It's Official - *Everything* Runs Doom

[mewse]

We've seen Doom on such platforms as DOS, Windows, OS/2, Amiga, Solaris, Linux, Unix, BSD, BeOS, WindowsCE, RISC OS, digital cameras, Playstation, Dreamcast, N64, SNES, Jaguar, 3DO, 32X, Saturn, Gameboy Advance, and the Atari 2600. Today, however, I have seen it all. Doom has been ported to the new Nokia 7650 cell phone. Yes, a CELL PHONE. Granted, it's a pretty powerful phone. The Doom 7650 port includes these features:

Full 'Shareware' version featuring 9 intense levels
4 Channel Audio engine
Normal or Full-Screen Graphics

Now for the interesting bit: They are charging money for Doom 7650's "upgrade", which adds game modes and some other features. I find this interesting, considering the Doom source code was released under two licenses, one which prohibited commercial usage, or the GPL which requires the release of source code. They claim the upgrade does not contain anything copyrighted by id Software, but how is it possible to add new game modes without modifying the source code? It doesn't seem right to me.. thanks to Chrozoron for mentioning this page.

[Doom-Child]

Now make it play on my toaster. I must burn Barons with my bagels!

DC

[Hyena]

Fight the power, my friends.

[mewse]

i apologize to anyone who was staring at the blank headline for five minutes, i wrote the item in the wrong box :P

[sgtcrispy]

mewse, you forgot to mention digital cameras that run Doom also.

this is interesting

[Cyb]

The GPL allows you to sell the product in question, you just need to make the source avaliable for free to everyone (not just people who buy the software). At least I'm pretty sure that's how it works...

Doom is like the Linux of games now hehe.

[mewse]

Cyb said:

The GPL allows you to sell the product in question, you just need to make the source avaliable for free to everyone (not just people who buy the software). At least I'm pretty sure that's how it works...

Doom is like the Linux of games now hehe.

Nah, you have to provide source to people who receive the binaries, at no additional fee or a fee covering the cost of transfer. Then those people are bound by the GPL the same as you were.

[mewse]

sgtcrispy said:

mewse, you forgot to mention digital cameras that run Doom also.

this is interesting

oh yeah, those were retarded too heh

[Use]

I saw Doom for the Commodore 64 at a rom download site. Judging from the screen shot you shoot at red blobs on a background of brown vrtical lines that may or may not move. It was horrid looking. I didn't bother to download it. Atari 2600 Doom? haven't heard of that one.

[Bloodshedder]

As far as I know, Doom doesn't have a port for Palm OS PDAs.

[Law]

I think they must have studied every word of the coptyright notice and have found this way to by pass it and make money. Isn't that was our great capitolist countries are all about, ripping people off!

Also, Doom was on the Spectrum, but it was more like a graphical demo the version I played.

[mewse]

Use3D said:

I saw Doom for the Commodore 64 at a rom download site. Judging from the screen shot you shoot at red blobs on a background of brown vrtical lines that may or may not move. It was horrid looking. I didn't bother to download it. Atari 2600 Doom? haven't heard of that one.

For people who are going "What is mewse smoking?!", here's a link to Doom for the Atari 2600:

http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Arcade/8691/2600DOOM.HTM

[Hyena]

Hoaxes are fun

[Wildman]

Law said:

I think they must have studied every word of the coptyright notice and have found this way to by pass it and make money. Isn't that was our great capitolist countries are all about, ripping people off!

They can legally sell the product if they bought a license from id to do so. Remember HacX? The HacX guys licensed the engine from id so they could sell it, with the stipulation being that they had to remove all the id graphics. Sounds like this is what is going on here. If not, I am sure Carmack will come down hard, just like he has in the past.

[mewse]

Wildman said:

They can legally sell the product if they bought a license from id to do so. Remember HacX? The HacX guys licensed the engine from id so they could sell it, with the stipulation being that they had to remove all the id graphics. Sounds like this is what is going on here. If not, I am sure Carmack will come down hard, just like he has in the past.

It costs $10,000USD for a Doom licence outside the GPL. These guys are selling their product for $10 a pop, and claiming they can do so because the parts they are selling are not copyrighted to id.

First, I doubt they have the 10thou license. Second, the GPL states that modifications to the source code must be provided with the modified binary.

I'm not sure if the pre-GPL license would allow them to withhold their modifications if they were only selling the sections they owned the copyright for.

[deathz0r]

Law said:

I think they must have studied every word of the coptyright notice and have found this way to by pass it and make money. Isn't that was our great capitolist countries are all about, ripping people off!

