No you are just being grumpy again ;-P

I'm an asshole when I'm sane.

Not this again.

Abandonware is a term coined so that people can feel better about distributing software that is still licensed. It's nonsense.

Most, if not all of the games you are talking about are still licensed to a company, even if the company that originally developed it does not exist anymore. Downloading and distributing such games is legally piracy equal to downloading a brand new game.

Just because you can't buy it anywhere anymore doesn't mean that it is all of a sudden magically 'free' and available for you to do whatever you want with.

Unless a game is officially freewared under a license like GPL, somebody still OWNS the right to that game. So, yes, linking to Abandonia is like linking to the pirate bay.

Period.

StingingVelvet: yes, you already know this. in the time I wrote this, six new posts were made. but I still think it can't be said often enough. some people never seem to grasp this concept.

It's a term that people use sometimes to justify pirating games

I actually remember on another online place, in a topic of GOG discussion, one person actually said:

"GOG Sells Abandonware, why should I pay for Abandonware?"

The stupidity and ignorance of that statement astounds me to this day

Not really. Two times a day is my limit.

So, how about that Abandonia is also cultural preservation and even some of the games we see here came from Abanonware sites because the originals were lost.

There are plenty of games that are "gone forever" especially those only sold on disks (that blue thingy on your save button is a "disk", btw). If it wouldn't be for sites like "Hotu" of Abandonia many gamers, new and old, would never be in the position to enjoy those games.

People who consider downloading Abandonware morally bad really need the refocus their moral compass. And need to get laid.

Preferably both at the same time.

This

I wouldn't say it's morally good. It's morally justified. Not the same thing for me.

Most of the new gamers don't even know what is DOS :D

What games here came from abandonware sites because the originals were lost?

I never commented on the morality of downloading such software, merely the legality.

I'll be the first to admit I download loads of stuff. Doesn't make abandonware any less of a nonsense term.

And yeah, I'm familiar with floppy disks, since I remember a time before they even existed. All mine are safely backed up on modern digital hd's now, doesn't mean I distribute them on the web or that they are lost at all. Name a game that can't be bought on ebay or amazon.

http://homeoftheunderdogs.net/game.php?id=404

And that post wasn't specifically aimed at you, but while we are at it ;-).

Edit: I actually just went on Hotu, clicked "random game" and took the first that came up. Considering it's a LoTR game, it might just be around.

You said it was the same as outright piracy, which is morally much more "wrong."

Go and buy me Karateka