We here on the ScummVM team hope everybody had a good Christmas! First we would like to mention that LucasArts has put out a pack, at least in the UK, featuring updated versions of Sam and Max and Full Throttle, designed to work with Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2K/XP. This pack (entitled, imaginatively, "The Entertainment Pack") also comes with The Dig and Grim Fandango... these versions have not been updated, and are the original Windows versions (yes, these games DID come with native Windows ports in some of the earlier LucasArts Adventure Packs). The updated Sam and Max and Full Throttle engines were not ported in-house by LucasArts, likely because of a lack of time AND because most people who worked on SPUTM/SCUMM have left anyway, but by Aaron Giles - the original Mac Porter (and renown MAME developer :). There are no modifications except for a DirectX wrapper around the graphics code and a really really bad graphics scaler. Our take? Call us biased, but unless you *need* perfect compatibility, want to play Full Throttle now, or are missing more than two of these games - it will probably be far cheaper to buy these games second-hand or individually. The included updated binaries are inferior feature-wise to ScummVM, as you miss out on our enhanced features, such as support for platforms -other- than Windows (such as Macintosh, Unix and PocketPC), our graphics scalers, etc. Of course, if you do purchase the pack, the game datafiles are unchanged and of course compatible with ScummVM anyway. It *is* nice to see LucasArts releasing something like this, and doing something positive to try and revive their classic games - or at least drum up marketing hype for the sequel :) Final conclusion, buy it if you want it or are a collector - but it's not worth the money simply for Windows compatibility. However if you do purchase it, you ARE encouraging LucasArts to update more classics in the future - although hopefully ScummVM will make such a need obsolete shortly. We suggest LucasArts spend it's development costs on re-releasing it's lost and RARE classics, like the FmTowns 256 color version of Zak Mckracken. For those interested, the updated versions were compiled on October 2nd for Full Throttle, and October 24th for Sam and Max. In development news, several ScummVM developers have actually been really boring people and *coded* this Christmas, coming up over just a few days with the basics for Curse of Monkey Island support. I'm sure our Macintosh users will be happy to hear they will, in maybe as little as a month, finally be able to play this game. Support is in the latest CVS and Daily Builds, but **do NOT file bug reports** as we know it doesn't really work or do anything at the moment. Full support will be available "When It's Done".. or the day after Duke Nukem Forever comes out. Whichever is first. Ho Ho Ho!
.. to everybody except Casa Addams, many users on the Clie Source forums (whom obviously have brains as big as their PDAs,) and that other idiot who is bundling ScummVM with warez LucasArts games on UseNet. This is somewhat of an open plea, although we do not really expect morons who have done something so idiotic to listen. Sorry for this open message being so harsh guys, but do you not realise that by associating and bundling ScummVM **with** pirated copies ("Abandonware" or otherwise) of LucasArts games, you're basically giving them even more excuse to take legal action against us (and bring possible financial ruin on the developers of this program :)... I'm especially disappointed in chrilith who has almost certainly guaranteed that, unless we feel very forgiving, there will never be an official Palm port of ScummVM integrated into CVS. If you appreciate what we are doing, and have done, then do not abuse it. Otherwise you are damaging the reputation, and possible legal status of both ScummVM and its developers. I've seen some VERY ridiculous comments on the Clie Source forums to the effect that LucasArts do not sell these games anymore. With the exception of some versions (specifically Zak256 and LoomCD), this is stupid. Most LucasArts games can be ordered in collection packs from Amazon or the LucasArts store (if you live in America.). Heck, I saw a bunch of LucasArts classic adventures in Electronic Boutique when I was Christmas Shopping. * * * In other news, Curse of Monkey Island support is progressing nicely! Be sure to try out the latest Daily Builds if you like living on the wild side (but of course do not file bug reports on CMI support).
First, a quick note that the problems with the Clie Source forum have been resolved, and the Clie/Palm port will be merged into CVS as soon as chrilith has updated his port to work with 0.3.0's OSystem architecture. A quick update on CMI (COMI/Monkey3) support. Within just several weeks, remarkable progress has been made on support for this game, but work will likely be slowed for the next week as various developers are otherwise occupied. Currently, except for some bugs that make the Cannon scene rather difficult and unstable, it is possible to play some way into Part II of the game. The current main issues remaining include a bug with flObject allocation (causes a crash in some dialog sequences), some script termination issues (causes various game-crippling crashes in the cannon scene and several Part II puzzles) and the various problems with the opening cannon puzzle. As usual, please remember this work is still experimental, and please do not file any bug reports regarding it. Patches, however, are very welcome! :)
Hey all. I (Ender) am interested in finding out if any ScummVM users will be present at Linux.conf.au '03 here in Perth... if you'll be there, drop a post in the forum. If there are a few people going we might get together for Pizza or something afterwards, or maybe chuck together a last minute spontaneous Classic Gaming BOF (if somebody else wants to organise it, I'm a terrible person for that kind of stuff :) Blonk.
