Request Rules & Important information - READ BEFORE POSTING HERE!!!

[The Fifth Horseman]

Welcome to Abandonia's Requests forum. In this section you can request for a game to be uploaded on Abandonia provided it's abandonware. What follows is a list of rules which will explain what constitutes "Abandonware" and what do we refer to as "protected" games.

This forum is not to be used for asking people to recommend games to you. Use Favorite Oldies and Newbies (http://www.abandonia.com/forum/index.php?showforum=1) for that purpose.

BASIC RULES
Name your thread with the title of the game you wish to request.
Only request ONE game per topic.
The game archives should not exceed 150 MB. (Rips are allowed).
Note: The size limit is arbitrary. Updaters and Administrators can make exceptions to it as they consider appropriate.

AUTOMATICALLY REJECTED KINDS OF REQUESTS
Warez (ie recent games that are clearly not abandonware). Breaking this rule - especially when offering such game - can result in a temporary or permanent ban.
Any non-PC games
Freeware.
Freeware belongs on our sister site Abandonia Reloaded (http://www.reloaded.org/). This only goes for games that were freeware from the very beginning - formerly commercial titles re-released as freeware are welcome on both sites.
Any game with explicit sexual content
Demos / trials / shareware. Exceptions to this have been made, but they're decided on by the staff - not by user request.
Games already on Abandonia but Protected or Sold. These games are not downloadable for a reason. If you find a game listed as protected when it's not (eg the copyright holder has left ESA), or as sold when the store linked to has ran out of copies, contact an admin.
Utilities
Generic requests (ie "I want more adventure games!"). This forum is for requesting specific games and/or series only.

[The Fifth Horseman]

WHAT IS ABANDONWARE

On Abandonia, a game is considered abandonware ...

1. If the game is NOT being sold from official sources.
Steam, GOG, Stardock and any other site that directly pays the publisher - NOT second hand sales (eBay, most of Amazon Marketplace, etc.)

2. If no-one will object to us hosting the game.
If any publisher or holder of copyrights to a particular game objects, it will be taken down.

3. If the game is no longer supported.

Note that if the copyright owner has released a formerly commercial game as Freeware, it can be added to Abandonia regardless if it would be otherwise Protected, Sold or whatnot.

WHAT IS NOT ABANDONWARE

1. Games that are still officially being sold.
This includes re-releases and compilations. Modified re-releases (such as Warcraft II: Battle.Net Edition) count as the same game unless they've been subjected to significant changes content- and engine- wise.

2. Games that are still being supported.
This means that the publisher or developer will still support the game. This can be by having patches on their site, by answering questions regarding the game or any other service involving the game.

3. Games that are actively protected by the copyright owners.
We automatically consider some owners to maintain an active interest in protecting their games (ie Cease & Desisting any site that attempts to offer the games for download) for a certain period of time. The ESA section below explains the details.

4. Games that are simply "old".
Age alone IS NOT a defining factor, period.

HOW TO CHECK IF A GAME IS ABANDONWARE ?
This can be tricky at times, so here is an outline of the procedure in the order it should be done:

1. Mobygames (http://www.mobygames.com/) and Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/)
Verify facts like original PC release date, publisher, developer, etc.

2. Wikipedia's list of commercial games released as freeware (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_commercial_games_released_as_freeware)
Freeware status trumps protected/sold/supported statuses

3. Check the list of companies below.

4. Check online stores to see if any still sell it
Google will be a big help here - make sure to check as many stores as possible and don't forget compilations also count. (our custom Google search (http://google.com/coop/cse?cx=018422327951623939841%3A62oba5t3tks) should be helpful in that regard)

5. Check the website of the publisher/developer.
If they still offer technical support for the game, it is not abandonware.

[The Fifth Horseman]

LIST OF PROTECTED COMPANIES
Some companies consider keeping tight control of their copyrights to be Very Serious Business™ and will stomp heavily on anyone who offers the games they own for download. We DON'T want to piss them off - receiving a notice to remove all games owned by a specific company within 48 hours or suffer legal consequences (in layman's terms: lawsuit) is not very pleasant and we would prefer to never get one again, thankyouverymuch.

1. ESA
Who are they and what do they do?
The ESA (or Entertainment Software Association) (http://www.theesa.com/) protects games of its members and subsidiaries. Subsidiaries are companies owned or supported by its members (for example Maxis is a subsidiary of Electronic Arts).

