I’m not well versed in C&C, but it’s always good to see more games open sourced.
EA has open sourced Command & Conquer: Red Alert under GPLv3
Submitted 2 months ago by ampersandrew@lemmy.world to games@lemmy.world
https://github.com/electronicarts/CnC_Red_Alert
Comments
egonallanon@lemm.ee 2 months ago
TheImpressiveX@lemm.ee 2 months ago
No matter what you think of EA, this is fantastic news.
ObsidianZed@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Perhaps why this feels like them trying to save face.
kautau@lemmy.world 2 months ago
This feels more like some o.g. Command and conquer devs who have worked at EA for a long time that are passionate about the franchise. There was no big PR release, no product tie in or announcement, no media campaign.
Recovering and restoring the source code for these titles was made possible through the combined efforts of EA technical director Brian Barnes, Respawn producer Jim Vessella, and Luke Feenan, a long-standing member of the C&C community who was involved in the development of the Command & Conquer Remastered Collection.
farcaster@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Open sourcing old games is awesome for video game preservation.
slaacaa@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Yeah, this should be standard practice
GoOnASteamTrain@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
This is brilliant! :) aw, I hope it benefits the OpenRA developers and means more fun things to play eventually :)
Wait… this is EA… are they okay? This is very unlike them
wabafee@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Almost like a mistake?
VindictiveJudge@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I think the old Westwood dev they put in charge of the franchise just doesn’t have any oversight.
turkalino@lemmy.yachts 2 months ago
To use the compiled binaries, you must own the game
Was expecting a catch. Still good for modding I guess
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Open source does not mean that the intellectual property is free. There’s a lot of good that comes from this, and it’s not like those games are expensive.
VindictiveJudge@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Though do also note that of these four, TD and RA1 were already made freeware years ago.
turkalino@lemmy.yachts 2 months ago
I realize. Intellectual property is an icky concept IMO but I know not everyone agrees
Ninmi@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
I’m assuming this is more about art assets. Art is not code and you shouldn’t expect them for free. It’s not a catch.
Jeffool@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Which, in the immediate future, makes me wonder less about the things that are going to be done in code, and more about the creation of a new, free, visual and audio resources that make this work. That seems like quite a noble pursuit.
frezik@midwest.social 2 months ago
Correct. The license (at least, the one I read for Red Alert) is GPLv3 with some additional stuff. The additional stuff is mostly about not using EA trademarks in your version or showing any connection to EA itself. So it appears that a clean room asset swap would be allowed as long as it includes the title screen.
Xatolos@reddthat.com 2 months ago
The entire series is on sale on Steam right now for $6 if that helps.
VindictiveJudge@lemmy.world 2 months ago
That’s only the HD remaster of TD and RA1.
Artyom@lemm.ee 2 months ago
This is a pretty standard affair for open sourced games.
Tezzerets_Tea_Time@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Holy shit, EA did something… Good? I did not have that on my 2025 bingo card. So, what’s the catch? There has to be a catch, right?
finitebanjo@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Short version: You can make free stuff for them but they still own all of it and still require people to purchase a copy to use the derivatives.
frezik@midwest.social 2 months ago
You can make complete conversions with your own assets. That’s basically how old id engines work.
Evotech@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I’m ready for a zero hour remake!
kautau@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Im now just happy that it’s far more likely for a clean 60fps mod that’s not locked behind someone’s patreon
SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world 2 months ago
It’s a kick ass game but some of the tropes didn’t age well.
frezik@midwest.social 2 months ago
The whole premise is “America: Fuck Yeah, The RTS”.
BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 2 months ago
EA ? Did I read right ?
accideath@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Old games being open sourced is a trend I can get behind.
SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Mmmmm pre-standard C++
Adalast@lemmy.world 2 months ago
This is a momentous event. I only wish it had Red Alert 2 in it.
FeelzGoodMan420@eviltoast.org 2 months ago
If it doesn’t then I’m not interested.
NuXCOM_90Percent@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
RENEGADE!!!
theskyisfalling@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Loved Renegade so much. Played the shit out of the MP back in the day.
Jerkface@lemmy.world 2 months ago
That game seemed so underappreciated. I would be thrilled if I could have another LAN party with that game.
TastyWheat@lemmy.world 2 months ago
I hope everyone’s SSDs have enough SPACE
DoucheBagMcSwag@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
SPAAEUUCE
frezik@midwest.social 2 months ago
When I first played Red Alert, it was on a computer with a 6.4GB hard drive, and I had no idea how to fill up that much space at the time. I think we’ll be fine.
harmsy@lemmy.world 2 months ago
SPGHGHAAIGHGHSSSE!!! is literally the only thing I know about Command & Conquer.
sunglocto@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 months ago
Broken clock
9point6@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Well I’m very excited to see the injection of life this hopefully gives c&c modding
I wonder how many of the old guard are still around, I’m glad the cncnet project is still going strong
DontMakeMoreBabies@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Fuck EA but cool move - if they keep being not shit for long enough I might consider their products again.
