7th level Monty Python and other games

obcd · Post by **obcd** » Fri Jan 14, 2011 7:35 pm

I know, asking if this will be supported doesn't belong here. That's not my question.

A little reseach teached me that Panasonic Interactive Media bought the rights on those game names when 7th level stopped it's activity. They sold the development tools to a firm called Ion Storm Inc. together with their last unfinished game.

The game engine they used for development had the codename
"Top Gun TM" development technology.

My question is, does anyone know something about this game engine? (Maybe trough reverse engineering)Does anybody knows which company is having the rights for those games or the game engine at this moment, or are those abandonware?

Longcat · Post by **Longcat** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 1:09 pm

I only know one thing, there is no such thing as abandonware.

Seldon · Post by **Seldon** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 8:56 pm

Longcat wrote:I only know one thing, there is no such thing as abandonware.

I don't think he uses word abandonware, as "software I can download from Internet for free, pretending I'm not a thief", but simply as "software that it is impossible to find someone responsible for, so I can't get any support for it".

Red_Breast · Post by **Red_Breast** » Sat Jan 15, 2011 11:47 pm

Seldon wrote:
Longcat wrote:I only know one thing, there is no such thing as abandonware.
I don't think he uses word abandonware, as "software I can download from Internet for free, pretending I'm not a thief", but simply as "software that it is impossible to find someone responsible for, so I can't get any support for it".

Knowing the guy (obcd) for a few years I'll add that I'm sure that's all that was meant.

obcd · Post by **obcd** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 9:13 am

I used the term on the games to express the fact that there doesn't exist a company anymore that might know how the game engine works. Maybe it was a wrong word choice. English is not my native language, sorry about that.

Every game disc comes with an additional try out of some of the other games from the same company. Do you think those can be used in case someone wants to look at the game engine?

If abandonware doesn't exist, how do you call the games that can be downloaded on the scummvm main website?

Wathever, getting off topic...

Graxer · Post by **Graxer** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 10:43 am

obcd wrote:I used the term on the games to express the fact that there doesn't exist a company anymore that might know how the game engine works. Maybe it was a wrong word choice. English is not my native language, sorry about that.

Every game disc comes with an additional try out of some of the other games from the same company. Do you think those can be used in case someone wants to look at the game engine?

If abandonware doesn't exist, how do you call the games that can be downloaded on the scummvm main website?

Wathever, getting off topic...

They are just games that the original companies allowed the ScummVM team to distribute for free. I don't think there is a technical term for it.

I would love to see the Monty Python games supported in the future. I also think 7th Level made the Ace Ventura game. If it uses the same engine that's great!

md5 · Post by **md5** » Sun Jan 16, 2011 11:25 am

The term is "liberated games", i.e. full commercial games that have been liberated and made free in playable form to the public.

Check here for more info:
http://www.liberatedgames.org/

scoriae · Post by **scoriae** » Sat Jan 22, 2011 2:58 pm

Christ - another topic gets derailed due to the over sensitive word police on this board.

I am interested in obcd's original question regarding the engine that was used by 7th Level. How about some more talk on that and less debate over definitions.

Longcat · Post by **Longcat** » Sun Jan 23, 2011 4:00 pm

Go ahead sand talk, no one is stoping you.

darkknight · Post by **darkknight** » Fri Jul 15, 2011 10:38 pm

In answer to the original question, yes I know something of TopGun. I was one of lead engineers on Monty Python's Meaning of Life. And I was one of a handful of engineers entrusted to make changes to the TopGun source code. Having said that, I don't have the source and can't remember sufficient details to begin deciphering the game files.

However, I found this thread because I am looking to find the owners of the various titles and TopGun and bring the titles forward into the modern OSs.

If you run across specific contact information for either, respond to this thread. If I can get it done, I'll give you some credit in the game.

DrMcCoy · Post by **DrMcCoy** » Sat Jul 16, 2011 2:27 am

darkknight wrote:I was one of lead engineers on Monty Python's Meaning of Life. And I was one of a handful of engineers entrusted to make changes to the TopGun source code. Having said that, I don't have the source and can't remember sufficient details to begin deciphering the game files.

Improbable and therefore kinda hard for me to believe, to be frank.
Not that it really matters. *shrug*

darkknight wrote:If you run across specific contact information for either, respond to this thread. If I can get it done, I'll give you some credit in the game.

We'd be foremost interested in implementing an engine in ScummVM, to allow the classic game (and any eventual rereleased) to be played on all the multitude of platforms ScummVM supports.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I certainly don't really care about ingame credits, only about extending ScummVM, to bring one more classic to the light.

I don't suppose you still have any real-life connections to your former employer / colleague? But then you'd probably not look for random stuff online, I guess...