ScummVM 0.5.0 Out, With Some Official Game Support

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ScummVM 0.5.0 Out, With Some Official Game Support

Posted by timothy on Saturday August 2, 2003 @01:15AM from the appropriate-recognition dept.

Ndr_Amigo writes "ScummVM (an interpreter for several different adventure game engines, like Simon the Sorcerer 1 and 2, the LucasArts' SCUMM adventures and Beneath a Steel Sky, earlier Slashdot story) just released version 0.5.0. Among the usual bugfixes, new game support, etc, the interesting thing about this version is that the developers of one of our target games (Beneath a Steel Sky, by Revolution Software) actually supported us. To the extent of not only supplying us with the original assembly source code, but later deciding to release the game as Freeware to coincide with our reimplementation of their engine. This is a complete turnaround from our prior experiences, and shows that there are still a few smaller active game developers out there that are willing to help keep the classics alive for their fans... And of course you can download ScummVM and the freeware release of Beneath a Steel Sky from the ScummVM homepage :)"

37 of 153 comments (clear)

I love it :) by IIRCAFAIKIANAL · 2003-08-02 01:27 · Score: 5, Interesting

I feel that if a game is old you (as a developer/publisher) should either:

1) Re-release it periodically. If it's worth buying they'll make money.
2) Give it away.

Companies like Nintendo are doing the former and others are doing the latter (didn't looking glass studios give away system shock?).

It's too bad that a lot of companies choose to keep an iron grip on their intellectual property instead of using it to increase their reputation, especially since fans are downloading these classics anyways - why not make it legitimate?

--
Robots are everywhere, and they eat old people's medicine for fuel.
1. Re:I love it :) by moosesocks · 2003-08-02 01:32 · Score: 4, Interesting
  
  Indeed. Companies could make humungous profits by re-releasing old games. Many games are often pulled from shelves before they become popular.
  
  Examples which come to mind are the SNES game 'Chrono Trigger' (has sold on Ebay for up to $150), and the 'Freespace' series of PC games which cost about $10 in retail at the end of their shelf life, but now sell for over $60 on ebay.
  
  --
  -- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
2. Re:I love it :) by Bananenrepublik · 2003-08-02 02:40 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  I think a lot of companies think along the lines of "If we give away our old games for free, why would anyone buy our new games?"
  
  Given the level of innovation in recent games, I think this might be a valid concern for most game publishers.
3. Re:I love it :) by RedK · 2003-08-02 02:41 · Score: 5, Informative
  
  Don't forget the Final Fantasy series for SNES...Re-releasing any of those games
  But, they did re-release those games, playable on your Playstation or Playstation 2. Look for Final Fantasy Origins, Final Fantasy Chronicles and Final Fantasy Anthology. With those 3 collections, you get Final Fantasy 1-6 (except 3), all in english plus Chrono Trigger! And better yet, Final Fantasy 1 and 2 have received much needed graphical overhauls.
  Links : Origins, Chronicles, Anthology
  
  --
  "Not to mention all the idiots who use words like boxen."
  Anonymous Coward on Monday August 04, @06:49PM
4. Re:I love it :) by Jugalator · 2003-08-02 03:14 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Indeed. Companies could make humungous profits by re-releasing old games. Many games are often pulled from shelves before they become popular.
  
  Yes, Blizzard has done this:
  http://www.blizzard.com/blizzclassic/
  
  However, for some strange reason, they're releasing it only to GameBoy. :-/
  
  Anyway, perhaps this is why they're protecting their IP's just in case they would think about re-releasing the games. But I doubt any game company will go through the work of re-releasing the games in enhanced versions with improved graphics/sound since they'd have to put so much effort into it. And if they aren't going to do that, they should just release it as freeware. The only persons caring about those games are mostly just going to pay $0 for them anyway.
  
  --
  Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
5. Re:I love it :) by slim · 2003-08-02 04:19 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  1) Re-release it periodically. If it's worth buying they'll make money.
  
  I bought a new copy of Day of the Tentacle and Sam and Max on a single CD a few months ago (the mind plays tricks, but I'm sure it was no more than a year ago). So someone recognises that the property is still worth money.
  
  But getting Sam & Max running in Windows 2000 with full speech and music was difficult, and I never managed at all with DOTT. Getting it doing with ScummVM, however, was a breeze. LucasArts should bundle ScummVM and the games; I reckon it would save them money on fielding tech support calls. It would be polite to throw the ScummVM developers a few quid, but not obligatory.
  
