Freespace 2 and me never remembering things...

I kind of remember that Freespace 2 was once declared to be abandonware and that there was once a official web-page for the download...

But: I'm not sure and I can't find it.

So here's the question:

Is Freespace 2 (still) abandonware and were can I get it? (Fast answer would be nice because I've still one hour and 13 minutes to get to the store and buy it for 4.99 Euros. :p )
 
I don't remember being abandonware, I just think the source code was made available for noncommercial use.

And however I think it's worth 4.99 euros :)

I do own a white label Freespace & Freespace 2 compilation and I've bought it long after I've finished Freespace 2.
 
I just found the site from back then but all the links are down. I guess it was never abandonware.

The five Euros are not the Problem. In fact, I think it's worth more than many newer games. But leaving the house just for a game. Dunno...

Maybe I'll wait and go tomorrow...
 
There's no such thing as "abandonware". It's a word idiots made up so they could feel better about stealing things.
 
You'd be wrong to think that.

I got the game for free and I'd still like my money back.

Max: My innocence has been shattered by this blatant tourist trap. I want my money back.
Sam: We didn't pay anything.
Max: Well, somebody better give me some money.
 
Lord, how I miss Sam & Max. Even the cartoon show had its great moments.
 
There's no such thing as "abandonware". It's a word idiots made up so they could feel better about stealing things.

I think there is such a thing as 'abandonware', but as it stands now the term being misused by a whole lot of people. For example, if there's some obscure early 80's game that I have an absolutely insignificant chance of being able to buy, I consider that to be 'true' abandonware. Games that can still be found and bought with a little effort shouldn't be abandonware though. For example, I'm sure that many abandonware sites have Wing Commander 1 on them, but as you can very easily buy Wing Commander 1 in EA replay it really shouldn't be considered abandonware at all. IMHO about 2/3rds of the downloads on abandonware sites are nothing but warez shouldn't be there. At least most of those sites have the decency to take down downloads if they are asked to though.
 
Of course there is no legal thing "abandonware", yet there are differences in how companies deal with people copying different (kind of) games. And frankly, it's simply a lot easier to use the term "abandonware" because everbody knows what is meant.
 
I think there is such a thing as 'abandonware', but as it stands now the term being misused by a whole lot of people. For example, if there's some obscure early 80's game that I have an absolutely insignificant chance of being able to buy, I consider that to be 'true' abandonware.

I can't buy a new 1956 Ford Thunderbird, therefore I should be allowed to steal one. There's no secret point where games become so rare that you can suddenly pirate them with a clear conscience -- if you care about an old game, you can either track it down on the secondary market or you can steal it. It's that simple.

Of course there is no legal thing "abandonware", yet there are differences in how companies deal with people copying different (kind of) games. And frankly, it's simply a lot easier to use the term "abandonware" because everbody knows what is meant.

They very clearly do *not* know what it means, as evidenced by this very thread. Stealing is stealing, no matter what pleasant name you decide to give it -- and we sure as hell don't tolerate that crap here.
 
I'd rather say that in most cases people "think" games to be free which are not. Yet there is real "abandonware" (somebody give me a better term if there is one) like GTA, for example.
 
yeah.. abandonware is a misnomer.. there are plenty of FREEware products out there.

ID software released on a short term basis the old Wolfenstein 3D game as freeware to drum up support for its release of DOOM3.

and When Return to Krondor went gold, Betrayal at Krondor was available free for download off of the developer's website.

abandonware simply doesn't exist.

Nobody ever abandons their intellectual property.
 
There's no secret point where games become so rare that you can suddenly pirate them with a clear conscience -- if you care about an old game, you can either track it down on the secondary market or you can steal it.

But what if you don't care about the game? For example, what if there is a game from 1988 called Star Command that you've never played before, but looks like it might be good. You do a Google search and it becomes evident that the odds are against you of *ever* being able to buy it legitimately. If you don't download the game from an abandonware site, you've just missed a great game, and I'm sure that the original developers won't be hurt *in the least* from you obtaining it 'illegally' (in fact, I wouldn't be surprised if many developers actually like the fact that newer gamers get the chance to appreciate their work). As someone who is taking a CS program and wants to get into game design, I sometimes like to look towards old games for inspiration. If I limited myself to not downloading any old impossible to find games, then there would be no way for me to investigate the *vast majority* of those games. Besides, I think that the more older PC games that people play the better. Something seems to be missing in most of today's games that was present in the 80's, and if no one in the generations to come (which will be the developers of tomorrow's games) played the older, impossible to find games than I think PC gaming would be heading in a very negative direction (the cynical might say in an even a worse direction).

I can't buy a new 1956 Ford Thunderbird, therefore I should be allowed to steal one.

The Ford Thunderbird has substantial value as a collectible, and is a physical object with material worth. IMHO It's a rather poor comparison to use against downloading old 80's games that are impossible to buy -- They have little if any value and no material worth.
 
see.. thats whats known as "justification" it doesn't make it any more right or legal in the slightest.
 
see.. thats whats known as "justification" it doesn't make it any more right or legal in the slightest.

Oh, I know it doesn't make it any more legal, but what is 'right' depends on the person. I believe that the bigger crime is to let a great old game die forgotten than to spread it to the masses. Other people take the opposite view of what is 'right'.

And don't forget that if the copyright holder doesn't want a game to be distributed as abandonware, they can tell the abandonware sites to take down the download links. You see a lot of abandonware sites were they have places for games, but the downloads are removed. I have not *once* seen a download removed for an 80's PC game. It's pretty obvious that pretty much all of those developers and copyright holders either couldn't care less that their old 80's games are being downloaded -- there are probably some that actually support it.
 
then you haven't looked very hard.. a good portion of the Game Developer community has had to fight very hard to get those links pulled and put under proper protection through the ESA.

Abandonware sites don't take anything down unless they are forced too.. having a large library gets them advertising money. or donations.. They aren't doing it out of some benevolent need to preserve gaming's history for future generations.
 
You have a point in that it may not be that the developers don't care about protecting old 80's PC games -- they just don't want to go through the hassle of getting them pulled.

However, if you were a developer of an old game in the 80's, that you thought was really great, but never really gained much popularity or exposure (or had, but was all but unknown here in 2007), what would you think of someone downloading your game on an abandonware site?
 
Back
Top