Open source does not mean that the intellectual property is free. There’s a lot of good that comes from this, and it’s not like those games are expensive.
Correct. The license (at least, the one I read for Red Alert) is GPLv3 with some additional stuff. The additional stuff is mostly about not using EA trademarks in your version or showing any connection to EA itself. So it appears that a clean room asset swap would be allowed as long as it includes the title screen.
Which, in the immediate future, makes me wonder less about the things that are going to be done in code, and more about the creation of new, free, visual and audio resources that make this work. That seems like quite a noble pursuit.
If you dig some experienced players comments who bought the “remastered” stuff, they are complaining that they “re-mastered” the exact same bugs that seriously annoyed the players too. They didn’t fix the bugs.
With the power of OSS, every bug can be fixed.
It sounds like that’s what happened, but through the proper channels. They hired a known CnC community/modding site admin as the dev.
I’d imagine he pitched that this was an easy way to reduce maintenance costs while fostering massive good will and making the amount of long tail sales over time higher.
That’s actually kind of a brilliant concept that should serve as an example for other video game publishers then: open-source the program so that it can be maintained by the community, but require a license to use the artwork. The community could eventually recreate and even improve the artwork anyway.
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Well I’m very excited to see the injection of life this hopefully gives c&c modding
I wonder how many of the old guard are still around, I’m glad the cncnet project is still going strong
Finally someone can fix Twilight Flame
Who cares. EA sucks balls
This is an opportunity where if you’d used your brain you’d have come to a different conclusion.
EA sucks balls, but this is one objectively good move from them. It’s worth noting, especially from a games preservation perspective.
I wish.
I have dry balls.
You can hate the company while accepting this. EA doesn’t have exclusive control over that game anymore.
I will never have anything good to say about EA
Not when they do this.
Open sourcing old games is awesome for video game preservation.
Yeah, this should be standard practice
Broken clock
EA ? Did I read right ?
Was expecting a catch. Still good for modding I guess
Anyone know if this is a technologically-enforced “must” or just a “pretty please”?
This is a pretty standard affair for open sourced games.
Open source does not mean that the intellectual property is free. There’s a lot of good that comes from this, and it’s not like those games are expensive.
Though do also note that of these four, TD and RA1 were already made freeware years ago.
I realize. Intellectual property is an icky concept IMO but I know not everyone agrees
Intellectual property is what allows them to make these games GPL.
The GPL is a way to make intellectual property work the way it should by default.
I’m assuming this is more about art assets. Art is not code and you shouldn’t expect them for free. It’s not a catch.
Correct. The license (at least, the one I read for Red Alert) is GPLv3 with some additional stuff. The additional stuff is mostly about not using EA trademarks in your version or showing any connection to EA itself. So it appears that a clean room asset swap would be allowed as long as it includes the title screen.
Which, in the immediate future, makes me wonder less about the things that are going to be done in code, and more about the creation of new, free, visual and audio resources that make this work. That seems like quite a noble pursuit.
The entire series is on sale on Steam right now for $6 if that helps.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/1213210/Command__Conquer_Remastered_Collection/
That’s only the HD remaster of TD and RA1.
Sorry, that was the wrong link.
https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/39394/Command__Conquer_The_Ultimate_Collection/
If you dig some experienced players comments who bought the “remastered” stuff, they are complaining that they “re-mastered” the exact same bugs that seriously annoyed the players too. They didn’t fix the bugs. With the power of OSS, every bug can be fixed.
https://www.openra.net/
Open Red Alert
Best computer game theme ever
This is brilliant! :) aw, I hope it benefits the OpenRA developers and means more fun things to play eventually :)
Wait… this is EA… are they okay? This is very unlike them
Almost like a mistake?
I think the old Westwood dev they put in charge of the franchise just doesn’t have any oversight.
That would be a completely legendary move if the dev hired by EA just said “fuck it, I’m open-sourcing this shit!”
It sounds like that’s what happened, but through the proper channels. They hired a known CnC community/modding site admin as the dev.
I’d imagine he pitched that this was an easy way to reduce maintenance costs while fostering massive good will and making the amount of long tail sales over time higher.
That’s actually kind of a brilliant concept that should serve as an example for other video game publishers then: open-source the program so that it can be maintained by the community, but require a license to use the artwork. The community could eventually recreate and even improve the artwork anyway.
Now if only they open-sourced the SAGE engine, then we’d be all happy
The engine is highly optimized & produces great visuals, Of course there IS OpenSAGE
Old games being open sourced is a trend I can get behind.
It’s about thyme!
This is a momentous event. I only wish it had Red Alert 2 in it.
If it doesn’t then I’m not interested.
They’re still requiring EA Play or $6 for the bundle on steam.
Correct. Doom and Quake still cost money as well.
Fuck EA but cool move - if they keep being not shit for long enough I might consider their products again.
Doubt they can keep it up.