Revive lost games.

[xCyberFang]

im wanting to do this, there are some games that were once created by someone and then abandoned, like for example LedZepps and his ZuneHero, i am wanting to help out revive these games as its happened so much where a game gets made and they promise us an update yet they just leave us. im wanting to help by breaking open ccgames, or at least distribute the source to someone, or improve it and repackage it like i did the Crates game, one thing i want to say first is the creator must have at least 2-3months of inactivity.

im still thinking about weather or not i should do this.
i understand that people have a right to keep their source closed to a point, but at least have the ability to repackage it as an xna 3.0 game.

so what does everyone think about this? oh and no i wont be teaching anyone how to do this anytime soon. also another question before is asked is no i wont do games like velgards, as dinogames is still active =P.

Ok, to people who think i can not do this...

anyways like i was saying.. heres a simple idea of what im planning on doing, if you check it you will see clear proof that i have edited it, and the game was originally as a closed source. he didnt send me it because he died right before i asked about a few bugs i found.

to see the proof look in the instructions, you will see that i have left my name in it. along with adding a cheat, and unfortunately, accidentally erasing the image for the instructions button and had to make my own lol...

http://files.filefront.com/XNACrates.../fileinfo.html

[Nurta]

if it's open source go ahead, otherwise no

[Jay2]

Originally Posted by xeatmyshorts

im wanting to help by breaking open ccgames,

Decompiling ccgames = impossible.


But, if you mean just IMPROVING on open source games, I've been thinking about that for a while. I can do sprites.

[Azu-nyan]

Umm....you can't crack .ccgames to get the source code. Truck was able to solve errors with outdated spritefonts, but that won't get you the source. Anyway, if someone released something as closed source, it remains closed source until you get their consent. If you're going to do this, get the dev's contact info and ask them for the source. You might get it, you might not, but it's worth a shot.

[xCyberFang]

people, it is possible to decompile ccgames. no i will not show how.

if you want proof, go check out the Crates game.

http://www.zuneboards.com/forums/res...tml#post388243

the source was never given. i decompiled it. if you would like to have more proof, go and make a game, it can be whatever, add some hidden notes in there, say a variable that doesnt show up on the draw method. i will decompile it and retrieve it as proof..


@nurta&j2800
i am meaning closed source games which have been abandoned on the forum, like for example the crates. the guy actually got injured (from what i heard) and i know its sad and all but it doesnt mean we should let them just go.

and i understand truck didnt use the open source, but i did. if you need viewing proof, i added a counter to the top left on my version of crates

[Jay2]

So basically re-coding abandoned games? Or, if possible, obtaining the source and finishing them?

[Bolt]

*cough*

Originally Posted by Nick Gravelyn

It's sort of possible, though a pain. In a very quick step-by-step:

1. Rename .ccgame to .cab.
2. Use a unzipping program to extract the contents.
3. There will be a bunch of numbered files and one other file (don't remember the name, but it's the only one that isn't a number). That file will tell you which file is which of your content files and assemblies. Find the one(s) that represent any of your DLLs or EXEs and rename them back to being DLLs or EXE files.
4. Download .NET Reflector (free tool).
5. Open the DLLs or EXEs in .NET Reflector.

.NET Reflector allows you to see the compiler generated code from an assembly. It's not going to be exactly what you had (comments will be gone, code that wasn't used might have been removed, code might be rearranged a little, etc), which is why this isn't a perfect method, but this is about the best it'll get unless you have a backup of the project somewhere.

[Netrix]

Well I was holding back from saying most of you are wrong, but Bolt took care of that. Too many people underestimate what can be done with the Zune and XNA...

[xCyberFang]

Originally Posted by J2800

So basically re-coding abandoned games? Or, if possible, obtaining the source and finishing them?

yes, obtaining the source (WHICH IS POSSIBLE) and fixing/finishing them or adding on, or maybe even release open source to the public.


bolt, you are going the right way, but i found a more simpler way of doing it.

i have wroten it out in a notepad file for me, i will go ahead and post it on here but i will remove the core info along with replacing certain letters with a * to ensure it wont be duplicated or let loose. this way you can see i know what i am talking about, without risking havoc on zuneboards where everybody is going around and open sourcing everything and blasting it over the internet.

1)1)m*k* * f*ld*r *nywh*r* *n y**r h*rddr*v*. n*m* *t wh*t*v*r y** w*sh, th*s w*ll b* th* f*ld*r y** *s* t* c*py th* b**lt s*l*t**n *v*r. k**p *t *p*n *n th* b*ckgr**nd f*r q**ck *cc*ss.

2)*p*n C*c*m*nts *nd S*tt*ngs*S*RN*M*L*c*l S*tt*ngsT*mp *nd s*rt by l*st m*d*f**d, scr*ll d*wn t* th* b*tt*m. y** n**d t* h*v* th*s q**ckly *cc*ss*bl*.

