Update on DOSBox and Steam

[Evo]

After many message boards erupted in protest over the weekend over the DOSBox issue regarding id games available on Steam the issue is resolved.[br]

"It's a dead issue," the id rep said in a phone interview. "As soon as this came to id?s attention, it was all immediately corrected." She offered no further comment.[br]Certain text files referring to DOSBox and licensing terms were apparently not initially included with games that utilized the software when id games were made available on Steam this past Friday.[br]However, Next-Gen can confirm via purchased id Steam software that DOSBox's Readme file and the GNU General Public License documentation are now included in the program files.

[br]Source

 

[CyberPitz]

Hurray! It's fixed. Can we stop the e-drama now, please?

 

[Zaph]

Hey! Don't diss internet drama. The internets are serious ****ing business.

 

[Link]

I love how when ever anyone makes a mistake, they are assumed to have done it deliberatly, and should be punished. On the internet, its even worse, you must have done it deliberatly, and should be punished with death.

What happened to faith in humanity. Did the internet kill it?

 

[Evo]

It never existed

>.>
<.<
>.<

 

[Kyorisu]

Uh not really they've only supplied the .70 release source code, not their modified version. ID know all about GPL having releaed a load of their own works under it so I'm still puzzled as to wtf they are up to.

 

[Iced_Eagle]

I'm glad they've fixed the issue.

Time for everyone to settle down again!

 

[redphoxv]

Uh not really they've only supplied the .70 release source code, not their modified version. ID know all about GPL having releaed a load of their own works under it so I'm still puzzled as to wtf they are up to.

I mean John Carmack's like a genius. So either they did it deliberately since Carmack had to have been involved in this and as a genius he won't make mistakes unless it is on purpose and knowingly. Or John Carmack is the devil. It can only be one of those two. The fact that Carmack is an atheist leans more to the satanic side of things though...

 

[Kyorisu]

I doubt Carmack had anything to do with this.

The fact that Carmack is an atheist leans more to the satanic side of things though...

That doesn't make any sense.

 

[Insano]

That doesn't make any sense.

Ladies and gentlemen of this supposed forum, Valve's attorney would certainly want you to believe that his client didn't do this on purpose. And they make a good case. Hell, I almost felt pity myself! But, ladies and gentlemen of this supposed forum, I have one final thing I want you to consider. Ladies and gentlemen, this is a Stalker. The Stalker is enemy from the game Half-Life 2 that can shoot laserbeams with their eyes. But the Stalker works for the combine. Now think about it; that does not make sense!

Why would a Stalker, an five-foot tall Stalker, want to work for the Combine? That does not make sense! But more important, you have to ask yourself: What does this have to do with this case? Nothing. Ladies and gentlemen, it has nothing to do with this case! It does not make sense! Look at me. I'm a lawyer defending an Internet group, and I'm talkin' about a Stalker! Does that make sense? Ladies and gentlemen, I am not making any sense! None of this makes sense! And so you have to remember, when you're in that jury room deliberatin' and conjugatin' the Emancipation Proclamation, does it make sense? No! Ladies and gentlemen of this supposed forum, it does not make sense! If the Stalker works for the Combine, you must acquit! The defense rests.

 

[TwwIX]

^^ You gave me the Brainz Hurtz.

 

[nutcrackr]

so much kerfuffle over a few text files?

 

[Crispy]

I'm sorry but this is still bullshit.

ID are basically taking the blame but I see NO APOLOGY WHATSOEVER. It's an empty statement that just regurgitates what we already know without offering up any actual remorse or apology.

Don't try to boil it down to "just a couple of text files". It's basically the same as id Software raping out a map of yours (let us for the purposes of this arguement imagine you are a helluva 'mazing mapper) and selling it without mentioning your name ever. Now they're basically saying "whoopsie" while skirting around the whole issue as if it never existed, and people who are either too ignorant or too lazy to bother to understand are oblivious to what happened.

How about id/Valve do the decent thing and hold their hands up and apologise?

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

How about id/Valve do the decent thing and hold their hands up and apologise?

When you start doing that, then they can.

 

[Crispy]

When you start doing that, then they can.

...and people who are either too ignorant or too lazy to bother to understand are oblivious to what happened.

Ahem.

