2-D MMOG Glitch Released Completely Into the Public Domain 70
c0d3g33k writes "Glitch, a collaborative, web-based, massively multiplayer game developed by Tiny Speck, Inc. (tinyspeck.com) has been released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal License. I'm not at all familiar with this game, but it is rare that both source code and all game assets are released into the public domain, which makes this announcement noteworthy. An excerpt from the announcement: 'The entire library of art assets from the game has been made freely available, dedicated to the public domain. Code from the game client is included to help developers work with the assets. All of it can be downloaded and used by anyone, for any purpose. (But: use it for good.)'"
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Cool (Score:5, Interesting)
But, well, I'm gonna use the source and assets for evil. Ya know? 'cause, public domain means not having to say you're sorry.
Seriously though, this is awesome. I've never heard of the game, but the more art and source that's freed the better. Now if some community could pick this up and run with it, turn it into a decent game, I'll play it.
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TFA and TFS are both confusing, because in one sentence they say it's CC licensed, and in another they say public domain. Those are two very different things.
Re:Cool (Score:5, Informative)
TFA and TFS are both confusing, because in one sentence they say it's CC licensed, and in another they say public domain. Those are two very different things.
It is the CC0 licence, which effectively releases the work into the Public Domain.
From the CC0 FAQ [creativecommons.org]:
A person using CC0 (called the “affirmer” in the legal code) dedicates a work to the public domain by waiving all of his or her copyright and neighboring and related rights in a work, to the fullest extent permitted by law. If the waiver isn’t effective for any reason, then CC0 acts as a license from the affirmer granting the public an unconditional, irrevocable, non exclusive, royalty free license to use the work for any purpose.
Cue Zynga code steal in 3 2 1 (Score:4, Insightful)
and ... copied.
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How exactly would one steal a public domain work, even for a loose definition of "steal?"
Re:Cue Zynga code steal in 3 2 1 (Score:5, Insightful)
How exactly would one steal a public domain work, even for a loose definition of "steal?"
I see you're unfamiliar with Zynga.
Re:Cue Zynga code steal in 3 2 1 (Score:5, Insightful)
Ask Disney.
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Ask Disney.
The stories the geeks think of as folk tales are far more likely to be the versions shaped and defined by the professional writer:
One of the most popular versions of Cinderella was written in french by Charles Perrault in 1697, under the name Cendrillon. The popularity of his tale was due to his additions to the story, including the pumpkin, the fairy-godmother and the introduction of glass slippers.
Over the decades, hundreds of films [and television productions] have been made that are either direct adaptations from Cinderella or have plots loosely based on the story
Cinderella [wikipedia.org]
The geek's rants about Disney's "rape of the public domain" simply fall to pieces when you look at the evidence.
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The point is that Disney used the public domain (as you cited) to help create an empire, but lobbies to keep its creation from going back into public domain. This could be argued to having the same effect as stealing.
Re:Cue Zynga code steal in 3 2 1 (Score:5, Insightful)
Copyright term extensions on the other hand restricts the public's access to works that would otherwise be freely available to them.
Therefore the latter is closer to stealing than the former.
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Coming soon: (Score:2)
* Barney The Dinosaur edition.
* Pornographic edition(s).
* Fangirl of [insert fandom] edition.
* Dr Who edition (a better crafted version of the above).
Re:Coming soon: (Score:5, Informative)
You arent familiar with Glitch? It looked like Super Mario a little since it was a 2-d side scroller, but it was clearly an adult game. Subtle or not so subtle adult jokes were all over the place.
Ive already seen Dr. Who Glitchen, that would be my friend Cleops. We had large dinosaurs that were conduits from one place on the world map to another and you would exit..from their asses.
Pr0n edition....Glitchen were rather sexless, so I fail to see the allure of that. It was all about seeing what the devs thought up and hid all over the map of Ur. Often in the global chat the devs would pop in and that was fun.
In the end, they caved in to my constant demands for Onion Rings and gave us the craftable food item (we had all sorts, but why the hell not Onion Rings too). What other game does something as nice as that? I cant think of many, but I dont play many other MMOs.
Glitch was fun, but had its faults - namely that 1) it was costing TS about $500k a month to keep rolling and 2) it apparently was pushing Flash to the limit and beyond and 3) not really many folks heard or knew about it.
I am not really sure why Stoot released Glitch like this, but its a bold move. I had always had the hope that he'd hold on to it, and just redo the damn thing to handle its limits and call all the Glitchen back to Ur and let us start over.
It was quite a fun time, a bit absurd (or a lot, I know I helped make it absurd) but I liked it.
Prisencolinensinainciusol!!!
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Glitchen were rather sexless, so I fail to see the allure of that.
Wait until the modders change the art completely. (Think: Spawn's "Sporn".) Then you will. :)
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Pr0n edition....Glitchen were rather sexless, so I fail to see the allure of that.
You must be new to the Internet. Do you need the services of a guide?
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Hell I miss the whole damn game.
