[bigjko]

Yes, who does have the rights to sell it?

I think, abandonware-distribution or not, we'll pretty much never get a re-release if both the developers' and the publisher's company don't exist anymore.

[jjacob]

Well I got the right to sell mine, and enough people are just doing it these days!

http://search.ebay.com/discworld-noi...ectZ1QQfromZR8

[Huz]

Originally Posted by bigjko

Yes, who does have the rights to sell it?

My budget release says in one place on the box that it's published and distributed by Infogrames, and in another place that it's published by GSP Ltd. Hmm!

[Yufster]

Just thought I would mention that I bought Discworld Noir about three weeks ago, new, for $10.

Therefore, I highly doubt that it's abandonware.

[RLacey]

Originally Posted by Huz

My budget release says in one place on the box that it's published and distributed by Infogrames, and in another place that it's published by GSP Ltd. Hmm!

Nowadays GSP are distributing it, but the rights to the series, as far as I'm aware, remain with Infogrames, which now goes under the name of Atari...

[DomStLeger]

I'm suprised at the site in question; they have a very good reputation for trying hard to find legitimate outlets of games before ever putting them online. Considering the site is not based in the USA (at least the founder isn't), I don't think non availability in the USA is a reasonable reason to put Noir online. In my book it's not far from piracy.

[trin]

Does no one ever read the FAQ or the About page?

The Underdogs never claimed to be 100 % legal.

Excerpt from the Underdogs FAQ

http://www.the-underdogs.org/faq.php#a4

But isn't abandonware illegal?

Unfortunately, yes. Despite the fact that publishers no longer derive revenues from these games since they have stopped selling them (and any revenues from retailers that still sell them were gained a long time ago, at the time of sales), it is illegal to distribute them so long as copyright holders have not released them into the public domain, and 95 years after the games' release have not elapsed

[...]

Despite the illegal status of abandonware, we believe that we are offering a valuable service to the gaming community: classic game collectors have a chance to retrieve games that have otherwise been lost or rendered defective with the passage of time. As our Disclaimer printed on every page makes clear, we will gladly remove download links to any game that is either 1) still being sold by the publisher, or 2) at the request of the publishers themselves. Encouraging publishers to continue publishing great classics of yore has always been this site's foremost goals, and we will gladly link to the publisher's order or download site without hesitation should they make their products available again, whether commercially or as freeware.

[Jakek]

The good thing about The Underdogs is that if the rights-holders ask them to take it down they do.

[Erwin_Br]

Originally Posted by trin

Does no one ever read the FAQ or the About page?

The Underdogs never claimed to be 100 % legal.

Excerpt from the Underdogs FAQ

http://www.the-underdogs.org/faq.php#a4

Of course it's not legal. Never been. But the Underdogs have always been avoiding games that are still for sale, even bargain bin sales. A lot of their games are from developers that are out of business.

--Erwin

[Huz]

Originally Posted by trin

Does no one ever read the FAQ or the About page?

The Underdogs never claimed to be 100 % legal.

We're not saying they claimed that, either -- just that they're usually responsible in what they put up for download -- as the second paragraph you've included states quite clearly!

[oerhört]

Anyhow, in those merry internet days, it really shouldn't be too hard to find pretty much any game at all. eBay.com, hundreds of net-based outlets, and then again forums and other auctions. I'd imagine Discworld Noir is not hard to get hold of at all.

[Stinger]

Originally Posted by bigjko

Yes, who does have the rights to sell it?

I think, abandonware-distribution or not, we'll pretty much never get a re-release if both the developers' and the publisher's company don't exist anymore.

Not true at all; look at Inherit the Earth. It was dead for ten years and then the rights for a re-release were purchased. You just never know what could happen.

[BacardiJim]

And Sanitarium!

Wait.... I said that already.

[bigjko]

Originally Posted by Stinger

Not true at all; look at Inherit the Earth. It was dead for ten years and then the rights for a re-release were purchased. You just never know what could happen.

Ok, then. My point was more that the fact that it's made available as abandonware on the internet probably won't change if it's re-released in ten years or not.

[DomStLeger]

Originally Posted by trin

Does no one ever read the FAQ or the About page?

The Underdogs never claimed to be 100 % legal.

Excerpt from the Underdogs FAQ

http://www.the-underdogs.org/faq.php#a4

No they didn't, but thats not the issue. They are an abandonware site which they themselves define as offering games "discontinued by their publishers due to disappointing sales". However Discworld Noir is still commercially available, even if somewhat difficult to get in some countries, and so is NOT abandonware.

I'm a big fan of the site in question, and I believe in Abandonware despite the legal issues. And I also know the site will remove the download and replace it with a link where possible as soon as they find out.

[Garyos]

Play.com's selling it in a 3 for 20£ deal. Dunno if they ship to the US, but it's still a pretty good deal if you can find two other good games there...

[100ja a.k.a. mr_mitja]

Here I go again... I know for those bargain games distributors that purchase legal rights for games (I have a copy of Sold Out Software's Broken Sword for example). But, I feel it's like this: I really can't buy the game here (I've tried, believe me), the same with lots of other games (The Last Express, Tex Murphy, any of the LA classics...). And the thing that's on the net is my last resort. It's very simple: the one you can download just isn't the real thing... At least the packaging and manuals are missing, but it's often poor quality too (tehnically speaking, like sounds missing, or low res movies...). If you want to get a game and have the ultimat experience you probably would never download any of the bigger CD rip games, abandonware or not. And again, if it is true that you can buy it, it shouldn't be downloadable.

I've browsed through almost every Atari site there is and found the game listed only in France:
http://www.atari.fr/index.php?pg=gam...l&productID=73
That's also weird. Ain't it?
Well anyway, if you have the opportunity, buy it. It's like going for change, as far as I've seen

[100ja a.k.a. mr_mitja]

Oh yeah, the UK amazon has it for 5 pounds (new)

[Maquisard]

What a fascinating discussion...Hm, I wonder how my download's going? hehe...

[Jakek]

I think all this sillyness could be resolved with this: https://www.gsp.cc/perl/product/prod...PRODUCT_ID=476 . It's $9.17 USD or 4.99 GBP, not expensive.