Doubt they can keep it up.
TheFonz@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Is Tiberian Sun included!!!??
VindictiveJudge@lemmy.world 2 months ago
No. The repo has Tiberian Dawn, Red Alert 1, Generals with Zero Hour, Renegade, and components for the HD ports of TD and RA1 they put out a few years ago.
NikkiDimes@lemmy.world 2 months ago
AY YO RENEGADE!?
Animated_beans@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Yes, if you click the link, it takes you to the EA github amd you can see folders for all included games
boxfulloffoxes@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
From what I’ve read/know, the source for Tiberian Sun and Red Alert 2 were lost a while ago. Doesn’t mean it can’t be reverse engineered at some point, but it’s challenging. I’d LOVE for those to be next though!
Scavenger_Solardaddy@lemmy.ml 2 months ago
I heard so, yes.
Ledericas@lemm.ee 2 months ago
dont people already make seperate MODS for each anyways, for them anyways,.
MITM0@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Lemmchen@feddit.org 2 months ago
If I had to guess, I’d say it’s some write-off move. A bit like Epic Games released all Paragon assets after they canceled the game.
ILikeBoobies@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
Epic released those to add value to their engine not as a write off
EA released this to boost Steam Workshop content - which would boost sales - not as a write off
wizzor@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
As I understand accounting, you really don’t need to do stuff like this to write off your assets.
I’m not saying there isn’t a cynical corporate reason for doing this but I doubt this is it.
Montagge@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
Abusers will often buy gifts to placate the victim. It’s a cheap and empty move that changes nothing in the end. Do not be fooled.
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Are you okay? They open sourced some classic video games. They didn’t roofie your drink.
Montagge@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
Go ahead and fall for their PR campaign. You wouldn’t be the first and you won’t be the last.
JusticeForPorygon@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 months ago
I’m sorry but comparing this to domestic abuse is just insane
Montagge@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
It’s literally the exact same tactic
hornedfiend@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
EA doesn’t open source old games: EA are scum and anti-consumer.
EA open sources old games: EA are scum and anti-consumer.
If it’s good it must be bad, right?
Montagge@lemmy.zip 2 months ago
That’s correct
BuboScandiacus@mander.xyz 2 months ago
I am under the impression that lemmy is more negative than reddit
smeg@feddit.uk 2 months ago
People are people; I feel we’ve generally got quite a good vibe going on so don’t let the grumps bring you down!
DicJacobus@lemmy.world 2 months ago
its odd that they open sourced Generals and the first CNC and Red Alert, but nothing in between.
CNC3 was my favorite, and I’ll die on that hill . but RA2 was obivously the fan favorite, and Tiberian Sun had probably the best atmosphere
LastYearsIrritant@sopuli.xyz 2 months ago
Sometimes licenses get in the way, it’s possible they bought em engine or tech from a 3rd party and don’t have the legal standing (or don’t know if they do or not) to release the source.
DicJacobus@lemmy.world 2 months ago
someone else here suggested that the source code for TS/RA2 was lost. which wouldnt surprise me.
These are games that were made when and before the Zoomers were being born. they are ancient by most people’s standards.
x00z@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Holy shit.
I hope they opensource Dungeon Keeper.
polle@feddit.org 2 months ago
Can you say why? The opensource project is already insanely good.
x00z@lemmy.world 2 months ago
To make the opensource project even better! :P
The compiler has optimized the rendering engine too much to be decompiled into any useable code. Somebody is working on Linux and 64bit support which will need to have this completely rewritten. github.com/dkfans/…/bflib_render_gpoly.c
The maintainer of KeeperFX told me that EA does not have the original code anymore though.
IndustryStandard@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Finally someone can fix Twilight Flame
Ghyste@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
SplashJackson@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
It’s about thyme!
joyjoy@lemm.ee 2 months ago
They’re still requiring EA Access or $6 for the bundle on steam.
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Correct. Doom and Quake still cost money as well.
Punchshark@lemmy.ca 2 months ago
Who cares. EA sucks balls
ampersandrew@lemmy.world 2 months ago
Not when they do this.
simple@lemm.ee 2 months ago
Rare EA win
Klear@sh.itjust.works 2 months ago
Are they trying to become the not most hated studio? The bar is pretty low these days…
frezik@midwest.social 2 months ago
I feel like at some point, EA became the least hated major studio by staying exactly where they were. The rest of the industry zoomed past them.