 

[CyberPitz]

Yay for blowing things out of proportion, and acting like one of them conspiracy nuts to 9/11!

 

[Apos]

It would be nice if I have any freakin idea what anyone was talking about, maybe.

 

[Smigit]

I'm sorry but this is still bullshit.

ID are basically taking the blame but I see NO APOLOGY WHATSOEVER. It's an empty statement that just regurgitates what we already know without offering up any actual remorse or apology.

Perhaps they apologised in the response to the emails the DosBox guys had sent. I see no reason why the apology has to be public or why ID owes anyone else an apology. If it's a "dead issue" I'm going to half guess they made *some* communications with the DosBox team.

 

[Kyorisu]

Perhaps they apologised in the response to the emails the DosBox guys had sent.

What emails? Afaik the Dosbox team did not contact anybody.

When you start doing that, then they can.

Stop defending a company that is perfectly capable of defending itself. The only people that can really hassle ID are the people that have contributed code to Dosbox and that is unlikely to happen. The problem arises when other companies start pulling the same crap with their for profit enterprises. In summary kiddies use BSD!

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

Stop defending a company that is perfectly capable of defending itself.

Who said I was defending a company? My response didn't mean that at all.

 

[Kyorisu]

Something to do with your overall attitude to the subject, another thread comes to mind.

 

[Harryz]

Someone quickly look up Drama Queen in the urban dictionary.

 

[Dagok]

What emails? Afaik the Dosbox team did not contact anybody.

Well as far as you know, you are wrong.

The DosBox team said publicly that they had sent an email...Saturday I think...In the same public response asking people to calm down and stop getting so worked up over it.

Bottomline is morons are acting like id/Valve blew up someones house. It was a couple of text files for christs sake. The issue was rectified days ago, get over it already.

id/Valve doesn't owe anyone a public apology. If they apologized to anyone it was the DosBox folks and it would have been a personal apology.

 

[Crispy]

Well as far as you know, you are wrong.

The DosBox team said publicly that they had sent an email...Saturday I think...In the same public response asking people to calm down and stop getting so worked up over it.

Bottomline is morons are acting like id/Valve blew up someones house. It was a couple of text files for christs sake. The issue was rectified days ago, get over it already.

id/Valve doesn't owe anyone an apology. If they apologized to anyone it was the DosBox folks and it would have been a personal apology.

Technically, no they don't owe anyone an apology but the DosBox team. But without a suitable response I won't be buying any id games. All I really want is a statement that does four things:
1. we did this by accident
2. we fixed it as soon as the problem has been brought to our attention
3. we have contacted the DosBox team and apologised
4. the DosBox included with these games complies with the General Public License under which it is made available

So far we've had 2 of those things and a bit of under-carpet sweeping. I'm not trying to say this is some major conspiracy. It's quite possible that Valve have rectified the problem and are no longer guilty of any wrongdoing. But my real disappointment is their lack of transparency, the fact we have had 2 sound bites and not an official statement, and that these have been from an id spokesperson and Valve have so far said nothing.

As for if it has been rectified...

So, is the issue of the modified dosbox included with steam solved now?

Depends on who you ask. I say no.

Edit: IMO it all depends on how the Steam'mified DOSBox was produced. If it was produced by editing the original source files and then compiling & linking a new DOSBox, then I think id Software are obliged to publish their changes. I also believe that obligation extends to publishing the source to the library (steam.dll) that the new Steam'ified DOSBox are linked to.

However, if the Steam'ified DOSBox is produced by other means, e.g. by a utility that somehow "glues" the original dosbox.exe to the steam.dll producing the Steam'ified DOSBox, and - and this is the important stuff - it is possible to "unglue" the Steam'ified DOSBox and retrieve the original DOSBox, then Steam/Valve/id Software might be in the clear.

I am still sitting here, popcorn at the ready, waiting for more news.

Source: http://vogons.zetafleet.com/viewtopic.php?t=16285&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=100

 

[Dagok]

Technically, no they don't owe anyone an apology but the DosBox team. But without a suitable response I won't be buying any id games. All I really want is a statement that does four things:
1. we did this by accident
2. we fixed it as soon as the problem has been brought to our attention
3. we have contacted the DosBox team and apologised
4. the DosBox included with these games complies with the General Public License under which it is made available

So far we've had 2 of those things and a bit of under-carpet sweeping. I'm not trying to say this is some major conspiracy. It's quite possible that Valve have rectified the problem and are no longer guilty of any wrongdoing. But my real disappointment is their lack of transparency, the fact we have had 2 sound bites and not an official statement, and that these have been from an id spokesperson and Valve have so far said nothing.

