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Chasing the Blood source code

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• scumbag at 2005-10-23 10:07
  I'm really keen on chasing up who owns the source code for Blood, in the hopes that they will release it.
  
  I've seen the petition for Atari to release it, and frankly, it's not being read by anyone. I'm not even sure if Atari can release it.
  
  I've also had a read of the back and forth between the various parties who were involved in Blood, and the guy from the Transfusion project. It provides a pretty good run down on where to start:
  
  http://blood.sourceforge.net/bloodsource.php
  
  So I contacted Matt Saettler from Monolith and asked him if he could provide me with any info as to who owns the Blood source (he already really answered my question in the above link...)
  
  From me to Matt:

  Hi Matt,
  I'm not sure if this is your email address anymore, but here goes anyway. I
  read a bit of correspondence between you and someone else regarding
  the release of the blood source code, and who the code actually belongs
  to in the first place: http://blood.sourceforge.net/bloodsource.php
  
  I want to write to the company or person who currently owns the source
  code, to see if they will release it. I just don't know who actually
  owns it. GTI? Monolith?
  
  Hope you can help me out!

  Matt's response:

  I did answer you question from July 2000; I believe they can. However,
  Jason said that they could not.
  
  I belive Monolith (now Warner Bros) owns it.
  
  However, Jason Hall said that GT controlledd the rights.
  
  Also, there is an innacuracy in the Blood time line on the site.
  
  When Monolith acquired Qstudios, Blood was to be published by 3D Realms, not
  GT Interactive.
  
  Shortly after (actually, during, I think), 3D Realms decided not to be in
  the game publishing business and wanted to pull out of publishing Blood,
  Shadow Warrior and one other Build-based game. They decided to take SW
  in-house, however.
  
  I negotiated the contract to purchase the publishing rights to Blood back
  from 3D Realms. I then negotiated the contract with GT Interactive for them
  to publish the title. 3D Realms received a small amount of money for each
  copy of Blood sold.
  
  If you have any other questions, please let me know

  (Sorry Matt, I didn't exactly ask you permission to reproduce your email!)
  
  
  Anyway, so I wrote to Monolith:

  To the folks at Monolith,
  
  I am a big fan of one of your old games, Blood.
  I am writing to enquire about the possibility of Monolith releasing the source code for this game. Releasing the source code would allow this old game to be ported to modern operating systems such as Windows XP and Mac OS X by fans of the game such as myself.
  
  Releasing the source code for this game would not require Monolith to release the game assets (sounds, artwork,etc).
  
  Currently this game is no longer playable on these modern systems, and releasing the source code for this game might possibly be a beneficial PR move.
  
  The source code released for the Build engine as well as Duke3D and Shadow Warrior has allowed these games to be made playable on these new operating systems.
  
  http://jonof.edgenetwork.org/
  
  Would it be possible for Monolith to advise me on the possibility of releasing the source code, or who must give the go-ahead before the source code can be released?
  
  Sincerely,
  ----------

  So far no response, but I'll add it to this thread if I get something back.
  Hopefully it doesn't just go to some PR type.
• scumbag at 2005-11-06 09:08
  Well, I've emailed multiple people. A couple of people at monolith, Atari's PR contact, the CEO of Atari's Infogrames 'division', and a couple of other Atari contacts.
  
  So far, no word back from -anyone-.
  
  Unfortunately Atari seems like a huge monolithic corporation who couldn't give a shit about something like releasing the source code for an old game like this.
  
  Does anyone have any ideas about what I could do, or who I could contact?
• scumbag at 2005-11-06 09:20
  Additionally, the Atari site has virtually no contact information for anyone. It lists all of the senior management for Atari and Infogrames, but no email addresses for anyone.
• scumbag at 2005-11-07 11:14
  OK, I got a reply from Simon Slee of Atari:

  Hello David,
  
  I don't think this is the first time I've seen an email about this but
  unfortunately it's not a straight forward answer.
  
  I am not clear if GT Interactive or Monolith owns the source code, it may
  actually be Monolith.
  
  I would also doubt we have the source code on file, we are usually given
  gold masters from the developer and that's what we keep as the publisher,
  not always the source code.
  
  I would suggest contacting Monolith as they are probably in a better
  position to answer this.
  
  Best Regards,
  Simon

  Right. Time to put the screws to Monolith instead then.
• Wieder3DR at 2005-11-08 00:05

  OK, I got a reply from Simon Slee of Atari:

  I would suggest contacting Monolith as they are probably in a better
  position to answer this.

  Right. Time to put the screws to Monolith instead then.

  Yeah... I've been bounced back and forth between Atari and Monolith several times in exactly the same manner. Monolith will say you need permission from Atari, Atari will say you need to contact Monolith as they don't know much about the whole situation (IE: Don't really care).
  
  The entire community would probably be safe to *just* get permission from Monolith and Atari would never act on it, but of course neither Monolith or a person who has the source and *could* release wants to take that risk.
  
  Eventually someone will finally hit just the right person and it'll all be allowed to go forward. I would have thought after the Duke 3D and Shadow Warrior releases it would be a snap. Unfortunately nobody over there seems to give a damn really.
• yuriks at 2005-11-18 09:47
  What about asking for permission, and say you arleady asked Atari/ML for permission or something similar to it, it may work, a blood port would be a dream come true.
• scumbag at 2005-11-18 15:26
  Well, I can't get a reply out of Monolith.
  
  I've sent them multiple emails but they simply won't respond.
  
  I can't really do much else.
  Dammit!
• TX at 2005-11-18 16:47

  Well, I can't get a reply out of Monolith.
  
  I've sent them multiple emails but they simply won't respond.
  
  I can't really do much else.
  Dammit!

  You say that as if you expected you'd miraculously get farther in the pursuit of the Blood source than anyone else.
• Maren at 2005-11-18 21:33
  http://postmortem.edgegaming.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=98&sid=cdd92142aa66aeadf2638021e114a76f
  
  Something I never thought of, but seemelingly pointless as well.