  I can't fault either of those games, and I'd recommend anyone buy them today. Beneath a Steel Sky, however, breaks Lucasarts' first rule of adventure games - you should never be able to die or get into a situation where you can't win: in BASS you get shot in the first scene.
6. Re:I love it :) by Mprx · 2003-08-02 06:43 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  Chronoicles and Anthology are inferior to the original SNES versions, with longer load times and lower frame rates. There is still a market for the SNES carts.
A Scummy joke by pHatidic · 2003-08-02 01:28 · Score: 2, Funny

A pirate walks into a bar with a steering wheel tied to his crotch. The bartender says "Why do you have a steering wheel tied to your crotch." The pirate responds:

1. "-1 Flamebait"
2. "-1 b4d gr4mm4r"
3. "Arrrg it's drivin' me nuts"
4. "-1 Troll"

Ahh the fond memories of insult sword fighting :)
Damn... by Soulfader · 2003-08-02 01:31 · Score: 4, Funny

Initial unplayable support for V1 version of Maniac Mansion/Zak McKracken
Is there anything vi won't do?
<whispers>
Huh? Oh.
Finally! by Snaller · 2003-08-02 01:34 · Score: 4, Funny

I bought Beneath a Steel Sky for the Amiga many moons ago... but it kept crashing in the garden .. now i might actually be able to finish it! (Don't tell me how it ends!)

--
If Google really cared they would fix Android Chrome to reflow text, instead of discriminating
More abandonware games by Mwongozi · 2003-08-02 01:44 · Score: 5, Informative

If you have the UAE Amiga Emulator, you can find hundreds of legitimately-released games at Back 2 The Roots, enough to keep you entertained for years!
ScummVM is amazing by whitmer · 2003-08-02 01:53 · Score: 5, Informative

I'm still able to play good ol' Lucasarts adventures like DOTT, Sam'n'Max and Full Throttle even though I don't have "compatible hardware" for running them in "native DOS mode".

Previously I tried to play them under Win98s DOS, but audio and especially speech support was flaky because I have SB Live 1024. Now with ScummVM, no problems at all. Props to the development team!
My Impressions by Jagasian · 2003-08-02 01:55 · Score: 3, Informative

I used a previous version of ScummVM to play one of my favorite childhood games: Sam and Max (talkie version). ScummVM worked perfectly. I highly recommend it to anyone trying to enjoy an oldie but goodie. I haven't tried this latest version yet, but I am sure it is at least as good as the version I used for Sam and Max.
1. Re:My Impressions by macgyvr64 · 2003-08-02 02:14 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  Sam: "Where should I put this thing so that it doesn't hurt anyone we know or care about?"
  
  Max: "Out the window, Sam. There's nobody but strangers out there."
And there's more! by Dasaan · 2003-08-02 01:55 · Score: 5, Informative

Not only has beneath a steel sky been released but Revolution are also helping the scummvm team to add support for broken sword 1 & 2.

IMO this is a great move as it makes some of the coasters sitting on the shelves of linux converts into much more useful items again.
Go Revolution

--
XP is basicly 98 with a lot more extra features to hunt down and disable. --Dram
1. Re:And there's more! by Khalek · 2003-08-02 02:41 · Score: 2, Informative
  
  Yes, its also a lot of directx code to sort through for people who aren't familiar with directx. If anyone wants to help out grab CVS or a source code snapshot and look in the bs2 directory. All the rendering functions and a few other things are currently stubbed out. Patches are very welcome :)
  
  The playable demo should work as well as the game for testing things out.
  
  Above comments relate to Broken Sword II which is being worked on first.
very cool by oohp · 2003-08-02 02:02 · Score: 2, Interesting

This is very cool stuff. I'm using ScummVM to play Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis, a game which I loved back some years ago when I had more time on my hands and still love now. Great job!
Open letter to Lucas Arts by WeeBull · 2003-08-02 02:08 · Score: 5, Interesting

