Activision are jerks: Zork games removed from DOSGames.com

[emmzee]

As per the bottom of <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6464_7-630 ... html">this page</a>, I was notified by email today that recently Activision has raised a stink about the classic Zork text adventure games being distributed for free on the web. Apparently the games were released for free only as "limited promotion" and now we're not allowed to distribute them anymore. One classic games site webmaster (at least) has already been contacted by Activision with the usual overly legalistic demand to remove the games. I have unfortunately had to remove them from DOSGames.com (at least for the time being) since I would probably be receiving the same email soon.

A petition has been started here to have Activision release these games as free ... please sign it:

http://www.petitiononline.com/Zork/petition.html

Thanks all ... btw this brings the total game count on the site down for the first time in many months, to 422 in total.

[Wally]

Free as a limited promotion.. Didnt think there was such a thing.. unless you mean via cereal boxes

[Eugene Esterly III]

I was the one who emailed emmzee about the situation of the Zork games along with the link to the petition site. I found out about this today over at Liberated Games located at http://liberatedgames.org/ .

What Activision has done is really sick. The Zork games are classics & by forcing sites to stop the distrubuting of the games is a kick in the teeth to classic gamers.

Let's just hope that the petition works because releasing a commerical game for free download & then saying that you can't download them anymore is sick.

The webmaster of the site called Classic Dos Games ( http://www.classicdosgames.com/ ) has posted the email that he received from Activision over at the Liberated Games forum located at http://www.liberatedgames.com/forums/in ... 672ad80565

[jmmijo]

I don't really think the petition will help in that it will only indicate to Activision that there is indeed a number of gamers out there that will be willing to pay for a Classic/Retro game release

Perhaps I'm being too pessimistec but it's only about how much money the IP holder can glean from their property and not about the general interest to the public domain....

[Eugene Esterly III]

I don't really think the petition will help in that it will only indicate to Activision that there is indeed a number of gamers out there that will be willing to pay for a Classic/Retro game release

Perhaps I'm being too pessimistec but it's only about how much money the IP holder can glean from their property and not about the general interest to the public domain....

It depends on the company. Not every company holds onto their IP properties & doesn't give back to the gamers. For example, the old video game conpany called Cinemaware distrubutes their old games, except the 3 Stooges, for free from their site.

The forum thread at http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?s ... 65246&st=0 has commerical/shareware games which have been re-released for free download & some of these are from popular companies such as Cinemaware, Team 17, et al.

[emmzee]

Even if Activision did start selling the games again ... that'd be better than trying to prevent people from playing them at all There used to be a Zork Anthology or something available I think, maybe they could just republish that in the $10-20 range, I'm sure people would buy it.

EDIT: Yep, Zork Anthology is still avail on eBay but its not too cheap for an unopened version ... I think there was another one too, that had more games? This one only has 5 games in it .....
http://search.ebay.com/zork-anthology

[jmmijo]

I think Activision did release an Infocom Collection some years back, I have it for the Amiga lying about. I think it was released for the C64 and the PC as well, perhaps some of the other micro's too.

It was basically all the Infocom text adventures released up to that time.

[WishboneDawn]

I just downloaded Zork from dosgames a week ago.

Phew!

[Eugene Esterly III]

Well, I'm glad that I download the 3 Zork games a while ago. I can't remember which site I downloaded them from but I believe that it was dosgames.com.

I do agree with what jmmijo posted about the petition. The petition is a double edged sword, it might show Activision that there is a good amount of people who want Zork again for free download but Activision could look at the petition & say, that since lots of people want Zork, why release it for free when we can sell it again since many people want the game.

[WishboneDawn]

Well, I'm glad that I download the 3 Zork games a while ago. I can't remember which site I downloaded them from but I believe that it was dosgames.com.

I do agree with what jmmijo posted about the petition. The petition is a double edged sword, it might show Activision that there is a good amount of people who want Zork again for free download but Activision could look at the petition & say, that since lots of people want Zork, why release it for free when we can sell it again since many people want the game.

I would not be against them selling it. I just want these older games availible. It's not the getting-them-free part that's important to me, it's that gaming companies make these titles availible and not deny fans access to them. If all were perfect you could download Zork for $5 off a website, maybe $10 for the whole series. Then the developers would get their fair due and we would get the games.

It's still out there by the way on some popular sites.

[JKSM]

Apparently the games were released for free only as "limited promotion" and now we're not allowed to distribute them anymore.

This is news, first time I ever heard of releasing downloadable full games free as limited period promotion. Reminds me of biscuits / tissue/ shampoo etc samples that companies give way in the streets. However, when they offered it free, they didn't state it was for a limited period right? It was only later that they changed their minds isn't it?

