Abandonware

abelthorne · 10 December 2003, 15:23

I'm looking for infos whether developers/publishers have put their games as abandonware or not.

Some kind of list of each (major) developer with the info "allows its games to be put in abandonware status", "refuses that its games are considered abandoware", "status unknown" (e.g. they don't respond to abandonware demands) and "doesn't exist anymore".

It seems that some companies have put their games as abandonware (they're usually available on back2roots) but what about the others ? I don't know if they refused or if nobody asked them. E.g. some companies still exist (Team 17, Bitmap Brothers...) and have infos about their old games on their websites, but no clear status about abandonware...

fisken uno · 10 December 2003, 15:27

AFAIK there is no such thing as "abandonware". Please don't use this word.

Dizzy · 10 December 2003, 15:33

abandonware
abandonware
abandonware
abandonware
abandonware
abandonware

http://www.abandonwarering.com/

what's your problem with abandonware Fish...

fisken uno · 10 December 2003, 15:38

My PROBLEM with the abandonware is that it is a made up word to make it look like companies have released games for "free" when they indeed haven't. There's no difference in my ears between w*rez, abandonware or oldw*rez. If companies release games those games are FREE - released by the companies, but they are NOT abandonw*rez. You go ahead and call revolution and ask for the abandonware game Beneath a steel sky and they will probably look slightly amused. Or confused. Or whatever. The point is that abandonware is rip-off in a nice disguise. So, yes I do have a problem with this word. You can find games a year old called abandonware, and then it's suddenly ok.

fisken uno · 10 December 2003, 15:47

BTW AFAIK the games on BTTR are NOT "abandonware", if we should use this term. BTTR have been granted the right to host these games but that doesn't mean that anybody are allowed to host them.

Dizzy · 10 December 2003, 15:48

How many amiga games (or other emustuff) have you dl, and how much of this, do you own the org version...

fisken uno · 10 December 2003, 15:56

You can certainly question whether old games are of interest to the companies or not. But as long as the games aren't FREE you shouldn't make up fake words to make it look legal. Yes, I have downloaded many old games that are not FREE, but I don't pretend that it's legal. I know very well that it isn't. Who decide when a game is abandonware then? Well, certainly not the authors. I can't see any difference between abandonw*rez and w*rez, that's why I dislike the word.

abelthorne · 10 December 2003, 16:42

How do you call old games that have been made free by their original companies (they allow people to put them on some websites - don't know if this applies to any website or not - and share them), as some of the games that are on bttr (as far as I understood) or other allowed websites, then ?

Drake1009 · 10 December 2003, 17:44

The abandonware ring does make a big number out of distinguishing between Abandonware and old*****. Yes I know the companies probably haven't released the games and thus it's still as illegal as otherwise, but there is one large difference.

Games that are no longer in production, has no support from the original company (if there's even a company left with the copyright), has no prospect of being sold ever again is what the abandonwarering defines as abandonware. If you can buy the game anywhere they know of or if anyone look like they'll actually re-release the game again at some point they classify it as old***** and as such will have nothing to do with sites who carry the things.

The practical difference here is that though it's just as illegal there's less chance of a company doing anything about it since they're apparently not planning to make money off it anymore. If a company is planning to make money off a game they will more likely do something about the sites who offer their games for free.

Amiga1992 · 10 December 2003, 18:31

Quote:

Originally posted by abelthorne
How do you call old games that have been made free by their original companies \

You call them free. You just did. No need to call them abandonware.

abelthorne · 10 December 2003, 19:01

Ok. Abandonware seemed more suitable to me because if I speak about free games, people won't know if I talk about commercial games made free or pd games.

But that's only a vocabulary point (I thought abandonware meant what you call free games).

So, anybody knows which publishers/developers have released their old games as free ?

AFAIK, there is Lankhor (Mortville manor, Maupiti Island, Vroom...). I guess there is Delphine Software (Future wars, Operation Stealth, Cruise for a corpse...) too...

But what about the other developers (at least the ones that created major Amiga games, such as Psygnosis, Team 17, Bitmap brothers, Bullfrog...) ?

fisken uno · 10 December 2003, 19:04

Cinemaware

Revolution

Drake1009 · 10 December 2003, 22:45

I'd want to call the games, that the companies actually gave their blessing to spreading as free, free games. PD makes it sound like they've been PD all along which doesn't do the game justice.

Dizzy · 11 December 2003, 09:46

sometimes its called "Freeware", but I dont think Fish like the word ware reminds him of *****zzzzz

Enverex · 11 December 2003, 10:53

My definition of Abandonware - Old software that may still be under copyright regulations or other IP marks, but that is no-longer made and the creators no-longer care about selling.