Dear LucasArts,
Six minutes ago, I learned of ScummVM's 0.5.0 release. I downloaded and installed it, and pulled my Day of the Tentacle CD from my shelf.
As I am typing this, I'm watching the full talkie introduction playing in a window on my desktop, and I am looking forward to spending some quality time with Hoage, Laverne and Bernard.
I you at Lucas Arts were to support the ScummVM project, I am convinced you would be able to sell your entire back-catalog of SCUMM games to a wide audience - Macintosh users, Linux users and Windows users alike, especially considering the ease at which I got ScummVM to work, compared to the struggle I faced trying to get DOTT to run in a DOS window under Windows XP.
In the meanwhile, I'm of rooting through my two shoeboxes of old 3.5" floppies looking for Monkey Island I and II. Ah, the memories!
(Speaking of Monkey Island - that "monkey wrench" stunt you pulled in II was entirely uncalled for, btw...)
Sincerely,
et cetera, et cetera
(PS - to the ScummVM team: Top job! Props!)
1. Re:Open letter to Lucas Arts by slavemowgli · 2003-08-02 02:17 · Score: 2, Insightful
  
  You think the monkeywrench gag was evil? Try figuring it out in a localized version, when no translation of "monkeywrench" exists at all that would give the joke any meaning. :)
  
  --
  quidquid latine dictum sit altum videtur.
2. Re:Open letter to Lucas Arts by Nodatadj · 2003-08-02 05:08 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Ah pants...they're still going with the 3d games.
  Like MI4 wasn't bad, but it looked a bit crap compared to the lovely artwork of MI3.
  
  Same with the screenshots of Sam and Max. The 2D concept looks like it could be a much prettier game to play than the 3D version.
  
  Or maybe I just hate having to use a joypad to play adventure games...I wanna point and click where I walk to.
Any way to extend this to modern games? by groove10 · 2003-08-02 02:19 · Score: 2, Interesting

Am I totally off base in wondering if the Virtual Machine stuff they've developed to mimic the DOS environment can be extended to more "modern" games instead of just these old Amiga era games? Stuff like the original SimCity that ran under DOS

Perhaps that's an impossibility due to the"non-freeness" of lots of more modern games. How supposrtive are game companies of this sort of work? Most of the games supported now are "abandonware" right?

--
MMORPG fan-boy? Prove your worth
1. Re:Any way to extend this to modern games? by rking · 2003-08-02 02:34 · Score: 2, Interesting
  
  Am I totally off base in wondering if the Virtual Machine stuff they've developed to mimic the DOS environment can be extended to more "modern" games instead of just these old Amiga era games? Stuff like the original SimCity that ran under DOS
  
  The original Sim City ran on the Amiga. I don't think it was even all that late in the Amiga's timeline.
2. Re:Any way to extend this to modern games? by Hatta · 2003-08-02 02:47 · Score: 3, Interesting
  
  As I understand it ScummVM, FreeSCI, etc. are not really virtual machines, but command interpreters. Kind of like the 3d engine/front end game model we see today, except these are adventure game engines. The reason that these things are getting ported is that no one is making adventure games anymore. This very sad fact forces fans to reverse engineer, document, and implement the engines to preserve these games for posterity. This is encouraged by the separateness of the engine and the game. You don't have to port every game individually, though slight modifications of the interpreter were common. I think if you want to play the original game you're gonna have to download a pc emulator like plex86 or bochs, install MSDOS and play from there.
  
  --
  Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
3. Re:Any way to extend this to modern games? by Jucius+Maximus · 2003-08-02 03:41 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  " Isn't it easier just to run DOS in VMWare or Virtual PC?"
  VMWare will still cost you a pretty penny and it's not open source like ScummVM.
  And it's probably faster to use ScummVM too because once you set up your shortcut or whatever the equivalent is on your platform then you just click it and it starts instantly instead of having to wait for the whole VM to boot up.
PocketPC version by Cothol · 2003-08-02 02:21 · Score: 3, Interesting

I use the pocketpc version to play Day of the tentacle. while I'm on the train.
Works wonderfull on my Axim, I got a cheap 512MB CF-card so now I can play the full cd vesion I got and get all the voices.
1. Re:PocketPC version by Ndr_Amigo · 2003-08-02 02:30 · Score: 3, Informative
  
  I use the pocketpc version to play Sam and Max on the train :) I only have a 256mb CF card tho, but I just use the MP3 compression. - Ender Lead Monkey Wrangler, ScummVM
ScummLinux LiveCD by g_dancer · 2003-08-02 02:37 · Score: 3, Informative

The ScummLinux project allows you to play your favorite ScummVM-supported games anywhere; just boot the CD, choose a game, and enjoy. It supports all the soundcards supported by the Linux kernel and TV-Out for some graphics cards, so you can even play on a television set.
Only right thing to do by Jugalator · 2003-08-02 03:04 · Score: 3, Insightful

I think Revolution Software is only doing this right thing by releasing it as freeware. I mean, does those old Sierra games even *work* on a modern Windows installation to 100%? They aren't sold and build on ancient technology, so why should they not just upload it all to their FTP and say "here you go, if anyone want it"?

