Using Gizmo/DRM to give a trial period for aircraft

[Kaphias]

I guess this really goes for all products sold here, not just the MU@ and the Falco, but... would it be possible to use the technology you have to give a free trial period for your aircraft/scenery? I've seen a couple places in the MSFS world that do this sort of "10 day free trial" thing, and I'm simply curious if it would work here.

On one side, it could lower sales because people who would normally just buy would now get the free trial, decide they don't like it, and not buy it. On the flip side, a usually hesitant buyer could get the free trial, find they really like it, and end up buying the aircraft.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts. 

[Cameron]

Hello, Kaphias,

This is something we have evaluated and continue to look at. Gizmo does allow for time delimited use (as seen when you load the Falco), however, at this time demos will not be issued. Until more things are ironed out for purposes of security, we'll continue to evaluate this situation.

Today, no, in the future...quite possibly.

[Kaphias]

Glad to hear. Thanks!

[Ben Russell]

Minimum license duration is 1 second.

There are lots of options, I've tried to build a system that suits everyone.

Programmers hate DRM to you know, perhaps more than most, it's not easy to write and it's utter hell to debug.

This DRM system wasn't built by suits who don't care.

[Neurus]

I have no idea about Xplane plugin development, Gizmo or any other X-PLane SDK stuff, but I have worked on different DRMs and the way we worked some, was that the generated "key", had an embedded date.

The code that checks for key validity, had a duration hardcoded (or it could be embedded in the key if you want to give flexibility).

So the key has all the data you need, plus a date of creation (and optionally a number of days of validity). This means that a single key that you give me today, will be valid for, say, 5 days. After that period, the key will no longer be valid. Of course, after you use it (and provided its within the validity period), the generated license will last forever. It's the code "usage" that expires, not the license it generates.

Coding this was fairly easy and, provided your code doesn't get a reverse engineering craziness, it's fairly stable. Should anyone decode your encrypting/decrypting method, he deserves to have the plane…

You need to have an automated license generator/email should a user change its hardware (if you're tying the Key with some hardware value) and or if he reinstalls his computer, because the original key will not be valid anymore (it will expire!).

[Cameron]

So the key has all the data you need, plus a date of creation (and optionally a number of days of validity). This means that a single key that you give me today, will be valid for, say, 5 days. After that period, the key will no longer be valid. Of course, after you use it (and provided its within the validity period), the generated license will last forever. It's the code "usage" that expires, not the license it generates.

We already have this

Coding this was fairly easy and, provided your code doesn't get a reverse engineering craziness, it's fairly stable. Should anyone decode your encrypting/decrypting method, he deserves to have the plane…

No, they don't.

You need to have an automated license generator/email should a user change its hardware (if you're tying the Key with some hardware value) and or if he reinstalls his computer, because the original key will not be valid anymore (it will expire!).

We already have this.