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Microsoft Releases MechCommander 2 Source Code

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the free-for-all dept.

SpectreHiro writes "In a shocking move, Microsoft has open sourced... err, 'shared the source' of MechCommander 2. From the site, 'This is the Shared Source release for MechCommander 2. This release contains all of the source code an source assets required to build MechCommander 2. This release can be used with the Microsoft XNA Build March 2006 CTP.'

6 of 115 comments (clear)

  1. Cool! by mrseigen · · Score: 3, Insightful

    More open sourced games can only be a good thing. How does Microsoft's shared-source license affect me as a professional game developer, though? I'm afraid of looking through a lot of other games' source code for fear of taint.

    1. Re:Cool! by GeekDork · · Score: 3, Insightful

      This is kind of paranoid. It's like saying that after looking at, say, the Linux source for some drivers, you can never write a closed-source driver, or that you can never, ever write a game after having your hands at the TuxRacer source (or even after downloading the source, it's the thought that counts).

      --

      Fight hunger. Filet a politician and send him to a 3rd world country of your choice.

    2. Re:Cool! by Pofy · · Score: 3, Insightful

      >More open sourced games can only be a good thing. How does Microsoft's
      >shared-source license affect me as a professional game developer, though?
      >I'm afraid of looking through a lot of other games' source code for fear of
      >taint.

      I guess as a professional book writer I would have to stop reading other books, otherwsie my own books could be "tainted" or "contaminated" by what I read. What a shock!!!

    3. Re:Cool! by mgblst · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Hence the trial over the da vinci code. Becareful what you mock, what may seem ridiculous today, is the law tomorrow.

      Of course this trial hasn't ended yet, and the decision may go against the so-called infringed, but it seems to be taking a while for judgement.

  2. What license? by chill · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Downloading source is great, but not if looking at said source "contaminates" you. They call the GPL viral, but what if in the networking code for this "shared source" game they have all sorts of stuff that would help the SAMBA team? Can they use it? Hell, can they even look at it and still be able to contribute to SAMBA?

    Heck, what about WINE? Is this something they should grab, or treat like free chocolate coated leprosy tablets?

      -Charles

    --
    Learning HOW to think is more important than learning WHAT to think.
  3. Re:license? by gstoddart · · Score: 3, Insightful
    Microsoft has instead decided to adopt Shared Source, which not only opens up source code, but allows anyone to use freely, freelier than free Open Source.

    The only major difference is once a Shared Source is shared, it can be modified, opened, shared or even closed in future release.

    I find it unlikely it's more free than, say, a BSD license or the Apache licenses.

    And, depending on which of the shared source licenses this is released under, what you say may not be true.
    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.