Put the wish list for porting projects HERE...

[Svartalf]

So from what youre saying Svartalf, GoG has the publication rights to ALL the games in their catalog? So that means all of them are eligible for a linux port, arent thay? That would include games like Redneck Rampage, and Operation Flashpoint, right? Or do the game rights and publication rights are very different?

It certainly LOOKS that way right at the moment. I know for a fact that Fallout and Fallout2 wouldn't play nice in XP or Vista- and Redneck Rampage sure as heck wouldn't without the modern BUILD engine code from the community maintained version (and they're about to make that series available...no telling how they managed it...). They had to have had some semblance of access to source and the rights to re-make the game. Moreover, they wouldn't have indicated to you that they were interested in Linux support, but unable to commit to it at this time because of lack of resources. Wouldn't know the story about Operation Flashpoint- but then they may be publishing it for Bohemian and we'd need to talk with both of them on that one. May be open for discussion once we see what happens with the other stuff from GoG. I don't wanna count chickens before they hatch. We don't have Paradox on board yet, nor do we have GoG- though both are looking fairly good right now. But, that doesn't equate to deals with content coming our way yet.

[Tycho451]

If they're cool with it all, I'm going to shoot for Freespace 2 (which is low hanging fruit for them and myself...)

There is already a improved Freespace 2 Version for Linux. All it currently lacks is a Launcher to tweak the settings. When I installed it even downloaded all needed content for Freespace 1 & 2 including the cutscenes from the Internet (I own a copy of both anyway).

Are you planing on using that, because porting the aged Freespace 2 engine again without the added features sounds very pointless?

[Svartalf]

There is already a improved Freespace 2 Version for Linux. All it currently lacks is a Launcher to tweak the settings. When I installed it even downloaded all needed content for Freespace 1 & 2 including the cutscenes from the Internet (I own a copy of both anyway).

Are you planing on using that, because porting the aged Freespace 2 engine again without the added features sounds very pointless?

I am intending on introducing the new engine to GoG as an "update" to the current version (hence the "low hanging fruit" comment- they, as rights holders in standing for that engine can publish a commercial version thereof, per the licensing on the code with the SCP codebase...).

The only REAL gotcha would be the "needed content" which WASN'T licensed by Volition- anything from Freespace 1 or 2 that was derived out of the original assets for "enhancements" is very much in violation of Copyright law. Downloading them is bogus if it's not through GoG's online store right at the moment.

I'm going to check into that statement to see if it's true. If it is, the FS2-SCP team's going to have to stop that little practice; whether or not we have a deal with them on Linux versions. It'd scotch the whole deal outright if we don't quit- and as soon as they find out the SCP is doing it, there'll be lawyers and naught but tears from that point forward.

[edit]
The SCP has a serious problem. Someone is making asset pieces from the Retail version of the game available for download via the "installer" that they're providing for download from their site- the site that the content's available from's url is http://www.fsoinstaller.com. Even if it's from Hard-Light productions, the SCP is also culpable in the infringement department right along with Hard-Light and anyone else pushing that FSO installer app. Someone needs to tip all the parties involved that they're in a legal bind right now and as soon as GoG finds out about 'em they may well be served with a C&D from them or whomever actually has the rights to publish if they don't have direct rights.

[domkop]

I forwarded an e-mail to 2K Games requesting a port of BIOSHOCK to Linux & Mac. Heck, I knew what I was getting into but it never hurts trying.

Hallo,

With the coming of BIOSHOCK for the PlayStation 3 system, which -if I'm not
mistaken- is using OpenGL ES 2.0, I was wondering about a Linux or Mac
port. In the not so distant past this would have been nearly impossible
because of the use of Microsoft's Direct3D but now that you have this game
running on OpenGL a port to aforementioned platforms would not require that
much work, and would most certainly equate more sales. For I would
personally love to be able to play the game but as an exclusive Linux user I
don't own any of the platforms on which the game relies. I don't care if
that comes with a high price tag. Maybe this is something worth looking
into.

Regards,
xxxxxx xxxxxxx

Response (Matthew)

at the moment we have no information on any future releases of the game. For any upto date information please visit the below website

Hmm. This PR representative doesn't even seem to know the game is coming to PlayStation 3, October 21st?!

[Svartalf]

I forwarded an e-mail to 2K Games requesting a port of BIOSHOCK to Linux & Mac. Heck, I knew what I was getting into but it never hurts trying.

Heh... The only reason I don't try things like that is the predictable answers we keep seeming to get from the bulk of the main players. Paradox is an exception to the typical AAA crowd.

