next »

[RiverMonster]

All,

I'm by far a rudimentary programmer at best, but I'm not completely technically iliterate or ignorant either.

I'm seeking advice/brainstorming/methods by which DLC purchased on one platform could be unlocked on all platforms for a user.

An example would be Zen Studios "Zen Pinball" series. You purchase each table seperately, and if you get the iOS version, you have to buy the same table on the Windows 8 version, and then again on the XBOX version, and then again on the PS3 version, etc.

Could a username/authentication server solution be implemented to avoid this problem and allow purchase once but unlock many to take place?

What other types of solutions could be used? Unlock codes? License codes?

I recognize that each publication platform XBox Live, Apple's App Store, etc. all have their own rules about what you're allowed to and not allowed to do. And that often these are in place to prevent the loss of DLC revenue by forcing repurchasing on each platform.

However, is it *technically* possible to achieve this in an automated fashion so as to not have significant labor involved, if theoretically it was allowed on each of the delivery platforms?

Thanks,

RM

[Xienen]

It is definitely possible to set up a central server with a login to unlock the DLC on other platforms.  Using unlock keys is another way to go, but obviously requires a little extra effort on the customer's part.  Actually, either way it requires some amount of effort on the customer's part, so the easiest solution would be to e-mail the user unlock codes for other platforms when they purchase it.  While slightly more difficult, a central server login system would be more secure for you(though not necessarily more secure for the customer).

[zalzane]

Could a username/authentication server solution be implemented to avoid this problem and allow purchase once but unlock many to take place?

Be very careful with username/password auth as a device to access restricted content. There's a handful of patents floating around belonging to a non-practicing-entity who is going out of their way to sue everyone who uses such a system to control content access.

[RiverMonster]

Thanks to both of you! I hope more ideas come up in this thread or are suggested.

It sure seems like people who specialize in such things could benefit from say a open source project for universal cross-platform and/or cross-program unlock scheme. Strikes me as a real area of opportunity for the community as a whole to step up and come up with an elegant solution.

I'm of course too stupid and slow to know what's best or how to implement, but that doesn't mean I can't see a problem begging for a solution. 

[RiverMonster]

It is definitely possible to set up a central server with a login to unlock the DLC on other platforms.  Using unlock keys is another way to go, but obviously requires a little extra effort on the customer's part.  Actually, either way it requires some amount of effort on the customer's part, so the easiest solution would be to e-mail the user unlock codes for other platforms when they purchase it.  While slightly more difficult, a central server login system would be more secure for you(though not necessarily more secure for the customer).

So, just to make sure I'm clear, you could have a license key generated that could be copied to email and automatically parsed on the developer's end, resulting in an email sent out that would unlock the DLC on the new platform, or in the program?

Meaning, little work for the dev other than the original unlock processing system and adding it to the programs. Probably some manual time/effort for exceptions and support issues.

Apologies if I misunderstood or trivialized anything, I'm just trying to learn. 

[Xienen]

That is exactly what I mean.  The CD-Key should be generated in such a way as to be verifiable as unlocking some particular piece of DLC, which obviously may depend on the platform's support/requirement for particular keys and key formats.  If they allow it, though, you can always develop your own CD-Key algorithm and verification, though I'm sure there are plenty of open source ones floating around.