[Inquisitor]

You don't find it in the least bit cynical that they released the source code just to get customers to fix errors for them, for free?

Not when those self same customers demanded the priveledge. And, that's exactly how commercial Linux works, armies of unpaid coders fix bugs that commercial companies then exploit to profit at an enterprise level... I suppose you could say everything in business is the least bit cynical, that's why its business and not charity

Also not sure how this release of the MC2 code is anything but beneficial to anyone (including MS).

[WMCoolmon]

If there were obvious plans for re-releasing MC2 with the community modifications, without any money going back to the coders who had done the work, then I would get cynical.

[Spectre-7]

I'm not completely sure about any of this, but I gather that the source wasn't released as an update, or to foster a community.  Instead, it's example code of how to program for the XNA framework...  At least that's my take.

Also appears they've posted the license:
http://forums.microsoft.com/MSDN/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=310374&SiteID=1

[aldo_14]

You don't find it in the least bit cynical that they released the source code just to get customers to fix errors for them, for free?

Not when those self same customers demanded the priveledge. And, that's exactly how commercial Linux works, armies of unpaid coders fix bugs that commercial companies then exploit to profit at an enterprise level... I suppose you could say everything in business is the least bit cynical, that's why its business and not charity

Well, think of it this way; the cost to Cisco (as an example) of bugs is about $600-800m per year.  MS would have jumped at the chance of free bug-fixers, but all it really results in is a reduction of MS' responsibility to produce error-free software.

[Cobra]

... Is anyone thinking what I'm thinking?

Full models and effects instead of ****ty-looking mechs and effects?

[Inquisitor]

If I read that license right, you can sell games you make with it.