The webmaster of the site called Classic Dos Games ( http://www.classicdosgames.com/ ) has posted the email that he received from Activision over at the Liberated Games forum located at http://www.liberatedgames.com/forums/in ... 672ad80565

Your link seems to link to the wrong thread. It linked to a Boppin thread. Speaking of Boppin, now I know the difference between Boppin & Super Boppin (aka Boppin Deluxe) from here. I own the original CD-ROM dos version of Super Boppin that I bought many years ago. I downloaded the windows version from the authors website only a few days after they annouced it as freeware, after hearing the news from a games remakes site. The Windows version is the same as the dos Super Boppin but it's more user friendly and looks a little better graphically. For the dos version, users need to use dosbox for newer PCs. Hmm, HOTU also has Super Boppin for download.

[Eugene Esterly III]

JKSM,

Thanks for the heads up. I just re-edited my previous post & it now links to the letter that the webmaster of Classic Dos Games received from Activision.

[ClassicDOSGames]

I'm the webmaster that contacted emmzee and CNET, and created the petition. I see you have a link to the email correspondence that I posted on Liberated Games. I just want to clarify the Activision situation, for the record.

As per the bottom of <a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6464_7-630 ... html">this page</a>, I was notified by email today that recently Activision has raised a stink about the classic Zork text adventure games being distributed for free on the web.

...

One classic games site webmaster (at least) has already been contacted by Activision with the usual overly legalistic demand to remove the games. I have unfortunately had to remove them from DOSGames.com (at least for the time being) since I would probably be receiving the same email soon.

If you're referring to me, I was not personally contacted by Activision to remove the Zork games from my site, which I had already done as soon as I read the license. I don't know if you would have ever been contacted by Activision or not. I have no reason to believe that they are currently hunting down websites that are hosting the games. I just wanted to give webmasters who were hosting the games a heads up just in case. I, for one, would not ever want to be contacted by the ESA.

As far as jmmijo's comment, I don't think the situation is hopeless. I don't do this sort of thing unless I can see a reasonable chance of success. Until now, I have only created petitions relating to discontinued shareware games because I have had success contacting shareware authors in the past. Many of them didn't make much money from their work, so their reward was the appreciation of their fans. They often repay that appreciation by making their games freeware upon request once they are no longer sold.

I decided to make a petition for Zork even though it wasn't shareware because it seemed obvious to do so. These games have not been sold individually in over 20 years. Activision has very little hope of profiting from them any more. The interest that was created by C|Net putting the series in a Top 10 list seemed like a great opportunity to drum up fan support for the series to show Activision a way to score a public relations victory by responding to popular demand. If they can't make money off of the games any more, at least they can score points that might lead to future sales, and possibly make it on the news, by making them free following a fan-supported petition. These are text adventures. In another few years no one may care any more, so they might as well release the games while fans still care enough to earn them some PR.

[jmmijo]

@ClassicDOSGames, I'm actually quite surprised and glad you actually took the time to read the thread and post some more info on this subject, I appreaciate the fact you did this

Now as for what I said, I stand by it, however, does this mean it will happen regarding Zork/Activision, perhaps not. I'm more of a pessimist when it comes to this kind of thing as we all know that it comes down to the almighty dollar/pound/euro whatever, rather then giving back to community. I'm of course referring to when the IP holder is a large publisher in both the PC and Console worlds like Activision and EA.

I hope the petition does succeed as many if not all of the old Infocom titles need to be played to be appreciated

[ClassicDOSGames]

I concede that it's unlikely, but I thought there was enough hope to at least try. I hope everyone who cares will at least stand up and put their name behind it.

I forgot to mention this, but C|Net was not contacted by Activision to remove the Zork link, either. I informed them that the games weren't freeware, and they contacted Activision to confirm. To be quite honest, I don't think Activision cares, but anyone who is hosting the files should take them down before they're forced to.

The fact that Activision probably doesn't care is the most hopeful sign that they wouldn't mind altering the license to allow the games to be downloaded again, but I think it's important to show that they will get something out of it. It may be too late to get money, but PR and fan appreciation is a form of a capital that can be spent in different ways.

Anyway, thank you very much for linking to the petition. Those Infocom games really do deserve to be played.

[ClassicDOSGames]

The Zork petition now has over 50 signatures. I want to thank those of you who signed it, and ask you to continue to encourage others to sign it. The pace seems to have picked up recently. I will present the petition to my contact in Activision's legal department when support seems to have reached a zenith.

Thank you all!

[Quatroking]

here u have my sign, nr 54
MAKE THIS GAME BACK TO PUBLIC!!!

[Ro@m]

Mine is the 56th.

[ClassicDOSGames]

Well folks, here comes the exciting part.

The petition now has well over 100 signatures, so I've presented it to my contact at Activision. There is still time to sign if anyone else wants to add weight to it, but I want to thank everyone who contributed to the success of this initiative. Now might also be a good time to generate buzz on any other forums you visit, and maybe even to *politely* contact Activision to tell them that you support the initiative and would be more likely to purchase other Activision products if they would throw us a bone on these 30-year-old games.

Thanks, and good luck.

[GameMaster.EXE]

wow good job everybody! I sure hope Activision re-releases zork games to the public