Valve Releases Team Fortress 2 Full Client and Source Code (gamerant.com) 9
Valve has made Team Fortress 2's full client and server code public, allowing fans to modify, extend, or rewrite the game as long as their projects remain non-commercial. Game Rant reports: Valve has made Team Fortress 2's server and client code fully public, with the studio encouraging fans to explore the game's files and make it what they want. The game's code is now available thanks to a new update to the Source SDK, which dropped earlier this week. Fans have already been creating TF2 mods for years, but what this essentially means is that fans can make brand-new games. However, there's one catch: any and all TF2 mods must be released for free. "The majority of items in the game now are thanks to the hard work of the TF2 community." Valve wrote. "To respect that, we're asking TF2 mod makers to continue to respect that connection and not to make mods that have the purpose of trying to profit off Workshop contributors' efforts."
"TF2 mods may be published on the Steam Store, and after publication will appear as new games in the Steam game list," Valve continued. The new SDK update also includes new 64-bit binary support and fixes for multiplayer Source games like Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, Counter-Strike: Source, and Day of Defeat: Source. Time will only tell what fans come up with as they dig deep into the inner workings of the game, but given how passionate and talented the Team Fortress 2 community has proven to be, players can expect to see some incredible creations.
"TF2 mods may be published on the Steam Store, and after publication will appear as new games in the Steam game list," Valve continued. The new SDK update also includes new 64-bit binary support and fixes for multiplayer Source games like Half-Life 2: Deathmatch, Counter-Strike: Source, and Day of Defeat: Source. Time will only tell what fans come up with as they dig deep into the inner workings of the game, but given how passionate and talented the Team Fortress 2 community has proven to be, players can expect to see some incredible creations.
This is a good thing (Score:2)
Even better would be to open source ALL software if it's no longer offered for sale
Math can't be copyrighted (Score:3)
Source code is math and should not be able to get a copyright. A patent at most. In the 80s it changed; it should not have and it can change back.
Just as you can use math to make patented things or copyright works. The game and it's art can get copyright protection but the underlying source code should not get protection. If you give it some protection, in order to get that patent-like protection, you should have to submit source code... like a patent needs documentation not merely an end product. Then wh
Re: (Score:2)
I'm not entirely sure it's true, though.
Sure, source code has a lot of analogues with math, but it's also a lot more than math. It's more like a set of instructions.... those can be copyrighted.
Holy Crap (Score:3)
It's like Valve just said "Oh yeah? Here ya go. If you have a problem why don't you go fix it."
Personally I love Team Fortress 2 - it's a flawless masterpiece. This is just wonderful for anyone who wants to preserve this work of art, anyone who wants to make a mod or make their own version of it. It's even great news for people who have been discovering neat little bugs and quirks to this day. Now we'll know how it all works.
Battlefield Bad Company (Score:2)
Man..... I hope someone use that source and make an ultimate version of battlefield bad company ......
Excellent Decision For A Fabulous Game (Score:2)
Though it's been years since I played TF2, I just love that game. I love the straight forward game play, entertaining, a great balance between characters, weapons, and their impact. Superior in so many ways. I love the low-res cartoon-ish graphics and the avoidance of the too-dark-to-see-anything scenes of most FPS. The mood of the imagery also has a very pleasing aesthetic to me. There's little about TF2 that I don't just love.
What I don't love, in fact hate, is the complete deterioration of the game and t
Re: Excellent Decision For A Fabulous Game (Score:2)
Not the full source code... (Score:2)
Unless something has changed, valve has not open sourced the underlying Source engine tech that these games run on (e.g. 3D renderer, audio, stuff like that).