Zugg Software :: View topic - 10-year anniversary of zMUD

Posted: Thu Aug 04, 2005 5:16 pm

We are giving away free Zugg Software products for life!
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August 2005 marks the ten-year anniversary of zMUD. It's hard to believe so much time has passed so quickly.

In was August 1995 when I sent the first 1.0 version of zMUD to some friends in the Smoke Jaguar clan on the Dark Castle MUD. v1.0 was a very simple MUD client...it didn't even support multiple windows. Only a few months later I released zMUD v2.0 with the Multiple-Document-Interface (MDI) that allowed multiple sessions. By that time I was spending more time over on the Realms of Despair MUD where I met Darker. Darker was one of the people who suggested that people might actually buy a good MUD client like zMUD.

Since then, zMUD has gone through hundreds of new versions. With almost 60,000 registered users, it's become the most successful and popular MUD client on PC/Windows computers, and is the standard by which all other MUD clients are measured. Many of the innovative features of zMUD, like the mapper, have found their way into other MUD clients. For some people, the only reason they keep Windows installed on their computer is so they can run zMUD.

Over the past few years there hasn't been as much innovation in zMUD as there was at the beginning. Part of this is natural as zMUD became more stable and mature. Sometimes it's hard to think of ways that zMUD could be improved. And as zMUD sales plateaued, I started to look for other ways to bring in money, and worked on zMapper, and then zApp. Many zMUD users wondered if zMUD was dead.

Well, zMUD isn't dead. It's alive and kicking. And over the next couple of months you will see some really exciting developments regarding zMUD.

For the month of August, I want to do something special to celebrate the 10-year anniversary of zMUD. So, during this month, anyone who purchases zMUD or zApp will be entered into a prize-giveaway. One grand-prize winner will be chosen at the end of the month. This winner will receive a reg-code for all Zugg Software products FOREVER. That's right...each time we release a new product, we will send the winner a free reg code. You'll immediately get reg-codes for zMUD, zApp, zMapper, and zExplorer. And we'll send reg-codes for the new MUD client and the eMobius email client as they are released in the future. But wait...there's more! We'll also send a limited-edition zMUD t-shirt to the winner.

Now, what about those people who already own zMUD? Well, I can tell you that anyone who has bought zMUD since June 1st, 2005, will automatically get a free upgrade to the new Zugg Software MUD client to be released later this fall. So if you want to get a head start supporting the new client, go ahead and buy zMUD during August to get entered into the contest, and you'll still get this free upgrade. Or, get a head start on future zMUD plugin development and buy a copy of zApp...that will also enter you into this contest.

Even if you don't enter the contest, I hope you will join all me in celebrating this landmark anniversary. Ten years in the Internet business is a long time. If you know of someone using a hacked or old version of zMUD for free, talk them into buying a legitimate copy. We are all part of the MUD community and it's up to ALL of us to support it and keep it alive.

Thanks for your continued support over all of these years, and good luck in the contest!

Contest void where prohibited by law

Wizard Joined: 03 Mar 2001 Posts: 1127 Location: London

Happy birthday!

So... the 'really exciting developments regarding zMUD' mean you're definitely doing a ZmudXP? I think I bought zmud about 4 years ago, so I'd buy a second license now to make the draw if it's a sure thing it's in the pipeline and I'd qualify for the upgrade?

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2005 3:53 pm

I'm not ready for any "official" announcement of zMUDXP at this time...but you can read between the lines Wink

I decided that I've made far too many announcements of "future" products too far in advance of their release. So, for any future MUD client, I'll be waiting until I have something more substantial for people to use before making any announcements.

But yes, as I said above, anyone who has purchased zMUD since June 1, 2005 will qualify for a free upgrade to any future MUD client released this fall.

Wanderer Joined: 03 Aug 2005 Posts: 84

Looks like I chose a good time to upgrade from my illegal cracked version of 4.62. *Waits impatiently for transaction to clear so he can get his validation code.* If you are makeing a new MUD client thats not of the zMUD line, does that mean you will stop improving zMUD after it is released?

Posted: Fri Aug 05, 2005 5:45 pm

Please see the thread on zMUDXP in this forum for more details on a potential new MUD client.

Novice Joined: 11 Mar 2005 Posts: 40

awww i thought it'd be a contest for just a free regcode or something :P

Posted: Sat Sep 10, 2005 8:56 pm

I'll be announcing the winner of the August contest soon. I need to get the new Zuggsoft Store released since the reg codes I'll be sending to the winner will be generated from the new store for the new versions of our products.

Stay tuned!

Newbie Joined: 23 Sep 2005 Posts: 1

Does this mean that after you change the name of the MUD Client I will have to purchase the software again? I remember when I bought it, I got a lifetime of upgrades.

Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 6:37 pm

Please read the thread in the forum called "zMUDXP Poll". It isn't just a name change, it's a completely new product. Upgrades for zMUD are still free, but if you want to use the new MUD client, it's a separate program and you'd have to pay for it.

Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 10:32 pm

Sorry it took so long for me to announce the winner of our 10-year anniversay contest. But I'm happy to announce that the winner was Antonio Zahra from Austrailia! Antonio received license keys for zMUD, zExplorer, zMapper, zApp, and zAppPro and will receive free license keys for all future products that we products. He also received a zMUD t-shirt.

So congratulations to Antonio and thanks to everyone who purchased zMUD during the 10-year anniversary, and to everyone who continues to support Zugg Software.

Novice Joined: 20 Jan 2006 Posts: 45 Location: Minnesota

One quick reminder for future contests: If you're in the United States (being that Colorado is where you receive your income, I'm guessing that it probably would be where they'd try to prosecute!) you need to be a little more careful of gambling laws. It's unlawful in most areas of the US to hold a contest for a prize if you all entrants are required to pay (or buy something, etc.) UNLESS you have a permit (ie: charitable gambling permit, etc.) It's an extremely regulated industry. That's why every single Pepsi contest (instant win under your bottle caps) and McDonald's contests like their little Monopoly thing they have to offer free entrys to anyone who wants (ie: send a self-addressed stamped envelope to...etc) So, be careful because having a contest that was open to only those who bought your application at the time could get you in a lot of trouble (seeing as how 60,000 registered users is definately a large enough monetary base for the US or CO governments' Gambling Control Boards to give you a little visit and a hefty fine.) Next time you might want to consult an attorney to draft up formal entry requirements just to keep you on the safe side of the law. Just my 2 cents.