Official definition - Abandonware is computer software (such as an operating system, word processor, interactive game, or audio file) that is no longer marketed or distributed by the company that created it, but is obtainable from some other source. Some popular products that have been at least temporarily abandoned include NeXTStep, the operating system for the NeXT computer; OpenStep, its successor; and many interactive games that were replaced by more sophisticated products. In some cases, a company or Web site gets permission from the creator to distribute the abandoned program; but sometimes they don't. To use abandonware that you download, you often need a license string that the software recognizes as entitling the user to install it. In this case, the downloading site provides a license string that is known to work.
Abandonware is often provided as freeware or as priced shareware.

Mr Creosote · 11 December 2003, 12:34

fisken: I'm running half of the 'central Abandonware places' left these days, and I can assure you we make a big deal out of openly saying it's all illegal. Even insinuating 'Abandonware' being a legal term is frowned upon. I'm not asking you to make yourself like something you don't, but I do ask you to be fair.

Amiga1992 · 11 December 2003, 15:03

Quote:

Originally posted by NightShade737
Some popular products that have been at least temporarily abandoned include NeXTStep, the operating system for the NeXT computer

Yeaaaaahh try to release that on the net and not get Steve jobs biting your ass...

I also see abandonware sites generally using the term as an excuse to have a bunch of relatively new ***** up for download. I'm not saying all sites do this, but shitloads do.

It's so greyline-ish... who determines how abandoned a program is? Windows 3.11 is abandonware? What would happen if you put it online for download?

Dizzy · 11 December 2003, 15:30

Quote:

Originally posted by Akira
Yeaaaaahh try to release that on the net and not get Steve jobs biting your ass...

I also see abandonware sites generally using the term as an excuse to have a bunch of relatively new ***** up for download. I'm not saying all sites do this, but shitloads do.

It's so greyline-ish... who determines how abandoned a program is? Windows 3.11 is abandonware? What would happen if you put it online for download?

Why not say Windows 98 is abandonware because M$ don't support it anymore

Drake1009 · 11 December 2003, 22:28

Some might Dizzy. Some might actually say that. But I think that if you ask really really nicely and waive any rights to support MS might sell you a version at severely inflated price of course.

utri007 · 12 December 2003, 08:25

Many amiga stores have very old stuff in their stock.

Moust of amiga games are still comercially availlable.

there haven't bee lot of new games so let's say 5 years old amiga software is still new.

10 December 2003, 15:23	#1
abelthorne Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: France Posts: 142	Abandonware I'm looking for infos whether developers/publishers have put their games as abandonware or not. Some kind of list of each (major) developer with the info "allows its games to be put in abandonware status", "refuses that its games are considered abandoware", "status unknown" (e.g. they don't respond to abandonware demands) and "doesn't exist anymore". It seems that some companies have put their games as abandonware (they're usually available on back2roots) but what about the others ? I don't know if they refused or if nobody asked them. E.g. some companies still exist (Team 17, Bitmap Brothers...) and have infos about their old games on their websites, but no clear status about abandonware...

12 December 2003, 08:25	#20
utri007 mä vaan Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: Finland Posts: 1,664	about Many amiga stores have very old stuff in their stock. Moust of amiga games are still comercially availlable. there haven't bee lot of new games so let's say 5 years old amiga software is still new.

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10 December 2003, 15:27	#2
fisken uno Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Sweden Age: 43 Posts: 716	AFAIK there is no such thing as "abandonware". Please don't use this word.

10 December 2003, 15:33	#3
Dizzy Pirate Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 3,395	abandonware abandonware abandonware abandonware abandonware abandonware http://www.abandonwarering.com/ what's your problem with abandonware Fish...

10 December 2003, 15:38	#4
fisken uno Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Sweden Age: 43 Posts: 716	My PROBLEM with the abandonware is that it is a made up word to make it look like companies have released games for "free" when they indeed haven't. There's no difference in my ears between wrez, abandonware or oldwrez. If companies release games those games are FREE - released by the companies, but they are NOT abandonw*rez. You go ahead and call revolution and ask for the abandonware game Beneath a steel sky and they will probably look slightly amused. Or confused. Or whatever. The point is that abandonware is rip-off in a nice disguise. So, yes I do have a problem with this word. You can find games a year old called abandonware, and then it's suddenly ok.

