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Why did Bioware stop printing Planescape?

Discussion in 'Planescape: Torment (Classic)' started by Sepaen Thunderbow, May 9, 2003.

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  1. Sepaen Thunderbow Gems: 1/31
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    Remove all ads!
    Why in the heck did Bioware stop printing Planescape? That really breaks my back. Why do off with a great product? They could have at least allowed free downloading of it. Does anyone know why they took it out of print? And, is there a downloadable version? And, when does the copyright expire? THANX for your responses...
     
    Sepaen Thunderbow, May 9, 2003
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  2. Platter

    Platter Can I buy you a tankard or two, lad? Veteran

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    Interplay didn't mention why.
     
    Platter, May 9, 2003
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  3. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    1. BioWare did not make PS:T. Black Isle Studios did.

    2. There is no downloadable or free version. Copyright on all games holds for 95 years.

    3. They (BIS/Interplay) took its website down and stopped printing it because their license agreement with Infogrames required them to.

    See this part:

    TORMENT. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Licensee shall have six months from the date of this Fourth Amendment to sell off any existing inventory of TORMENT products, and all currently existing contracts covering the exploitation of Torment products shall be entitled to run until the end of their respective terms, but in no event shall any such terms run past December 31, 2002 (except with respect to the Universal Distribution Agreement, as described in Paragraph 8 below, which shall not run beyond December 31, 2003 with respect to TORMENT products; provided, however, that in the event Universal/Vivendi ceases distribution of TORMENT products prior to December 31, 2003, then Interplay's rights thereto shall concurrently terminate).
     
    Taluntain, May 9, 2003
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  4. Iago Gems: 24/31
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    Well, then I can deem myself happy to have a copy. But what was the reasoning behind this licence agreement ? Money, didn't Torment sell enough and Interplay couldn't afford what Infogrames would have demanded for prolonging the licence ? Or was it some malicious intend by Infogrames ? Or does it just make no sense anymore to distribute the game, so they let it die ?
     
    Iago, May 9, 2003
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  5. Sephiroth Gems: 14/31
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    Does that mean, that you can't buy PS:T in any shop? The only chance to get it, would than be to buy it second hand, or burn it...
     
    Sephiroth, May 9, 2003
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  6. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    You can buy it as back stock - if you can find any shops that still carry it. And you can get it in a pack with Fallout+BG1 from SP.

    What was the reason behind that agreement change is unknown to me... But legal issues are on the schedule all the time with such large game distributors.
     
    Taluntain, May 9, 2003
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  7. Greenlion420 Gems: 8/31
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    for those of us in the U.S. you can still find a few copies of torment packaged with soulbringer at most BestBuy stores for around $10.00.

    Oops, if you can get it though S.P. (sorry Tal :o ) then forget BestBuy. :)
     
    Greenlion420, May 10, 2003
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  8. Extremist Gems: 31/31
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    Seems that Interplay's losing of the license on more BG games for PC and anything related to Torment (except the support) was a part of settling disputes with Bioware and/or Infogrames.
    I'll quote a certain info on it here:
    That is not fiction, actually you may read here why there is no more official Torment site by a certain Interplay employee: http://forums.interplay.com/viewtopic.php?t=20660

    Also, I dare to say that it can be a "lost" link on the problem why Feargus Urquhart left BIS.
    Anyone remembers his words about possible Torment2?
     
    Extremist, May 10, 2003
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  9. Jesper898 Gems: 21/31
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    I'd say it is their own fault if people for example download PST from Kazaa or some other P2P program.
     
    Jesper898, May 12, 2003
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  10. Iago Gems: 24/31
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    Given the legal situation there in, I don't see why they even would care, if the game gets downloaded from the internet. I don't think, that Black Isle would disagree with someone downloading it. Seems to me, the game has been taken away from them. Bioware is maybe going to make a fuss about it.
     
    Iago, May 12, 2003
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  11. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    Why would BioWare make a fuss about it? They had nothing to do with the game, short of supplying the engine which BIS heavily modified. And BioWare is under Infogrames', or should I say Atari's wing now. The dropping of Torment was to settle a lawsuit with Infogrames.
     
    Taluntain, May 12, 2003
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  12. trillex Gems: 13/31
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    So, when the all the stores have been sold out with PS-T.. will it be gone forever? :eek:

    I'm glad I bought the game when I did.
     
    trillex, May 13, 2003
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  13. Sir Belisarius

    Sir Belisarius Viconia's Boy Toy Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder

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    Sir Belisarius, May 14, 2003
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  14. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    Yep, once the stores sell it out you won't be able to buy it new anywhere. Unless you find it on eBay, or Amazon Marketplace or whatever. But that's really the way with most games.
     
    Taluntain, May 14, 2003
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  15. Greenlion420 Gems: 8/31
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    o.k. kind of :yot: and i know we shouldn't but are the c.d.'s copy protected, can't we just burn 'em? it's not fair that Sir B. hasen't played the game, and won't be able to if it's discontinued. as far as P2P sites go, they suck i hardly ever get what i actually want and usually get a virus instead or someone trying to hack my non-hackable comp. :D
     
    Greenlion420, May 14, 2003
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  16. Sir Belisarius

    Sir Belisarius Viconia's Boy Toy Distinguished Member ★ SPS Account Holder

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    [​IMG] I'll live...I still haven't finished Throne of Bhaal!
     
    Sir Belisarius, May 14, 2003
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  17. L Gems: 6/31
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    It was reviewed in PC Gamer this current issue, as a rerelease on budget. This time at £5.
     
    L, May 14, 2003
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  18. Extremist Gems: 31/31
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    [​IMG] Sir Bel, PST is not ToB. It is "one of a kind" game. You won't live!
     
    Extremist, May 15, 2003
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  19. The Soul Forever Seeking Gems: 10/31
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    Wait a minute... are ANY games more than 95 years old? That thought wandered into my head just now.
     
    The Soul Forever Seeking, May 15, 2003
    #19
  20. Taluntain

    Taluntain Resident Alpha and Omega Staff Member ★ SPS Account Holder Resourceful Adored Veteran Pillars of Eternity SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) New Server Contributor [2012] (for helping Sorcerer's Place lease a new, more powerful server!) Torment: Tides of Numenera SP Immortalizer (for helping immortalize Sorcerer's Place in the game!) BoM XenForo Migration Contributor [2015] (for helping support the migration to new forum software!)

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    [​IMG] 95 years after the release a game goes into public domain, meaning anyone can do whatever they want with it. (More or less.) It's similar as with books. And no, obviously no games are that old yet. Of course, the problem with games is that 95 years after their release there probably won't even be any emulators around that could play them.

    And no, you're still not allowed to discuss copying games here. Bel himself provided a link where you could buy a bunch of them. So if you really wanted to, there certainly is a way for you to buy it. Used, but still.
     
    Taluntain, May 15, 2003
    #20
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