True Freeware/Shareware status of certain games

[dumpsterac1d]

Hi folks!

I'm currently curating some disks for distribution to people who miss shareware distros, and I'd like the first disk to be the lesser-known Carmack/Romero/Carmack games from Softdisk/Gamer's Edge.

I start to run into specific classification problems with the first Catacomb. Several sources say this game was a teaser/promo/freeware game distributed for free to promote Gamer's Edge. While this is strictly true and it was given away for free, every disk I have found containing it has some stipulation. For example, the Catacomb that's playable on Archive is actually a sample disk from Verbatim AU. So while this disk is technically free, AND they specifically tell you to copy the disk, they also want you to copy the disk fully, and not just files off the disk. This strikes me as similar to the PC Gamer coverdisk which distributes several full versions of DOS games for free, but those games are not shareware. Nowhere in the code or literature on the game describes Catacomb as shareware or freeware, and the only references I have to anything of the sort is that the source became open, specifically leaving the level designs and art as closed.

So I'm wondering which it is? It's important to me specifically because of litigation, as GOG is selling the game in the Catacombs Pack, and because I want to be accurate for the series.

The second game is Hovertank 3D. I distinctly remember we had a version of Hovertank as a kid that had a printed label, but the only games we specifically bought from Gamer's Edge/Softdisk were Keen Dreams and Rover 2. I may be misremembering this, so any help on there being a free demo or promo of Hovertank in existence would be helpful.

More on the project, for context as well as a general vibe for how many people would be interested in something like this:

Code: Select all

For about 3 years I have been slowly acquiring colored 5.25 1.2mb floppy disks (largely 1 pack at a time) to do a small-run physical shareware distro. The goal is to highlight weird/important/good games from the heyday of shareware for DOS. The games are only half of it, the rest is a sophisticated menu system in text mode with tons of information, editorials, and perhaps interviews with the developers if I can get them. The packaging will either be premium (full color boxes) or something akin to a screenprinted folder to hold the disks, depending on how much of a response I get. 4 versions of each will be made, 1 premium colored disk version on 5.25, 1 premium colored disk version on 3.5, and one standard black disk version of each. Why? Cause it's important and I think people miss physical shareware distros, specifically because they were tangible. The second many of us got a modem, we never touched game disks again, and I think some of these games would benefit from an as-close-to-proper release as possible. I'll code this bit in spoiler tags so I'm not being rude and promo-ing, or detracting from my main question.

UPD: Just an addendum, and I came to this conclusion a while ago - the Gamer's Edge sampler has two games I considered including, Dangerous Dave and Catacomb. The disk itself has a stipulation for copying and distributing, that all the files on the disks remain together and intact. It's a minor technicality, but I quite literally could include all files, and then just have my installer pull necessary files from the Gamer's Edge folder on the disk.

It's a workaround in the case that there isn't a readily accessible answer to whether or not these are able to be distributed.

[MrFlibble]

Hello, and welcome to the forums!

Regarding Catacomb, it is my understanding that the game is legal to distribute as per the original Gamer's Edge Sampler instructions, i.e. as the whole disk. This is how RGB Classic Games does it, and that site's owner is very meticulous about such things.

I don't believe that it should be a problem that GOG's Catacomb Pack also includes the Gamer's Edge Sampler game alongside paid ones. They're not selling it as a stand-alone title, and I believe you could find other examples of free content that is bundled with some paid product there.

As for Hovertank 3-D, I know a little about that game but I think there wasn't a free version. I might be wrong though.

[dumpsterac1d]

Thanks! That does answer my question, and after some digging I also found that same but about the GOG catacombs pack, but I'm at work and couldn't install the game to check the contents. Very cool, and that sort of answers the question.

I also dug more into Hovertank and it looks like it's still in licensing limbo, so not good to distribute. It's a shame, but there's only so much space on a 1.2mb floppy anyway. The Catacomb Abyss will do fine for their rudimentary 3D Softdisk stuff.

[MrFlibble]

I also dug more into Hovertank and it looks like it's still in licensing limbo, so not good to distribute. It's a shame, but there's only so much space on a 1.2mb floppy anyway.

Do you know about Robot Redemption? It's a free game based on the Hovertank source code, with a DOS version available.

[Rwolf]

Umm...I don't know if an actual 5.25" floppy disk is such a good way to distribute such things nowadays; the availability of these drives are limited, and there are no modern USB versions of such, to my knowledge (Though the 3.5" drives exist with USB interface).
Not to rain on your parade, but I'd suggest to have some alternate media to make these things more accessible to more people?

[dumpsterac1d]

Umm...I don't know if an actual 5.25" floppy disk is such a good way to distribute such things nowadays; the availability of these drives are limited, and there are no modern USB versions of such, to my knowledge (Though the 3.5" drives exist with USB interface).
Not to rain on your parade, but I'd suggest to have some alternate media to make these things more accessible to more people?

Absolutely. So as part of a larger project, I want to have preconfigured dosbox loaders for each of these issues downloadable on a website. Another part would be, of course, shipping similar, less-expensive versions on 3.5 floppies as well. I just personally love 5.25 as a format, I find it super interesting and specifically nostalgic, so that's been my primary focus. One example would be, even though 3.5 floppies can hold a few more KB, my aim is to have parity between the releases, so the maximum to fit is 1.2mb.

So I just talk more about the 5 1/4 simply because it's the part of the process that has required the most time and effort to do correctly, specifically trying to get as many 1.2mb floppies in simple colors as possible. So for clarity, the intention is to ship "premium" editions of 5.25 and 3.5 floppy of the mag (the only premium content that's come to mind thus far is just the fact that they will have colored floppies, but I might include a few other things to justify end-user cost. it won't be that much more expensive so "premium" might be an incorrect word for that, probably "limited"), and then a normal black distro of each, 3.5 and 5.25. So 4 configurations on 2 different mediums.

Also the concept was floated around to sell pre-approved, good, 3.5 USB drives, but I'm not sure if I want to be in the business of selling hardware. This is primarily for folks who want to buy new stuff for their old machines.

Do you know about Robot Redemption ? It's a free game based on the Hovertank source code, with a DOS version available.

Yeah! I did look into that and I think it's super cool and considered reaching out about it. However I think some of the coolest parts of Hovertank are the art assets, how they're very similar in style to other CGA games from ID and kind of telegraph Doomguy and BJ Blaskowicz, which people know super well. Without those assets it's even more of, let's say, a tech demo than something with a true lineage. If the series is successful and I find a decent way of iterating on this and keep going, I might feature things like Robot Redemption. Even planning 3 issues of this digital "mag" is hopeful to the extreme, and I have the first 5 generally laid out.

[Rwolf]

Ok, colorful and optional :-)

(btw. I worked at a company who only used colored 5.25" floppies, yellow was 360kB, blue was 1.2MB, at least you didn't mix them up easily.)

[dumpsterac1d]

Ok, colorful and optional :-)

(btw. I worked at a company who only used colored 5.25" floppies, yellow was 360kB, blue was 1.2MB, at least you didn't mix them up easily.)

Yep! That's the idea. Only get the one you're gonna use. I'll probably post more about the project once things start rolling, it's taken me quite some time to become re-invested in the project, so I have no idea when that'll be, but information will be there. One thing I know is that once the physical copies sell out, I'll put all the magazine contents up for download so they'll be available for people who want to make their own disks. Ideally I'd like them to be available the whole time, however I have to push the magazine contents as the things people are purchasing rather than the games, so I'd like them to remain closed until the physical issues are sold. We'll see! Again, this could take years and might just end after one issue if I continue doing it alone, but here's hoping I can curate some good content.