We don't care if you want abandonware

[pilottobombadier]

To those who look for abandonware: You obviously download the stuff, so you all know where you can get it. So, stop asking us and diggin' your own grave on the 'net, okay? Just respect the rules, and, as the saying goes, "You go along, and we'll get along".

[elbryan42]

well said. just because a game's discontinued doesn't make it right to pirate it.

[Submerge]

just because a game's discontinued doesn't make it right to pirate it.

Well said, Elbryan, Well said. Anyone who asks for abandonware deserves the goatse link.

[Lord FlatHead]

Anyone who asks for abandonware deserves the goatse link...

By the way, were you folks aware that the Goatse man (please do NOT click that link) died last month ? The world will never be the same.

[pilottobombadier]

I have a feeling I do not in any way want to see what that link has to offer anyways, but thanks for the advice Flathead.

[Kid Airbag]

Anyone who asks for abandonware deserves the goatse link...

By the way, were you folks aware that the Goatse man (please do NOT click that link) died last month ? The world will never be the same.

Dammit, is it too late to go to his funeral?

[Executor666]

One problem with that statement:
If a game's discontinued, how do you get it? Do you think you can possibly <SARCASM>BUY</SARCASM> a discontinued game? I think not. Should you be forced to do without it? Definitely not. As far as I'm concerned, if they don't make it anymore, it's freeware.

[Why is there freeware anyway? Nothing should be free. --Salesmanutor]

[So we don't have to give 40 bucks to idiots like you to buy a game before we even know what the game is like. --HardcoreGamerutor]

[I know where you can get a free copy of... --Evilutor]

[/me slaps duct tape over Evilutor's mouth. Shut up! We are NOT going to go there, you worthless piece of scum! --Executor]

[Fine. :( --Evilutor]

[Speaking of downloading things, why is 3DDownloads not working? --WADLoverutor]

[The server's full, you oaf. --Executor]

[It always is. --Cynicalutor]

[We need a place to put WADs for download --WADloverutor]

[Do you REALLY think we could fit all our wads on our little Geocities account? --Sarcasmutor]

[Shaviro]

I think he got the point already. No need for another post.

[Davidoom]

/me continues posting at gangstas.org

[Lüt]

By the way, were you folks aware that the Goatse man died last month?

Bah, that thing was on Stile or some site like that, you believe that's actually true?

[Naked Snake]

/me continues posting at gangstas.org

Wheres that?

[pilottobombadier]

Actually Executor, there are lots of discontinued games you can still buy. Blood I and II can be bought off their websites (blood.com and the-chosen.com I think), and Syndicate Wars is still available for purchase in Europe. Also, in order for something ot become abandonware, ALL production on a game must be discontinued (as opposed to only being able to purchase online), the company itself must go out of business, AND the creators of the game must give up the rights, as well as the publishers. Even though the company may not exist anymore by that point, if hte rights have not been terminated, then the programmers et al can still earn royalties. And as long as they can, the games simply cannot become "Freeware" Examples of some games that you cannot purchase at all, but are still licensed are: All NES games, all SNES games, all SEGA games, Genesis or otherwise, all Gameboy games, all of apogee's games (most of the programmers, to my knowledge work for 3DRealms, which is more or less Apogee anyways). Oh, and all of SSI's games, as well. Unless it actually says a game is freeware, it ain't. Look at it like this. Anyone hear about ZZ Top's old CD titled Deguello? They had to hold production on it for a couple years (this is recently, they re-released it this summer) because of a law suit on the estate of Robert Johnson...that's how deep licensing goes, man.

[Davidoom]

BBH - it's somewhere on the web but the board seems defunct =(

[CacodemonLeader]

I was lucky that the Mat-lyn that I go to still had a copy of the PSX version of Powerslave.

[elbryan42]

BBH

bigbadhangsta?

PSX version of Powerslave.

kick ass game! too bad i bought i used from blockbuster and it's scratched to hell. the music skips too much. a disc doctor won't even save it. one of the best fps on the psx. tough as hell on the later levels.

