Neverwinter Nights is Gold

Urthpaw writes "Neverwinter Nights, the D&D based RPG from BioWare (Makers of Baldur's Gate among other titles), for Windows, MacOS and Linux has Gone gold. The game allows players to make their own "modules", or adventures, and DM them for up to 64 friends. Server-linking features allow the assembly of distributed MMORPGs."

Comments

Re:EBWorld

[TBone]

"Going Gold" means the Master CD's (which are, or at least used to be, gold in color) have been shipped to the publisher, who will begin to mass-produce them, along with the manuals, and stuff everything in boxes.

It has nothing to do with any particular retail outlet, other than the outlets can probably expect shipments to start arriving in 7-10 business days.

Linux version delayed

[Nilatir]

From the press release:

"The PC version of Neverwinter Nights will ship to retailers before the end of June. Linux gamers can anticipate the online release of the Neverwinter Nights server at launch and the client program shortly afterward. Linux gamers will still need the Windows version of the game to register at the Neverwinter Nights community site (http://neverwinternights.com) and to import essential game resources into their Linux server and game."

Re:Who owns what?

[eddy]

This is what the beta toolset said:

Section 4(b):

"By distributing or permitting the distribution of any of your Modules, you hereby grant back to INFOGRAMES and BIOWARE an irrevocable royalty-free right to use and distribute them by any means. Infogrames or BIOWARE may at any time and in its sole discretion revoke your right to make your Modules publicly available."

I'm just the messenger.

Update

[eddy]

It should be noted that concerns from the community prompted this from bioware:

We have been in contact with Infogrames and the concerns over the wording of the EULA, by the fans, has been duly noted.

The legal beagles will be taking another look at this issue and we should have more information for you in a few days (Monday is a holiday up here).

Until that time, we won't have any further comment on the EULA until a more official statement can be made.

...but I don't know if anything came of it. Seeing how the game is now gold, I imagine we're gonna hear soon, or they didn't change the license.

My problem is with the revocation rights. Those should go away. I'm hesitant to even bother learning the tools if they retain that right. It's the principle of it all. (why should this be any different than say a text-editor?)

Linux version or none.

[pjrc]

Hey, Bioware, are any of you guys reading this?

My brother loaned me his copy of BG1, which I played. Robin, by girlfriend later decided to give BG1 a try and we purchased a copy, since I had returned it already.

I purchased BG2 and played most of it, again on 'doze.

Well, I don't play so many games now, and I don't even have a native 'doze installed anymore (got a vmware based 'doze for a single program... and yes, that's a legit vmware I paid for too).

So at least for me, it's a decision between PAYING for a linux version of a game, or not even bothering to play. Windows is not an option. You can have my money, but only if it works entirely in Linux. I'm just not going to install windows to play a damn game. I'd rather just not waste my time on it if it requires the headache of installing 'doze, installing drivers, rebooting endlessly in the process.

I know a lot of people still dual boot, but I've kicked that habbit.

Re:Linux version or none.

[pjrc]

There is a Linux and Mac game executable in the box.

Did you read these words in the press release:

The PC version of Neverwinter Nights will ship to retailers before the end of June. Linux gamers can anticipate the online release of the Neverwinter Nights server at launch and the client program shortly afterward. Linux gamers will still need the Windows version of the game to register at the Neverwinter Nights community site and to import essential game resources into their Linux server and game.

So, converting marketing to english, it sounds like there will in fact not be a Linux executable in the box (other than the server), but it will be made available undetermined time later on the website.

Even then, 'doze will be needed to register on the community site (presumably to get involved with public game servers).

And what do you suppose "to import essential game resources into their Linux server and game" means? I hope it does not in fact mean some small but critical setup component will only work on 'doze, and thereafter linux can be used.