GameSpot Home

Close



More Publishers Speak Out on Abandonware

Bell admits that Infogrames "takes steps" to enforce its intellectual properties but also doesn't devote resources to day-to-day monitoring. "Warez is much more destructive than abandonware sites, as it pirates and distributes newer titles--robbing Infogrames and other publishers of the revenue they need to keep pushing the envelope on content and technology."

screenshot
If an abandonware game doesn't work, it reflects poorly on the publisher.
There are other consequences to warez sites and pirated software, adds Bell, that can result in negative consumer impact: "The content available may have bugs and may not play properly--consumers get gypped and hold the publisher responsible despite the fact that [those pirated or abandonware games are] not the product we released."

You would expect hard-lined answers from large corporations such as Electronic Arts and Infogrames, but we also approached one of the last remaining independent developers/publishers--Maryland-based Bethesda Softworks. Pete Hines, director of marketing and public relations, agrees that abandonware games are downloaded "mostly for nostalgia's sake." He continues, "Despite all of the advances in technology, there are still a lot of gaming classics that provided us with gameplay moments that we've yet to equal--I can think of a lot of these kinds of moments from my days of playing X-COM: UFO Defense and the old gold-box Dungeons & Dragons games."

But Hines, like the representatives from Electronic Arts and Infogrames, says that when all is said and done, it's still piracy. "Companies don't forfeit the right to determine how [their games] are distributed simply because they no longer sell the game at retail. Saying that the games are no longer available at retail is a convenient excuse people use to justify appropriating these games so that they can give them away for free."

"Abandonware is piracy, pure and simple."
-Pete Hines, Bethesda marketing and PR director
Hines offers an analogy: Disney releases many of its classic animated films on VHS or DVD for a limited time and then doesn't sell any at retail for a considerable period. "Because it's not available at retail, does that mean Disney gives up the rights to Snow White and that it should be distributed for free over the Internet? Of course not. Disney paid to create the work, and it can determine how and when it will be offered for sale."

Hines offers an alternate solution: "I've seen a number of full versions of classic games offered for free through various game magazine CDs or through special Internet download services." But couldn't an old copy of The Elder Scrolls: Arena drive a fan of Bethesda's role-playing series to pick up a copy of the company's upcoming RPG, The Elder Scrolls: Morrowind?

"Abandonware is piracy, pure and simple," answers Hines. "It's distributing licensed property for free without authorization from the owner. From a business perspective that's harmful, and from a quality level it's harmful--we have no input into the method of delivery, we have no input or control over the quality of the materials provided, and these factors can leave a bad impression in the minds of users who use these products."

screenshot
What if an older game compels someone to buy a new one?
Hines continues: "People will argue that there's no harm if the company isn't selling the game at retail, [but] what if a company doesn't sell a game at retail for a while and then later makes it available in a special box that includes all of the games from a series?" Suddenly, says Hines, these sites are giving away abandonware that isn't actually abandoned. In the past, Bethesda has contacted abandonware sites and asked them to remove its games. "It is our policy to stop people from distributing our games for free, be they new titles or classic games. We don't differentiate who we go after based on whether they call it abandonware or warez or a pirated version. If it's ours, it's ours. If you need to own a copy of a classic game, go find it on eBay or a site that allows people to trade or buy used games."

Now, we all know it's usually the publishers--and not the designers/developers--who own the intellectual properties of these games. So what do game makers think about abandonware? You may be surprised at their reactions.


 
« Previous Page Next: Ultima and Grim Fandango designers on abandonware »

 

Copyright ©2004 CNET Networks, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use