So,... what's the situation on the Dark engine source code?

eddy on 18/4/2009 at 09:29

I just wrote an email to Sean. It can't hurt and maybe he knows something that we don't know.

jtr7 on 18/4/2009 at 09:57

You know you're not the only one to have asked him since 2000, right?:sly:
He just might make THE definitive statement.

As an aside little more about Sean, in his own words:
(http://web.archive.org/web/20020221212422/66.39.98.182/misc/bio.html)

Myagi on 18/4/2009 at 14:53

Quote Posted by MoroseTroll

just waiting for the legal permission from the copyright owner

I'm guessing a handful of people have it, not just stashed in some eidos basement. There's irrational folks and lgs folks, no one's going to know who did it. In this wonderful world of the internet, with so many possibilities of anonymously uploading/sharing files, it's a shame it couldn't just accidently pop up somewhere. It's not like it would be a shameful act, it would be for the greater good like old valuable historical pieces are taken care of in museums :devil:

An open letter on gaming sites pleading to all devs that have the source, to help one of the most important artifacts of gaming history not forever be lost (this of course has to be written by someone with excellent writing skills in a way that will make people cry over that horrible thought), would probably have a bigger chance than asking eidos or some square suit ;)

eddy on 18/4/2009 at 15:02

Quote Posted by Myagi

A leaked source wouldn't help. No serious programmer would touch something like that as it would be a copyright infringement.
IMHO the legal status of the code (should it ever pop up) must be clarified (in other words: it should be made open source by the copyright holder)

Myagi on 18/4/2009 at 15:10

It would help, just as anonymously as it would be leaked, updated exe's could "leak", or for example help OPDE speed up without anyone having to know about it. Also it would be available so at some point in time, say for example in 10 years when eidos is a distant memory only, and no one would legally care anymore, the source wouldn't be lost. Legal or not it would be helpful and for the better if it was leaked. Sure it would be fantastic if they officially released it, but as much as I'd wish for that to happen I don't think it will, they don't give a shit.

nothings on 18/4/2009 at 15:54

I (Sean Barrett) sent answers to Brethren's interview questions a while back; I don't know if/when they'll get posted.

But I can tell you what I told him: I didn't think to save any of the Dark Engine source code. It just wasn't on my radar at the time, especially since we were moving on to "bigger and better" things.

It's possible somebody else did, but I don't have any bright ideas who might have.

jtr7 on 19/4/2009 at 03:57

I figured as much.:erg:

Thanks for stopping by, and of course, thanks for your work!

Yandros on 19/4/2009 at 04:56

Thanks for the info, Sean! But I imagine if you of all people didn't bother making a personal copy of the source... then no one at LGS did. :(

jtr7 on 19/4/2009 at 05:06

Quote Posted by Myagi

It doesn't work that way. "Forgotten" NEVER means it's okay, or legal, or that the copyright (which is binding for several DECADES) is somehow nullified. If we know about it then they could easily find out. It would have to be discussed entirely through private channels for Eidos to never know. Since Eidos employees lurk the forums, and because we keep reminding them we are here and interested, they would know before too long.

EDIT: Hey cool! I just realised Sean registered his "nothings" username November 2007, on the 29th to be exact. I wondered if there was a reason for that particular date. And (http://www.ttlg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118061) this could be it. Coincidentally (or not? Heh heh.), the name of Sean's renderer for the Dark Engine is "Portal".

:p

MoroseTroll on 19/4/2009 at 12:24

Quote Posted by Myagi

In this wonderful world of the internet, with so many possibilities of anonymously uploading/sharing files, it's a shame it couldn't just accidently pop up somewhere. It's not like it would be a shameful act, it would be for the greater good like old valuable historical pieces are taken care of in museums

My heart do agree with you, but my mind - do not. We are living not in the Thief universe, so we should submit to the (copyright) law. Therefore we should find other way to get the Thief sources.