I’m not well versed in C&C, but it’s always good to see more games open sourced.
EA has open sourced Command & Conquer: Red Alert under GPLv3
Submitted 1 day ago by ampersandrew@lemmy.world to games@lemmy.world
https://github.com/electronicarts/CnC_Red_Alert
Comments
egonallanon@lemm.ee 1 day ago
TheImpressiveX@lemm.ee 1 day ago
No matter what you think of EA, this is fantastic news.
ObsidianZed@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Perhaps why this feels like them trying to save face.
kautau@lemmy.world 1 day ago
This feels more like some o.g. Command and conquer devs who have worked at EA for a long time that are passionate about the franchise. There was no big PR release, no product tie in or announcement, no media campaign.
Recovering and restoring the source code for these titles was made possible through the combined efforts of EA technical director Brian Barnes, Respawn producer Jim Vessella, and Luke Feenan, a long-standing member of the C&C community who was involved in the development of the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection.
farcaster@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Open sourcing old games is awesome for video game preservation.
slaacaa@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Yeah, this should be standard practice
GoOnASteamTrain@lemmy.ml 1 day ago
This is brilliant! :) aw, I hope it benefits the OpenRA developers and means more fun things to play eventually :)
Wait… this is EA… are they okay? This is very unlike them
wabafee@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Almost like a mistake?
turkalino@lemmy.yachts 1 day ago
To use the compiled binaries, you must own the game
Was expecting a catch. Still good for modding I guess
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Open source does not mean that the intellectual property is free. There’s a lot of good that comes from this, and it’s not like those games are expensive.
VindictiveJudge@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Though do also note that of these four, TD and RA1 were already made freeware years ago.
turkalino@lemmy.yachts 1 day ago
I realize. Intellectual property is an icky concept IMO but I know not everyone agrees
Ninmi@sopuli.xyz 1 day ago
I’m assuming this is more about art assets. Art is not code and you shouldn’t expect them for free. It’s not a catch.
frezik@midwest.social 12 hours ago
Correct. The license (at least, the one I read for Red Alert) is GPLv3 with some additional stuff. The additional stuff is mostly about not using EA trademarks in your version or showing any connection to EA itself. So it appears that a clean room asset swap would be allowed as long as it includes the title screen.
Jeffool@lemmy.world 23 hours ago
Which, in the immediate future, makes me wonder less about the things that are going to be done in code, and more about the creation of a new, free, visual and audio resources that make this work. That seems like quite a noble pursuit.
Xatolos@reddthat.com 1 day ago
The entire series is on sale on Steam right now for $6 if that helps.
VindictiveJudge@lemmy.world 1 day ago
That’s only the HD remaster of TD and RA1.
Artyom@lemm.ee 1 day ago
This is a pretty standard affair for open sourced games.
sunglocto@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 hours ago
Broken clock
DicJacobus@lemmy.world 12 hours ago
its odd that they open sourced Generals and the first CNC and Red Alert, but nothing in between.
CNC3 was my favorite, and I’ll die on that hill . but RA2 was obivously the fan favorite, and Tiberian Sun had probably the best atmosphere
LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz 12 hours ago
Sometimes licenses get in the way, it’s possible they bought em engine or tech from a 3rd party and don’t have the legal standing (or don’t know if they do or not) to release the source.
DicJacobus@lemmy.world 12 hours ago
someone else here suggested that the source code for TS/RA2 was lost. which wouldnt surprise me.
These are games that were made when and before the Zoomers were being born. they are ancient by most people’s standards.
Adalast@lemmy.world 1 day ago
This is a momentous event. I only wish it had Red Alert 2 in it.
FeelzGoodMan420@eviltoast.org 18 hours ago
If it doesn’t then I’m not interested.
TheFonz@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Is Tiberian Sun included!!!??
VindictiveJudge@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
No. The repo has Tiberian Dawn, Red Alert 1, Generals with Zero Hour, Renegade, and components for the HD ports of TD and RA1 they put out a few years ago.
NikkiDimes@lemmy.world 12 hours ago
AY YO RENEGADE!?
Animated_beans@lemmy.world 14 hours ago
Yes, if you click the link, it takes you to the EA github amd you can see folders for all included games
boxfulloffoxes@sh.itjust.works 12 hours ago
From what I’ve read/know, the source for Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2 were lost a while ago. Doesn’t mean it can’t be reverse engineered at some point, but it’s challenging. I’d LOVE for those to be next though!
