Time to start making the old games freeware maybe?

Cluey · Thu 02/09/2004 01:51:41

After lending my copy of CMI to a friend what seems like aeons ago, I never got it back, I really should, but I keep forgetting to press the question to him when I see him.
Anyway, I've looked everywhere for the old MI games 1-3 and I can't get them anywhere, except illegally off the internet, which is not something I really want to do.

They've made Beneath a Steel Sky freeware, why not let us have some more of the golden oldies that you just can't get in computer stores nowdays? It would get more people who regulary visit freeware sites into the genre and maybe boost interest enough to make the "market" big enough for anothe adventure game.

Hollister Man · Thu 02/09/2004 01:55:22

You can buy the Mega Monkey Pack from Lucas Arts Store, I got there through the link at Abandonia, and they are selling it.

I agreee they should make them freeware, but that would put their intellectual property in jeopardy, or so their legal people must think.

Rui 'Trovatore' Pires · Thu 02/09/2004 08:04:32

MI 1 and 2 are Abandonware, I believe. While the matter of whether Abandonware is legal or not, I don't believe it's illegal.

At least I'm sure I saw them available somewhere. If that's still legal while other sites, like Abandonia, prefer to show the selling link, that I don't know.

Mr Jake · Thu 02/09/2004 08:06:48

MI 1 and 2 aren't they still sell them and if you want them it shouldn't be too hard to get hold of the 'Monkey Island Bounty Pack'

AGA · Thu 02/09/2004 12:05:25

There's no such thing as abandonware. Unless the game's developers have specifically offered the game for download, as in the case of Flight of the Amazon Queen and Beneath a Steel Sky, downloading a copy is still piracy, albeit piracy they're less likely to care about given the game doesn't sell much/at all anymore.

Cluey · Thu 02/09/2004 16:02:01

The thing is, I dont really want to buy the mega monkey pack, as I already own 2 of the games in it, I need to find MI1 and 2 individualy for sale....

Albert Cuandero · Thu 02/09/2004 18:15:21

Abadonware is the best free marketing you can get as a developer.

I am suspecting that some software companies are already more than just tolerating this.

Imagine you get Parts 1-3 of a game from a "grey" site. You'll play them for sure and are more likely to get the (theoretically possible) 4th part from the store... It costs the company nothing (as they aren't selling it anymore), comparing the costs of marketing, producing and suplying some demos or anything.

I also assume this has been done also during the nineties, with easy-to-crack floppy games. Bugged or shortened versions were made available, to get people motivated to buy the real thing. Mainly by very small (thus poor) publishers, who could not include a T-shirt, a poster and a comic in the game package (oh, those were the times...)

Just an exceprt on my: "Software pirate, your marketing manager" theory. I have no proof of whatever kind.

Radiant · Thu 02/09/2004 18:39:58

Abandonware is roughly defined as 'software that has not been sold for five or more years and that we kind of assume the copyright holders will not mind (or not notice) if we put them down for download on the web, even if that is still illegal'.

Copyright expires iirc 80 years after the person holding the copyright dies. Hence, Beethoven's 2nd can be freely copied, but CMI can not.
HOTU has a lot of games that are abandonware, and quite a bunch for which the authors actually admit that they don't mind, but Sierra and Lucasarts are notorious about vehemently disallowing their games being classified as abandonware.

Ghormak · Thu 02/09/2004 18:51:21

QuoteHence, Beethoven's 2nd can be freely copied, but CMI can not.

Going slightly off-topic, but I just want to point out a big misconception made by a lot of people (I can't tell from your particular post if you know or not).

Beethoven's music is ~~"abandonware"~~ public domain (that's what it's called. I knew it wasn't abandonware, but I could not have remembered what it was even if my life depended on it. Cheers Radiant). You can record it and sell your recording without having to pay any royalties.

However, you may not copy a recording of someone playing Beethoven, because that recording belongs to the performer, and is protected by copyright like any other CD you see in the music store.

Radiant · Thu 02/09/2004 18:58:32

Correct, except that to make it slightly more legal, the music of Beethoven is 'public domain' rather than 'abandonware' (since the latter has no legal bearing). Sorry for nitpicking

Cluey · Thu 02/09/2004 19:29:32

Wow, I started an cultured thread about beethoven, Im so proud.

Ali · Thu 02/09/2004 20:17:02

I don't know anything about this 'Beethorgen', but I agree I'd like to see old games be made freely available. Actually, I'd be happy to pay - I just wish someone was prepared to sell them to me.

Maybe one day I'll be able to get 100 classic 2D adventures in a bundle for Â£5, like Infocom Masterpieces. Until that day comes...

AGA · Thu 02/09/2004 20:31:46

There's plenty of people willing to sell them to you, they use this magical thing called eBay.

DeviantGent · Thu 02/09/2004 20:35:10

Well, I think its good that Revolution have seen the light and decided to make their old games freely avaliable. I just wish that when it comes to Seirra games, there's an alternative to the P2P networks.

Who knows, the 100 adventures for a fiver may be done someday... but I wouldnt count on it. LucasArts are quite stingy with their adventures. Although they've seen the light and released some of their goldies (The Dig, Full Throttle, Sam and Max) for XP, I think its impossible to find a talkie copy of Indy Jones FOA.

But then LucasArts are hardly the sort to care about the genre that made them great.

Mr Flibble · Thu 02/09/2004 22:06:09

I live in the Free World, in a country with stiff upper lips and crumpets.

America however, does not live in the free world, and therefore are subject to some pretty fruity laws.
They have wierd copyright laws. If they fail to protect their copyrights, they can lose them. So if LEC let the early MI games out for free, they could lose copyright of Guybrush, Monkey Island etc. making the unlikely MI5 hard for them to make.

Beneath A Steel Sky and Flight of The Amazon Queen were made by Brittish companies, who can do whatever the hell they like. 8)

AGA · Thu 02/09/2004 22:56:32

Steve Stamatidis and John Passfield (the guys who made FotAQ) are Australian...

Cluey · Thu 02/09/2004 23:59:10

Ah, but soon they want to introduce US style patent laws to the UK, which is bullcrap!

But back on topic, I found a version of Monkey Island on a demo disc, it was a VGA remake and was pretty cool

Mr Flibble · Sat 04/09/2004 19:28:02

Quote from: AGA on Thu 02/09/2004 22:56:32
Steve Stamatidis and John Passfield (the guys who made FotAQ) are Australian...

...Which is practically like Britain. I know it USED to be part of the comonwealth, but I'm not sure if they still accept the British Monarh as their queen, even though they have their own Prime Minister.

Pumaman · Sat 04/09/2004 21:59:27

Nationality is irrelevant in this case, US and UK copyright laws are the same in so far as they state that if someone doens't make an effort to protect their intellectual property, then they lose it.

Releasing a game as freeware is not relevant to this, they are not relinquishing copyright by doing so, it's purely a commercial decision.

Snarky · Sat 04/09/2004 22:50:02

Quote from: Mr Flibble on Thu 02/09/2004 22:06:09
America however, does not live in the free world, and therefore are subject to some pretty fruity laws.
They have wierd copyright laws. If they fail to protect their copyrights, they can lose them.

No, that's not true. Trademarks can be lost if they are not protected. Copyrights cannot.