How does this affect Abandonia?
On Abandonia, we employ certain rules regarding ESA members & subsidiaries. Some have unlimited protection (meaning all their games are protected indefinitely) while others have limited protection (meaning games older than X years are unprotected).

What are their members and subsidiaries?
The following list are all known ESA companies and their subsidiaries.
Black: 10 year protection
Blue: 15 year protection
Red: unlimited protection
#: subsidiary
##: subsidiary owned by several ESA members
345 Games

505 Games
Capcom
# K2 Co., Ltd.
Deep Silver
Disney Interactive Studios
# Avalanche Software LLC
# Black Rock Studio
# Buena Vista Games, Inc.
# Disney Interactive
# Fall Line Studio
# Junction Point Studios
# Propaganda Games
# Walt Disney Computer Software, Inc.
# Wideload Games
Electronic Arts
# Bullfrog
# Bioware Corp.
# Crack Dot Com
# Criterion Games
# EA Black Box (Black Box Games)
# EA Digital Illusions (Digital Illusions CE AB, DICE)
# EA Games
# EA Mythic (Mythic Entertainment)
# EA Phenomic (Phenomic Game Development)
# EA Sports
# EA Sports BIG
# EA Store
# EA Tiburon (Tiburon Entertainment)
# Kesmai Corporation (Gamestorm)
# Max Design GesMBH
# Maxis
# Origin
# Pandemic Studios
# Westwood Studios
Epic Games
# Chair Entertainment
# People Can Fly
Her Interactive
Ignition Entertainment
# UTV Software Communications
Konami Digital Entertainment
# Hudson Soft
Microsoft Corporation
# Ensemble Studios
# FASA Studio
# Lionhead Studios
# Rare, Ltd.
Namco Bandai Games, Inc
# Banpresto Co., Ltd.
# Namco Tales Studio (Wolf Team)
Natsume Inc.
Nexon America
# NDOORS Corporation
Nintendo
# HAL Laboratory
# Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd.
# Monolith Soft
# Retro Studios
NVIDIA
O-Games, Inc.
SEGA
# Hitmaker (Sega AM-3)
# Overworks
# SegaSoft
# Sega Wow
# Smilebit
# Sonic Team
# Sports Interactive
# The Creative Assembly
# United Game Artists
# Wow Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment
# Evolution Studios
# Guerilla Games (Lost Boys Games)
# Incognito Entertainment
# Naughty Dog
# Polyphony Digital
# Psygnosis
# Zipper Interactive
Square Enix, Inc
# Beautiful Game Studios
# Core Design
# Crystal Dynamics
# Domark
# Eidos Interactive
# IO Interactive
# Sales Curve Interactive
# SCI Entertainment Group PLC
# Stainless Games Ltd.
# Taito Corporation
# U.S. Gold
Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc
# 2K Games
# Firaxis Games
# Frog City Software
# Gathering of Developers
# Gotham Games
# Indie Built (Access Software)
# Irrational Games
# Kush Games
# neo Software Produktions GmbH
# PopTop Software
# Rockstar Games
# TalonSoft (part of rights currently owned by Matrix Games, non-ESA)
Tecmo Koei
# KOEI Co.
# Omega Force
# Tecmo Ltd.
# Team Ninja
# Team Tachyon
Trion World Network, Inc.
Ubisoft Entertainment
# Blue Byte
# Nadeo
# Red Storm Entertainment, Inc
# Related Designs Software GmbH
# Sinister Games
# Strategic Simulations, Inc.
# Sunflowers Interactive Entertainment Software
# Wolfpack Studios
Warner Bros. Interactive Entertaiment, Inc
# Monolith Productions
# NetherRealm Studios (Midway Chicago)
# Rocksteady Studios
# Snowblind Studios
# Surreal Software
# TT Games
# Turbine, Inc.
XSEED Games
## 3DO Company, The
### New World Computing
### Cyclone Studios
### Archetype Interactive2. Companies with unlimited protection
Games released by the following the companies are ALWAYS considered to be protected:


Bethesda Softworks
# Flashpoint Productions
Eutechnyx
LucasArts
# LucasFilm
Team17 Software Limited
Webfoot TechnologiesCOMPANIES NO LONGER UNDER PROTECTION

As of May 2008, several major companies have opted out of their ESA membership. The following companies are no longer considered under ESA protection (LucasArts/LucasFilm games are still off-limits):