Hmm. This PR representative doesn't even seem to know the game is coming to PlayStation 3, October 21st?!

No, translated, they didn't want to answer your inquiry regarding a Linux version (since there was no excuse past the possible need of a Publisher for NOT doing one at that point...) in the negative (because that'd be bad PR...) but couldn't own up to the PS3 port either.

[Julius]

[edit]
The SCP has a serious problem. Someone is making asset pieces from the Retail version of the game available for download via the "installer" that they're providing for download from their site- the site that the content's available from's url is http://www.fsoinstaller.com. Even if it's from Hard-Light productions, the SCP is also culpable in the infringement department right along with Hard-Light and anyone else pushing that FSO installer app. Someone needs to tip all the parties involved that they're in a legal bind right now and as soon as GoG finds out about 'em they may well be served with a C&D from them or whomever actually has the rights to publish if they don't have direct rights.

When they started doing it, there was some sort of permission from the rights holder, that allowed doing it on a private level (aka giving your CDs to someone else to copy) if I remember correctly. And that was somehow interpreted to "copying is allowed".

I guess the best way would be to not threaten them with legal action directly, as there might already be hard feelings for using "their" code commercially. You don't want them all stopping development right? They need to be smoothed into this, and at such a low price point (as for all GoG games) it will probably be possible.

[Dragonlord]

The question is what harms the entire Linux Gaming endeavor more:
- A party quiting ( because of questionable legal state )
or
- Loosing an entire company with all it's games due to legal dispute.

I think the later one hurts more.

[Svartalf]

When they started doing it, there was some sort of permission from the rights holder, that allowed doing it on a private level (aka giving your CDs to someone else to copy) if I remember correctly. And that was somehow interpreted to "copying is allowed".

Heh... It doesn't work that way. It never does. Nor will a court of law see it that way.

I guess the best way would be to not threaten them with legal action directly, as there might already be hard feelings for using "their" code commercially. You don't want them all stopping development right? They need to be smoothed into this, and at such a low price point (as for all GoG games) it will probably be possible.

Indeed. That's why I want to give the SCP people the head's up on this before lawyers gets involved- it needs fixing the RIGHT way before that happens. Though, I don't know how one would go about starting this without at least a few ruffled feathers on one or the other side.

Reality is, because of the nature of the license grant from Volition on the original engine code, the successor in interest to Volition has a legal right to use the SCP code as they see fit- not as the people working on the SCP project see things.

Stopping doing the work would be a problem for the other projects, which use the engine legitimately and provide their own AAA level assets themselves.

GoG also has a right (and is required by law or they have issues in asserting their rights elsewhere- no, they don't lose it, but it makes it harder to go after other infringers down the line if they don't...) to shut down anyone doing the distribution of assets the current way of doing things within the SCP.

Moreover, I don't want them viewing the Linux and FOSS community as a bunch of infringers (Which is the impression one would get from this right now...there's no way you can get to where things are from anything other than an EXPLICIT rights grant or license...) and I don't want GoG to have to make a bad PR situation by closing the SCP down- which would be the position they'd have to take if there wasn't a fix already in place right now. Either mess makes it impossible for us to get games. It might even deep-six the chances for many years to come if you came to either impasse.

[Svartalf]

The question is what harms the entire Linux Gaming endeavor more:
- A party quiting ( because of questionable legal state )
or
- Loosing an entire company with all it's games due to legal dispute.

I think the later one hurts more.

Indeed.

It's why I say we've a real problem on our hands here- it's viewed as a gem in the FOSS (even though it's a restricted license much like the on on the BUILD engine, it's still Open Sourced...) and we've got this very, very embarrassing gaffe on our part where we basically ripped off protected works on them.

Much like the OpenBSD people did with some of the Linux kernel code.

And as far as people using the engine code- unfortunately, if GoG sees fit, they've little say in that matter as the rights grant the SCP operates under from Volition allows a successor in interest to lay claim to the works that others have provided and use them as they see fit (One good reason why you should be very clear in your understanding and acceptance of a source code license- and why I won't touch any MS provided content or assets with a 20' pole...). I'd rather they went about it as a community member and fed back any fixes they needed to do into the SCP pool- but if the SCP people get pissy or don't clean up their act before the lawyers get involved that may not be what happens here.

[flami]

Well Freespace 2 at least has been open source for a while now ....
look here:
http://www.hard-light.net/wiki/index...g_Started(Main)

with the graphics pack it looks even more awesome then it looked back then ^^.
I dont think FS1 is open source though, but you can get the FS1 campaign in FS2.


(yes maybe someone already pointed this out , but I have to admit that I was too lazy to read 61 pages )