by CBSection31 » Sat May 07, 2011 3:09 am
Sure. I believe I posted the information somewhere here a while back, so it's probably still around if you want to look.
Basically, the gist of it is that, if you want to make a commercial game, you have three legal options for video:
1. WMV videos (Does AM support them? I've never checked.)
2. FLV videos, played via an SWF file and the Flash plugin.
3. AVI file with a codec with a legally-obtained license for commercial use .
Option 3 is the most commonly used. The problem is that nearly every codec available has restrictions against commercial use. Aside from the Cinepak codec that comes with Windows (which I highly discourage using), most common codecs require you to pay for a license. This includes Xvid, DivX, and Indeo. The price of these licenses is usually beyond the budget of indies. The only option I've found is a codec that is no longer being actively developed, called the Mideo Codec.
This codec was described as "completely free for commercial use" by the developer's website, which had been long abandoned when I discovered hte codec. Sadly, the site no longer exists. I tried contacting the developer at least five times asking for details on the codec, but I never heard back. Thus, this codec, while described as free for commercial use, is no longer being updated. Who knows how much longer it will be compatible with Windows?
Because of this issue, I really think that someone (GM, maybe?) needs to develop Theora video compatibility with AM. Theora video is a unique format by the same company that makes Vorbis OGG audio. It is 100% free for commercial use and has become the standard video format used by most indies. If AM were to support this format, I think that it would really help us developers!