06-13-2011, 07:36 PM
As a note the whole response is not directly to Shoju's post, but I'm starting out from there.
There are other costs involved in software than what your analysis covered (customer support costs, etc.) but they are very likely negligible at this point too and I agree that the decision had nothing to do with current costs.
However not releasing the source code like was done with FreeSpace2 which has kept it alive in via the FreeSpace2 Open project. It still requires that you have a copy of the original game, which you can still get on Good Old Games - FreeSpace2 but it still isn't free, GOG holds rights to it, and they still charge. The source code is free, but the rights to the game are not.
With the Diablo franchise, the rights could actually still have an impact on the other games in the franchise. With FS2 Volition went out of business, though some of their IP was purchased by one of the bigger companies out there. So the argument for not releasing the source code to Diablo to the community to improve (and FS2 has been improved) may actually have some bearing in capitalism. Blizzard still holds the rights to everything and they may in the future release the source code, but likely they won't and it could come down to the potential to still make money.
Of course without capitalism, I'm not sure we would have gotten the Diablo game. Yes, Blizzard started out with "We want to make games we love to play and we won't release it till it's ready" But the designers weren't working for free and likely wouldn't have. There are quite a few free games out there, but the majority of them are quite likely resume builders, or skill builders. The person is making them because they want to get better at writing code, or to have something to show at an interview. Their goal in most cases I would bet is to make money from those skills or that product down the road. It might be from working for someone else it might be by starting their own company.
If I were Blizzard would I cut off support for D1 15 years later? Yeah I very likely would because as Shoju said I suspect there isn't much call for it anymore. Would I release the source code to it, but still hold the rights? As mentioned I don't know all the legal implications of that. I likely wouldn't. Especially when you consider that most of the people that wrote that code don't work for Blizzard anymore. The size of the Blizzard fan base that has never played Diablo in any form at all is very likely larger than the portion that did. Is it callous, is it pure greed, is it putting someone down, is it morally objectionable to keep those rights? I don't think so. Just like I don't think it's morally objectionable for me to not let anyone in the world be able to drive my car whenever they want, or for them to copy a book that still has an active copyright.
I wandered a bit and I've been writing this off and on, on my breaks and during my lunch hour, for long enough. Time to hit submit.
(06-13-2011, 06:00 PM)shoju Wrote: Diablo was released november 30, 1996. 5 months, and 17 days short of 15 years ago. The game hasn't been produced on disc format in years. It was only available as a digital download. Now, I just checked my Battle.net account, and I can no longer purchase Diablo I.
There are other costs involved in software than what your analysis covered (customer support costs, etc.) but they are very likely negligible at this point too and I agree that the decision had nothing to do with current costs.
However not releasing the source code like was done with FreeSpace2 which has kept it alive in via the FreeSpace2 Open project. It still requires that you have a copy of the original game, which you can still get on Good Old Games - FreeSpace2 but it still isn't free, GOG holds rights to it, and they still charge. The source code is free, but the rights to the game are not.
With the Diablo franchise, the rights could actually still have an impact on the other games in the franchise. With FS2 Volition went out of business, though some of their IP was purchased by one of the bigger companies out there. So the argument for not releasing the source code to Diablo to the community to improve (and FS2 has been improved) may actually have some bearing in capitalism. Blizzard still holds the rights to everything and they may in the future release the source code, but likely they won't and it could come down to the potential to still make money.
Of course without capitalism, I'm not sure we would have gotten the Diablo game. Yes, Blizzard started out with "We want to make games we love to play and we won't release it till it's ready" But the designers weren't working for free and likely wouldn't have. There are quite a few free games out there, but the majority of them are quite likely resume builders, or skill builders. The person is making them because they want to get better at writing code, or to have something to show at an interview. Their goal in most cases I would bet is to make money from those skills or that product down the road. It might be from working for someone else it might be by starting their own company.
If I were Blizzard would I cut off support for D1 15 years later? Yeah I very likely would because as Shoju said I suspect there isn't much call for it anymore. Would I release the source code to it, but still hold the rights? As mentioned I don't know all the legal implications of that. I likely wouldn't. Especially when you consider that most of the people that wrote that code don't work for Blizzard anymore. The size of the Blizzard fan base that has never played Diablo in any form at all is very likely larger than the portion that did. Is it callous, is it pure greed, is it putting someone down, is it morally objectionable to keep those rights? I don't think so. Just like I don't think it's morally objectionable for me to not let anyone in the world be able to drive my car whenever they want, or for them to copy a book that still has an active copyright.
I wandered a bit and I've been writing this off and on, on my breaks and during my lunch hour, for long enough. Time to hit submit.
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It's all just zeroes and ones and duct tape in the end.
It's all just zeroes and ones and duct tape in the end.