Forums > Game Forums > 2400 A.D. > Browser version

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GTramp (81965) on 6/4/2015 10:49 PM · Permalink · Report

This game is submitted for Browser platform with the following comment:

"The Internet Archive is now preserving old DOS games. It allows anyone to play them through their browser, using a modified DosBox.

See: https://archive.org/details/msdos_2400_AD_1988 "

Thoughts?

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Pseudo_Intellectual (66274) on 6/4/2015 11:06 PM · Permalink · Report

While in a sense this is not materially different from what GOG does, it is different because they negotiate licensing terms with the owners of the games. This is not in any sense a republishing for a new platform; if this could now be listed as a Browser game, then any game for systems for which an emulator exists on Windows could be listed as a Windows game.

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GTramp (81965) on 6/5/2015 3:51 AM · Permalink · Report

That's basically what I thought too. Especially when I tried to play the game at that link and it greated me with "Cracked by..." screen.

It's kind of upsetting that they go down this path and allow unlicensed emulated software on their pages.

Nice of them though to give proper credit to MobyGames when using our game description.

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Patrick Bregger (298879) on 6/5/2015 6:01 AM · edited · Permalink · Report

I agree. Pirated, unlicensed releases do not count as browser version. I guess the only exception could be shareware versions and freeware games, because those can be re-distributed without previous consent of the copyright holder. Still dubious.

Pseudo's point is spot on. There are also various sites out there which have Game Boy games running in an emulator. We would not document those and I see no difference just because archive.org has a better name.

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Rola (8485) on 6/5/2015 11:18 AM · Permalink · Report

[Q3]if this could now be listed as a Browser game, then[/Q3] ...we should already add a thousand or two Spectrum games running via browser-embedded emulator...

No way.

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Indra was here (20756) on 6/10/2015 3:30 AM · edited · Permalink · Report

If archive.org gained permission from the owners...I fear it may be considered a browser release, no?

Though judging by its history, as far as copyright are concerned...they don't really seem to about copyright infrigements. How unprofessional.

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Havoc Crow (29800) on 6/5/2015 7:40 AM · edited · Permalink · Report

Goodness gracious, no. Especially since anyone (any registered user) can upload a DOS game to the Archive and make it playable in browser.