10 December 2003, 15:47	#5
fisken uno Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Sweden Age: 43 Posts: 716	BTW AFAIK the games on BTTR are NOT "abandonware", if we should use this term. BTTR have been granted the right to host these games but that doesn't mean that anybody are allowed to host them.

10 December 2003, 15:48	#6
Dizzy Pirate Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 3,395	How many amiga games (or other emustuff) have you dl, and how much of this, do you own the org version...

10 December 2003, 15:56	#7
fisken uno Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Sweden Age: 43 Posts: 716	You can certainly question whether old games are of interest to the companies or not. But as long as the games aren't FREE you shouldn't make up fake words to make it look legal. Yes, I have downloaded many old games that are not FREE, but I don't pretend that it's legal. I know very well that it isn't. Who decide when a game is abandonware then? Well, certainly not the authors. I can't see any difference between abandonwrez and wrez, that's why I dislike the word.

10 December 2003, 16:42	#8
abelthorne Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: France Posts: 142	How do you call old games that have been made free by their original companies (they allow people to put them on some websites - don't know if this applies to any website or not - and share them), as some of the games that are on bttr (as far as I understood) or other allowed websites, then ?

10 December 2003, 17:44	#9
Drake1009 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Denmark Posts: 2,284	The abandonware ring does make a big number out of distinguishing between Abandonware and old***. Yes I know the companies probably haven't released the games and thus it's still as illegal as otherwise, but there is one large difference. Games that are no longer in production, has no support from the original company (if there's even a company left with the copyright), has no prospect of being sold ever again is what the abandonwarering defines as abandonware. If you can buy the game anywhere they know of or if anyone look like they'll actually re-release the game again at some point they classify it as old*** and as such will have nothing to do with sites who carry the things. The practical difference here is that though it's just as illegal there's less chance of a company doing anything about it since they're apparently not planning to make money off it anymore. If a company is planning to make money off a game they will more likely do something about the sites who offer their games for free.

10 December 2003, 19:01	#11
abelthorne Registered User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: France Posts: 142	Ok. Abandonware seemed more suitable to me because if I speak about free games, people won't know if I talk about commercial games made free or pd games. But that's only a vocabulary point (I thought abandonware meant what you call free games). So, anybody knows which publishers/developers have released their old games as free ? AFAIK, there is Lankhor (Mortville manor, Maupiti Island, Vroom...). I guess there is Delphine Software (Future wars, Operation Stealth, Cruise for a corpse...) too... But what about the other developers (at least the ones that created major Amiga games, such as Psygnosis, Team 17, Bitmap brothers, Bullfrog...) ?

10 December 2003, 19:04	#12
fisken uno Zone Friend Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Sweden Age: 43 Posts: 716	Cinemaware Revolution

10 December 2003, 22:45	#13
Drake1009 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Denmark Posts: 2,284	I'd want to call the games, that the companies actually gave their blessing to spreading as free, free games. PD makes it sound like they've been PD all along which doesn't do the game justice.

11 December 2003, 09:46	#14
Dizzy Pirate Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Denmark Posts: 3,395	sometimes its called "Freeware", but I dont think Fish like the word ware reminds him of *****zzzzz

11 December 2003, 10:53	#15
Enverex Fantasy Man! Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: UK Posts: 1,353	My definition of Abandonware - Old software that may still be under copyright regulations or other IP marks, but that is no-longer made and the creators no-longer care about selling. Official definition - Abandonware is computer software (such as an operating system, word processor, interactive game, or audio file) that is no longer marketed or distributed by the company that created it, but is obtainable from some other source. Some popular products that have been at least temporarily abandoned include NeXTStep, the operating system for the NeXT computer; OpenStep, its successor; and many interactive games that were replaced by more sophisticated products. In some cases, a company or Web site gets permission from the creator to distribute the abandoned program; but sometimes they don't. To use abandonware that you download, you often need a license string that the software recognizes as entitling the user to install it. In this case, the downloading site provides a license string that is known to work. Abandonware is often provided as freeware or as priced shareware.

11 December 2003, 12:34	#16
Mr Creosote Evil Mastermind Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Home Posts: 740	fisken: I'm running half of the 'central Abandonware places' left these days, and I can assure you we make a big deal out of openly saying it's all illegal. Even insinuating 'Abandonware' being a legal term is frowned upon. I'm not asking you to make yourself like something you don't, but I do ask you to be fair.

11 December 2003, 22:28	#19
Drake1009 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Denmark Posts: 2,284	Some might Dizzy. Some might actually say that. But I think that if you ask really really nicely and waive any rights to support MS might sell you a version at severely inflated price of course.

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