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General discussionAbandonware sites..... dodgy or kosha?(82 posts)(82 posts)
(82 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted August 21, 2017
"Abandonia.com" - I've never had any trouble with this site, and it does make an effort to avoid allowing downloading of any titles that suddenly come up for sale again. It also often links over to here on GOG if any of it's featured games are sold here. Trouble with Abandonia is the selection has dwindled over the past 10 years due to many games that were once abandonware being picked up by companies and put up for sale again.

"Home of the Underdogs" - not had any trouble with this site neither, but I've only really browsed it..... rarely downloaded from it. In recent years it seems that this site won't let you anyway, at all..... well not in my experience.

"MyAbandonware" - I have used this one occasionally, and it offers MUCH more than the small selection on "Abandonia" - but I've noticed a few titles on it that are sold here on GOG - still available for free download on their site. These are few though, and like Abandonia they do at least link over here to GOG with any titles they do know are sold here. Some have slipped past the net though, it seems that they are not aware of everything in their own library.
So, "MyAbandonware" dodgy or not?

"old-games"..... now not only does this one seem to be trying to adopt a similar name to GOG, this one is a blatant "warez" site IMO, loads of games, some of them quite new titles, that are sold on GOG, Steam and elsewhere are all "downloadable" on this site..... but get this, apparently it demands a "subscription fee"!!!!! Even to download those that *are* genuine abandonware. VERY suspicious indeed! The site does still act as an old game database though, and doesn't cause problems as long as you avoid downloading anything from it.

What I want to really know is other people's experiences with "MyAbandonware", that one still has a good selection and does not blatantly seem a scam. Just for piece of mind really.

Please no complaints about this "promoting piracy" because I am NOT, if anything I'm trying to protect myself from such things by researching these abandonware sites. Please no arguments about whether "abandonware" is "still piracy" or not - heard all this before many times.

All I ask is peoples experiences with the above, particularly MyAbandonware.
Post edited August 21, 2017 by JMayer70
Posted August 21, 2017
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JMayer70: Please no complaints about this "promoting piracy" because I am NOT, if anything I'm trying to protect myself from such things by researching these abandonware sites. Please no arguments about whether "abandonware" is "still piracy" or not - heard all this before many times.

All I ask is peoples experiences with the above, particularly MyAbandonware.
So, you only want to hear what you want to hear, to ease your conscience. There is no such (legal) thing as "abandonware": it is not in the public domain and its copyright has never been revoked. Somebody always owns the copyright, even when it's hard to determine who. The proper term for software that is no longer maintained or where the copyright holders are indeterminate is "orphan works".
Posted August 21, 2017
You don't have to worry. "MyAbandonware", "Abandonia.com" and "Home of the Underdogs"(when they were a thing) are all "legit". In that, they are run by people who are passionate about old games, and just wish to share a collection of them, the same way you share your books with your friends. What this means is that, they are not malicious to the end user in any way (unlike sites aiming to trick users and infect their computers with viruses). Of course, whether abandonware is piracy or not, has been much debated by people. But, that's not what you are asking, right?

If any game turns up for sale here, it's certainly worth buying it on GOG. You can also vote for stuff at the community wishlist, to hopefully increase your chances of seeing them here.
Post edited August 21, 2017 by Nicole28
Posted August 21, 2017
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JMayer70: "Abandonia.com" - I've never had any trouble with this site, and it does make an effort to avoid allowing downloading of any titles that suddenly come up for sale again. It also often links over to here on GOG if any of it's featured games are sold here. Trouble with Abandonia is the selection has dwindled over the past 10 years, and only offers mostly dregs these days!

"Home of the Underdogs" - not had any trouble with this site neither, but I've only really browsed it..... rarely downloaded from it. In recent years it seems that this site won't let you anyway, at all..... well not in my experience.

"MyAbandonware" - I have used this one occasionally, and it offers MUCH more than the weak selection on "Abandonia" - but I've noticed a few titles on it that are sold here on GOG - still available for free download on their site. Not many, and like Abandonia they do at least link over here to GOG with any titles they do know are sold here. Some have slipped past the net though, it seems that they don't seem aware of the whole of their own library.
So, "MyAbandonware" dodgy or not?

"old-games.com"..... now not only does this one seem to trying to adopt a similar name to GOG, this one is a blatant "warez" site IMO, loads of games, some of them quite new titles, that are sold on GOG, Steam and elsewhere are all "downloadable"..... but get this, apparently this site demands a "subscription fee"!!!!! Even to download those that *are* geniune abandonware. VERY suspicious indeed!

What I want to really know is other people's experiences wioth "MyAbandonware", that one still has a good selection and does not blatantly seem a scam. Just for piece of mind really.