Activision, Inc
# Infocom
# Vicarious Visions
id Software
LucasArts
# LucasFilm
Vivendi Universal Games
# Black Label Games
# Blizzard Entertainment
# Davidson & Associates
# Dynamix
# Fox Interactive
# Game Arts Co., Ltd.
# Impressions Games
# Interplay
# inXile Entertainment
# Knowledge Adventure
# Majesco
# Massive Entertainment
# Mythic Entertainment
# Sierra Entertainment
NovaLogic, Inc
Wild Tangent
Atari / Infogrames is no longer present on the list of ESA member companies. Codemasters left ESA sometime in October 2008, which we failed to observe at the time.
As of November 2009, following companies are no longer considered under ESA protection:

Infogrames Entertainment
# Atari
# Accolade
# Beam Software
# Cavedog Entertainment
# FormGen
# Gremlin Interactive Ltd.
# GT Interactive
# Hasbro Interactive
# Humongous Inc.
# Humongous Entertainment
# I-Motion
# Time Warner Interactive
# Medalist International
# MicroProse
# Ocean
# Spectrum Holobyte
Codemasters
As of August 2011, following companies are no longer considered under ESA protection:

Crave Entertainment
# Lobotomy Software
Playlogic Entertainment Inc.
MTV Games
Realtime Worlds Ltd.
Seven45 Studios
Slang
SouthPeak Interactive Corporation
# Gamecock Media Group

Former ESA member subsidiaries sold to non-ESA ownership:
# Awesome Studios
# Broderbund
# Ignition Banbury
# Mattel Interactive
# MECC
# Red Orb Entertainment
# Software Toolworks, The
# The Learning Company


Companies erroneously listed as subsidiaries of ESA members:
# Mindscape
## Coktel Vision


Here is a list of titles acquired by Matrix Games from TalonSoft in 2006 (which are consequently not owned by Take-Two):
Age of Sail (NOT Age of Sail II !)
Battleground 1 - Bulge-Ardennes
Battleground 2 - Gettysburg
Battleground 3 - Waterloo
Battleground 4 - Shiloh
Battleground 5 - Antietam
Battleground 6 - Napoleon in Russia
Battleground 7 - Bull Run
Battleground 8 - Prelude to Waterloo
Battleground 9 - Chickamauga
Campaigns Series: Divided Ground: Middle East Conflict
Campaigns Series: East Front
Campaigns Series: East Front II
Campaigns Series: East Front II: Fall of the Reich
Campaigns Series: Rising Sun
Campaigns Series: Rising Sun: Imperial Strike
Campaigns Series: West Front
Campaigns Series: West Front: Battle Pack
Campaigns Series: West Front: Sea Lion
Gary Grigsby's 12 O'clock High: Bombing the Reich
Gary Grigsby's Battle of Britain
Operational Art of War II: Modern Battles 1956 - 2000
Operational Art of War Vol. 1
Operational Art of War Vol. 2: Flashpoint Kosovo
Operational Art of War: Century of Warfare
Operational Art of War: Clash of Eagles

As of 2013, due to THQ's bankrupcy, the following companies' properties are no longer considered subject to ESA protection unless determined otherwise:
THQ, Inc
# Blue Tongue Entertainment
# Kaos Studios
# Locomotive Games
# Mass Media, Inc.
# Midway Studios (San Diego)
# Outrage Entertainment
# Paradigm Entertaiment
# Rainbow Arts
# Relic Entertaiment
# Valusoft
# Vigil Games
# Volition Inc

[The Fifth Horseman]

As a result of voting among members of the staff, effective immediately:

Partially discounted:
Amazon Marketplace is no longer counted as a valid source. Titles sold by Amazon itself are still counted as valid sales ("Fulfilled by Amazon" qualifies as such).
Titles sold on Amazon Marketplace by confirmed direct representatives of the publisher are still counted as valid sales.Play.com is no longer counted as a valid source, excluding as noted above. To avoid confusion: Items sold by Play.com itself have a visible "BUY" button and a statement "In Stock / Sold by Play.com" underneath the price
Completely discounted:
CDAccess is no longer counted as a valid source.
Purplus is no longer counted as a valid source.
Specialty Software is no longer counted as a valid source.

This means a lot of games will lose their "sold" status shortly, and a large number of formerly rejected requests might be approved.