[RandomTiger]

» FreeSpace 2 Limited Edition - Posted By: IceFire @ 02:51 PM CST - Post Comment

According to a poster in our forum we have some interesting news coming from the Interplay order desk. Apparently there will be a limited edition release of FreeSpace 2 available through the Interplay Store. Here's the quote:
We just had a meeting about it this morning. There will be 2000 copies available, and only through the Interplay store. They will be numbered copies and will be selling for $49.95. We will probaby start taking pre-orders in a couple weeks. We will be sending out an email announcement, and also plastering it all over the site when it goes into the store.
I suppose this could be considered good news. Its also possible that they are testing the waters...but people out there who have been searching high and low for a popular and award winning game that was out of print almost as quickly as it went into print now have a chance.

My guess is that it will sell out like hotcakes. Especially if the word is spread to the general gaming public and with all the extra addon campaigns and MOD's available there is literally hundreds of hours of gameplay time.

The wheel revolves, does it not?

We'll have more news as it develops on any details or specifics we may learn.

This is very good news!

[Flipside]

Well, allegedly the date of release has been moved to Feb 2nd, but I will wait and see....
I have mixed feelings. It is good to see even a vague and opportunist resurrection of FS2, however, what does this say about the copyright on FS2? The HotU download etc?

Flipside

Note, these questions were raised in the main Hard Light thread earlier, so I can't claim them as my own, just thought I'd point it out

[RandomTiger]

copyright on FS2? I thought the problem was rights to make another one.
I imagine they can release as many FS2 copys as they want they just dont because they dont see profit in it.

[Solatar]

2000 eh?

At least everyone in the community can get one.

EDIT: well..not really...othe rpeople will buy it...but yeah...

[KARMA]

50$????
for a 5 years old game???
UHMMMM!!!
anyway...this can give some problems regarding copyright, since one of the most important aspects to look at, when releasing for free something whith rights owned by others, is if you cause a commercial damage or not, and not only if you have profits or not .
As you can see, if we release a free full install version of FSO when there are in stores some copies, this can easily be considered a commercial damege.....

[Lightspeed]

We already discussed this.

This is very, very bad news if it is true. Which i don't think.

[Flipside]

I am far from convinced myself, they'd be pimping the re-release on the Interplay board, but all it says, still, is 'Out of Print'. If this is anything like music or video, it means they no longer even have the base CD images for burning off 2000 copies any more.

[RandomTiger]

Originally posted by Lightspeed
We already discussed this.

This is very, very bad news if it is true. Which i don't think.

Sorry, I dont understand, why would this be bad news?

[RandomTiger]

Finds thread, oh abandonware... I see.
Hmmm.

[Sandwich]

http://interplay-store.com/product.asp?part_no=FG-W58-1176-1&find%5Fcategory=&find%5Fdescription=&find%5Fpart%5Fdesc=&IPPC=

[Carl]

good job, sandwich, you just posted the same thing in three different threads

is it merge time?

[CP5670]

I was also wondering why he did that...

[KARMA]

Originally posted by Sandwich
http://interplay-store.com/product.asp?part_no=FG-W58-1176-1&find%5Fcategory=&find%5Fdescription=&find%5Fpart%5Fdesc=&IPPC=

this isn't good in my opinion, for both abandonware and full install project
also I'm curious...
If they don't even know who/if has the rights over the title, how the hell can they sell something? How will the earnings be shared?

[J3Vr6]

Did it ever occur to you that they do own the rights, and we're the ones who have no idea?  Like I've said before, just because some customer service person says they no longer have the rights, doesn't mean it's true.  She may not have had any idea and didn't care to ask someone who did.  Kazan searched somewhere and found out that they still owned the rights or the trademark or something.

[KARMA]

mine was a rethoric question...

[redmenace]

well the customer service person was acting in agency for Interplay, which might stand up in a court of law.

[Sandwich]

Originally posted by Carl
good job, sandwich, you just posted the same thing in three different threads

is it merge time?

Two reasons.

First, for the benefit of people who had only posted in one of the 3 threads, so that they would get the "New Replies" email.

And secondly, I was in a rush to leave the house to go back to reserves.

[J3Vr6]

Originally posted by KARMA
mine was a rethoric question...

Rhetoric or not, I still addressed it:p


Redmenace,  You may have a point but I think it would have to have been an actual certified document from Interplay (or whoever) that states they no longer hold the rights.  I think they'd be too much liability to hold a customer service rep's word in court, so Interplay probably has that covered.

It's pointless now, I doubt anyone is going to take Interplay to court because they're releasing new games all on the reasoning that customer service told them they didn't hold the rights.

[Kazan]

the USPTO online database says that Interplay's ownership of the rights are "live" -- however if they did anything to forfeit such rights - like say they don't own them and say they do not know who owns them - then those "live" copyrights become De Facto abandoned

however if they release 2000 copies of freespace that is a very hard hit against the De Facto abandonment case.


if I had the money i'd buy the rights from them

[Annorax]

Looks like they're just doing this to stifle the full install downloads.... Bastards.

Normally, I'd rejoice, because that would be the first legitimate sign of a possible FS3... but we know it's not going to happen, and they're just ****ing us around. Bah!

Interplay's little ***** or no, I'm still going to buy it.