Thats silly, the usual policy is to charge less for beta access as the users are not only providing a cash stream, theyre doing your beta testing for you.
Whose usual policy? Getting early access to beta software is a competitive advantage. If you're not willing to pay a premium to get that advantage, that's fine. You'll just have to wait in line like everyone else for the product to mature. In the mean while your competitors will be pulling ahead in the race for market segment leadership, as they now have the superior technology. Sure if you're already in a position of market segment leadership (like Torque) its somewhat easier to fend off the wolves, but if you're fighting for the scraps, you need every edge you can get. I can't see why it's necessary for Mark to waste his time writing yet another 3D engine.
Because if you follow in someone elses footsteps, you will never pass them. hmm, Torque shader engine is $100 for TGE plus $150 on top for the Shader engine. It's only $1000 for commercial games that gross over $250,000.
Well the reason I picked the expensive one as basis for my calculations was that BlitzMAX does not currently have any such commercial limitations on licenses. Given BRLs history of wastly underpricing their software, I don't expect Max3D to be anywhere near that expensive, when it's eventually released.