Thief 2, System Shock 2 Get Surprise Updates

[Sol_HSA]

Number 1 is the big problem, and it isn't even as simple as you make it out to be. Fact is that EA couldn't open the source if they wanted to because they don't own the rights to the game, but rather the trademark(well kind of... they abandoned that as well apparently). Looking Glass Studios held the rights to the game itself, and when they went belly up in 2000, their insurance agency gained the rights, and has been holding on to them ever since. So in order to open up the source, you would have to:

1) Have the source available. Apparently not a problem, if this patch is any indication.

2) Get the blessing of an insurance agency (an industry not known for its generosity)

3) Get the blessing from EA (a company known for killing franchises, not reviving them for the good of mankind)

4) Have people willing to clean up the code (again, not a problem apparently since someone has already done exactly that)

In all likelihood, the only way you would ever get a (legally) open source System Shock 2 is if someone included it as part of a deal to make System Shock 3. Before Baldur's Gate Enhanced Edition was announced, I would have said that this is an impossibility, but now it seems that there is a movement going on to recapture the spirit of older games, what with Project Eternity, Wasteland 2, BGEE, Tim Schafer's adventure game, and so on. So who knows?

I used EA as an example, not related to system shock at all - those three things I listed were general terms related to any old game project one might want to open source.

And yes, the legal stuff is horribly complicated. There's one certain franchise where the original developers would want to open source the game, but the one person who owns the rights (CEO of another company) does not even answer their calls. And why should he - he doesn't have anything to gain, and possibly a lot to lose.

Another game project by a company that merged a couple of times, folded, got sold to another party etc. lead the rights to be owned by an "offshore" gambling site. But no worries, during the acquisition chain at one point the source code was ordered to be destroyed so that it wouldn't be a potential legal liability.

One thing I'd love to hear an answer for is what the legal status of source code is, copyright wise.. would it be possible just to wait it out. But since source code was never released, it doesn't have a release date..

Anyway. Sometimes one can get lucky, like I got with death rally. So it's worth trying.

 

[antidonkey]

Damn. This really makes me wish I knew what the hell happened to my copy of System Shock 2. I have a feeling I let a friend borrow it and I haven't spoken to said friend in many, many years......but I don't recall what friend it may have been. Le sigh.

 

[SlyFoxx]

Long time TTLG'er and Thief fan. Glad to see there's a new buzz about two old favorites here.

I would invite you to not only revisit the official titles but to also delve into the nearly 1000 fan made missions. It's no hassle at all.

We mission designers are really excited about this patch as it absolutely smashes down old barriers like screen complexity and brush and object limits. We'll milk at least another decade out of the old girl.

Anyway...the thread with all the new buzz is here. Poke around the FAQ threads for other answers.

http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=140085