Abandonware

There's an interesting, "grey area" of software out there called "Abandonware." The theory behind it is this - if a game (or other program) is old enough that the publisher doesn't support it any longer, or perhaps doesn't even exist, the program should be released free. No support for it, of course, but it should be put out there for people to discover and enjoy.

Now, while I agree in theory, the fact of the matter is that unless the publisher releases the game to the public domain (which has happened in a few instances,) just copying it and passing it around is still - technically - illegal. Pirating, in other words.

Note that some publishers *have* released games "into the wild." The original Zork 1, 2, and 3 are free. (You'll find info about them in the Free section of the site.) So is WordPerfect for the Mac, version 3.5e (ok, it's not a game.) Other publishers have put free stuff out on CDs. But unless they've done something like this and given their official "OK," than copying even old, abandoned games is still piracy.

The best I can say is, try to get the publishers to release the game legally. For instance, I'd love to see Sam and Max Hit the Road or Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe (both from LucasArts released. The best thing I can do is not download them from a Warez site, but to write them and let them know, or start a petition online and send it to them.

For any corporate types reading this: Think about releasing the old programs you don't support any more to the public. Charities and schools struggling for money, for instance, would love (for instance) Photoshop 4, or QuarkXPress 3, which would run on systems they have to milk a few more years out of. Gamers will gladly play Marathon or Myth - and look for newer games. You're not losing money - you're building a market.

BREAKING NEWS! Bungie (of HALO fame) has done just this recently (2-2005) - they've released the three Marathon games, PLUS manuals, FREE on their website!