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[Acid-Kun]

Blast... oh well, guess I just have to wait a year or two Thanks for finding out.

[JimmyBlackwing]

To start this off, I am aware that the game is still sold by CD-ROM Access. Before going further, I must point out that this site may very well be selling illegal reproductions of the game--my limited searches have shown that every other game on their site has either very few copies available, or none at all. Why, then, would they have 400 copies of a game so unknown that it has sold around 54 copies in the last 5 years? Not only that, but 400 jewel case-only copies, when Terra Nova, as far as I know, never had a jewel case release. To top it off, they couldn't have ordered a shipment of 400+ copies, as Looking Glass (sole developer, publisher and license holder) folded in 2000, while the first Wayback listing for Terra Nova's CD-ROM Access page only dates back to January 2001. It doesn't make much sense unless you assume that they are selling illegal reproductions. Since I didn't find any Abandonia policy about online stores selling unofficial copies, I decided to post a request, and let you decide for yourselves if the game is abandonware.

Terra Nova was developed and published by Looking Glass Studios, and it is among the first tactical first-person shooters ever. It's difficult to find versions of the game on the Internet, but there are non-ISO downloads under 40 MB. These lack cutscenes and possibly speech, however. In all, it might be possible to get a version of the game under 40 MB, and definitely under 100 MB, depending on what files you left in, and what compression type you used. It's a great game worthy of being on Abandonia, even without cutscenes and speech--also, the story is a bit on the thin side, so its removal would not make that much of a difference. If it's decided that the game is not yet abandonware, I think it at least deserves a page on the site with a review and screenshots, like many "Sold" games have. Your decision, though.

[velik_m]

They have many copies because it was a major bust (one of the reason the company folded).

Let me direct you to the Looking Glass Studio fan site: www.ttlg.com. Check their forums.

Also this might be a good time to get yourself familiar with bittorrent.

[JimmyBlackwing]

Yes, I know it was a bust, but how does that explain this small, no-name online store getting 450-500 copies of it a year after Looking Glass died? TN was a 1996 game, so it's doubtful that LG would have even had that many copies left over if they had survived that long. Oh, and I don't want TN for myself--I already have it. I'm just saying that it would be an excellent addition to the site. k:

[velik_m]

They made lots of copies, they sold little of them, there's a lot of them left. What's so hard to understand?

I guess they could've used them for landfill, like atari games in the 80s.

[JimmyBlackwing]

Sure, they sold very few copies, but why would they keep 450-500+ copies of a complete bomb for 4 years? And why would a small online store get them all a year after LG died? LG would have sent them to a retail liquidator, or just thrown them all away, like most companies do. CD-ROM Access, even today, is not a very well-known site--there is no reason for Looking Glass to have unloaded any copies onto them, even if there were any left over. Also, why would they keep 500 copies sitting around for a year before listing them, even if LG had unloaded them on them? And why did only one online store get a bunch of copies, instead of LG splitting them up amongst several stores? And why are all 400 copies missing their boxes, when Terra Nova never had a jewel case-only release? It just doesn't add up.

Also, I'll have you know that it's very, very easy to make a copy of Terra Nova--I've done it myself. To make that many copies, they'd need little more than a bunch of jewel cases and blank CDs, a CD press, a printer and time. Plus, Terra Nova is among the most abandoned games in recent history, with the sole developer, publisher and distributer being bankrupt for 7 years, and the license never being bought by another company. The trademark even expired a few years ago, if I remember correctly. With no one to stop them, why wouldn't they do it? It makes too much sense.

[The Fifth Horseman]

Also, I'll have you know that it's very, very easy to make a copy of Terra Nova--I've done it myself. To make that many copies, they'd need little more than a bunch of jewel cases and blank CDs, a CD press, a printer and time. Plus, Terra Nova is among the most abandoned games in recent history, with the sole developer, publisher and distributer being bankrupt for 7 years, and the license never being bought by another company. The trademark even expired a few years ago, if I remember correctly. With no one to stop them, why wouldn't they do it? It makes too much sense.[/b]

Yes, but CDAccess may have bought them on a clearance sale for all we know, and unless proven otherwise we have to continue to assume CDAccess being a valid distributor.

This said, I agree that your claims do seem to have a point. If you manage to provide more substantial proof that CDAccess is selling counterfeit copies, they might even get shut down by ESA (for obvious reasons).

[JimmyBlackwing]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(the_fifth_horseman @ Jun 25 2007, 11:55 AM) [snapback]296235[/snapback]</div>

Yes, but CDAccess may have bought them on a clearance sale for all we know, and unless proven otherwise we have to continue to assume CDAccess being a valid distributor.

This said, I agree that your claims do seem to have a point. If you manage to provide more substantial proof that CDAccess is selling counterfeit copies, they might even get shut down by ESA (for obvious reasons).
[/b]

Ok. It might be tricky, but I'll try. I'll post again in this thread when/if I find anything.

[The Fifth Horseman]

Good luck.

[gregor]

ehm putting CD Access out of business would release tons of games...

there is a good point that company is not alive and no one holds the rights anymore. there is just one site that is selling copies of the game. and even that ones, according to Jimmy, are suspicious.