4 ms·

Developers should be required to develop a mechanism to run a server outside their networks after the game has been discontinued.

ndsipa_pomu 4y ago
The publishers should put the source code for the server into escrow under the condition that the code gets released with appropriate open source licensing if the company no longer runs any available servers.
- spyremeown 4y ago
  I'd really like to run my own servers for some of the MMOs I played as a kid. But they're mostly from Taiwanese/Chinese/Japanese companies... Does anybody have some resources on running your own custom servers? For example, how private WoW servers work, were they reverse engineering?
  - jefozabuss 4y ago
    https://www.getmangos.eu/forums/topic/9974-how-did-the-dev-team-do-it/ https://www.getmangos.eu/forums/topic/9974-how-did-the-dev-t...
  - mdrzn 4y ago
    I've been following this community [0] which has unofficially relaunched a Korean online game which originally only lasted from 2003 to 2007 [1] and I played when I was a kid. It's amazing to be able to login into the same UI/UX and play the same game almost 15 years later. [0] https://www.spgenerations.com/ https://www.spgenerations.com/ [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survival_Project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survival_Project
- plastiquebeech 4y ago
  The publishers usually can't publish their games' source code, because of various library and middleware dependencies which are not free or open-source. Same issue with cheap IoT gizmos. Even if the retailers wanted to publish an implementation of their backend servers, they probably bought (rented) much of the functionality from a third party, under a license which forbids redistribution of the third party's IP.
orphea 4y ago
Or, as another option, gamers should have the right to refund the game if it becomes not as described. Developers then have a choice -- either continue to run servers or be ready for incoming refunds.

ndsipa_pomu 4y ago

The publishers should put the source code for the server into escrow under the condition that the code gets released with appropriate open source licensing if the company no longer runs any available servers.

spyremeown 4y ago
I'd really like to run my own servers for some of the MMOs I played as a kid. But they're mostly from Taiwanese/Chinese/Japanese companies... Does anybody have some resources on running your own custom servers? For example, how private WoW servers work, were they reverse engineering?
- jefozabuss 4y ago
  https://www.getmangos.eu/forums/topic/9974-how-did-the-dev-team-do-it/ https://www.getmangos.eu/forums/topic/9974-how-did-the-dev-t...
- mdrzn 4y ago
  I've been following this community [0] which has unofficially relaunched a Korean online game which originally only lasted from 2003 to 2007 [1] and I played when I was a kid. It's amazing to be able to login into the same UI/UX and play the same game almost 15 years later. [0] https://www.spgenerations.com/ https://www.spgenerations.com/ [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survival_Project https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survival_Project
plastiquebeech 4y ago
The publishers usually can't publish their games' source code, because of various library and middleware dependencies which are not free or open-source. Same issue with cheap IoT gizmos. Even if the retailers wanted to publish an implementation of their backend servers, they probably bought (rented) much of the functionality from a third party, under a license which forbids redistribution of the third party's IP.

orphea 4y ago

Or, as another option, gamers should have the right to refund the game if it becomes not as described. Developers then have a choice -- either continue to run servers or be ready for incoming refunds.