the end of open platforms?

[jack_norton]

http://www.osnews.com/story/25619/Mac_O ... by_default
and windows8 is heading the same way.

In practice, indies won't be able to sell direct anymore, but forced to use appstores. Some bad consequences already pops in my mind:
- niche games will become very problematic to sell (as it is already on the iOS)
- censorship. You'll be able to show blood, gore and everything, but a boobs!?! absolutely NOT! the end of hentai games on Pc/Mac?
- no more opensource. I know it seems crazy, but if they go on as they have planned, that will be the consequence. Of course, will still exist on Linux
- what future for Ren'Py? again, we're talking about a DISTANT future (I believe at least 3-4 years) but people using the new OSes from Apple/MS won't even be able to RUN Ren'Py or the games (even free games) since it requires digital signing. Probably there could be some hack on the OS, but will be out of range of the "average joe user"
- probably the only positive effect is that casual piracy will completely cease to exist (again, digital signing required to run apps)

I don't know if I'm exaggerating, but this seems worse than the Mayan prophecy! hope that there will be a popular revolt, as happened for SOPA/PIPA, but the difference is that both Apple/MS are private companies so they can do what they want with their software...

[papillon]

To some extent people will be able to get around it through browser games, but yeah, ouch. Any of you out there who are mac users should start pestering Apple to change their minds NOW, or very soon you will have no VNs to play.

[redeyesblackpanda]

This sounds frightening... So... frightening...

[jack_norton]

A simple solution would be the belated HTML5 port of Ren'Py!
But yeah, the future looks pretty grim from here, both for indies, Ren'Py, and freedom to play whatever kind of game you want(sexy, politically uncorrect, anything slightly out of the "ordinary").
SUCKS

[DaFool]

This is ridiculous that they're turning everything into a consumer device where the only creative thing you can do with it is write an email or a document. There are tablets but there are also workstations. Admittedly, there were a few people who bought computer workstations just to access Facebook, so tablets enabled them to save a lot of electricity.

Stock up on indie games while you can, since this will definitely close the spigot.
If my games will be Linux only in the future, then so be it.

[PyTom]

I'll note that the default setting in Mountain Lion will be to allow installation of signed games that don't come from the Apple Store. So you probably won't have censorship - but will have to own a modern mac, and pay Apple the $99/year for the privilege of developing for their platform. (Maybe - it isn't clear to me if the certs will be $99/year or free.)

I also here that it may be possible to disable the check on a per-app basis.

The really sad part of this is that it won't even solve the main problem. What OSes really need is good sandboxing - so that you can download any app and run it without worrying about what it does. Instead, we get Certificates - so when an ActiveX control App uploads your address book to the server without your permission, if you somehow detect it, you'll know who to blame. (And to be fair, Apple can block the app once the damage is done - if it's not a popular app, of course.)

But when was the last time Apple has done anything technically clever?

[jack_norton]

I'll note that the default setting in Mountain Lion will be to allow installation of signed games that don't come from the Apple Store. So you probably won't have censorship - but will have to own a modern mac, and pay Apple the $99/year for the privilege of developing for their platform. (Maybe - it isn't clear to me if the certs will be $99/year or free.)

I'm not sure but knowing Apple (GREEEEEEEED) they will surely ask $99/year
But you can't do code signing with Ren'Py, and probably there are also licensing issues (the same that prevents the games to appear on the Mac Appstore already).
Windows8 will do the same code signing BS. So it means that my worst fear has come true and I'll be FORCED to abandon Ren'Py to develop. BAH

[Kylock]

See, I was starting to like Apple. And then this. My problem with Apple has always been their insane rights management, and this does nothing to make me want to support them. I jail broke my iPhone, not to steal apps, but just to not have to deal with Apple rights management all the time.

It makes the mostly unregulated insanity of the Android market almost appealing.

[Anna]

Windows is heading this way as well!?

Then what? The entire world will convert to Linux?

[jack_norton]

Then what? The entire world will convert to Linux?

Well that would be the best thing to happen in a long time! F R E E D O M

[Anna]

Well, if it gets to that, I'll make it my personal goal to advertise the shit out of that OS each day.

[jack_norton]

Found another article, seems a bit less worrying:
http://www.macworld.com/article/165408/ ... eeper.html

If you want Mountain Lion to run every app under the sun, you can just change the setting to Anywhere. (Changing this setting requires that you enter an administrator’s user name and password.)

Gatekeeper is also really easy to override. If you right-click on an app in the Finder and then choose Open, you’re prompted with a different dialog box—one that also offers to open the offending app. If you choose Open, the app launches normally, and that’s it.

I wonder if will be just like the Windows Vista UAC, where basically everybody said "ok, f***k off, let me run this app"...

[Applegate]

Windows8 will do the same code signing BS. So it means that my worst fear has come true and I'll be FORCED to abandon Ren'Py to develop. BAH

I don't follow, why don't we just not upgrade to Windows 8 if they reduce the number of things the computer can do?

[kaleidofish]

I don't use Apple-anything anyway, but I'm glad that the second article shows that it's not as troubling as first thought. I still don't like the idea of it, though. It's just too extreme. And if Windows 8 is going to close itself off like that with all of the code-signing stuff, then I just won't switch over to it (I only started using Windows 7 in September). I'll finally become Linux convert, instead.

[papillon]

I don't follow, why don't we just not upgrade to Windows 8 if they reduce the number of things the computer can do?

You as an individual can choose not to. However, many people will automatically take new versions because they think they should, or because they buy new computers that automatically come with new versions installed, or because something they're using insists that they MUST upgrade to the newest version in order to continue.

Therefore, a large section of the population is likely to end up in the new environment, which is troubling for people who want to sell or distribute games, because many of their possible customers may be cut off.