Articles

Abandonware and all that... 24 Feb, 2002, 09:52 / 16 comments

By Spaff


Gamespot has published an article dealing with the controversial topic known as Abandonware. As we probably all know, Abandonware is the term used to describe games, etc., that are no longer supported by the company that made them. Some people believe that means that they should be freely distributed.

A great deal of LucasArts games are considered to be abandonware, it is hard to still find let alone buy some of their older games. Enter Tim schafer (amongst some other developers) to comment on this issue:
"Personally, I'd rather my old games were stolen and played for free than forgotten about..."
...and then goes on to say:
"Most of the game makers aren't living off the revenue from those old games anymore. Most of the creative teams behind all those games have long since left the companies that published them, so there's no way the people who deserve to are still making royalties off them. So go ahead--steal this game! Spread the love!"
The article does take a good look at the subject at hand and gets some interesting view points accross. I suggest you go read it!

Source: Huz

16

16 Comments

  • Voodoo1234 on 25 Feb, 2002, 14:25…
    i had an abandonware site, and it can go pretty smoothly. but its a drag. ill ust wait till i learn php and sql :)
  • C Shutt on 25 Feb, 2002, 07:24…
    I still see The Dig and Full Throttle as part of bundles quite frequently in stores. As for the Loom CD talkie, I actually own two copies.
  • Jake on 25 Feb, 2002, 11:30…
    Also in the US at least LEC Archives Vol 3 is still available from the company store... unless I'm insane.
  • spaff on 25 Feb, 2002, 11:39…
    we ALL know you are insane jake.
  • Metallus on 26 Feb, 2002, 08:46…
    Granted, you can still get the Archives pack.
  • bgbennyboy on 24 Feb, 2002, 14:37…
    Problem is, for people in the UK, we cant buy of the LEC website. It took me weeks of scouring ebay to track down my copy of last crusade/fate of atlantis. I had to get Full Throttle second hand too.
    It is nigh on impossible to buy The Dig and Loom Cd's anywhere. I think they should be considered abandonware.
    Oh and if anyone ever finds em, I want to know!
  • spaff on 24 Feb, 2002, 15:13…
    this is true, but hold on to your horses, for mojo may soon be able to offer a service to allow worldwide users to buy from the lec store.
  • BarberyCoaster on 25 Feb, 2002, 14:08…
    How soon will this be available?
  • QueZTone on 24 Feb, 2002, 23:08…
    that would make me a truely happy man :) and prepare to be flooded with orders :P
  • SpaceMonkey on 24 Feb, 2002, 17:08…
    But even the online store doesn't have Loom on cd.
  • QueZTone on 27 Feb, 2002, 00:47…
    now and then its really on sale on ebay i think..
  • SpaceMonkey on 24 Feb, 2002, 14:14…
    The game I really want to play, but have never found, is the CD version of Loom. Has anyone ever tried to look for that?
  • Jake on 24 Feb, 2002, 15:26…
    I found my copy of the Loom CD under a pile of 5.25" floppys in my room about a month ago! I found the sleeve to my MI1 CD but the disc itself was nowhere to be found :( It has abandonned me!
  • SpaceMonkey on 24 Feb, 2002, 17:06…
    Well, I keep all my LA adventure cd's close to my heart, or at least on a big rack. But I never had Loom, and I think that it is probably the hardest LucasArts adventure to find. I don't want one of the abandonware/warez versions either, because I want to play the full cd version first. Life's a bitch ain't it.
  • Jake on 24 Feb, 2002, 10:59…
    Despite the encouraging words of captain Tim I'm still a little irked to see Monkey Island 1 and 2 on abandonware sites when LEC is still selling them (in pretty abundant numbers) on store shelves bundled with CMI.

    Also, what would an Abandonware article be without this?
  • spaff on 24 Feb, 2002, 11:01…
    plus sam and max + Dott are available here in the UK in a double pack with DVD packaging... wooo

    so that doesnt leave that many to abandon. Full T, and the Dig etc... and as far as i remmeber thos are still lavailable form LEc.. atleast: they had copies when we went to visit them.