Abandonware

[læmænt]

This topic is in a way inspired by Fredrik's. Should companies, after a certain period of time, give their old programs (especially games) for free?

Most of the time they simply don't care about the old games which no one buys anymore, so they just forget about them. Of course, you won't find them in any stores, but getting them for free is illegal, so you just can't win.

(Note that the thread is about abandonware - no warez discussion please. Oh, and Doom is not abandonware)

[Rancid-Radio]

i believe that games that cant be bought retail anymore should become abondonware. allthough i get confused where the line is drawn between abandonware and warez. like that like that someone put up to the apogee abandonware site, it looked more like warez to me.

[Zaldron]

Yes. Abandonwarez is a way to preserve software. Check TheUnderdogs, you'll see how some commercial games that were actually in sale some years ago don't exist anymore. It's amazing that software can get lost forever.

The only way to ensure your efforts will stand the test of time and be available for all those who want to play with it is to give them for free.

[læmænt]

i believe that games that cant be bought retail anymore should become abondonware. allthough i get confused where the line is drawn between abandonware and warez. like that like that someone put up to the apogee abandonware site, it looked more like warez to me.

Exactly; the problem is, you're not the only one who is confused. One can't really say when a game is old enough to be considered "abandonware".

So the good thing would be to have a law, for example: After 10 years, any program becomes public domain

[EllipsusD]

I agree with this mostly in terms of console emulation (mainly because it is what I deal with most), though I feel that the PC gaming industry should do it as well. It confuses me that certain companies (*cough*Nintendo*cough*) are so strict about retaining the "integrity" of games that people can no longer buy, and the company can no longer profit from. What even makes less sense is that knowing there could be a market for their games, companies refuse to produce any more copies to sell, leaving buyers out of luck.

You would think that most gaming companies would find it more in their best interrests to allow their older games to be released as abandonware. If anything it helps get players looking for a cheap fix to become more aquainted with franchises that they ordinarily would not have thought twice about.

But that's just my opinion.

[Zaldron]

It's just a matter of legality. 10, 15 years should be enough.

Besides it lets people to keep working in good shit instead of living from their past glories.

YEAH VALVe IF YOU'RE READING THIS GO START A NEW PROJECT AND STOP PRODUCTION ON YOUR NEW HALF-LIFE'S PATCH.

[læmænt]

This also leads to the topic of progress - in my opinion, it shows that progress is not always good.

For example: I might love Gameboy (the original) games, and I am willing to buy them, but I won't find them, or the Gameboy itself, because they're not produced anymore, because everyone uses Gameboy Advanced these days (which sucks ass in my opinion).

You can replace Gameboy here with anything that went out of production because people moved on to "bigger and better" things.

[Zaldron]

That's not progress fault, that's ass-biting marketing. And it sucks yeah, but if we want progress to exist we need funds, and putting old shit in sale isn't quite the trick. In fact, not even stores would accept this products since it's not a good deal for them either.

[Rancid-Radio]

everyone uses Gameboy Advanced these days (which sucks ass in my opinion).

YES!!! ANOTHER ONE WHO HAS SEEN THE LIGHT!!

[Lüt]

everyone uses Gameboy Advanced these days (which sucks ass in my opinion).

YES!!! ANOTHER ONE WHO HAS SEEN THE LIGHT!!

I think the reason people say that is because they CAN'T see the light :)

[Zaldron]

MWAHAHHAHAHHAHAHHA

Post of the Month (tm)

[Liam]

For example: I might love Gameboy (the original) games, and I am willing to buy them, but I won't find them, or the Gameboy itself, because they're not produced anymore, because everyone uses Gameboy Advanced these days (which sucks ass in my opinion).

I agree for the most part. Most of the Gameboy Advance games I've seen (which I'll admit isn't a lot) seem pretty halfassed. Yeah, GBA Doom can't be all that good either. It's not like you haven't beaten the original Doom maps enough that you have to beat them again on a tiny screen with crappy controls.

As long as I have tetris I'm fine.

[læmænt]

As long as I have tetris I'm fine.

Yeah, I have to agree :)

[danarchist]

Tetris
Dr. Mario
Zelda: Link's Awakening

Thats all you need.

[Bane]

Sam&Max: Hit the road = a legendary classic

[NiGHTMARE]

Yes, abandonware can be rather confusing. The most obvious solution is that abandonware should just be anything that is no longer produced and sold new in the shops. However, what if the publishers decide to re-release it as a budget title?

The best way would probably be for the publishers themselves to declare when a game becomes abandonware, and this is what a lot of abandonware sites do, or in the very least ask permission (AFAIK The Underdogs does this).

[læmænt]

In some cases, the original company is gone, and you don't even have anyone to ask permission from. But copying the game is still illegal.

[NiGHTMARE]

YEAH VALVe IF YOU'RE READING THIS GO START A NEW PROJECT AND STOP PRODUCTION ON YOUR NEW HALF-LIFE'S PATCH.

1) Valve won't be reading this.

2) I believe they've said there won't be any more patches (or was that ID for Quake 3? Or both?)

3) They're already working on two games. Team Fortress 2 and an unannounced title (but lets be honest, can it really be anything other than Half-life 2?)

[Zaldron]

TEAM FORTRESS 2?

Oh yeah, I forgot about that ol' silly myth.

And the Half-Life 2 rumours pretty strange actually. It looks like they restarted this project 3 times. I wonder how come there's no leaked info...oh yeah maybe because it's not real.

[EllipsusD]

Tetris
Dr. Mario
Zelda: Link's Awakening

Thats all you need.

Forget that. My money goes to the Wonderswan Color. Final Fantasy 1-3 and Guilty Gear petite. Can't beat that. The sad thing is that Nintendo turned down Squares offer to make games for the GBA.

[Zaldron]

Bah, bad choices.

QBASIC, that's all you need.

[Lüt]

QBASIC, that's all you need.

And $100 worth of books to go with it.

[Zaldron]

The Help's enough. Given some time, and zero distractions, you'll inevitably learn everything.

[danarchist]

I <Heart> QBASIC

[Lüt]

<3

[læmænt]

Qbasic sucks, sorry

[Wobbo]

This topic is in a way inspired by Fredrik's. Should companies, after a certain period of time, give their old programs (especially games) for free?

maybe, BUT AFTER THE COPYRIGHT EXPIRES THE SOURCE CODE SHOULD BE RELEASED. There was a fantastic wired article making an EXCELLENT case for this, think about it: after most copyrights expire, we can still study and use the work to learn from... except with computer programs. Long after hemingway died and lost his copyright i can still read the old man and the sea and study his technique, writing style etc. but i will never understand how the Sydicate by bullfrog got those buildings to work... understand?

and before anybody asks, YES i DO consider all computer programs works of ART

[Wobbo]

Sam&Max: Hit the road = a legendary classic

OH MY FUC... HAS THAT BEEN RELEASED FOR FREE?!?!?!?!!?!?

[danarchist]

<3

I'm sorry Lut, but it seems that your heart fell over and broke.

[DooMBoy]

Well, anything that can't be found in stores (or anywhere else, for that matter) should become abandonwarez. End of discussion.