A Game And A Program

[exxentrix]

Game: Why haven't I seen a skifree port yet? That was one of my favorite games, I would sit for hours on an old Win3.1 and play. I have seen PSP ports of it so I am sure that source codes are available.

Program: I was on an airplane back to Seattle and there was this old chinese woman sitting next to me who spoke little/no english. She started communicating with me through this little thing about the size of a DS. She was putting in chinese characters and they were translating into english. It even talked. So wouldn't a little translator program like that be cool?

 

[semyaza]

Game: Why haven't I seen a skifree port yet? That was one of my favorite games, I would sit for hours on an old Win3.1 and play. I have seen PSP ports of it so I am sure that source codes are available.

Perhaps because a developer has never heard of it or doesn't care :unsure:

 

[Parkydr]

Game: Why haven't I seen a skifree port yet? That was one of my favorite games, I would sit for hours on an old Win3.1 and play. I have seen PSP ports of it so I am sure that source codes are available.

The source code is not available.

Quoting from the site of the original

I've received a lot of requests for the source code, and suggestions to release the code under some free license like the GPL. I'm a big fan of free software and would love to do this, but unfortunately I don't own the copyright for SkiFree -- Microsoft does. Back in 1991 I assigned the copyright to them and they licensed the code back to me, with permission to create and publish new versions. That's why I can modify the program and legally allow downloads here. I don't have the time (or interest really) to make new versions myself, or enough legal expertise to know whether I can GPL the code without getting sued by Microsoft. If you're an IP lawyer (or would like to hire one on my behalf) and can clear this up for me, send me a note and maybe we can get the ball rolling!

The PSP version is a clone and doesn't seem to have source available.

 

[Magnulus]

SkiFree was so awesome, and I actually think I mentioned it in here at some point. Or somewhere else. Wherever it was, I've been wanting someone to port it. Since a direct PORT won't happen, I hope someone will clone it. It doesn't seem like the most horrendously difficult game to clone, though... I'd love to help out with graphics if it's needed (so that it's sort not just a COMPLETE rip-off.)

 

[Wite_Noiz]

SkiFree was so awesome, and I actually think I mentioned it in here at some point. Or somewhere else. Wherever it was, I've been wanting someone to port it. Since a direct PORT won't happen, I hope someone will clone it. It doesn't seem like the most horrendously difficult game to clone, though... I'd love to help out with graphics if it's needed (so that it's sort not just a COMPLETE rip-off.)

Since you always seem to have so much time and willingness why not make the graphics first and find a developer who's interested?
I'd have a quick stab at it, but Vynx would have my balls for not focussing on the simple RTS h34r:

Edit: Since when did "focus" have an "x" in it?

 

[Orkie]

Program: I was on an airplane back to Seattle and there was this old chinese woman sitting next to me who spoke little/no english. She started communicating with me through this little thing about the size of a DS. She was putting in chinese characters and they were translating into english. It even talked. So wouldn't a little translator program like that be cool?

It would nice, but you'd never get it to work well. Computers can't understand context so will very often select the wrong word for the situation (if the first language has two meanings for a word).

 

[Wite_Noiz]

Computers can't understand context easily

Hand-held real-time translators (even speech-to-speech) are advancing extremely rapidly.

There was a news story a couple of months back of a pototype that was announced as "flawless" (Chinese to English and back again) - but I didn't see any write-up of the device in use, so probably a marketing lie.

 

[Magnulus]

I think the problem with something like a translator program is that it would HAVE to be payware, due to the costs in developing good contextual systems, etc. Normally, the machines used are dedicated to that one purpose, and don't cost just nothing. I guess if someone made a program that could be ported to any portable device, it could be ported to the GP2X with relative success, but I don't think you'd actually end up seeing it anywhere outside of mobile phones, the PSP and the DS.

 

[exxentrix]

Okay I never said it had to be flawless. The one the woman was using called orange juice "Juice of the oranges". It seems the SkiFree thing has been covered well so no comment. Ohh and Wite Noiz, love the icon.