Find favorite old games via 'abandonware'<\/p>\n
Vishnu K. Mahmud, Contributor, The Jakarta Post<\/p>\n
In this era of super quality graphics, high frame rates and
\nfast processors for online first-person shooters, a few of us are
\nbound to forget the joys of playing simple games, such as
\nInfocom's text based Zork adventure series or Sierra Online's
\nKing's Quest.<\/p>\n
Games that were popular in the mid 80's (back when Bill Gates
\nhimself said that 640 kilobytes was enough memory for everybody!)
\nnow seem ancient in computer years, since most of them can fit on
\na single floppy disk. Compare that to today's behemoths that
\nsometimes require multiple CD's!<\/p>\n
But unlike Shakespeare's plays, you cannot purchase \"old\"
\nsoftware. Unlike movie classics such as Casablanca, which will
\nalways be available for sale using the latest medium (VHS,
\nLaserDisc or DVD), computer software has a shelf life of mere
\nmonths until the latest version or upgraded hardware comes out.<\/p>\n
Some software publishers believe that releasing old games will
\nend up costing them money, because they have to consider
\ntechnical support and marketing costs. Even worse, some
\npublishers have gone bankrupt, thus eliminating the only possible
\navenue for people wishing to buy their games.<\/p>\n
Filling the void is 'abandonware.' Lycos' Tech Glossary
\n(http:\/\/webopedia.lycos.com) defines abandonware as \"software
\nthat is no longer being sold or supported by its publisher\".
\nThere are countless websites dedicated to abandonware; some
\nsimply list their favorite games while others provide links or
\nthe actual software for downloading.<\/p>\n
You can find classic games that you played with years ago. I
\nfound that you can download The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy,
\nthe text adventure game based on the late Douglas Adams' popular
\nbook. It was that game that got me hooked on computers and gave
\nme the incredible typing skills I now possess. (Look in cabinet,
\ngo north, Don't Panic!).<\/p>\n
But is it legal? Well -- no.<\/p>\n
Most abandonware is considered illegal unless the publisher
\nre-releases their software as freeware.<\/p>\n
Which has happened. The aforementioned Zork series, the grand
\ndaddy of text adventure series, are freely available to download
\nat the Infocom Homepage (http:\/\/www.csd.uwo.ca\/Infocom\/), a fan
\ncreated website. Infocom has released the first three Zork
\nseries to the public domain and as such, does not provide support
\nor technical assistance, as most game publishers do for their
\nlatest releases.<\/p>\n
Why should the software publisher give them away?<\/p>\n
There are a few hard-core gamers who miss the \"glory days\",
\nwhen all you needed was 640k and an EGA video card. These were
\nprobably the games they played growing up instead of the current
\ngore-fest Quake games that require the latest processor, ultra-
\npowerful graphic accelerator and caffeine induced twitching
\nskills.<\/p>\n
Also, these \"old\" games can be introduced to the next
\ngeneration of gamers, to show them how far computer games have
\ncome. Software publishers can create brand loyalty by providing
\nthe old games for free, ensuring that the gamers will come back
\nto them to purchase the latest games.<\/p>\n
But most importantly, the Internet has provided an immense
\nlibrary for old games, documents and software. So even if the
\ngame company has gone out of business, the games they made are
\nnot gone forever. Some developers have actually thanked
\nabandonware sites (such as the Underdogs
\nhttp:\/\/www.theunderdogs.org) for archiving their software.<\/p>\n
However, it is imperative to remember that the copyright to
\nthe games still remains with the developer\/publisher. Even if
\nthose games are surrendered to the public domain, it does not
\ngive anyone the right to steal the idea, source code or pass the
\ngame off as their own.<\/p>\n
Some companies choose to keep their software out of
\nabandonware's clutches and it is their right to do so. They may
\nend up locking the game away in their personal archives never to
\nbe played by gamers again, which would be a loss for all
\nconcerned.<\/p>\n
Most abandonware sites do not want to harm or take away money
\nfrom the author or company who has legal ownership of the games.
\nThey will remove any questionable game when requested. The sites
\nare still of questionable legality but otherwise the games would
\nnever see the light of day again.<\/p>\n
Collectors can still obtain old games via the publisher's
\nwebsites (sometimes linked from abandonware portals) or auction
\nsites such as E-Bay where even software for the old Amiga is
\nstill available. You can also search for them via software swap
\nsites.<\/p>\n
But one thing that all of us should consider is the
\ncopyright\/trademark\/patent issue. Today's laws make no allowances
\nfor the preservation of works that will be lost due to the
\noriginal authors' abandonment of them, either due to bankruptcy
\nor dropping support for the product.<\/p>\n
A considerable chunk of history is legally bound to be lost
\nbecause the only people who care to preserve it are threatened
\nwith cease-and-desist letters from attorneys. Books, music and
\nfilms from the past may be lost forever if no one cares to
\nmaintain them.<\/p>\n
If such laws had been rigidly enforced in the Middle Ages, all
\nwriters today would have to pay a fee to Shakespeare and his
\ndescendants, who himself \"borrowed\" his ideas from various
\nhistorical tales. Shakespeare's dramas, tragedies and comedies
\nhave been used as a \"template\" for practically all of today's
\nmovies and plays. And thanks to Shakespeare, society today can
\nlearn from humanity's trials and tribulations in the past.<\/p>",
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