I wonder if they would let their games be distributed if they were still in business. Too bad they will never release anything again. That's the bright and clever and right thing to do, IMHO. And then the company acts the bright way: they give the download to people who register, thus counting the download hits, thus knowing what king of gamers are out there, and making a few free market surveys based on their happy-because-they-can-play-vintage-games-for-free registered users, they release games they are sure to be a hit, because they have a large retroscene community playing precisely those kind of games. They see the retroscene as people who enjoyed stuff very much and want to keep playing. If you take this idea, the idea that a product can drop $45 in 6 months, then products of 10 years ago would have no selling value, does should be released.Ĭinemaware are intelligent.
#Dos abandonware games tv#
If you make a market survey (which I had to do indirectly since I work as a translator in a TV Network), you will see the prices go from $50 to $4.99 in the space of 6 months. My favorite site is Back To The Roots which has lots of downloads of legal Commodore Amiga software. In the case of the Sinclair Spectrum company selling their old games on CD, I believe that some companies are trying to make money on the retroscene. They can't sell the games because who wants to pay $50 for an old games. The problem is that many of the game companies don't want to release their old games.
#Dos abandonware games for free#
I am a big poster over at the forum link above, I have found many games which have been re-released for free download. In fact, there is a thread over at the Neowin forums at which lists commerical/shareware games which have been re-released for free download by the authors. For example, the old game company called Cinemaware who made games such as Defender of The Crown, Rocket Ranger, et al offers their games for free download on their site at, you have to register to be able to download their old games. Trying to sell old games is absurd but there are some companies who do release their old games for free. Even because there are free games all around us anyway. Yes abandonware may be an illegal concept, but I personally believe it's not hurting people that much. Who would pay to play legend of kyrandia today? pay the normal price, that is: 49,95? Anything else (like the great idea, a few weeks ago from a ZX Spectrum company to release their games in CD after denying them to the retrogamers!!!!!) is absurd. They keep people going for illegal situations because they don't understand that everything as a time period and a right time to play. The problem is, when they sniff an opportunity due to a retroscene rise for their games, here comes all of them denying distribution and making CDs. The companies couldn't care less about old games.
![dos abandonware games dos abandonware games](https://jscustom.theoldcomputer.com/images/manufacturers_systems/PC/Abandonware-DOS/9425502008_02_25_pcmuseum.jpg)
#Dos abandonware games full#
If I release a full game as shareware and tell you to donate me something because you are playing it, and you don't, you are officially a thief, playing shareware. Legally, yes, it is illegal, but so is shareware.
![dos abandonware games dos abandonware games](https://www.saashub.com/images/app/service_logos/48/f4d93ace1128/large.png)
Alban lusitanae wrote:Well, IMHO, abandonware is a grey area and that's why I said no.