Author Topic: Computer Gaming (Read 2188 times)

Flipside · **on:** August 11, 2003, 04:21:33 pm

Hmmmmmmmmm... just got this months issue of PC Gamer, and it states that Freespace 2 is still the best all time Space Combat Sim

(Yes, I know, it's not strictly a Sim).
One thing, it doesn't mention that it is now free....Funny that! Mebbe I should write to em and let em know?

Flipside

ZylonBane · **Reply #1 on:** August 11, 2003, 04:27:40 pm

Maybe it doesn't mention it's free because it's NOT?

Petrarch of the VBB · **Reply #2 on:** August 11, 2003, 04:28:58 pm

Maybe I started a thread on this the other day.
http://www.hard-light.net/forums/index.php/topic,16662.0.html

Flipside · **Reply #3 on:** August 11, 2003, 04:36:48 pm

LOL Sorry Petrarch, didn't see it, and ZylonBane, keep up

Flipside

karajorma · **Reply #4 on:** August 11, 2003, 04:43:54 pm

ZB is correct I'm afraid. FS2 is not free. Although neither [V] nor Interplay care much about FS2 being up on HotU that doesn't mean the game is free.

Similarly the release of the source code does not make the game free either. It just means that the updated EXE is free to distribute.

ZylonBane · **Reply #5 on:** August 11, 2003, 04:45:35 pm

Unless I've missed something major, FS2's abandonware status is questionable at best.

IceFire · **Reply #6 on:** August 11, 2003, 05:09:13 pm

Quote

Originally posted by ZylonBane
Unless I've missed something major, FS2's abandonware status is questionable at best.

Questionable legally....but from Interplays perspective...it was abandonware before it was even released.

Flipside · **Reply #7 on:** August 11, 2003, 05:50:11 pm

At the end of the day, a website is making FS2 available for download, for free, or at least enough of it to make it playable.
Whether this is legal or not is up to [V], and since they have yet to take action, despite the fact that the location for this download is freely available on several FS2 orientated sights, makes me doubt severely that they will.

Flipside.

Anaz · **Reply #8 on:** August 11, 2003, 07:13:05 pm

you guys realize that something like TBP & SCP could be released in conjunction for free & be completely legal?

redsniper · **Reply #9 on:** August 11, 2003, 11:57:17 pm

they could probably also be released for a price and be legal

but that would just drive people away

Stryke 9 · **Reply #10 on:** August 12, 2003, 12:12:22 am

Actually, no, it's "abandonware status" is anything but questionable. It is no longer being manufactured (i.e. the creators no longer profit from its distribution). That's the one criteron of abandonware. As a bonus, nobody cares to prevent people from sharing it freely, which means it's abandonware up for file sharing. Abandonware is still illegal, it's just that nobody gives a ****.

Sandwich · **Reply #11 on:** August 12, 2003, 01:33:44 am

Guys, I really have no idea why you are arguing. Get a clue - FS2 is literally share-with-your-friends-ware!!

Or am I the only one that remembers that clause in the Liscence Agreemrnt - the one that has absolutely nothing to do with either being abandoned by V/Interplay or with the source code release???

Stryke 9 · **Reply #12 on:** August 12, 2003, 01:34:52 am

We are aware of this. It is also irrelevant, but that's something else altogether.

karajorma · **Reply #13 on:** August 12, 2003, 04:56:21 am

That still doesn't make it legally free. If a computer magazine was to put a copy of FS2 on their cover-mounted DVD they would almost certainly get sued by Interplay.

Something like TBP with FS2_open is another matter. That could make a good case for inclusion.

Flipside · **Reply #14 on:** August 12, 2003, 12:17:15 pm

A lot of 'Share'ware is not legally allowed to be available on Magazine covers, some lowlife companies even sell off compilations of unregistered shareware, which is completely illegal.
However, I'm willing to admit I got the wrong end of the stick here, and my apologies to Zylonbane

Flipside

Sandwich · **Reply #15 on:** August 13, 2003, 05:02:24 am

Karajorma: I never said it legally free. I said:

Quote

Originally posted by Sandwich
...FS2 is literally share-with-your-friends-ware!!

The liscence agreement limits the "make copies for..." to friends and aquaintances", which for me means that I can make legal copies of the FS2 discs for everyone I know in real life, as well as those with whom I've had some interaction online - on forums, for example. So IMHO it can't legally be put up as 3 ISO's for the world to download, but - also IMHO - if there were a way to post the downloads somewhere that required that the downloader was registered at HLP/VWBB, it would be perfectly legal.

Stryke 9 · **Reply #16 on:** August 13, 2003, 05:18:34 am

Except that the HLP loophole would only be acceptable if people registered out of a genuine interest in the game ans a desire to be part of the community (thus an "acquaintance", or soon to be one), whereas if you put it in a gaming magazine as the place to get Freespace for free then it'd be a "get-free-stuff" registration. You'd get about 20,000 no-post registrations, a server crash, a copy of the ISO circulating around Kazaa, and hopefully a bad conscience.

J.F.K. · **Reply #17 on:** August 13, 2003, 05:45:28 am

Quote

Originally posted by Flipside
Hmmmmmmmmm... just got this months issue of PC Gamer, and it states that Freespace 2 is still the best all time Space Combat Sim

Still got it, huh?

That says something for the offerings of the past 5 years. (Of which there weren't many anyway.)

Sandwich · **Reply #18 on:** August 13, 2003, 07:36:37 am

Quote

Originally posted by Stryke 9
Except that the HLP loophole would only be acceptable if people registered out of a genuine interest in the game ans a desire to be part of the community (thus an "acquaintance", or soon to be one), whereas if you put it in a gaming magazine as the place to get Freespace for free then it'd be a "get-free-stuff" registration. You'd get about 20,000 no-post registrations, a server crash, a copy of the ISO circulating around Kazaa, and hopefully a bad conscience.

All completely true, aside from the ISO circulating Kazaa, which it already is, I hear. Perhaps we'd set up a minimum postcount requirement before one could download...

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