when do free games count

[oshaboy]

free games do not have collector value
but some are in vgcollect and some arn't
when do they count
becuase some games such as
team foretress 2
super crate box
and realm of the mad god all are in the site
but games like
narbacular drop
spelunky (PC)
and mighty jill off arn't
i think non should be in the site becuase of so much of them and that everyone can have them

[soera]

My guess is the only free games that arent on here are the ones that havent been added. I know myself I dont add anything I dont own. I cant see anyone complaining about a game being added to the database as thats what this is all about anyhow : The most complete tracking system.

[disgaeniac]

My guess is the only free games that arent on here are the ones that havent been added. I know myself I dont add anything I dont own. I cant see anyone complaining about a game being added to the database as thats what this is all about anyhow : The most complete tracking system.

This.

Honestly, when I'm adding items, it's because they're items that I own that aren't already here...

[foxhack]

free games do not have collector value
but some are in vgcollect and some arn't
when do they count
becuase some games such as
team foretress 2
super crate box
and realm of the mad god all are in the site
but games like
narbacular drop
spelunky (PC)
and mighty jill off arn't
i think non should be in the site becuase of so much of them and that everyone can have them

TF2 wasn't a free to play game when it was released.

I personally do not like adding free games. I -could- add all the legal free games I have, but I don't want to add 500 or more entries since I don't think there's a point to it. Many of these were distributed in the early days of the internet. Oh, and shareware games? Nope. It would just bloat the database.

I add the free Steam games because technically you "own" them (as far as Steam lets you own them) when you add them to your account.

Also, some of us don't care about collector value. We just want to catalog our games.

My guess is the only free games that arent on here are the ones that havent been added. I know myself I dont add anything I dont own. I cant see anyone complaining about a game being added to the database as thats what this is all about anyhow : The most complete tracking system.

I draw the line at people adding "abandonware" games, Dreamcast multi-game or custom soundtrack discs that were created by some random rom kiddie, and some types of unofficial games. I've deleted entries made by people who claimed some popular PC games were released digitally, when they never were - legally, at least.

[scott]

I am guilty of having some free games in my collection. But they were all hold overs from our old site. Originally, the database we have now was a list of games we were currently playing. Which is how they ended up in the database anyhow.

I don't have the heart to delete them though.

[haloofthesun]

I personally do not like adding free games. I -could- add all the legal free games I have, but I don't want to add 500 or more entries since I don't think there's a point to it. Many of these were distributed in the early days of the internet. Oh, and shareware games? Nope. It would just bloat the database.

I add the free Steam games because technically you "own" them (as far as Steam lets you own them) when you add them to your account.

Also, some of us don't care about collector value. We just want to catalog our games.

My guess is the only free games that arent on here are the ones that havent been added. I know myself I dont add anything I dont own. I cant see anyone complaining about a game being added to the database as thats what this is all about anyhow : The most complete tracking system.

I draw the line at people adding "abandonware" games, Dreamcast multi-game or custom soundtrack discs that were created by some random rom kiddie, and some types of unofficial games. I've deleted entries made by people who claimed some popular PC games were released digitally, when they never were - legally, at least.

I agree with all that. Personally I mostly just care about having a catalog of my games.

And the only time I would add any unofficial games is if they were put onto a repro cart, and not just any random game put on a single cart for personal use. Repro carts that are produced in large quantities and sold to the public. And only the ones that are legal (not just copies of rare games without it being explicit it's a reproduction).

[burningdoom]

I personally do not like adding free games. I -could- add all the legal free games I have, but I don't want to add 500 or more entries since I don't think there's a point to it. Many of these were distributed in the early days of the internet. Oh, and shareware games? Nope. It would just bloat the database.

I add the free Steam games because technically you "own" them (as far as Steam lets you own them) when you add them to your account.

Also, some of us don't care about collector value. We just want to catalog our games.

My guess is the only free games that arent on here are the ones that havent been added. I know myself I dont add anything I dont own. I cant see anyone complaining about a game being added to the database as thats what this is all about anyhow : The most complete tracking system.

I draw the line at people adding "abandonware" games, Dreamcast multi-game or custom soundtrack discs that were created by some random rom kiddie, and some types of unofficial games. I've deleted entries made by people who claimed some popular PC games were released digitally, when they never were - legally, at least.

I agree with all that. Personally I mostly just care about having a catalog of my games.

And the only time I would add any unofficial games is if they were put onto a repro cart, and not just any random game put on a single cart for personal use. Repro carts that are produced in large quantities and sold to the public. And only the ones that are legal (not just copies of rare games without it being explicit it's a reproduction).

The rest of them I agree with, but abandonware? Forgive me if my understanding of the term is wrong, but isn't abandonware just games who's developer is no longer in business?

If that's the case, then abandonware games were officially released games, right?

[foxhack]

The rest of them I agree with, but abandonware? Forgive me if my understanding of the term is wrong, but isn't abandonware just games who's developer is no longer in business?

If that's the case, then abandonware games were officially released games, right?

Aw jeez.

MY PERSONAL RANT FOLLOWS. "Abandonware" is just a word that some people who pirate games that are no longer sold use to make themselves feel OK with pirating games. It's meant to mean "this game is no longer sold by anyone so we can distribute it!" But no software item is ever abandonware. Ever. If something was sold, someone owns the copyright to the name, the program, the graphics, whatever, even if they don't sell it for whatever reason. Nothing is ever "no longer owned" by these people or companies. Don't fool yourself into thinking that they ever become "Abandonware." END RANT.

If you have a physical copy of an old PC game, you can add it to the database as a physical item.

If you have a digital download of an old PC game that was never sold or distributed digitally (like as a free download by the company) in any legal form - you shouldn't add it to the database.

[disgaeniac]

Just out of curiosity...what if a company goes bankrupt before/without having sold the rights on to anybody?

[foxhack]

Just out of curiosity...what if a company goes bankrupt before/without having sold the rights on to anybody?

I have no idea. But the rights would probably go to whatever creditor(s) they have to recover what they were owed.

[disgaeniac]

Yeah - that would seem to make sense...

[burningdoom]

Just out of curiosity...what if a company goes bankrupt before/without having sold the rights on to anybody?

I have no idea. But the rights would probably go to whatever creditor(s) they have to recover what they were owed.

Why wouldn't it go to public domain? Books and movies by companies that are gone, and rights were never sold, are public domain, I thought.

[foxhack]

Just out of curiosity...what if a company goes bankrupt before/without having sold the rights on to anybody?

I have no idea. But the rights would probably go to whatever creditor(s) they have to recover what they were owed.

Why wouldn't it go to public domain? Books and movies by companies that are gone, and rights were never sold, are public domain, I thought.

Because money.

Almost nothing goes into public domain. You can thank Sonny Bono and Disney's mouse for that.

... we seem to have gone way off topic already.