Back and Forward Talk with....Mark Rein of Epic Megagames

[Tubz]

This is sort of pointless, but just so everyone can know how annoying Epic is, or I am or both, here is what happened.

Sean,

Sorry can't do it at all. Releasing source code is difficult and messy
when only one party is involved and there are multiple parties involved
in JJ2 source code.


Mark Rein
Epic Games Inc.

Visit us at http://www.epicgames.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Sean D. [mailto:jjtublear@hotmail.com]
Sent: Monday, February 07, 2005 4:23 PM To: Mark Rein
Subject: Re: I just thought that I would give this a shot |
Please Read

Why not? How about if we pay you for it?

Sean,

I'm sorry but we can't do that.


Mark Rein
Epic Games Inc.

-----Original Message-----
From: Sean D, <jjtublear@hotmail.com>
To: Mark Rein <mrein@epicgames.com>
Sent: Mon Feb 07 12:55:01 2005
Subject: I just thought that I would give this a shot | Please Read

Dear Mr. Rein,

Seeing as how the game Jazz Jackrabbit 2 is 7 years old now, as it was made in about 1998. I was thinking, would you mind releasing the source code, there are many people in the Jazz Jackrabbit community. And a lot of people who are willing to work on the game and improve it, so I'm just wondering that you will release the source code for Jazz Jackrabbit 2. We would really appreciate it, please give it thought.

Thanks and sincerely,
Sean D.

[Olsen]

Lazy Epic..

I will send an E-mail to them too.

[LittleFreak]

At least somebody tried. Next year, we'll try again. xD

[JelZe GoldRabbit]

I wonder who "the other parties" are... I know one is Epic Games...

- JelZe GoldRabbit =:3

[Olsen]

Orange Games, Project 2 Interactive, Gathering of Developers?

[Sacrush]

Just give us the source code Epic!!! :Z

[Violet CLM]

Whoa, how'd you get Mark to respond to you? He never answers anything I ask him.

Tell him that we were told we'd get the souce code a long time ago.

[JelZe GoldRabbit]

Orange Games, Project 2 Interactive, Gathering of Developers?

Out of that list I think only Orange Games would be a likely candidate, the other two are just publishers...

- JelZe GoldRabbit =:3

[Bobby aka Dizzy]

I doubt that the source code is even easy for people to locate anymore.

[LittleFreak]

I guess the problem is, why should they give us the source code? I agree it might even be difficult to locate it, and why should they do it at all?

However, like I said, nice try. ;)

[Fawriel]

You fought bravely, <s>Tiger</s> soldier.

[Enigma]

Are you sure it was really Mark Rein and not some bot? His reply to the second email reminds me a lot of HALs line in 2001: A space odyssey ("I'm sorry Dave, I'm afraid I can't do that").

[Radium]

I don't think spamming him will accomplish anything. <s>We need to kidnap his children.</s>

[FQuist]

Mass e-mailing Mark Rein would not help. He's not the only party involved. You need to get both parties together - orange games or what's left of it (Guerilla Games mostly) and Epic. It's funny how they both say they'd get the source but it's trouble since the other one has to be involved :P

Of course then there's the engine licensing problem which means Arjan & co won't release the source code for a while.

I do not see from this e-mail exchange how 'annoying' Epic is. You say him you'd pay for the source and he answers that (how'd you pay?). I do not see how the answer is an annoying one. It would be cool if they'd give the source but it's not that simple.

[Newspaz]

I see some progress. Orange games seems to be interested in giving us the source at some point, and Epic doesn't seem to care.

So with a little bit of luck we'll have it in four years ;-)

[Tubz]

Haha, that was fun. Well, he won't reply to anymore of my emails. I emailed him again, I lost that message though, it was about releasing games like Xargon on Freeware, either he is off on a break or vacation or doesn't work or something or is ignoring the email.

Oh well I tried. Like Newspaz's title says, I was "bored" when I emailed him, something I did out of pure boredom.

[FQuist]

It's a cool e-mail exchange so far nonetheless, Derivative.

[Tubz]

What? So far nonetheles....?

[White Rabbit]

Put Congressional pressure on them or something.... :/ Or just wait.

[Hazel-rah]

Should of asked for the source for JJ1. They would be more likely to release that.

Imagine, a Windows version. ;D

[DanYjel]

OKAY GO EVERYBODY SPAM EPIC BY PLEASE-PLEASE-RELEASE-JJ2-SOURCE-CODE!!! And go fast...

[Newspaz]

Should of asked for the source for JJ1. They would be more likely to release that.

Imagine, a Windows version. ;D
Well it's in pascal. So I imagine it'd be sort of hard to port.

[Hazel-rah]

Does Borland still make Pascal tools for Windows or were they bought and phased out?

[MasterRyu]

That's too bad, but they may be planning on reusing the source code in the future for ports to different platforms or as a basis for a new game .... most likely explanation is they just want to hold on to their intellectual property until they are sure they will have no further use for it.

[Newspaz]

Ack. Good question. I think Delphi is somehow related to Pascal, but I never heard of any of the tools you describe. But of course I'm just a n00b when it comes to this.... and a whole lot of other things.