18. August 2015, 18:10:48

#0

JDoranQuote

I see that Kolya has removed SSP from it's download page (https://www.systemshock.org/index.php?wap2;topic=211.0) due to the new copyright holders C&D order. They say "Night Dive Studios has acquired all rights to the System Shock franchise. We need to ask that you remove any links to the full games of either System Shock I or System Shock II, if you haven't already done so", which I think sounds great, since hopefully it means that GOG (or whoever) will soon be selling SS1 legally, so that those of us who never bought it when it was available can finally own it legally (even though it will probably be download only, so no nice box to show off on the shelf...).

The only problem is, I hope this doesn't spell the end of the remake, Citadel, which looks amazing.

BTW, Kolya, I agree with Night Drive Studios, re: " If you were to offer just a patch that installed those mods, I am sure that we could figure out a way to point back to you once System Shock is released.", of course. If you could make a SSP that includes everything but the easily-copied-to-SSP game data files, then that would be a good compromise for people new to System Shock 1.

Did anyone know that Night Drive Studios were on the verge of getting the rights to the first System Shock? This is the first I've heard of it.

18. August 2015, 18:22:17

#1

MarvinQuote

I have no idea what JosiahJack is planning but all source ports or port-like projects I've known so far would at some point ask for some of the original game files. Where you get them, GOG, Steam, "other places", is your decision and should have no impact on the legality of the project itself.


Yes, Shock 1 was always on their agenda, but they focused on Shock 2 and Meadowbrook first.

18. August 2015, 18:27:38

#2

Nameless VoiceQuote

So, you are looking forward to having to pay for something that you could get for free before?
You're looking forward to giving money to a company that have nothing to do with the original developers?

The reason that I buy games is because I want to support the developers, to pay them for their work and to encourage them to make more games that I enjoy in the future.  Not because of legality, and certainly not to support companies with no actual entitlement other than having purchased the rights to something they had no hand in creating.

Acknowledged by 3 members: Kolya, RocketMan, Chandlermaki

18. August 2015, 18:47:49

#3

JDoranQuote

Quote by Nameless Voice:

So, you are looking forward to having to pay for something that you could get for free before?
You're looking forward to giving money to a company that have nothing to do with the original developers?

The reason that I buy games is because I want to support the developers, to pay them for their work and to encourage them to make more games that I enjoy in the future.  Not because of legality, and certainly not to support companies with no actual entitlement other than having purchased the rights to something they had no hand in creating.

You make a good point (why should Night Drive Studios, or anyone else, pay n amount of pounds for the game rights, then make n x 50 pounds when they do no work on the game, and the original programmers and designers presumably get nothing (though are you sure of that? Is it possible that the original people could get a cut of the profits, even if it's not standard in these cases), I agree?), but I think it's great that the game will soon (I assume) be available for legal purchase. Yes, prior to this, it was available less than legally from this very site, but no doubt anyone who wants the game and is willing and able to use torrents or pirate sites will be able to download it with no trouble.

18. August 2015, 18:50:30

#4

voodoo47Quote

well, the only reason why SS1 has been available here as a full download was that it was not available for purchase, and the ip owner didn't care. this has changed - the new owner plans to sell it again, and, unsurprisingly, wants legal sites to stop distributing the game in order to protect his sales. actually, even without the notice, we would have to take the download down ourselves after a GOG/Steam release - any half decent abandonware sites do that once something ceases to be abandonware.

SSP will return in some legalized form, but not before the GOG/Steam release is live.


and speaking of the release, I'm slightly concerned that they haven't contacted us about technical stuff - they definitely don't want to release without the mouselook mod, for example. not sure repeating the SS2 release mishaps is desirable.

Acknowledged by: Hikari