Microsoft has opened up the source code for three classic text-based adventure games: Zork I, II, and III. This move comes after a collaborative effort between Microsoft's Open Source Programs Office and digital archivist Jason Scott to make these games freely available under the MIT License.
The decision to release the source code marks an end to a long-standing issue surrounding access to the original Zork code. Jason Scott had uploaded the game's source code to GitHub in 2019, but the licensing situation was unclear, leaving room for potential takedowns by Activision or Microsoft. That uncertainty is now a thing of the past.
Microsoft owns the intellectual property rights to the Zork franchise due to its acquisition of Activision in 2022. However, the company has chosen not to open up more proprietary elements, such as commercial packaging and marketing materials. Instead, it has focused on preserving the games' source code for public access.
The open-sourcing of these classic games is seen as a significant move by Microsoft, with Open Source Programs Office Director Stacy Haffner stating that they are "contributing directly to history." The company's contribution involves submitting upstream pull requests to historical source repositories, formally documenting the grant and adding a clear MIT License.
The decision to release the source code marks an end to a long-standing issue surrounding access to the original Zork code. Jason Scott had uploaded the game's source code to GitHub in 2019, but the licensing situation was unclear, leaving room for potential takedowns by Activision or Microsoft. That uncertainty is now a thing of the past.
Microsoft owns the intellectual property rights to the Zork franchise due to its acquisition of Activision in 2022. However, the company has chosen not to open up more proprietary elements, such as commercial packaging and marketing materials. Instead, it has focused on preserving the games' source code for public access.
The open-sourcing of these classic games is seen as a significant move by Microsoft, with Open Source Programs Office Director Stacy Haffner stating that they are "contributing directly to history." The company's contribution involves submitting upstream pull requests to historical source repositories, formally documenting the grant and adding a clear MIT License.
this is like the best news ever!! microsoft making zork I, II & III open-source is literally a dream come true for retro gamers like me!!! 
i mean who doesn't love those old school text-based adventures? it's crazy that jason scott already uploaded them to github in 2019 but the licensing situation was all hazy. glad they finally cleared that up and made the source code available under the mit license now we can all tinker with the code and create new mods & stuff 
. It's amazing how much of a difference this move will make for retro gaming enthusiasts and historians alike! I mean, who wouldn't want to dive into the world of Zork and see how it was originally coded? It's pretty cool that Jason Scott had already uploaded the source code to GitHub in 2019, but now we can all access it without any worries about licensing issues. This is a huge win for open-source and retro gaming communities 
just think about it we can play zork for free now because of microsoft 
no more worries about the code 
they're being super cool about sharing it 
also good that jason scott did his thing uploading it to github in 2019 
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. And I gotta say, the MIT License is a great choice - it's like they're saying 'hey world, we trust you guys' 
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. It's not just about preserving classic games, but also about promoting accessibility and collaboration among developers and fans 
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anyway, why do they need to release the source code? cant they just keep it private like activision did with some other games?? btw, how much time does it take to play thru all 3 zork games 
. The fact that Microsoft chose to focus on preserving the source code is just awesome, IMO 
It's about time these classics were free for us mortals to tinker with. The fact that Jason Scott had already uploaded the source code in 2019 and it was all just a big mess waiting to happen is pretty wild. 
And now we get to enjoy the fruits of Microsoft's labor without having to worry about their lawyers coming after us like a pack of ravenous wolves 
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... I'm so glad Microsoft is making these classic games available for everyone to enjoy again. It's like digging up old vinyl records from your grandma's attic – you never know what treasures you'll find! 
just learned that climate change is making coral reefs turn into 'skeleton reefs' 
because of warmer ocean temperatures it's like they're literally turning into ghostly remains of their former selves 
no wonder sea life is in trouble 
Like, can you imagine having to Google how to fix a simple code glitch in Zork? This is like, finally paying off a debt of nostalgia for all us retro gamers 
. I mean, not everyone has to be a giant corporate entity that just cares about profits. Here's hoping they'll keep making more retro games accessible like this 
and it's not just that - they're also making sure everyone knows it's free to use and modify under the mit license. stacy haffner is a total hero for making this happen, btw 
stacy haffner sounds super cool btw