Putting the 'role' back in role-playing games since 2002.
Donate to Codex
Good Old Games
  • Welcome to rpgcodex.net, a site dedicated to discussing computer based role-playing games in a free and open fashion. We're less strict than other forums, but please refer to the rules.

    "This message is awaiting moderator approval": All new users must pass through our moderation queue before they will be able to post normally. Until your account has "passed" your posts will only be visible to yourself (and moderators) until they are approved. Give us a week to get around to approving / deleting / ignoring your mundane opinion on crap before hassling us about it. Once you have passed the moderation period (think of it as a test), you will be able to post normally, just like all the other retards.

Sierra Al Lowe auctioning off copies of Sierra Adventure game source codes

troupeg

Educated
Joined
May 10, 2018
Messages
81
I know this is a weird topic, but it is technically related to adventure games so I've decided to post it.

Al Lowe, who decided to back up his and Sierra's work after they decided not to, has decided to auction off INCREDIBLY priceless (talking "only one in existance" priceless) source code copies of some old Sierra games (Leisure Suit Larry 1-5, King's Quest, etc.)

If you want a chance to buy a piece of adventure gaming history, here ya go:


Ebay Link:
https://www.ebay.com/usr/al_lowe
 

Unkillable Cat

LEST WE FORGET
Patron
Joined
May 13, 2009
Messages
27,093
Codex 2014 Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy
Then the museum better start forking over the dough.

LSL1 source code bid over $3000 now. Makes me ask: What was the previous maximum bid on a video game, or heavily related video game item?
 

RapineDel

Augur
Joined
Jan 11, 2017
Messages
423
What an investment for him (saving the source codes in the first place). He's clearly testing the waters with a couple of these and it looks like he could make something like $200,000 with everything in that video if he plays it right. All this because the folks at Sierra were too dumb to save anything themselves.
 

jfrisby

Cipher
Patron
Joined
Mar 21, 2013
Messages
491
Grab the Codex by the pussy Strap Yourselves In Codex Year of the Donut Shadorwun: Hong Kong
Glad to see Al make some money after his auctions last year were pretty low.
 
Last edited:

grimace

Arcane
Joined
Jan 17, 2015
Messages
1,961
fJwXEug.jpg



ktjiqQm.jpg


What are the chances of The Dark Crystal Gelfing Adventure being released to the players?
 

mediocrepoet

Philosoraptor in Residence
Patron
Joined
Sep 30, 2009
Messages
11,486
Location
Combatfag: Gold box / Pathfinder
Codex 2012 Codex+ Now Streaming! MCA Project: Eternity Divinity: Original Sin 2
I agree with Haba, I'd be surprised to learn that he actually owns the rights to any of the Sierra published games, whether he created them or not. Of course, whether any of them are things corporations care about or could hope to still make money from may be another matter.
 

troupeg

Educated
Joined
May 10, 2018
Messages
81
I highly doubt he would have even started the auction without permission. There's no way he would
 

Haba

Harbinger of Decline
Patron
Joined
Dec 24, 2008
Messages
1,871,744
Location
Land of Rape & Honey ❤️
Codex 2012 MCA Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2
That's not how it works. Even if he knew who to ask for permission, Lowe wouldn't do it.

And look at No One Lives Forever and Nightdive Studios. They got no replies when they were trying to ask who owned the copyrights but once they started prepping for the release, everyone lawyered up - even though they were not sure if they owned the rights in the first place!
 

Unkillable Cat

LEST WE FORGET
Patron
Joined
May 13, 2009
Messages
27,093
Codex 2014 Make the Codex Great Again! Grab the Codex by the pussy
Holy crap.

Current bids:

Bop-A-Bet, rare title on the Apple II - $10000
Source code for LSL2 - $8400
Source code for LSL1 - $9200
Dragon's Keep, rare title on the Apple II - $1200

And there's still a week to go!

Considering these titles are sold 'as-is', someone's taking a sizable gamble here. I hope they're doing it for posterity's sake.
 

Haba

Harbinger of Decline
Patron
Joined
Dec 24, 2008
Messages
1,871,744
Location
Land of Rape & Honey ❤️
Codex 2012 MCA Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2
Yeah, what are the chances any of those disks still work? P. much all mine are dead, and they were stored in a very different climate than his.
 

Boleskine

Arcane
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Messages
4,045
Maybe Al will use the profits from all the auctions to buy a yacht and follow in the Williams' footsteps.
 

Sceptic

Arcane
Patron
Joined
Mar 2, 2010
Messages
10,871
Divinity: Original Sin
Not surprising, considering he was trying to auction something that he doesn't actually own (and in some cases that he didn't even have any involvement in making). In fact I'm surprised it even lasted this long before being taken down.

OTOH if he was trying to make a point about how valuable the originals themselves still are several decades later then this was a brilliant demonstration, considering how quickly the bids went up.
 

Blackthorne

Infamous Quests
Patron
Developer
Joined
Jun 8, 2012
Messages
981
Location
Syracuse NY
Codex 2014 Divinity: Original Sin 2
So, the auction was removed because Activision initaited it. Not because they own LSL, but because they felt that there may be parts of the underlying source that are similar/the same as King's Quest and Space Quest. Basically an IP protection - kinda bullshit, but Al doesn't have the money to fight it.

A post by Britton Matthews on the Sierra Gamers forum.
I called Al yesterday to ask him.
He received a letter from an outside law firm hired by Activison that ordered him to take it down. He said in the letter Activison understood they don’t own the IP to LSL but that the source code probably contained shared code to Kings Quest and Space Quest. For that reason they sent him the letter.

Al and I agreed that he was right, but by the time you hire an attorney to prove you’re right, it would have cost more than what he would have got from the auctions.

If I had to take a guess, this is one of those scenarios where Activison is compelled to act. You can’t pick and choose when to enforce IP rights. If they chose not to go after Al and then someone else releases source code that they actually care about, attorneys can point to ALS scenario and say Activison is being partial and selective in their enforcement of their IP rights, which you can’t do under US law.

Crazy shit.
 

FeelTheRads

Arcane
Joined
Apr 18, 2008
Messages
13,716
In other words: harassment.
They didn't even know if it was something they owned but they knew they're gonna win just by their power.

Best justice system in the world.
 
Last edited:

As an Amazon Associate, rpgcodex.net earns from qualifying purchases.
Back
Top Bottom