Quote:
Originally Posted by Targan
Isn't it kind of strange that the license fees exceed the likely sales profits? I thought US-style free market capitalism was supposed to be self-correcting in circumstances such as this. What's the point of having a product (the license) available to be picked up if no-one ever would because it would be investment suicide? Can't quite get my head around it.
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It is supposed to be self-correcting, based on the rational self-interest of the participants.
Rationally, the license holder should realize that unless the license fee is below the expected profit from the license, there will be no license sales, and then set the license fee appropriately.
Unless, of course, the license holder has other reasons for not wanting an income from the sale of a license. Other perceptions of the value of the license play hob with free market capitalism.
True Yankee style free market capitalism (19th Century Style) would allow for creating a similar but not quite the same setting with similar but somewhat different mechanics (which I believe you are doing anyway).
Sunset War anyone?
The Sunset of 20th Century Post-modern Industrialism. That's my story and I'm sticking with it.
Uncle Ted