Then don't buy them, nobody cares. Problem has been fixed, id has have given their response. If you don't like it then tough shit, I'm sure they don't care if you can't get over it.

What do you mean it's quite possible Valve had rectified the problem? What part of id's response do you not understand? id fixed the problem. The files have been there since Monday or Tuesday. Just get over it already. Their lack of transparency? They do not need to release an official statement more than they have already, it wasn't the public that they owe anything to, any conversation about this is between id, Valve and DosBox.

"It's a dead issue. As soon as this came to id's attention, it was all immediately corrected." - id rep

I am still sitting here, popcorn at the ready, waiting for more news.

You and this guy really need to get a life if you sit on forums all day looking for e-drama and expecting some sort of conspiracy to unfold. How do you know DosBox and id don't have an arrangement about the Source? Fact is it's none of our business. Just let it go and move on with life.

 

[Crispy]

Then don't buy them, nobody cares. Problem has been fixed, id has have given their response. If you don't like it then tough shit, I'm sure they don't care if you can't get over it.

What do you mean it's quite possible Valve had rectified the problem? What part of id's response do you not understand? id fixed the problem. The files have been there since Monday or Tuesday. Just get over it already. Their lack of transparency? They do not need to release an official statement more than they have already, it wasn't the public that they owe anything to, any conversation about this is between id, Valve and DosBox.

"It's a dead issue. As soon as this came to id's attention, it was all immediately corrected." - id rep

You and this guy really need to get a life if you sit on forums all day looking for e-drama and expecting some sort of conspiracy to unfold. How do you know DosBox and id don't have an arrangement about the Source? Fact is it's none of our business. Just let it go and move on with life.

I'm sorry but I have every right to make decisions on what I purchase based not only on the product itself but also on the conduct of the company selling the product. I plan to purchase games from Valve. They are semi-responsible for allowing this to happen and have said nothing. I personally am not satisfied with purchasing products from a company who participates in copyright piracy (knowingly or unknowingly - there has been no statement to say it is one or the other). Since Valve are not the same entity as id I would say that Valve not saying anything is the opposite of being up front, therefore there is a lack of transparency.

Now, just so you don't jump to any conclusions again, 'lack of communication' and 'suspiciousness' are not the same thing. I have never once said Valve IS guilty of underhand activity. I am merely waiting for something that indicates the opposite. I'm not fishing for conspiracies... Is there any part of that wording that you don't understand?

If anyone is causing drama around here, it's you. All I said was that I'm not buying the games and explained why. Unlike you, I'm not trying to convince anyone to agree with me, I'm simply stating my thoughts on the matter (it's common practise on discussion forums, you know?) So what is your big problem with one person having a different opinion on events? If your life consists of sitting on forums all day desperately scrabbling to make sure every post you read conforms with your view on the world, then maybe it's you who needs to get a life. If you got out more you might realise people don't all share the same opinion nor are they obliged to.

 

[CyberPitz]

Damn, e-drama is STILL in progress. Oh well, maybe this will cause an e-war, and lots of e-thugs will die!

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

Something to do with your overall attitude to the subject, another thread comes to mind.

Glad you all thought I was serious in that thread, because well I wasn't. It was just ironic what Crispy said, and what he has done previously.

Damn, e-drama is STILL in progress. Oh well, maybe this will cause an e-war, and lots of e-thugs will die!

I won't go down until I get capped, y0!

 

[Crispy]

It was just ironic what Crispy said, and what he has done previously.

I personally was not responsible for what you are referring to, nor was I even on the team when what you are referring to was created, nor was I aware of how what you are referring to was created at the time I announced it, so get your facts straight.

 

[Angry Lawyer]

Newsflash - Nuclear Dawn team accused of secretly using DOS emulator code in stealth-suit code.

D:

-Angry Lawyer

 

[Kadayi]

I'm sure John Carmack is literally quaking in his boots over that lost sale

 

[Evo]

id said this is a 'dead issue' as is this topic until we get more news

:|