Re: EA Released More C&C Source Codes & C&C updates!

On Fri, 28 Feb 2025 05:46:17 +0000, ant@zimage.comANT (Ant) wrote:

https://cncnz.com/cc-news-update-for-tuc-steam-release-of-ta-source-codes-and-archived-videos/ & https://www.reddit.com/r/commandandconquer/comments/1izkcaj/ea_released_105_update_for_command_conquer/

All my nattering on about "Sole Survivor" aside... the fact that EA is
actually releasing the source code is somewhat amazing and I have to
wonder what's behind it. Usually EA sits on its IP -whether the
settings or the code- like corpulent dragon on its hoard, and this
sort of generosity is almost disquieting. Is it a sign that the
company is turning over a new leaf? A marketing gimmick to promote
some new C&C game coming out? An olive-branch to make the company look
good ahead of something awful they're about to do? Whatever it is, it
makes me nervous, waiting for the next shoe to drop, rather than
joyful. (Such is the reputation EA has created for itself).

Of course, it's just the code that is open sourced, and not the actual
content. If you actually want to play these games (legally), you'll
still need to pay EA for the privilege. But that doesn't mean that
their beneficence is without benefit. For one thing, it makes it a lot
easier for fans to port the game to new platforms (or adapt it to the
constantly changing Windows API). And it utterly unshackles the game
from any DRM. If you have the data-files and an open-source
executable, there's nothing EA can do to stop you from playing this
game in 2052, if that's what you want. So this frees the game from the
usual forced-scarcity shenanigans that too many publishers use to make
players only buy their newest games.

So, thank you Electronic Arts, for this gift. It really is quite nice.
But you'll pardon me if I look askance wondering at the reasoning
behind it.