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silly humor - post 'em here! [warning some NSFW and adult content]

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Renegade:
Whoops! That wasn't the "demon" that I meant. I didn't mean to imply anger - merely speed.

TaoPhoenix:
I just saw the news story that the Internet Archive and some other people just released a browser based "Internet Arcade" of old classic games. Leaving aside the copyright licensing / abandonware stuff, the intersection is reminding me of parts of that "thorn in my head", Ludum Dare. Aka brilliant hacks to ultra max what was often then-next-gen hardware because they could afford it for the console, vs that 2-3 day limit in the LD compos.

http://games.slashdot.org/story/14/11/04/0510217/internet-archive-launches-arcade-of-classic-games-in-the-browser
https://archive.org/details/internetarcade
http://ascii.textfiles.com/archives/4419

Those are just raw link posts - I have barely looked at this yet.

I just wanted to chime in for the Silly thread that people over in Slashdot were talking about "Jump the Shark" moments... but wouldn't that be a funny little LD game? You have to control a Fonzie and jump sharks! With lasers! And stuff.

:Thmbsup:

Then again, at 2500 entries per edition of LD, I bet someone already did!

Edvard:
I just saw the news story that the Internet Archive and some other people just released a browser based "Internet Arcade" of old classic games.  Leaving aside the copyright licensing / abandonware stuff,
...
-TaoPhoenix (November 04, 2014, 09:18 PM)
--- End quote ---

But that's the big question here.  HOW did they get license to so many of these?  I mean, it doesn't just play in the browser, you can download the ROM!  Last I checked, it was *ahem* technically illegal to own a ROM except under certain conditions.  I mean, are they just throwing it up there in hopes that MOST of them stick?  Or is this a short-lived experiment in "let's take bets as to how long it'll take before the first DMCA takedown notice gets delivered"?

Either way: So... many... games...

TaoPhoenix:
I just saw the news story that the Internet Archive and some other people just released a browser based "Internet Arcade" of old classic games.  Leaving aside the copyright licensing / abandonware stuff,
...
-TaoPhoenix (November 04, 2014, 09:18 PM)
--- End quote ---

But that's the big question here.  HOW did they get license to so many of these?  I mean, it doesn't just play in the browser, you can download the ROM!  Last I checked, it was *ahem* technically illegal to own a ROM except under certain conditions.  I mean, are they just throwing it up there in hopes that MOST of them stick?  Or is this a short-lived experiment in "let's take bets as to how long it'll take before the first DMCA takedown notice gets delivered"?

Either way: So... many... games...
-Edvard (November 04, 2014, 10:17 PM)
--- End quote ---

Well, trying not to cut myself shaving with Occam's razor, here's a collation a few of the theories floating from the Slashdot thread mixed with my own:

1. It's hosted by the Internet Archive, and not just any ol' Pop & Son outfit who can be scared with a couple of nasty letters. So let's say a big X % of these games are not under license, but through a few corporate layers, there's enough money behind archive.org that other revenue they generate more than outweighs "abuses" like this. For part of this theory, someone pointed out that computer games are much different than most other forms of copyrighted works - classic songs and TV and movies can retain their basic value for a very long time. But with the march of time, nostalgia aside, no one would play these games except for novelty value.

2. Another idea is some kind of "copyright insurance" - suppose they get a silent insurer to switch the burden of copyright chain onto the final record holders rather than themselves. Think of it as a kind of big poker bluff: "Okay, let's just grant the silly notion that a copyrighted work is $300,000 each. But think of the insane prices lawyers charge. Do you *really* want to try to figure out whatever became of Tago Electronics to win your settlement for the game Anteater? After you get done cheering at happy hour, what have you accomplished? Fine. Take one down, pass it around, 899 games left on the wall."

 3. Maybe they somehow used their big money to do some kind of massive bulk purchase saying, "Okay, with a clause that covers subsequent rights owners and flow through, most of these games came from the same twelve companies. So, here's a big chunk of money, because our petty cash numbers in six figures. So can we have these games now?"

The unifying theme is that unlike a Pop & Son team hoping to skate under the radar, archive.org shouldn't be able to just announce a colossal sonic cannon shot like this, looking like it risks copyright armageddon, without some kind of awesome hidden cards in their hand. I just don't know what those are.

IainB:
That CSS/Family Guy animation posted above by @app103 certainly seems very apt. Made me smile anyway.

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