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Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

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Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#201

Post by croon »

ajmurmann wrote: post #175
croon wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Left 4 Dead too. I see a pattern. But other stuff like modes in games: Capture the flag, Gun Game, etc would probably not be a thing without mods for Quake and original Counter-Strike.

Sorry, I'm a little confused by your response. Are you saying L4D started out as a mod as well and using the "but" in an unusual way or are you unaware that both CS and TF were originally Quake and HL mods?

Sorry, I realize the phrasing was bad.

"But" should've probably been an "Also". I was only trying to point at the difference between TF, CS and L4D starting as mods and ending up as full games and CTF and Gun Games starting out as mods (even though the CTF concet has existed outside of games long before) and ending up as only game modes in other full games.

I'm not a native :)

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#202

Post by corobo »

goldenkey wrote: post #83
scrollaway wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right. When they fly people in (such as the press) the hotel accomodations alone ends up being worth 1.5-2k for the stay (3-4 nights, $500 ish a night at the Hilton anaheim), and I suspect he's going to be there a bit longer as they'll surely show him around the Blizzard campus in Irvine (and they did say they'll take him out for drinks etc). I would estimate they are likely spending up to 4k usd on this guy, just fr…

That's a joke for what that CD was worth in sheer value to the community of hackers and gamers and modders worldwide for years to come. Once he made that reddit post he sealed his fate. Should hsve just silently torrented it from a coffee shop over Tor. Silly kid.

> what that CD was worth in sheer value to the community of hackers and gamers and modders

$0?

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#203

Post by corobo »

devwastaken wrote: post #17
chrismcb wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is $1000 more than Blizzard was obligated to pay. Of course in the long run Blizzard is spending more than $1000 on this guy.

No, actually, if they want their product back, they are obligated to pay however much is necessary to do so. They have no leverage other than that. They're spending a very tiny amount of money to repress something that would become quite popular without them.

They could have paid the same or less to get a lawyer to send out a letter demanding their property back

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#204

Post by corobo »

scottlamb wrote: post #22
jfoutz wrote: post #19

I would never want to go up against blizzard legal, but I have a hard time with the "trade secret" bit when the box came from eBay. The guy didn't sign a contract with blizzard. I have cds with intellectual property on them. It's not like he's copying it all willy nilly. No different than finding a manual of procedures for some random organization. The only "real" risk seems to be possessing stolen property (maybe, c…

> I would never want to go up against blizzard legal, but I have a hard time with the "trade secret" bit when the box came from eBay. The guy didn't sign a contract with blizzard. From what he wrote, I don't think they said he was under legal obligation to return it to them. I think they said why they wanted him to, they asked nicely, and they thanked him afterward. Seems perfectly appropriate to me.

You ask nicely first to see if the person will play ball, you pay lawyers if they don't

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#205

Post by scrollaway »

croon wrote: post #177
scrollaway wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Overwatch is a far, far better game than TF2 (also a far better comparison) and I would definitely say that one of the drivers for that is Blizzard's quality control.

Or it could be that Overwatch is 9 years newer.

You mean, that TF2 has had a 9 years headstart in improving and polishing their game's design, add more content etc?

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#206

Post by jpgvm »

saboot wrote: post #133
huehehue wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not too sure about "no commercial value" considering the impending release of StarCraft: Remastered

Wow, this is a very overlooked comment. I had no idea about Starcraft: Remastered. They're releasing the original game in HD. Pretty much nulls all of the 'no commercial value' arguments I see here.

The code doesn't have commercial value because it contains no secrets that would allow you to implement a competitor to Starcraft HD/Remastered.

The code doesn't give you the legal permission to distribute and brand a game Starcraft. The reality is the code has no commercial value, the brand on the other hand may as well be a license to print money.

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#207

Post by casiotone »

FooBarWidget wrote: post #114
scrollaway wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> I apply the golden rule: if someone found the code I wrote for a groundbreaking piece of software, and I didn't want to open source it, I'd really like for them to respect my wishes and return it. Is that really the golden rule? What about "the good of the many"? Returning it to Blizzard directly is good for Blizzard . Returning your code is good for you . Realistically, it has little monetary value (all the "value…

> What about "the good of the many"? That's like saying that robbing Bill Gates and distributing the money to millions of poor people is morally good because it's good for many people.

I'm sure you'll be surprised to find that many people do think that would be morally good.

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#208

Post by theandrewbailey »

chii wrote: post #159
nspattak wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As much as I would love to see blizzard's code, it is their intellectual property. This is nothing similar to wikileaks. Wikileaks publishes information that should have been public because it is of public interest and relates to the public yet it is not available to the public.

Why isnt a culturally significant game's source not considered public interest? Especially when the game is no longer being sold?

It was being sold up until about a week ago. I'm sure that you can find a store that still sells it on CD.

Blizzard is making a StarCraft remaster right now; who knows how much original source is still in there. My guess is probably a lot, since they want to keep the same mechanics.

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#209

Post by theandrewbailey »

sneak wrote: post #183
gottam wrote: post #61

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We could of had enthusiastic fans see the inner workings of such a beloved game and tons of articles around the technical details, but instead we protected the intellectual property rights of a billion dollar corporation. Strictly by law, it was "the right thing to do", but it was a real missed historic opportunity.

Yeah. Even Apple recognized the historic significance of MacPaint and QuickDraw and released those sources. http://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/macpaint-and-quickdraw-... Carmack released the Quake1 and QuakeWorld sources, and I think also q2 and q3 eventually too. StarCraft is ancient and the source is of no commercial value to them any longer. They don't benefit from its secrecy, but we do benefit from its release…

> StarCraft is ancient and the source is of no commercial value to them any longer. They don't benefit from its secrecy, but we do benefit from its release.

They are doing a remaster right now. It would be reasonable to assume that it has at least some of the original code in it. I also suspect that Blizzard has used the same code base and modified it little by little over time.

Re: Guy Finds StarCraft Source Code and Returns It to Blizzard

#210

Post by treehau5 »

chii wrote: post #159
nspattak wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As much as I would love to see blizzard's code, it is their intellectual property. This is nothing similar to wikileaks. Wikileaks publishes information that should have been public because it is of public interest and relates to the public yet it is not available to the public.

Why isnt a culturally significant game's source not considered public interest? Especially when the game is no longer being sold?

Parent's usage of "Interest of the Public" here typically means "the welfare or well-being of the general public; commonwealth" and you seem to be meaning the "lot's of people are curious -- culturally significant" kind.
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