Scavenger_Solardaddy@lemmy.ml 20 hours ago
I heard so, yes.
Evotech@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I’m ready for a zero hour remake!
kautau@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Im now just happy that it’s far more likely for a clean 60fps mod that’s not locked behind someone’s patreon
SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world 1 day ago
It’s a kick ass game but some of the tropes didn’t age well.
frezik@midwest.social 12 hours ago
The whole premise is “America: Fuck Yeah, The RTS”.
SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Mmmmm pre-standard C++
accideath@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Old games being open sourced is a trend I can get behind.
BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 1 day ago
EA ? Did I read right ?
NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
RENEGADE!!!
theskyisfalling@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 day ago
Loved Renegade so much. Played the shit out of the MP back in the day.
Jerkface@lemmy.world 1 day ago
That game seemed so underappreciated. I would be thrilled if I could have another LAN party with that game.
Ledericas@lemm.ee 1 day ago
dont people already make seperate MODS for each anyways, for them anyways,.
9point6@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Well I’m very excited to see the injection of life this hopefully gives c&c modding
I wonder how many of the old guard are still around, I’m glad the cncnet project is still going strong
MITM0@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Lemmchen@feddit.org 1 day ago
If I had to guess, I’d say it’s some write-off move. A bit like Epic Games released all Paragon assets after they canceled the game.
ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
Epic released those to add value to their engine not as a write off
EA released this to boost Steam Workshop content - which would boost sales - not as a write off
wizzor@sopuli.xyz 1 day ago
As I understand accounting, you really don’t need to do stuff like this to write off your assets.
I’m not saying there isn’t a cynical corporate reason for doing this but I doubt this is it.
DontMakeMoreBabies@lemm.ee 1 day ago
Fuck EA but cool move - if they keep being not shit for long enough I might consider their products again.
Doubt they can keep it up.
TastyWheat@lemmy.world 1 day ago
I hope everyone’s SSDs have enough SPACE
frezik@midwest.social 12 hours ago
When I first played Red Alert, it was on a computer with a 6.4GB hard drive, and I had no idea how to fill up that much space at the time. I think we’ll be fine.
harmsy@lemmy.world 1 day ago
SPGHGHAAIGHGHSSSE!!! is literally the only thing I know about Command & Conquer.
Montagge@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
Abusers will often buy gifts to placate the victim. It’s a cheap and empty move that changes nothing in the end. Do not be fooled.
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Are you okay? They open sourced some classic video games. They didn’t roofie your drink.
Montagge@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
Go ahead and fall for their PR campaign. You wouldn’t be the first and you won’t be the last.
JusticeForPorygon@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 day ago
I’m sorry but comparing this to domestic abuse is just insane
Montagge@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
It’s literally the exact same tactic
hornedfiend@sopuli.xyz 1 day ago
EA doesn’t open source old games: EA are scum and anti-consumer.
EA open sources old games: EA are scum and anti-consumer.
If it’s good it must be bad, right?
Montagge@lemmy.zip 1 day ago
That’s correct
BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 1 day ago
I am under the impression that lemmy is more negative than reddit
IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Finally someone can fix Twilight Flame
SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
It’s about thyme!
joyjoy@lemm.ee 1 day ago
They’re still requiring EA Access or $6 for the bundle on steam.
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Correct. Doom and Quake still cost money as well.
Ghyste@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
Punchshark@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
Who cares. EA sucks balls
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Not when they do this.
LucasWaffyWaf@lemmy.world 1 day ago
EA sucks balls, but this is one objectively good move from them. It’s worth noting, especially from a games preservation perspective.
AstralPath@lemmy.ca 1 day ago
This is an opportunity where if you’d used your brain you’d have come to a different conclusion.
frezik@midwest.social 12 hours ago
You can hate the company while accepting this. EA doesn’t have exclusive control over that game anymore.
Punchshark@lemmy.ca 12 hours ago
I will never have anything good to say about EA
simple@lemm.ee 1 day ago
Rare EA win
Klear@sh.itjust.works 23 hours ago
Are they trying to become the not most hated studio? The bar is pretty low these days…
frezik@midwest.social 12 hours ago
I feel like at some point, EA became the least hated major studio by staying exactly where they were. The rest of the industry zoomed past them.