RGB Classic Games Forum

For the last two days I played a little and created a small bootable CD which contains 20 classic DOS games. After that I added a feature, allowing me to play without rebooting every time by using DOS Box. So now I have CD which doesn't use the hard drive and I can play smoothly 20 (and many more in the future) DOS games.

If you are interested to play with this CD - here is the official project page:

[Link removed]

Why I started this project? Well, I use at least 3 different computers and I cant spend much time on every one of them to download/install DOSBox and 50+ games. So, I reduced my efforts to one CD which can be used in two ways to play DOS games (reboot in pure DOS mode or "autorun" from Windows CD drive).

I hope you will like it! Please, share your comments!

Looks good, I'll try it out later. Nice selection of games.

I was going to make one too but the booting part was too scary

Two things:

1) My project goes bigger and bigger - over 200 games so far.

2) Have you ever heard of this game: "World Cup USA'94"? I mean this game:

DOSGuy changed the link to one that didn't contain a download.

I'd appreciate it if you tell me where to find it and download it so I could include it in my project.

Thanks.

I did a quick search and didn't find a shareware demo, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. The commercial version would be illegal to distribute unless you can find proof that it was released under a freeware license.

DOSGuy wrote:I did a quick search and didn't find a shareware demo, but that doesn't mean there isn't one. The commercial version would be illegal to distribute unless you can find proof that it was released under a freeware license.

Thanks!

I actually found a freeware downloadable copy of this game, but the keyboard controls are more than ridiculous. You have to use "A" and "Z" for up and down, and "[" and "]" for left and right. No way to change them!!!

The version I used to play several years ago uses the standard arrow keys + "Alt" and "Ctrl" for action keys.

Is it actually a demo, or just a (possibly cracked) full version copy of the game? If there's a legally distributable version of this game, I'll add it to the site. I love soccer.

DOSGuy wrote:If there's a legally distributable version of this game, I'll add it to the site. I love soccer.

There shouldn't be, as it is an officially licensed game.

Oh by the way, the CD turned from a promising shareware boot cd to a sloppy crappy illegal abandonware cd with full version games. AVOID! AVOID!!!

Yup, we can't be linking to illegal downloads, so I've removed your link. I didn't download it to check, but one of your screenshots has me really concerned. Did you really put a copy of Windows 3.11 for Workgroups on that CD? You're going to be getting a cease and desist letter from Microsoft pretty soon! Trust me on this, I've seen lots of websites -- founded with the honorable intention of being an invaluable resource for obsolete computers -- try to host copies of DOS and Windows 1.0-3.11 installation disks, only to see them replaced with a copy of a threatening letter from Microsoft a short time later. Microsoft does not allow their discontinued operating systems to be distributed, despite the fact that Windows 3.11 clearly doesn't compete with any of their existing products. If you have an old computer and want to install DOS or Windows on it, you're just out of luck. (Or get an expensive subscription to the MSDN network. I don't know how far back they go, but you can download any version of Windows or Office for personal use.)

Thank you for your comments (and concerns)!

So far I haven't stolen anything, all software, included in this CD is available online via simple Google search. I haven't cracked, hacked, stolen and so on anything. My only "guilt" is that I use publicly available services like Google and [www][torrents][to].

I really appreciate your comments about the legality issue regarding Windows 3.11. Some time ago I asked the local Microsoft support in Bulgaria about the license of Windows 98 (if I can use it with illegal license key, as this version is no longer supported by Microsoft) but I haven't received a clear answer yet.

Anyway, I am more interested in continuing my project, rather than redistributing "illegal" software. But somewhere deep in my heart I'd like to keep the games I have included so far. I am white hat, not grey or black.

I'll contact the parties involved (game distributors) in this issue and I will remove all games and other software which is still under some kind of legal license.

Saying that you haven't stolen anything because you found the games through publicly available services like search engines and torrents is like telling the RIAA that you didn't steal any music because you found it on publicly available P2P servers like Kazaa, or telling the police that you didn't you didn't break the law when you bought drugs through an ad that you saw on Craigslist. The internet is full of illegal stuff. Google and BitTorrent are tools, and like any tool, they can be used for good or for evil. I can use a hammer to build a house, or to bash someone's head in. I can use BitTorrent to share a home video I made, or to share Spiderman 3.

When you take programs from unreliable sources like torrent sites and warez sites that you find on Google, you can't always tell if the programs are legal to distribute or not. When you choose to redistribute those programs, you're obliged to find out which programs you can share and which ones you can't because you're placing legal liability on yourself. In P2P terms, as a leecher the RIAA can nail you for stealing, but as a seeder, they can nail you ten times as hard for sharing. In police terms, if you buy drugs you can get a misdemeanor for possession, but if you sell drugs you can get a felony for distributing. What I'm saying here is that you're not likely to get in any trouble for downloading the files because you could always say that you didn't know that it was being distributed illegally. But if you create and market a product, you're responsible to make sure that your product is 100% legal. The ESA or Microsoft will send you nasty letters from their lawyers if they get a whiff of this. If they have reason to believe that you've profited from this project, they could even sue. A small computer store in my city was sued by Microsoft for putting the same copy of Windows on every computer they sold, so don't ever think that your operation is too small to be sued. When you choose to break the law, you have to be prepared for the consequences.

Thank you for this detailed point of view.

I have already contacted (via e-mail) EA, Midway, Blizzard, Activision, 3DRealms and Microsoft as well, regarding the discussed issue. I expressed my good will to all parties to remove any piece of software include in my project if it is claimed to be illegal from their point of view.

Contacting them is fine, but remember that you can't include the games until they ask you to remove them, you have to exclude the games until they allow you to add them. You have to assume that copyrighted software is illegal to distribute until you hear otherwise from the owner.

One game that I'm absolutely appalled that you would include is the full version of Raptor. Do you realize that both the publisher, Apogee/3D Realms, and the developer, Mountain King Studios (formerly Cygnus Studios) still sell that game? You can't even argue that the game has been "abandoned" because it is still being sold! You are literally stealing sales from them. Do you not think that their lawyers will act to protect their distribution rights? If your email to 3D Realms reaches Joe Siegler, I can guarantee that he'll use strong language in his answer of, "No, no way, not in a million years can you distribute our games."

I have removed all downloadable content/links from my site. I need to re-think again my approach for this project.

I fully support your project, as long as it includes only legally distributable content. I was planning to update the Classic DOS Games DVD-ROM to do exactly what you're doing, by having the games pre-installed on the disc. Why don't we work together?