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ValveSoftware / halflife

Half-Life 1 engine based games
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Can I make a game from this engine and sell it? #1853

Open ryandakid opened 6 years ago

ryandakid commented 6 years ago

I am making a game (and it is coming along very well) with this game engine. Is it possible that I could used the source code for this game, alter it to my liking, then sell it if I put the licensing files into the directory, or will I have to buy a rights license?

SamVanheer commented 6 years ago

You should email them to ask about this: sourceengine@valvesoftware.com

Note that others have tried to acquire the source code and were told they no longer license it out. You should try regardless though.

ryandakid commented 6 years ago

9 Days and they have not responded yet... :/

ghost commented 6 years ago

Wait 'n' second.. We're talking here about Half-Life Engine or the GoldSrc (GoldSource) Engine? They don't even use it anymore! They use Source Engine instead, and now the new Source 2 Engine. There's a plenty of difference between GoldSrc and Source, while Source is closed-source which means it's code is not out there in the public, while GoldSrc is open-source, which technically means it's free! BUT if you're trying to make a game with it and sell it, then I guess you need some permission from Valve, if technically not from the Gabe Newell itself! But that kinda sounds ridiculous. Check this out: Half-Life: Cahed [store.steampowered.com].

Anyways... Valve doesn't care about something that's deprecated and all they care now is about money.. CS:GO... Dota 2... etc. So good luck on your game dude!!

SamVanheer commented 6 years ago

The Half-Life engine is the GoldSource engine, and it isn't open source.

ghost commented 6 years ago

Maybe I'm wrong here, but I surely did heard there was GoldSrc source code on the internet.

SamVanheer commented 6 years ago

Not as far as i know, but the Source engine code base did leak a few times.

BlackShadow commented 6 years ago

I know this topic is pretty old but i also would like to comment. You can actually "SELL" a game from GoldSource or Source game IF you made a "Major" updates to the game and to the engine (Just like Black Mesa or Hunt Down The Refund) Unless you have copyrighted material on your game. Such as someones song in the game. GoldSource's code is open source (as in Github) BUT still under license of Valve, so still they have a right to sue you if you try to sell the game code or other things. Yes Source leaked few times, it was 2008 and 2009. Also people can convert them to SDK 2013 since they have the OG SDK, like they did the HL:S. But this is totally illegal, since Valve was never released Source code orginally to the Github or anywhere. But somehow they don't sue Black Mesa or HDTF (IDK if Black Mesa team orginally bought the Source code, so i maybe wrong there but HDTF didn't bought it) even though they still let them sell on Steam. Valve is weird.

SamVanheer commented 6 years ago

Both Black Mesa and HDTF have licensed the engine for use, that's perfectly legal. You cannot sell mods, and they will not license GoldSource anymore.

BlackShadow commented 6 years ago

Well if HDTF and BM bought the engine that makes me wrong for sure, but if i remember right Prospekt was never really bought the rights of the Source Engine, (i might be wrong, im not really sure on that one.) the owner said he just made them game and send it to the Valve and hoped they will accept it. After than that he Greenlight the game, he passed and now they sellling game around $5-7

SamVanheer commented 6 years ago

If it went through Greenlight then Valve authorized it.

BlackShadow commented 6 years ago

I'm not really sure tho, it's still breaking the SDK's selling policy rule. Also it seems Black Mesa didn't bought the engine as well, Valve let them commercialize their mod. It seems they also broked the rule but Valve let them pass. For HDTF they probaly bought it as you said. Valve might gave the same pass to Prospekt like they did to Black Mesa, but still it's unknown if Valve give them pass or they paid it.

SamVanheer commented 6 years ago

I'm sure if they were in violation they'd have been sued and thrown off of Steam.

BlackShadow commented 6 years ago

HDTF is broke the rules but yet the game is still in Steam. You know, those stolen assets thingy. Using copyrighted material in their game. Also a Turkish game named Zula, they blatantly copied Dust2 and other few maps from CS without saying anything to Valve, they're just re-textured. But the map exactly same. Yet the game is free but still they using copyrighted material. I'm pretty sure Valve is careless at this point right now.

SamVanheer commented 6 years ago

HDTF licensed the engine, what they're doing is legal.

Can you please stop bringing this up here? This issue tracker isn't meant to be used for this sort of discussion, and we've already established that those games are legally using the engine.

BlackShadow commented 6 years ago

Sure, you're right. It's not appropriate discussing in here.

mconicx commented 2 years ago

Hate to bump an old thread, but at the same time don't feel like double-posting. The license clearly states that distribution is allowed as long as it is free in both object code (which means without source-code) and source (with source-code, duh).

I don't think Valve would care that much for an outdated engine, so could you pull through with selling a "mod" of the game (on steam), having half-life as the only requirement to play the mod? Every asset from the game shall not be included with the mod, but will require a legitimate copy of half-life, hence being a mod in the first place.