Please no complaints about this "promoting piracy" because I am NOT, if anything I'm trying to protect myself from such things by researching this abandonware sites. Please no arguments about whether "abandonware" is "still piracy" or not - heard all this before many times.

All I ask is peoples experiences with the above, particularly MyAbandonware.
Home of the Underdogs is hasn't shut down yet? haven't used them since in forever but I always found the games were broken, with no music playing or game saves not available, also hated all the ads that were all over the place before I knew about ad-blocker, left that site since I noticed they made it really tough to download anything. I've moved on to torrents and the uploaders that post old games, never really liked Abandonware sites myself. Quality for me is always an issue and I see now the draw toward Abandonware was to get a game that was only available by retail but in some ways not quite piracy, I know you don't want to get into that sort of topic but honestly everyone else should move on away from them already, they were dead when GOG arrived but I can still see them having a place for some people but I've never stewed on this topic much.
Post edited August 21, 2017 by Ogdin
Posted August 21, 2017
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JMayer70: Please no complaints about this "promoting piracy" because I am NOT, if anything I'm trying to protect myself from such things by researching these abandonware sites. Please no arguments about whether "abandonware" is "still piracy" or not - heard all this before many times.

All I ask is peoples experiences with the above, particularly MyAbandonware.
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Hickory: So, you only want to hear what you want to hear, to ease your conscience. There is no such (legal) thing as "abandonware": it is not in the public domain and its copyright has never been revoked. Somebody always owns the copyright, even when it's hard to determine who. The proper term for software that is no longer maintained or where the copyright holders are indeterminate is "orphan works".
No, nothing of the sort at all Hickory, not only is your sanctimonious judgement against me wrong, but this is exactly the kind of reply I clearly stated I wasn't really interested in. What did you fail to comprehend?
Anyway, thanks but no thanks my friend. Where's that little red button with minus sign on it?
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Nicole28: You don't have to worry. "MyAbandonware", "Abandonia.com" and "Home of the Underdogs"(when they were a thing) are all "legit". In that, they are run by people who are passionate about old games, and just wish to share a collection of them, the same way you share your books with your friends. What this means is that, they are not malicious to the end user in any way. Of course, whether abandonware is piracy or not, has been much debated. But, that's not what you are asking, right?
Thanks Nicole28 that is a helpful reply! And if an abandonware title does turn up on GOG, I *do* indeed buy it..... it's worth it for the support and the work GOG put in to make the game run better! You get the green button with the plus sign on it! (So did Ogdin and TinyE, and Breja..... Hickory can go whistle for it! :D)
Post edited August 21, 2017 by JMayer70
Posted August 21, 2017
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Nicole28: the same way you share your books with your friends.
Which I NEVER DO! :P

That fucking girl Laura still has my copy of "Rotten" she borrowed fifteen years ago and she isn't even a Sex Pistols fan!
Posted August 21, 2017
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Nicole28: the same way you share your books with your friends.
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tinyE: Which I NEVER DO! :P

That fucking girl Laura still has my copy of "Rotten" she borrowed fifteen years ago and she isn't even a Sex Pistols fan!
Tell me about it. It once took a friend of mine long enough to return a book to me that I forgot what happened to it, concluded I must have lost it, and bought a new copy :P
Posted August 21, 2017
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Hickory: So, you only want to hear what you want to hear, to ease your conscience. There is no such (legal) thing as "abandonware": it is not in the public domain and its copyright has never been revoked. Somebody always owns the copyright, even when it's hard to determine who. The proper term for software that is no longer maintained or where the copyright holders are indeterminate is "orphan works".
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JMayer70: No, nothing of the sort at all Hickory, not only is your sanctimonious judgement against me wrong, but this is exactly the kind of reply I clearly stated I wasn't really interested in. What did you fail to comprehend?
Anyway, thanks but no thanks my friend. Where's that little red button with minus sign on it?
I hit a nerve. Now you can press that button with conviction.
Posted August 21, 2017
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tinyE: Which I NEVER DO! :P

That fucking girl Laura still has my copy of "Rotten" she borrowed fifteen years ago and she isn't even a Sex Pistols fan!
Heh! Likewise, My copy of "White Fang" (and it's the one where the dogs DO talk) was permanently loaned over to an old schoolmate, whom I should have known was attempting a "kidnap" of my book, when he tried to push off his copy of "Little Women" to me, in a fluke trade. I wasn't interested in the title at all!
Post edited August 21, 2017 by Nicole28
Posted August 21, 2017
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tinyE: Which I NEVER DO! :P

That fucking girl Laura still has my copy of "Rotten" she borrowed fifteen years ago and she isn't even a Sex Pistols fan!
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Breja: Tell me about it. It once took a friend of mine long enough to return a book to me that I forgot what happened to it, concluded I must have lost it, and bought a new copy :P
Had exactly the same experience with a '95 CD copy of "Psycho Pinball" which I foolishly lent out in 1998..... even better 10 years later I was at the same little tealeaf's house, and there it was, on his shelf.

