How about a sticky or link section with abandoned games and/or classic game remakes that must be downloaded from the publisher's website? The great games listed below can only be downloaded from a specific source or they are remakes which you don't want to host here.

Another World/Out of this World (updated 1024x768 updated graphics WinXP version)
King Quest 1 and 2 (updated VGA graphics)
Grand Theft Auto 1 & 2
Hidden and Dangerous
Cinemaware series of games (It Came from the Desert, Defender of the Crown, and etc.)
Tribes 2
Ground Control

Take it with a grain of salt it is just a suggestion

I second the motion.  Maybe there can be a seperate web page for those links, not just a sticky in the forums.
The games must already be COMPLETED though - no links to sites for games in progress.

Why not just put a link to the official download page on the game's own page, that would make it a lot easier.


_________________
Some things disturb me, but they won't go away! Make them go away! *slumbers off, not looking back*

Platypus wrote:

Why not just put a link to the official download page on the game's own page, that would make it a lot easier.

True, but I'm also wondering why games like that should be uploaded in the first place.  Unless there's a game which no longer has a home website, there's no reason to bother uploading it and then waste bandwith with people downloading the file from here.  (Freeware games without a home website should be credited with contribution points.   )

Or how about having a seperate page for the freeware game site links and also links for sites/pages that have something interesting about gaming stuff?  Instead of allowing everyone to post a link, we could have it so that a site link must be petitioned in the Contributions forum, and then a moderater adds the link to the page if it's deemed useful.

codecruncher wrote:

True, but I'm also wondering why games like that should be uploaded in the first place.  Unless there's a game which no longer has a home website, there's no reason to bother uploading it and then waste bandwith with people downloading the file from here.  (Freeware games without a home website should be credited with contribution points.   )

Grades has said a few times before that a freeware section might be added someday in the future, but I don't think it's top priority. Freeware is not abandonware afterall.

codecruncher wrote:

Or how about having a seperate page for the freeware game site links and also links for sites/pages that have something interesting about gaming stuff?  Instead of allowing everyone to post a link, we could have it so that a site link must be petitioned in the Contributions forum, and then a moderater adds the link to the page if it's deemed useful.

A seperate page seems a bit off to me... But anyway, this would simply add another category to the contributions which could be called "Official download links".


_________________
Some things disturb me, but they won't go away! Make them go away! *slumbers off, not looking back*

Platypus wrote:

A seperate page seems a bit off to me... But anyway, this would simply add another category to the contributions which could be called "Official download links".

Yeah, I guess so.  But maybe having a page or something in the forums for links to interesting  gaming articles would be nice.  Say, for example that you found a web page on some site that has instructions for making a PS2 to PC controller adapter.  You know, anything interesting about gaming; Not just links to other abandonware places.

The links could be under the title "Interesting Articles," or maybe: "Interesting articles for people who are too lazy to search for interesting stuff on their own"  

This is a waste of time as the biggest majority of visitors to CGN only bother coming to the forums when they can't download a game, have problems with one they've downloaded or just to bitch because we don't have game X available to download even though there's a comment explaining the game is ESA protected or being sold.

Leaving things the way they are with a link to the original site is the easiest and best way of dealing with this.


_________________
Official CGN title: Keeper of the Lists:

New ISO's: http://forum.classic-gaming.net/viewtopic.php?t=670
Warez list: http://forum.classic-gaming.net/viewtopic.php?t=309
CGN has these games: http://forum.classic-gaming.net/viewtopic.php?t=130

brokendownflier wrote:

This is a waste of time as the biggest majority of visitors to CGN only bother coming to the forums when they can't download a game, have problems with one they've downloaded or just to bitch because we don't have game X available to download even though there's a comment explaining the game is ESA protected or being sold.

Leaving things the way they are with a link to the original site is the easiest and best way of dealing with this.

Well, that's that then.  
You know what's weird?  The ratio of message views to message posting seem rather high for the Community Boards section.  You would think that most people wouldn't even bother looking in that section at all, since the majority of messages are about site problems and uploading...

Also, considering the number of forums members, the number of posts is really thin.  I mean, why do people even bother to register in the forums when they aren't going to post anything?

Page views are misleading.  Don't forget each time you view a topic you've created, posted in, or edit your own posts then that adds one page view.  I'd estimate that half of the page views for the Wares list to be from my adding to it.  


_________________
Official CGN title: Keeper of the Lists:

New ISO's: http://forum.classic-gaming.net/viewtopic.php?t=670
Warez list: http://forum.classic-gaming.net/viewtopic.php?t=309
CGN has these games: http://forum.classic-gaming.net/viewtopic.php?t=130

brokendownflier wrote:

Page views are misleading.  Don't forget each time you view a topic you've created, posted in, or edit your own posts then that adds one page view.  I'd estimate that half of the page views for the Wares list to be from my adding to it.  

It's a shame that there aren't more people who make use of the forums for non-site related stuff.
Although, it sure beats holyfile.com's forums.  They spam THEMSELVES over there.  I mean, every message in all of the sections go like this: "We have the xxxxxx game online here!  Feel free to discuss this program here!"
That's sad.

Quote:

Grades has said a few times before that a freeware section might be added someday in the future, but I don't think it's top priority. Freeware is not abandonware afterall.

when game are getting old some producer choose to change their game to freeware .. others just forget about it
but they are not that much different both are still old games

  by the way, there are already few freeware games on the site

True, but that doesn't automatically mean that new ones will be added at this time, but I'll let Grades decide on that matter.


_________________
Some things disturb me, but they won't go away! Make them go away! *slumbers off, not looking back*

We prefer not to host freeware games which are freely available on other servers. Please think of those poor hamsters running in their threadmill to power our network card

Yes those hamsters have already gone on strike a couple times.  So has the one powering the hard drives.


_________________
Official CGN title: Keeper of the Lists:

New ISO's: http://forum.classic-gaming.net/viewtopic.php?t=670
Warez list: http://forum.classic-gaming.net/viewtopic.php?t=309
CGN has these games: http://forum.classic-gaming.net/viewtopic.php?t=130

By the way, I'm thinking of adding a new file type: External download link.
This should solve the entire freeware dispute