3)s*v* th* ccg*m* *nt* y**r h*rddr*v*, *nd th*n cl*ck “*np*ck”, *t w*ll s*y b**ld*ng *t, w**t f*r *t t* g*t d*n* *r *n th* m*ddl* *nd ch*ck y**r z*n*/xb*x st*t*s *nd s** *f *t *s *n th* pr*cc*ss *f d*pl*y*ng.

4)wh*l* *t *s d*pl*y*ng, q**ckly c*py th* n*w f*ld*r th*t *pp**rs *n y**r T*mp f*ld*r *nd p*st* *t *nt* th* n*w f*ld*r y** m*d* *n st*p 1. y** h*v* t* c*py th*s q**ckly b*c**s* *nc* *ts d*n* d*pl*y*ng t* y**r z*n*/xb*x, *t w*ll d*l*t* th* f*ld*r fr*m y**r T*mp.

*n th*t f*ld*r th*t y** c*p**d sh**ld b* * *x* f*l*, th*t *s th* pr*gr*m *nd s**rc* y** w*ll *s* t* g*t th* s**rc* fr*m.

**************************************************
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9) *p*n th* *p*n s**rc*d pr*j*ct f*l*, y** m*y n**d t* *pd*t* *t *s*ng th* *pd*t* w*z*rd t* m*k* *t m*r* r*c*nt.

10) *f *t *s * g*m* f*r th* z*n* *r s*m*th*ng, y** w*ll n**d t* m*k* * n*w pr*j*ct *s * “z*n* g*m*” w*th th* *X*CT N*M* *F TH* G*M* *nd *ns*rt *ll th* cl*ss*s *nd c*nt*nt *nt* th* n*w pr*j*ct *n *rd*r t* g*t *t t* c*mp*l* *s * z*n* g*m*.

[Crm]

i love this idea.
and you made papi for me (kind of) lol
so i'd say go for it

[Dilpickle1]

I've been wanting an update to the zune alarm..

[xCyberFang]

ok now lets get back to what i originally was trying to say lol since it seems people are starting to get what im talking about.

if there is any game that is in the restricted area that is a ccgame, and it is not up to date, or has been abandoned or anything, and you would like me to update or add something into a game, post the link to the thread which contains the abandoned game. i will check if the thread is dead or not, if it is dead (the developer hasnt updated or signed in in forever).

[Crm]

Yahtzee possibly?
i know that the user has logged on 3 days ago, but i PMed him asking if he is still working on it.
and if he isnt then maybe you can work on that and clean up the look and add AI? and maybe wifi?

also maybe look for ArkZunoid somewhere? idk i looked(not very hard) but the game looked promising from whats in the video(even though the guy had like 3 posts.)
i think i'm branching away from what this originally was meant for but its an idea

Zune Empire also. it was abandoned by androidadam(even tho first post is by xxafallenheroxx) and if you could PM him for the source since he said he would post it(but hasn't, as far as i know) and work it out?
this one is asking for a **** of a lot from you but its just a hope lol
idrc if these ideas get shotdown(no pun intended)

[Red Sky]

Aside from the fact that it's illegal, go right ahead. If any of the developers felt a need to take you to court, they would win without even really having to lift a finger.

I don't recommend doing this publicly.

[Bolt]

If you get their permission, that's another story.

For open-source games to finish, try Fishy Game.

[Crm]

o yea fishy game!
forgot about that one.
and yea you gotta get their permission. or recode the whole thing?(idk if that still makes it illegal)

[Red Sky]

Shot Down, it depends on if you're really recoding it. Changing like 20 lines in a 3000 line program doesn't mean crap. Adding lines doesn't mean crap. You would really have to take a very large portion of the code (I'm going to say over 90%) and completely make it your own. That might seem ridiculous, but source code is copy-righted the moment it is typed, unless it's given out as source code with licensing.

[Crm]

oo. so yea i'd say just get the permission instead of writing everything yourself.(unless you really want to)

and now this one is asking alot and pushing the boundaries of "revive"
how about reviving a request/development of the Globe (application)
i find myself in need of a map and not having one a lot. hah

and one last question... how do i get the link that i posted to just be in words like if i wanted Globe (application) to be the text that links to that link instead of posting the actual think there how can i do that?

[Red Sky]

you can use the url tag

ex:

[_url="http://www.zuneboards.com/"]WORDS HERE[/url_]

but take out the underscores.

Crap. Forgot to be on topic...
The best thing to do is probably to try and get permission from people. If that's not possible, feel free to go ahead and get the source, but I would suggest that you don't release it.

[Crm]

thank you.
idk why but it just annoys me putting the full url in
but lets get back on topic