Bring OpenTTD To Steam

[Zofsk]

I think it would be really cool to get this game on Steam. It would be a lot easier for new people to find the game. Is there any reason why OpenTTD isn't on Steam?

[Redirect Left]

Does Steam support open source games?
There would also be no real financial incentive to Steam for hosting OpenTTD on its servers, there are no microtransactions to gain money from, generally free games on steam have microtransactions that make it worthwhile to both the devs and Steam.
There may also be copyright reasons or similar that prevent a large scale launch onto Steam from the previous developer or distributers of Transport Tycoon (Deluxe), that have been overlooked due to the fairly low profile being kept of OTTD.

[Zofsk]

I do believe it supports open sourced games (Relic Hunters Zero is one.) For the micro transactions, I've never encountered one in a Steam game. I think the copyright grounds would only be on the name. Recreation doesn't fall under copyright (I believe).

[Baldy's Boss]

I do believe it supports open sourced games (Relic Hunters Zero is one.) For the micro transactions, I've never encountered one in a Steam game. I think the copyright grounds would only be on the name. Recreation doesn't fall under copyright (I believe).

What do you mean by "recreation doesn't fall under copyright"?...you DO know that there are lots of copyrighted games?

[Transportman]

I do not see the added value of adding the game to Steam. And I doubt it would be easier to find for people, it would give a small boost at the start when it comes available, but after that it would never make the front page as there will be no discounts, and with the big pile of games currently available on Steam, I doubt a lot of people would accidentally come across it and download it.

[kamnet]

There is a steam community dedicated to open TTD. And I suppose there is nothing that prevents anybody from taking a copy of OpenTTD and offering it up on Steam. But I do believe it is not something that the developers have actually expressed support for, so it would be totally independent and I think a lot of people might suspect that their ulterior motives to offering it on Steam. Still, there is some interest in offering it as every once in awhile this suggestion does come up.

[Zofsk]

I do believe it supports open sourced games (Relic Hunters Zero is one.) For the micro transactions, I've never encountered one in a Steam game. I think the copyright grounds would only be on the name. Recreation doesn't fall under copyright (I believe).

What do you mean by "recreation doesn't fall under copyright"?...you DO know that there are lots of copyrighted games?

Of course I do. But, since OpenTTD was only based on TTD (in terms of concept), I don't think there would be a claim to sue. It's a free game and there is no way they don't know about it. OpenTTD is the second result after Wikipedia that comes up when you search "transport tycoon."

[Redirect Left]

OpenTTDs existance on a major distributing platform may put a spanner in the works of future distributors if Transport Tycoon got a spiritual or official sequel in the future and cut off profits if they see this instead. OTTD is still using the name 'Transport Tycoon Deluxe', which may in some way be registered still somewhere.

[Supercheese]

OTTD is still using the name 'Transport Tycoon Deluxe'...

It is? News to me. All I know is OpenTTD is OpenTTD, not "Open Transport Tycoon Deluxe". Acronym convergence may or may not be coincidental, who's to say?

[Redirect Left]

OTTD is still using the name 'Transport Tycoon Deluxe', which may in some way be registered still somewhere.

It is? News to me.

may

I didn't say it was, rather it may. Also the name OTTD heavily implies Transport Tycoon from its logo and actual name.

[kamnet]

Monsieur Sawyer has been knowledgeable about OpenTTD's existence, its name, and its logo for well over a decade. If he was at all worried about whether or not it infringed on any trademarks, service marks, or infringements on copyrights that he owns, he is more than well-heeled enough to have retained legal representation and squashed it long, long ago.

[Redirect Left]

Well that wasn't what I was meaning at all.

[kamnet]

What did you mean, then?

[Redirect Left]

OpenTTDs existance on a major distributing platform may put a spanner in the works of future distributors if Transport Tycoon got a spiritual or official sequel in the future and cut off profits if they see this instead.

Putting it on Steam may cross an extra line currently not being reached.

[kamnet]

What "extra line"? Either Sawyer thinks the game violates his rights, and he defends them vigorously as the law requires, or he doesn't and we go on as we have for the last decade.

Heck, if he cared at all, it would have been on the fact that his own paid app on the Google Play store has fewer than 100,000 installs while the free OpenTTD app has over 1 million installs, and that based on the ratings and feedback it's clear that OpenTTD is taking away customers.

[Zofsk]

If he has known about it for 10 years, I doubt he could even legally sue anyone for it. I think you have to sue within a year before you're damages get severely cut.

[kamnet]

You can sue at any time for any reason (at least in the United States). Whether your case has merit and what type of damages you can collect is another issue. I don't think there is a specific time limit or restriction on liability, but rather it entirely depends on the facts and how well your legal team argues them.

Could Sawyer sue? Absolutely? Will he? As i said, after all these years, I doubt it. I think worst case scenario is he files a DMCA complaint or trademark complaint with Steam and they take it down.

[Chrill]

It's not really up to Mr. Sawyer, is it? Some company owns the rights. Atari? Being on Steam is an unnecessary tool which will only serve to highlight the game for the big companies. If people want to play OpenTTD, they will find it anyway. There is no benefit to the OpenTTD community in being there.

[kamnet]

We know now that he does own all the rights. We don't know if that's always been the case in years past. Either way if he was worried at all either him or whoever represented his interests and rights would have spoken up by now.

I will agree that it likely serves little benefit to OpenTTD's developers, but I wouldn't say none. I think the bigger issue is the fact that you would have to implement Steam's API into the game, and I don't see where OpenTTD's developers would be interested in that at all.

[Dave]

I'm not interested in Steam being involved with OpenTTD - it starts to add a commercial twist (whether or not the game is commercial). The moment you add a stupid Achievements system to the game is the day I'm out for good.

It's fine as it is...