Current Events > Is there a term for a game that is not able to be purchased legally?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I was reading about how Metal Gear Solid for the PC is simply not able to be bought anywhere legally from the publisher. There are used copies on Amazon but there haven't been any "new" copies sold in at least a decade. MGS for PC was also not sold on Steam or any platforms like that. It only exists through already existing copies or pirates. Used copies are also not guaranteed to work because the serial license codes may have been redeemed. Also, the software does NOT work well on modern operating systems. It's basically dead software.

I saw that somebody made a Windows 10 mod with Xbox Controller support and 1080p resolution. That's what led me to look into the history of this PC release. They posted the entire game for download claiming they were just trying to preserve it, and the mods were actually cool with it being posted for that reason.

Is there a term for this situation? Where a game is not available to be bought legally in new condition from a first party seller for over a decade? The game simply doesn't exist anymore on PC unless the community gets involved.
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Eh, not really.

If no copies were known to exist anymore (like lots of early movies and TV shows, as well as some early arcade games that have not been sourced for the roms to be dumped) then it would be considered "lost". But in this case, there's loads of copies out there in personal collections, so I guess it's just a collectors item now.

Abandonware?
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Abandonware?

...Lots of games aren't available to be purchased new anymore.
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WilliamPorygon posted...

Abandonware

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Wow. I looked up "Abandonware" this is insane. I don't know how I've gone this long without knowing this was a thing.

It's just interesting to me that a AAA game such as Metal Gear Solid could become abandonware
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Shiek120 posted...

Wow. I looked up "Abandonware" this is insane. I don't know how I've gone this long without knowing this was a thing.

It's just interesting to me that a AAA game such as Metal Gear Solid could become abandonware

Given enough time, everything becomes abandonware. The only thing that prevents it is if the game is still being sold.

Is it against the ToS to post pirate links to abandonware?
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Never forget, publishers are lobbying to make fixing abandonware and fan servers illegal
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Shiek120 posted...

Wow. I looked up "Abandonware" this is insane. I don't know how I've gone this long without knowing this was a thing.

It's just interesting to me that a AAA game such as Metal Gear Solid could become abandonware

It's harder to call it abandonware when it's still available to buy on other platforms
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A_Good_Boy posted...

Is it against the ToS to post pirate links to abandonware?

Yes.
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out of print
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I bet the old Sim games like Streets of Simcity are close to becoming abandonware. Miss that game.
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Video game.

The ones that are still in production or distribution are the exception, really.
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