if it's not abandonware........

C0rtexReaver on 4/9/2007 at 17:00

Quote Posted by Nameless Voice

Okay, maybe I'm just stupid, but it seems to me that buying the game second-hand off eBay doesn't help to support the developers. Or even count as someone still selling the game, for that matter.
(Also, that's an auction which will probably shoot up in the next 6 days.)

You're absolutely correct, and it's hardly evidence against a claim of abandonment.

It's obvious that E.A's legal goons have done their job and the TTLG powers that be don't want anyone thinking their boards are a haven for the discussion of piracy, but the System Shock franchise is without a doubt, an abandoned step-child.

-CR

D'Arcy on 4/9/2007 at 17:10

Quote Posted by C0rtexReaver

You really have no freak'n clue as to the concept of eBay, do you?

Of course not. I'm waiting for someone as obviously smart as you are to explain it to me :p

The main intent of our no warez policy is to protect TTLG's 'clean' reputation. For instance, do you think we'd get Levine posting here if this were a piracy haven? Getting the game on e-bay might not get the developers any money, but at least it's a legit way of acquiring a legit copy of the game.

C0rtexReaver on 4/9/2007 at 17:30

Quote Posted by D'Arcy

Getting the game on e-bay might not get the developers any money, but at least it's a legit way of acquiring a legit copy of the game.

Are you positive it's legit? Physical possession of factory-pressed install media hardly means legal use in today's world. Are you sure the EULA doesn't simply license the software to the original purchaser and rule-out the transfer of said license?

-CR

Javis on 4/9/2007 at 18:33

Quote Posted by Nameless Voice

I notice that (http://www.gameswarehouse.com.au/longpage.asp?gameid=2950) Games Warehouse are no longer selling the game.
I did find this, though: (http://www.zerenox.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=54121) System Shock 2 for $107. Great price, eh?

The reason downloading SS2 is so discouraged here is because a) it is still, theoretically, available for purchase and b) EA are a very unfriendly company who aggressively protect their IP, and TTLG don't want to be sued.

Oh, and if you are unable to find a copy of the game for sale, and decide to go the abandonware route, do not ever mention it here. The locals really love to flame people over this.

WOW! And I just ordered the game from them last week! That was a close shave!

heywood on 4/9/2007 at 19:31

Quote Posted by C0rtexReaver

A EULA doesn't always define legal use either, as some EULAs claim rights beyond what is protected by copyright law. For example, under US copyright law (Title 17, Section 109), if you legally own a copy of a computer program, you are entitled to sell it without the copyright holder's permission. EDIT: You are not allowed to rent or lease it for profit though.

Zygoptera on 4/9/2007 at 22:52

Most EULAs do allow resale (irrelevant anyway, as heywood said resale is legal almost everywhere anyway and nothing they write in a EULA can change that) so long as you remove the software from your computer and remove any backups. Certainly the Bioshock one- for some reason I read it very carefully- specifically allows resale.

Matthew on 5/9/2007 at 08:50

Remember Freespace 2's EULA? That specifically allowed the distribution of copies to your friends. :D

Assidragon on 5/9/2007 at 10:46

That is roughly the only (originally non-freebie) game to do that though.

Matthew on 5/9/2007 at 11:03

I know, that's why I pointed it out.

cosmicnut on 5/9/2007 at 11:45

I remember an old cover CD that contained a "Demo" of "companions of xanth". It wasa pretty poor adventure, almost text based. The problem was, I worked through the demo, waiting for the "To be continued". I found it wierd that the save worked and they had included so much of the the game. That was until I actually finished the game!!!

They had actually put the entire, "new release" game on a magazine cover CD!

I found a later demo that had a smaller chunk of the game and the save feature disabled.

Problem was, it was such a poor game that i doubt anyone played the demo long enough to find out!