[CacodemonLeader]

Well my Powerslave CD-ROM is still in very good condition, and actually the Cobra Staff won't destroy the electric walls, cause you need the Kilmaat Sceptre to be able to go through them easily.

[elbryan42]

yeah, it took me a long while to figure out how to get past those green force fields.

[Executor666]

/me BFGs Mordeth into a pile of gibs so he won't kill any more gamers.

[Kid Airbag]

Mordeth doesn't kill gamers, he kills warez-ers.

[deathz0r]

/me BFGs Mordeth into a pile of gibs so he won't kill any more gamers.

/me snatches executors bfg and smashs him with it

[læmænt]

There's nothing wrong with downloading abandonware -- by definition. However, the definitions vary :)

On Underdogs they do have games that are still being sold -- i.e. warez. However they also have games that are NOT being sold anymore. They have not been released as public domain for various reasons: for example, the company ceased to exist *A LONG* time ago, or the developers just forgot about their game, or whatever. There is NO possible way to get such a game from anywhere else than an abandonware site (Or ebay, sometimes).

Do you know that in such cases the company doesn't even protect its rights? Because they don't care. Companies rarely bother Underdogs or other abandonware sites. It's the IDSA that shuts down abandonware sites.

Of course, I'm talking about abandonware (hint: not quake III, not doom, not even escape from the monkey island).

For further reading go to the Underdogs FAQ

[Peter Heinemann]

Powerslave really is a great game (based on Duke3D?). It was sold also under he name "Exhumed", I played the demo and then looked for it on ebay, but it took some time for me to realize that it was also named "Powerslave". IronMaiden released a record with that name, btw.

Another great game is "Cyclones", based on the "Shadowcaster" engine (I think Carmack made the engine for Raven).

[elbryan42]

powerslave for the pc sucks hardcore. the psx and saturn versions are quite awesome!

[Naked Snake]

Mordeth doesn't kill gamers, he kills warez-ers.

And serialz-ers, crackz-ers, hackz-ers and abandonwarez-ers.

[deadnail]

Sigh, that poor letter z has been so abused lately...

[Naked Snake]

Sigh, that poor letter z has been so abused lately...

So has a,b,c,d,e...
Nevermind.

[Katarhyne]

Finally! Someone else that's played CyClones!

Yes, CyClones was based on the Shadowcaster engine which, AFAIK, was going to be Carmack's next thing after Doom, but instead he went directly to Quake. CyClones was truly unique in it's day, in that, like some modern games (mostly sims) like Mechwarrior 3, Heavy Gear 2, and Operation Flashpoint, you can aim independently of your view, much like a Virtua Cop- or Time Crisis-style game. (Or for those of you who are truly oldschool, Hogan's Alley ^_^)

CyClones is really one of the unsung heroes of the post-Doom FPS genre. It kinda got looked over in the wash of games that came out in that period and that's too bad, because outside of the stupid, crappy FMV movies that were between each level (which look amazingly like porn-quality production), the game really excelled in every way possible. The music was simply AWESOME (First good use of Redbook, IMO - I THINK it was before Hexen...) and the graphics left little to be desired. The level design was well-done, if not the most original, and the weapons were a pleasure to use, which, to me, is an extremely important part of a game's fun-factor. I still remember the orgasmic *tok* of the photon chaingun. And it had true 3D, even - in a way, anyway. I think it was rather like Doom's "true 3D" prior to Legacy, EDGE, and Vavoom (*cough*Quake*cough*) - faked, so to speak. Still, it was impressive, and it worked flawlessly.

If any of you can find this on an abandonware (because unlike Doom, this game IS abandonware) site or perhaps for $5 at Wal-mart, by all means, DO. You'll be pleasantly suprised once you get over the control-learning-curve.

[Peter Heinemann]

I loved about this game that the aiming of weapons and the turning (movement) were seperated from another. The excellent music really was one thing I noticed first. Cool game.


Kat, did you got my IM´s?

[Naked Snake]

Kat, did you got my IM´s?

I was going to say something funny, but, naw...

[RusseII]

Well said, Elbryan, Well said. Anyone who asks for abandonware deserves the goatse link

haha, you should see my redesign:
http://redesign.russrice.cjb.net