Current Events > I just don't get how video game companies lose their source code

(+) Yeah! (+)

Square claims it happened with the original nes version of Final Fantasy 3

and the people that made Icewind Dale 2, the pc rpg, said the source code for that got lost. that's why it was the only Infinity Engine DnD rpg that didn't get an "Enhanced Edition".

how do companies who's reason for existence is making games get so clumsy about important data?

Computers aren't infallible and mistakes happen.

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I've had a hard drive fail. Is the source code for an old game like Final Fantasy 3 that important? What do you want, them to milk ports of old games on new consoles?

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if you're talking back in the days, remember how storage used to be
it's not like everyone had fast speed cloud servers to save data on

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Archiving and backups must not been a real high priority back then I presume.

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All that stuff was before cloud backups as well.

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Pepys Monster posted...

I've had a hard drive fail. Is the source code for an old game like Final Fantasy 3 that important? What do you want, them to milk ports of old games on new consoles?

considering thats the only Final Fantasy that never got originally released in the west, yes. every other game has had it's mostly original version eventually released. the only version of 3 we got was a crappy complete 3d remake which ruins the feel of the original game.

TheVipaGTS posted...

Computers aren't infallible and mistakes happen.

I've read that it's not even backup failure, it's more like usually there's no directed effort to save the source in the first place. Trying to find a link, it was either ars technica, reddit, or (rip) joystiq.

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I like the remake's gameplay. I do wish it had a remake more in the style of the FF1, 2, and 4 remakes on PSP.

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Not to mention these companies don't really care about their art, just about making money at a certain point in time. Do you really think they're worried about preserving their history so future generations can learn from and enjoy? Fuck m8, there's no profit in that!

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Benderill0 posted...

Not to mention these companies don't really care about their art, just about making money at a certain point in time. Do you really think they're worried about preserving their history so future generations can learn from and enjoy? Fuck m8, there's no profit in that!

true. in almost all things, usually the consumer or fan cares more about a product than the maker of said product. that's why Akira Toriyama literally forgot that Launch exists and then even when he got reminded, he still refuses to bring her back in to the story.