I just find what many game companies do with those ancient games no one will ever care about again being so incredibly silly...

--
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
Work-around for Amiga garden crash. by reality-bytes · 2003-08-02 03:12 · Score: 2, Funny

Take the Amiga back into the house.

--
Ripping an new rectum in the fabric of spacetime.
Re:And there's EVEN more! by Jugalator · 2003-08-02 04:05 · Score: 2, Interesting

Revolution Games have also released their first game as freeware:

Lure of the Temptress

What a wonderful game company. :-) I'm tempted to send them an e-mail, thanking them for this initiative they're taking, only hoping others will follow in their step. I would really like to see a boom in legit abandonware.

--
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
Re:More info by Psykechan · 2003-08-02 04:41 · Score: 2, Informative

"UAE" is free and legal as is the software at "Back 2 The Roots" but what you still need is a legal version of the Amiga Kickstart.

Fortunatly, the people behind Amiga Forever have you covered. They sell a licensed copy of the Amiga's Kickstart and it's OS. Actually, their package has several versions of the Kickstart/OS so you can pick and choose which Amiga flavor to emulate including the A500 (which most games were designed for), CDTV and CD32. The disc even contains an interview with Jay Miner!

Support legal emulation.
Are there any new games for it? by vadim_t · 2003-08-02 05:29 · Score: 3, Insightful

I mean, did anybody write a completely new game for ScummVM? Or, are there any tools for making them at least?
Re:WAREZ please by kyz · 2003-08-02 06:12 · Score: 2, Informative

Run out to your nearest UK games shop. Lucasarts have released a whole bunch of packs, including the Monkey Island Bounty Pack (Monkey Island 1, 2 and 3). 20 quid to you, guvnor.

Then there's the Sam 'n' Max / Day of the Tentacle pack.

Then there's the Grim Fandango / Sam 'n' Max / The Dig / Full Throttle pack.

If you don't see them on the shelves, just ask. They're available all over the country, in every high street.

--
Does my bum look big in this?
Re:And there's EVEN more! by russx2 · 2003-08-02 06:28 · Score: 2, Interesting

Agreed, they're a nice company. I actually did my secondary school work experience there a few years ago in York, UK.

They're a great bunch of people and definitely have that friendly feel to them (relatively small group when I was there). If I remember correctly, the 3 owners of the company are actually the director, lead programmer and tools programmer who used to work out of a flat many moons ago. Nice to see them supporting their old games.

Check out Broken Sword 3 currently in development.
Exult by Anonymous Coward · 2003-08-02 06:32 · Score: 2, Interesting

People who like ScummVM may also like Exult, a GPL'd reimplementation of the Ultima 7 engine. Not only does it run on modern hardware and a bunch of operating systems, it also implements modern scalers so that the ancient 320x200 game looks good to modern eyes as well.
Sarien runs even older Sierra AGI games. You know, like Leisure Suite Larry.
Are there any other games which were reimplemented like that? I know someone wrote a System Shock browser that some day could some day become a full engine, and it looks like some of the people who worked on Exult are now looking at Ultima 8.
Windows SCUMM by jmajb · 2003-08-02 06:34 · Score: 2, Informative

I don't know if I should mention is here, but how about the Windows SCUMM engine in the LucasArts Archives(R): Adventure Collection? It is written bij Aaron Giles.

Jac
Re:Let's hear it for open source! by BlackFingolfin · 2003-08-02 08:23 · Score: 2, Informative

Thanks for your wisdom which enlightens us. I knew this ScummVM stuff must be a sham. Oh, BTW, can you please point me again at those instructions to get WINE running on PalmOS, MorphOS, DreamCast, WinCE or Mac OS X? I just can't seem to find them right now.
Hmmm, and how again do I activate the aspect ratio correction and Scale2x for Maniac Mansion?
Oh and while you are at it, please tell me which program I need to use my Amiga version of Mi2 with Wine?

I am looking forward to your helpful answers, oh grand master and bringer of light :-)