Hey guys, ever thought of releasing the game for free? It already has a big fan-base. You'd bring it to live and maybe even get some money from ads

Well, I don't want to put some pressure on you or something, but it would be just seriously nice. Something that's not done usually, a small company open-sourcing a game. That's... a dream-come-real.

huh, k cya guys

It is indeed a nice idea, but unfortunately we do not hold the licence rights for the vehicles, so we are not able to release it for free. Or we have to remove all licenced materials and have to seek for legal advice. However, we have to do a lot of work to re-release it, which we can not afford at the moment.

Well, I think there are a little bit more options:

In case me, or the community helps you:

1. We can make up a portal for custom content, and you release the source with one fantasy car, and one fantasy track. We'll add our best content later as an official update for the game.

2. We, the community, create new licensed cars. This is legal for us. And you can just create "community-featured WR version".

3. You release the source all but licensed data and we take care of everything else.
In case you'll have to do it on your own:

1. You contact Mercedes/people who were doing the game with you, and discuss it.

2. You release WR2 and WR as ad-supported games with downloadable community content. Close source

3. You update the graphics engine in WR to the one used in WR2, and create an SDK for racing-game deveploment from it.
In both cases:

1. You can do it the golden middle way. Just release everything but data! If someone buys or has the game he can edit the code and play the original game!
Example:
iD soft's quake/doom

2. You can re-release the game as free MMO.
Example:
Invictus's CRC 2005

"legal for us" ... is this some sort of urban legend?
That's been posted over the web for years but it's still wrong. Sorry.

0,o
I see licensed cars on NFSCars for years, and this is surprising to me! Well, but what do you think about the other options?

I'm not a Synetic employee, I used to be a modder myself ... I came from Battlefield modding to WR a couple of years ago, and the main difference (obstacle) was: Basically, you can just add/replace cars (or tracks). That's it.
I'd love to have a Synetic game with more options for configuration and expansion.

(You may not be familiar with the Battlefield/EA franchise, the first title was BF 1942, a WW2 FPS, and modders turned this into a space adventure game, into a car racing game, into a funny "Lego" style war game, into modern day warfare ... you could create new types of vehicles/aircraft, weapons, rockets, completely new gameplay options, whatever ... there were hundreds of different mods, and this could only be done because of the numerous configuration options of the original game - which was not open source of course And we got zero support from the developers or from EA during the first stages ... only when EA discovered that the sales figures did not drop in year two of BF42 - due to the popular BF mods which required the original game to play - they decided to support the modding community, they released modding tools, they even hired modders for their PR department, the developers hired modders and a complete modding team ... I guess BF 1942 is still being played around the world despite the number of BF titles that have been released since 2001 or 2002 ...)

I'm with you, Dany, but I don't think Synetic can do anything about it ...

Could you please explain why you think Synetic can't do anything?

Synetic is a very small company, I don't think they got free resources for this project (SDK, updated MBWR or WR2 versions etc.); all the MBWR/WR2 licensing issues have been taken care of by the respective publisher (TDK, PlayLogic), those companies might be in a position to sell MBWR or WR2 or give it away for free, not Synetic ....

Synetic = Developer
TDK = Publisher

Developer > Publisher

Publisher may command developer in a limited way. If he exceeds this limit, developer may sue the publisher. Therefore publisher does not change the game. But he is publishing it. Except he has only bought rights. The rights may be also time-limited. Almost always they are region-limited.

This all matters only on the license. If TDK:
owns Synetic he can command whatever he wants

has unlimited license, he can command almost everything in terms of his marketing. This means if they want/ have a medial campaign for teen-games, they can tell Synetic to remove all gore from their copy of game.
Example: EA

has limited rights to publish the game, they can only collaborate or collude on the game. In the end they just get the copy they need and release the game.
Example: 2k

Has only rights to publish the game, then they only get their copy of game and release it.
Example: Online/Games on Demand/digital download game publishers

Well, That's pretty much general, we must ask more questions:

Who has the most rights?

Who owns the original game copy?

Did the publisher donate the developers or he just bought the rights?

Who maintains the "main" guy.

And that's not all! So your argument is too general. Also, if they really don't own the license(s), then all they need is just to contact the publisher!

I was referring to Synetic. So far, their publishers have released localized versions of their games without consulting Synetic. Synetic wasn't even aware of new MBWR/WR2 releases (budget versions, removed copy protection etc.), so I guess the publishers are holding all rights to the games.

Ok let's contact TDK then
EDIT:
K I got stuck on http://support.take2games.com/templates ... /emailPage for hours =/ D0h'
EDIT2:
Ok, . TDK Mediactive was acquired by T2 long time ago... It is now a subsidiary called "Take-Two Licensing". So it holds the rights for the game. The only problem is that it's unable to be found.

So Synetic, I think it's up to you \=

So nothing? Okay And you really can't release just the engine and leave everything else at the community? Like iD Software did?

Releasing an engine of MBWR would be a great thing. I would love to start learning C++ with it

Believe me, you wouldn't. The MBWR engine was nearly pure C. And the few things that were not have the potential to frustrate for a lifetime. Not a good choice to learn from.

haha no seriously

http://www.amazon.com/Sams-Teach-Yourse ... 0672327112

That's where I learn it.

Daniel:
Oh goodness now I want to see it even more! You're teasing me!