Amazing site- has EVERY old game!

[eVOLVE]

I bought Full Throttle not too long ago... I got it in a multipack of various LucasArts games (that is still in stores at least in the UK) including Sam & Max, The Dig and Grim Fandango for about £20... pretty amazing value, even though I already had GF

Still, abandonware is definitely illegal... There's an intellectual property issue that basically means that if companies don't 'try' to prevent abandonware on their products then they can be exploited by anyone... This means someone could sell a product based on their original work. This is why they all cooperate with some IP company, I can't remember the name...

Actually I believe it's the licence to play the game thats the issue... as far as I'm aware, downloading the game isn't illegal, but playing the game without a licence from the developer (either by buying the game in the shop or from a direct licencing agreement) IS illegal. It's not that developers don't want people playing their old games, and more recently it's become viable for devs to distribute their old games themselves and grant licences this way over the internet, such as Codemasters who I believe are doing this kind of thing, and closer to home (i.e. adventure games) companies such as Revolution Software (with Lure of the Temptress and Beneath a Steel Sky - both available from their website).

Hopefully more companies will follow suit, so they won't have to worry so much about appearing to be overprotective over their works, and still get it out to the people who they want to have it... the gamers.

[m0ds]

Look in the right places, and you'll still find these games being sold. There's the MI pack with either the first three or all four (not too sure).

There's also the multipack that eV mentioned.

However, it's silly that such a company as LucasArts continue to keep their "copyright" if they can't be arsed to sell their older games.

Although I have been known to download abandonware, I think its unfair. A game is never "abandonned" until it's made freeware by the developer/publisher in my opinion.

"m0des"

[rodekill]

You've got to realise that there's a difference between protecting your copyright and giving something away for free.

I can make games and give them away, that doesn't mean you can then turn around and sell it or do whatever with them. I still own the copyrights.

Anyways, I have no problem with abandonware. If you can't bother to make it available for me to buy, then tough. It's not profitable enough to start selling again? BS. There are other alternatives. I'd pay a couple of bucks for a working downloadable version for gods sake.
Once again, it's because of corporate blahblahblah. I'd be willing to bet the original creators of the games would love to have them available to fans, but of course, Joe Fatcat CEO doesn't "get it".
Like every other creative industry, video games have been taken over by boring old men with accounting degrees who were too old to play games when Atari came out.
They don't give a crap about me, and I don't give a crap about them.