When will Half Life become abandonware?

[JellyWorld]

I can't find it in stores anywhere now, it being 7 or so years old now. Guess I'll have to wait for a few decades until i can download it off www.the-underdogs.org

 

[Plug]

I still see the original in every games shop i visit, plus different packages.

 

[FictiousWill]

I still see the original in every games shop i visit, plus different packages.

Yup. No chance of becoming abandonware within the decade.

 

[hellboy900]

I have seen all the half-life games in a particular games store, they always have them in stock.

 

[FictiousWill]

Plus with steam, the games are perpertually available for online purchase.

 

[mortiz]

Can't you buy it off of Steam anyway?

 

[G-Dub]

Can't you buy it off of Steam anyway?

Yep...

 

[czrsink]

I'm surprised you can find anything, Jellyworld!

Location: In a bell jar

 

[kupocake]

I can't find it in stores anywhere now, it being 7 or so years old now. Guess I'll have to wait for a few decades until i can download it off www.the-underdogs.org

I'm thinking about... never. The retail packages are vanishing because Vivendi will soon lose rights to distribute them. Chances are, they'll appear again after August 30th. The only thing that's going to stop Steam distribution will be if Valve go under. Frankly, i'd rather see a healthy valve flogging Half-Life for the rest of eternity than a dead valve from who's corpse people can pick yesterdays classics off for a bit of free gaming.

 

[JellyWorld]

Over here they don't sell anything more than two-three years old. And I don't have a credit card.

 

[Sid Burn]

That's too bad. I guess. I cant find Blueshift!

 

[czrsink]

You need to look for Half Life Generations. I just did q quickie Google and found it on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000633WP/026-4505474-1200448

 

[A True Canadian]

You need to look for Half Life Generations. I just did q quickie Google and found it on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000633WP/026-4505474-1200448

I've never seen that package before.

 

[czrsink]

Really? That's it's third version as well. 1 Was just Half Life and Op Force, 2 added CS to the mix, then 3 gave you all those as before, but with Blue Shift and CS:Retail (I think).

 

[A True Canadian]

Really? That's it's third version as well. 1 Was just Half Life and Op Force, 2 added CS to the mix, then 3 gave you all those as before, but with Blue Shift and CS:Retail (I think).

I've heard of the Generations 2 pack, and the Platinum packages too. This new one you've shown me has sparked my intrest. I have a craving to play through all the games again (never purchased Blue Shift or Opposing Force before -played them at a friends).

 

[czrsink]

If you got the Limited Edition version of Half Life 2 at retail, you could download all those games (bar Blue-Shift) for FREE, likewise if you bought HL2 Silver or Gold on Steam. Blue Shift is the only title you'd really need to 'buy' as it's not compatible with Steam...

Which reminds me, you'd probably need and old version of Half Life then, in order to get it to work...hmm.

 

[A True Canadian]

If you got the Limited Edition version of Half Life 2 at retail, you could download all those games (bar Blue-Shift) for FREE, likewise if you bought HL2 Silver or Gold on Steam. Blue Shift is the only title you'd really need to 'buy' as it's not compatible with Steam...

Which reminds me, you'd probably need and old version of Half Life then, in order to get it to work...hmm.

Sadly my copy got damaged from carelessness on my part (and it was installed on my old PC).

Anyway, it would feel good to once again have a physical copy of the original (and the other games as well).

 

[czrsink]

I have no idea about Canadian dollars, but at £9 GBP it's a snip really.

 

[A True Canadian]

I have no idea about Canadian dollars, but at £9 GBP it's a snip really.

Yeah, it's a good deal. The Platinum packages are still going for about $20 at EB Games, so this looks like a better alternative.

 

[Ahnteis]

There's no such thing as abandonware. It's a made-up term.
Officially, corporations have copyright for a LONG time. Think like 100 years long.

Unofficially, there's little chance you'll get in trouble for distributing a game that is so old it doesn't show up on shore shelves anywhere.

 

[kupocake]

Officially, corporations have copyright for a LONG time. Think like 100 years long.

I believe as far as books go, it's 100 Years after the death of the author... I wonder how it all applies to Software :/

 

[A True Canadian]

There's no such thing as abandonware. It's a made-up term.
Officially, corporations have copyright for a LONG time. Think like 100 years long.

Unofficially, there's little chance you'll get in trouble for distributing a game that is so old it doesn't show up on shore shelves anywhere.

I always thought that for software, it was 10 years after the last copyright update (I heard that somewhere).

 

[Insano]

I believe as far as books go, it's 100 Years after the death of the author... I wonder how it all applies to Software :/

Let's kill Gabe :O

Ontopic: Íf HL will at a certain point be free for download via Steam. It could be witin ten years, or more.

 

[Epsi]

If you got the Limited Edition version of Half Life 2 at retail, you could download all those games (bar Blue-Shift) for FREE, likewise if you bought HL2 Silver or Gold on Steam. Blue Shift is the only title you'd really need to 'buy' as it's not compatible with Steam...

Which reminds me, you'd probably need and old version of Half Life then, in order to get it to work...hmm.

Nah, Blue Shift was standalone. Which is why it was never on Steam.

 

[aPacifist]

...I don't have a credit card.

That's no excuse. They'll give a credit card to anybody these days. It doesn't matter that you're only 10 years old.

 

[BlackDahlia]

If Tomb Raider hasn't become abandonware yet, I seriously doubt Half Life will become abandonware any time soon.

 

[Cole]

Hell people, you can still find Starcraft(and Brood War) for sale(Also made in 1998). No mods to keep it alive. Just plain old amazing mapping community, koreans, and well...an amazing game.
Heh amazing..that game can still pull over 100,000 users... No mods(no online mod support) no notin like that. . Such a special game.

 

[Javert]

On the technical side, as long as the Source engine (or the Quake II engine) is used and licensed, HL will never be abandon-ware.
Even to this day devs use snippets of the Quake code, which is why they can't free source it.

 

[michele]

I can't find it in stores anywhere now

Hmm, I think I'll help your quest.

Half-life: CounterStrike ($30)

And if you're a cheapo...

Half Life: Game of the year edition ($20)

there you go.

-michele

 

[G-Dub]

Nah, Blue Shift was standalone. Which is why it was never on Steam.

Actually it's because it uses a modified game engine and is not compatible with Steam.


EDIT: LINK!!!

 

[Insano]

Actually it's because it uses a modified game engine and is not compatible with Steam.


EDIT: LINK!!!

Yeah, I read somewhere that Blueshift used an advanced HL engine, but HL has been updated so many times since then and went another way, that they difference between both games is too big.

But if they really wanted to, Valve could easily pull it off.

 

[Ahnteis]

I always thought that for software, it was 10 years after the last copyright update (I heard that somewhere).

You don't have to update copyright. Copyright is automatic and free.

You may be thinking of trademarks which must be registered.

 

[gweedodogg69]

I wonder if they'll make a mod for the old Half-Life that will basically "dumb down" HL2 so that it uses the old engine and stuff. Now THAT would be a project, if I knew how to make maps and models and such...I would do that.