I remember holding hands with my wife and crying as the server shutdown timer clicked down.
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Glitch was so hands-on that it in effect was a managed, fully staffed 2-D animated chatroom. It wouldn't just be a matter of throwing up a server to recreate it.
There was a reason it bled $500K a month to operate; part of that was hardware, but it was also a very hands-on site to run.
Hmm (Score:4, Informative)
Yes server code (Score:5, Informative)
https://github.com/tinyspeck/glitch-GameServerJS [github.com]
You're welcome.
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Too bad you're wrong.
Re:Too Bad (Score:5, Informative)
Did you look at the released code?
http://www.glitchthegame.com/public-domain-game-art/ [glitchthegame.com]
Serverside code:
https://github.com/tinyspeck/glitch-GameServerJS [github.com]
Is it complete? I don't know of anyone who has tried to find out.
Open Game Art (Score:1)
OGA is looking for people to help convert these assets into a more popular format and upload to OGA. Check it out here: http://opengameart.org/ [opengameart.org]
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OpenGameArt.org can help you with that! [opengameart.org]
Interested (Score:2)
I am personally interested in this, because I am currently working on a browser-based MMO as well and I also intend to release all the code and assets to the public.
There are some differences, though; my plan is to create a core consisting in DB, rules, lore, mechanics, etc., all backed by a very very basic and simplistic interface, accompanied by a powerful API which would enable people to create their own UI, animations, etc. A foundation on which you can build whichever house you want.
It will feature a m
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It's like thousands or hundreds, just fewer.
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Makes sense in Europe. You know, that continent you must've heard of :)
How about... 1/10s of hundreds? Sounds betters? or even better... 1% of thousands? :)
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Unlike him, I ain't asking for money, so if the project fumbles, well... at least nobody loses anything apart from me, and I only lose time.
BUT I would still gain experience.
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BUT I would still gain experience.
Only until you reach the level cap.
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True. Valid for all situations :)
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I suspect many have, but I've been thinking about a similar kind of project.
As a theoretical and architectural exercise, I've been considering that the only direct interface to the universe would be over XMPP. So at the very simplest level, you could use an existing chat client to interact with ships and stations by sending simple messages to them like "report status", "report location", "buy firearms", "set course for Kerbin", etc.
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Very interesting idea, but prone to errors. I mean, you assume people can spell, which is a bold move, to say the least :)
I'm playing with a PoC design idea of just having webpages with buttons and text for the end-user. It would look pretty ugly and bland, but then again, there will be an API to build on using whatever language/method you want. Much like the EVE Online API, but two-way.
Of course, since I have no clue how to build that, it will most likely be outsourced to someone who already knows.
Played It (Score:2)
Game left a big "?" as to why one would wish to play it.
I subscribed. (Score:5, Interesting)
You could spend money for the game, but it was a free to play quirky side scrolling MMO which didn't have much in the way of PvP (none at all) and was mostly crafting. It was always a work in progress, they were always adding new assets and mini games. But it was always going to be a niche game.
I did eventually drift away, and I suppose most others did too, because they eventually folded.
The cool thing was, they notified subscribers (like me) that they were offering the money back if we wanted. I told them to keep the money, I had enjoyed it while I played.
Now releasing source code and assets. That is even cooler.
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their attitudes are closed-but-identifying-as-open
Sounds like the Minecraft modding community. Want to run a server with a bunch of mods? God forbid you automate your mod setup in some way; no, you have to make your players click stupid fucking linkbucks links and set the mods up themselves (which is delightfully error-prone) so the mod authors can make their hundredth of a cent per click. FSM forbid they just set up a donate link. Drudging through linkbucks and complicated manual setups are about respec
I'm going to use some of this art in my game. (Score:5, Insightful)
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It would be a bunch of shitty Zelda clones in 1996, with Nintendo having way less motivation to work on a Majora's Mask or a Twilight Princess.
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if they hold up to modern competition, then maybe modern games stink.
Re:I'm going to use some of this art in my game. (Score:5, Insightful)
I'm making a Zelda style 2d MMORPG called "Throne and Crown". Many of the art pieces I will be able to use in my game eventually. I sort of wish Congress would say there's a 10 year copyright law. That way, after 10 years, we could use the art assets, and 3d models of other games. Also it'd be pretty radical for the Internet to be a giant library. It'd be an awesome boost to education.
I'd be more than happy if copyright terms were simply returned to the 17 year + 17 year (for copyright renewal from those that bother) that was in the Copyright Act of 1790. 10 years of copyright is likely all that is needed, but you might make an argument that a few people might be more encouraged (hence the incentive) to make more stuff if they can continue earning money from it 17 years later.
I don't know anybody who is encouraged to publish stuff if their kids and grandkids might be making money off of their stuff 76 years after you are dead... yet current copyright treaties want to even further extend and expand copyright terms. The Steamboat Willie complex is alive and well.
Help! (Score:3)
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Thanks guys... (Score:2)
Great to see the occasional selfless act once in a while.