GameMaker Studio is free for limited time.

Here's a linkety link to the blog post.

The GameMaker Studio's Standard Edition is free for a limited time.

I'm downloading it as we speak in case I get a sudden urge to make games. I might even play around with it here and there. Here's how to install, grabbed from PC Gamer's article:

To get your free copy of the Standard Edition, download the Free version of GameMaker Studio from this page. Once installed, a dialogue box will pop up, asking which update stream you want to draw from. Choose the Beta channel, and let the game install the latest beta release. From there, you can pick the option to register the Standard Edition. Enter you email address, and you'll be sent an activation code.

Cool, thanks!

Cool. I'm not going to download it though, I'm going to maintain this fantasy that I'm an awesome game designer squandering his potential as a commerce undergrad thanks.

Thanks for the tip duder!

This is pretty awesome I messed around with a not as good version when I was on a mac an managed to make a rudimentary shooter which super rad.

Neat! New game building software. Let's see what we can do...

That's great. Although, I feel like I've done my time with doing game development stuff (no, I haven't created anything particularly noteworthy)

Heads up for duders downloading. It seems that the emails are slowly being sent out. I'm still waiting for mine.

Was just about to investigate that, thanks again.

Sure, I'll try it. Thanks!

Yea, been waiting a little over an hour now and haven't gotten an email yet, but still, pretty cool that they're giving it out like this. Took me forever to figure out how to toggle the beta updating.

While we wait for our keys, what can this particular game making software do? What do you intend to try and make with it?

I've spent a good deal of time with the many RPG makers over the years and a few other simple programs, and a good deal of time with the Neverwinter module tools and the like, so I know my way around those kind of programs. But what does this one do? I got tired of trying to make RPG's years ago so this could be a good change of pace. Maybe I will try and make a simple little puzzle game this time around.

@therealmoot: All I know is the guy who made Gunpoint used an earlier version of GameMaker.

Risk of Rain might've been made with some version of GameMaker as well.

Is this a forever thing, or will they reserve the option to turn off your free version in the future? I was burned by Game Maker once in the past (well, it was partly my own fault for not noticing in the fine print that the free version of the software limited the number of objects you could create. I got quite far into a slightly ambitious project and ran up against them and ended up scrapping the entire thing and learning Blender's Game Engine instead, which while functional, really needs a lot of work...) Game Maker is probably the best, budget 2D game development software out there.

how does this compare to the venerable klik & play

All 'bout that Games Factory, son.

Took me two hours to get a license key, but it's up and running. I've got a month vacation coming up that's just begging to be filled with hours upon hours of staring at a computer screen making some ridiculous game.

@therealmoot said:

Check out their showcase page. They have a few well-known games on there (including a local favorite: Cook, Serve, Delicious!)

Thanks for the heads up! Awaiting my key now. I've had a few new ideas lately so this couldn't have come at a better time.

Finally got it working! It kept crashing once I installed it, but it eventually got working once I ran the installer as Admin, got it installed in Program Files, and the struggling servers allowed me to see Recent News when I opened it. You're going to want to start the program and then click through the Recent News to find mention of the Free Standard Edition deal. You then put in your e-mail and wait about a hour or so for a key to be sent to your e-mail.

Tested it all out, and it's definitely the Standard Edition. Very cool deal.

My email pulled through about a few hours after. So if you're waiting, it eventually goes through.

This is a great deal, but I'll stick to Unity

Took me like three hours to get my key but everything seems up and running now.

Definitely gonna try noodling with this - seems like it might be a bit gentler on my poor attention span/general programming ignorance than some other programs.

I wonder what a Giantbomb game jam would be like...