Also, Doom was on the Spectrum, but it was more like a graphical demo the version I played.

http://deathwarrior.slipgate.org/doomspec1.gif
http://deathwarrior.slipgate.org/doomspec2.gif
http://deathwarrior.slipgate.org/doomspec3.gif

[myk]

Well, most people might know nothing about any relation between the GPL and DOOM, and some many even feel inclined to say "GPL my ass!" There is no mention in the DOOM source at the id FTP about the GPL, nor is DOOM presented as under the GPL anywhere in id's site (whereas Quake is.) Only doomworld users and "doom community" people that are familiar with source engines consider it GPL.

[mewse]

myk said:

Well, most people might know nothing about any relation between the GPL and DOOM, and some many even feel inclined to say "GPL my ass!" There is no mention in the DOOM source at the id FTP about the GPL, nor is DOOM presented as under the GPL anywhere in id's site (whereas Quake is.) Only doomworld users and "doom community" people that are familiar with source engines consider it GPL.

actually every doom source file on id's ftp has the standard GPL header at the top, and many source ports have switched over to the GPL and included the licence notice also.

really, if you're going to try to make money from the doom source code, you really need to know the license it's under. any programmer should know that.

[Epyo]

You forgot to mention calculator doom :p

On a side note: I have that issue of EGM with the hoax DooM for Atari

[myk]

mewse said:

actually every doom source file on id's ftp has the standard GPL header at the top, [...]

What I mean is... go to /idgames/idstuff/source (this is a mirror of all the "official" stuff at ftp.idsoftware.com) and download the DOOM source, it says nothing about the GPL, it goes by the '97 release license. Only the ZIP at 3ddownloads (telefragged) has the GPL note.

[Virgil]

A WHAT?! Cell phone doom? CELL PHONE DOOM?! Just when I thought DOOM couldn't get any more versatile... :)

[Arno]

The textures and levels that they offer are absolutely copyrighted by id software. Even though the material is included in the shareware version of Doom, that doesn't mean any company or individual can rip the material out of it and redistribute it for their own purposes.

[sponge]

am i the only one who thinks this is one big joke?

[cphipps]

myk said:
Well, most people might know nothing about any relation between the GPL and DOOM, and some many even feel inclined to say "GPL my ass!" There is no mention in the DOOM source at the id FTP about the GPL, nor is DOOM presented as under the GPL anywhere in id's site (whereas Quake is.)

I'm not sure I see your point. The Doom source was released under the GPL, and that is the only release which gives anything like the rights they need to make a commercial derived product. They clearly aren't an "educational use" so they can't be using the original license. So either they're clueless or they know it's GPL.

[myk]

My main point was to bring to attention the lack of notice about DOOM source being GPL from id, and that the makers of this cell phone port may thus not be aware of any relation between DOOM and the GPL, or they may feel inclined not to accept there is any. Whether or not they are doing something illegal is another matter.

[Virgil]

I say ID should sue their ass and get money from it. ID gets more money = ID makes more games...

[dieKatze88]

Wow i picked up gba doom and that blew my mind (even tho the bodies dissappear) just cause i could play for 15 hours anywhere i wanted without changing batteries (laptop). and now on a cell phone, a cell phone, please someone shoot me this is getting insane, NES doom, Atari 2600 doom, CELL PHONE doom! Will It EVER END?!?! gee, i sure hope not...

[DOOM Anomaly]

Hmph, I for one Believe it..


The evergrowning expansion of Doom, continues...

[the hole]

the Atari 2600 port of Doom was a hoax

[Quasar]

People, DOOM *is* under the GPL now. If you download the source code now and base a new product off it, it is bound by the terms of the GPL license, whether you like that fact or not.

The GPL does *NOT* allow distribution without source code, and it does *NOT* allow critical portions of the software to be non-GPL. If these people can demonstrate that their product is wholly useful without this "add-on" pack, then they may be able to keep it non-GPL. If it does, however, constitute a necessary addition or incorporates any part of the DOOM source at all, then it must also be GPL.

I don't understand what the resistance to the GPL in this community is about. Without the GPL, DOOM ports would not even technically be legal, and you could certainly NEVER sell a port under the DOOM Source License. It specifically forbade commercial exploitation, need I remind you?

I figure the kind of crap flying around in here is the same reason my Heretic/Hexen GPL petition still only has 106 signatures. Because you people are so sold on the idea that the GPL is communist, and that its better for everything to be locked up under proprietary licenses in the good old fashioned American way.

Wake up and smell the coffee.

If I found out this thing is violating the GPL, I would personally report it to John Carmack myself.