, if you would like to see a one time charge for citizenship that's as
low as the present annual amount, don't hold your breath... but you CAN
wish. :·)

TechnoZeus

[View Quote]

May 5, 1998, 7:09pm

Cutting their own throats? I don't think so! Risking their necks?
maybe! Taking a necessary risk? Definitely!

Most of the software products that you are talking about have other
avenues of distribution, such as boxed software. (COF, however, only
ships products upon request) They can charge more for their
products and wait for the customer to come along. In fact, they have to
charge more to cover packaging. They are well established and they
spend much more on advertising.
AW spends hardly anything, if anything at all, on advertising.
They don't need a "secure" customer base this early in the game, they
need a "bigger" customer base to generate revenue for advertising until
they can at least begin to have a budget for advertising.
I have known businessmen who spent every bit of profit that they had in
the first year or two of their business on advertisement and products.
They did no more than break even for those early years. After they
got through the crunch times, their business took off like wildfire.
COF is playing it too safe. They need to take more risks with their
customer base and with advertising.

The customer base needs to be bigger so that there will be more people
to tell others about COF's product. Sure, COF might be more secure
with the few faithful who are totally sold on the product, but the
faithful few do not make for a good selling point. Numbers, however,
speak louder. The faithful few do not convince newcomers of the
greatness of a product because the newcomer always has in the back of
his mind: "Hhhhhhhmmmmm, if it is so great, why aren't there more
people registering it?" and "If it is so great, why have I never heard
of it before? If it were so great, the company could afford more
advertising." Until, COF is no longer secure with the faithful few, it
will not grow bigger, just plateau at a mediocre level.

If a car dealer tried to sell me a car that I had never heard of before
and the only thing he had was a crippled version of it and a relatively
small amount of anecdotal testimonies to its performance, I don't think
I would be as inclined to buy it as I would another, more familiar,
brand car. On top of all this, he insists that I have to renew it at
full price each and every year!?! I don't THINK so!!
On the other hand, if he sold it to me at a greatly reduced price and I
owed nothing to him ever again, I might be inclined to make the impulse
purchase, even though I might drive it for a year and no more.

Henry Ford, for example, was not satisfied with having a few faithful
customers. He completely overhauled and more than doubled production
and made his prices more affordable to the average person. COF should
do the same if they want to follow in his footsteps.

In the very least, they should at least offer a greatly reduced (perhaps
25% or less) rate for renewals. This could be a good compromise and be
less risky, in my opinion. It might not appeal to as many as having no
renewal at all would, but at least it would appeal to many more than a
full purchase price renewal would.




[View Quote]

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