Which cued the following convo!

"Oh I forgot I'd not gotten that game back of you yet!"
"What game?"
"This one" <pulls it off the shelf>
"What? I bought that only two weeks ago"
<opens box>, why's the reciept got a 1995 date in it then?
"Eeeeer....."
"Exactly...... you little felcher!!!!!"
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JMayer70: No, nothing of the sort at all Hickory, not only is your sanctimonious judgement against me wrong, but this is exactly the kind of reply I clearly stated I wasn't really interested in. What did you fail to comprehend?
Anyway, thanks but no thanks my friend. Where's that little red button with minus sign on it?
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Hickory: I hit a nerve. Now you can press that button with conviction.
Whatever cranks your weeny little handle mate
Post edited August 21, 2017 by JMayer70
Posted August 21, 2017
A developer abandoning (ceasing support for) a product does not invalidate their copyright. Copyright in most of the world (read: signatory country to the Berne Convention) is, at minimum, the entire life of the creator plus 50 years. No PC game has existed long enough for that period of time to pass. As per your own post
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JMayer70: Please no complaints about this "promoting piracy" because I am NOT, if anything I'm trying to protect myself from such things by researching these abandonware sites.
Downloading any PC game from those web sites is piracy. The only way to "protect yourself" is to purchase legal copies of games.
Posted August 21, 2017
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wonderfulillusion: A developer abandoning (ceasing support for) a product does not invalidate their copyright. Copyright in most of the world (read: signatory country to the Berne Convention) is, at minimum, the entire life of the creator plus 50 years. No PC game has existed long enough for that period of time to pass. As per your own post
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JMayer70: Please no complaints about this "promoting piracy" because I am NOT, if anything I'm trying to protect myself from such things by researching these abandonware sites.
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wonderfulillusion: Downloading any PC game from those web sites is piracy. The only way to "protect yourself" is to purchase legal copies of games.
Don't tell me, your an ESA agent right?!

What you say is a very skewed, ultra hard right wing sounding opinion on the matter. With this stance, you must be a developer is all I can say, a developer that just takes - or rather *steals* (hey dont you be calling us pirates for using abandonware mate!) - these old abandonware games and starts selliing them for a profane price, a developer who would demand $39.99 for code that just went "10 print "Money" 20 Goto 10". "Night Dive Studios" comes to mind.
You completely fail to account for titles on these sites such as "Battlezone 98", which were given FULL AUTHORITY by the developers themselves to be allowed to distributed for free. So despite that, downloading "Battlezone 98" from Abandonia is STILL piracy? It is to you..... anti-free software talibani that ye are!!!!!
Post edited August 21, 2017 by JMayer70
Posted August 21, 2017
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JMayer70: [....] Please no complaints about this "promoting piracy" because I am NOT [...]
I'm not going to complain about it, in fact many of these sites are good for game preservation. But plazas be aware of what it is, which is piracy. Abandonment is a fancy name for piracy where the right holders don't care enough to prosecute. So by providing these sites and the way you word it, you are in fact promoting piracy, there is not two ways about it.

So do as you like, I want judge you for it, on fact I do it myself, but I also do not pretend that what I do is something else than what it really is.
Posted August 21, 2017
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amok: I'm not going to complain about it, in fact many of these sites are good for game preservation. But plazas be aware of what it is, which is piracy. Abandonment is a fancy name for piracy where the right holders don't care enough to prosecute. So by providing these sites and the way you word it, you are in fact promoting piracy, there is not two ways about it.

So do as you like, I want judge you for it, on fact I do it myself, but I also do not pretend that what I do is something else than what it really is.
That must be sarcasm with the horrible grammar but I'll go ahead and take it serious and say that Abandonware (a euphemism if you must) is exactly that, a abandoned product, doesn't really work right and on modern OS some might not work. Piracy is a term created by the multi-billion dollar game publisher/developers that make shovel-ware which should be a crime that crap costs money, GOG gained popularity since people would pay money for abandonware that worked...

Of course what is or isn't piracy is up to the individual, I say if a game cannot be bought digitally except by 2nd hand that game is abandonware since no money would go to the developer/publisher, of course with GOG selling abandonware games things change but a GOG game =/= Abandonware game of the same game, GOG works to have the game work on modern systems or add new features, improvements to make it the superior version.
Post edited August 21, 2017 by Ogdin
Posted August 21, 2017
Nevermind, you meant to say not up to the individual. Actually I'm not sure you did, but I already deleted my previous reply, and am too lazy to retype it.
Post edited August 21, 2017 by wonderfulillusion
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionAbandonware sites..... dodgy or kosha?(82 posts)(82 posts)
(82 posts)