For details about the Microsoft Shared Source license please see the MechCommander 2 EULA.
Notice: The required tools below are from 2005 and 2006, installing any of these on top of a later versions is probably not a good idea.
System Requirements
Downloads (in required Install order):
- MechCommander 2 Viewer Requires the February 2006 Release of DirectX.
- Microsoft MechCommander 2 Shared Source Release.
- Microsoft XNA Build March 2006 Community Technology Preview (CTP). (Includes: Windows Installer 3.1, XML 6.0, .NET Framework 2.0, and XNA Build)
Introduction to MechCommander 2 Shared Source Release:
- MechCommander 2 Mods - MSDN Webcast (Part 1 of 3)
- MechCommander 2 Mods - MSDN Webcast (Part 2 of 3)
- MechCommander 2 Mods - MSDN Webcast (Part 3 of 3)
More MechCommander 2 Resources:
- MechCommander2 Bugs and Fixes since Shared Source Release.
- MechCommander2 Demo
- MechCommander 2 Mission Editor Guide
ooo.. Sweet! I had no idea this was being Open Sourced. Can't wait to see what people end up doing with this.
nothing much since microsoft has strict licenses on the source.
While I am not a lawyer, or a huge fan of Microsoft, but I don't see the MechCommander2 EULA being overly restrictive, the whole EULA won't fit in a comment, but here are some highlights.
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2. Grant of Rights
(A) Copyright Grant- Subject to the terms of this license, including the license conditions and limitations in section 3, Microsoft grants you a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free copyright license to reproduce the software, prepare derivative works of the software and distribute the software or any derivative works that you create.
(B) Patent Grant- Subject to the terms of this license, including the license conditions and limitations in section 3, Microsoft grants you a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free patent license under licensed patents to make, have made, use, practice, sell, and offer for sale, and/or otherwise dispose of the software or derivative works of the software.
3. Conditions and Limitations
(A) Limitation on Commercial Distribution- Notwithstanding the rights granted in section 2(A) above, you are not granted any rights to commercially distribute any artwork from the software (“Art Assets”) in any derivative work or otherwise. Microsoft grants you a limited, non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free copyright license to use, reproduce and distribute the Art Assets on a non-commercial basis only.
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(D) If you distribute copies of the software or derivative works, you must retain all copyright, patent, trademark, and attribution notices that are present in the software.
(E) If you distribute the software or derivative works in source code form you may do so only under this license ... and if you distribute the software or derivative works in compiled or object code form you may only do so under a license that complies with this license.
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So I bet its that XNA crap then? typical :P and here I was getting my hopes up.
Anyway the game is on the net for free and has been for some time so if you want to play it here is the link. I'm pretty sure FASA and Microsoft gave the site permissions to host it else I'd suspect it would have been taken down years ago.
Mechcommander.org
Ooo! so FASA got its IP back you say? I heard there was a rumor floating around that they broke away from Microsoft, but this is even better. It looks like we might be seeing the old FASA come back after that god awful Shadowrun FPS.
Not exactly.
"Smith & Tinker is pleased to announce that it has licensed from Microsoft the electronic entertainment rights for Mr. Weisman's previous creations of MechWarrior, Shadowrun, Crimson Skies and the other properties of the FASA catalog."
from smith & tinker's website. MS still owns them, they're legally allowed to use them.
Yeah its most likely a leasing deal, a lot of companies bought out by microsoft their founders have come back saying "you guys are using our IP in a very stupid way, can we please have rights to it" and then microsoft goes "for a price.. yes". Its pretty dirty stuff but at least we'll be getting our old favs back after Microsoft so bastardly threw them around like they did.
here here! A *GOOD* mechwarrior/battletech game would be awesome. Something that combines the different sub-games would be awesome. Like a Battlecruiser game but in the battletech universe.
Yes, and a Shadowrun game like Fallout Tactics would be nice too (see the original SNES Shadowrun for details).
I would also love to see Battletech Online make a return, I beta tested for it and it was truly one of the best MMOs I've ever played.
slightly funny story... when I first saw the preview for "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" I thought it was a movie based on crimson skies. :)
i want to built sth like this :)
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