Archive.org Now Hosts Over 2400 DOS Games

[GSZX1337]

In addition to its console and arcade libraries, Archive.org now hosts DOS games. Classics like D-Generation, Dune, and Captain Comic can now be played in your browser. Like the other libraries, the copyright aspect is suspect as some games, like Wolfenstein 3D and Zork, are available on Steam and GoG.

https://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos_games

These games utilize an Emscripten conversion of DOSBox known as Em-DOSBox created by Dreamlayers. Emscripten is basically a C/C++ to JavaScript interpreter used to port applications to run in modern web browsers.

[ExedExes]

That's pretty sick. There's a lot of them I played in the 90s on there (STUNTS!). But like the console ROMs they host now, are they going to now really run afoot of all the copyright holders?

[Tanooki]

I asked that over at DP where a thread went up I made on it when that stuff was added. NZ17 the head admin said there that with the console roms and the dos stuff the US gov't gave the archive.org people a DMCA exemption so anything on there that is free (even if it's pay somewhere say like GoG.com) is free and you won't get busted for it and they won't either. I guess it's viewed as an online museum preserving the digital past from arcade games, console, and now PC-DOS.

[ExedExes]

I read the DP post as well as the archive's statements regarding that. Plus the games themselves are using a stream version of DOSBox with no way to play them other than on the site.

[KalessinDB]

The DMCA thing is interesting, because in addition to the streamable version, they have the eXoDOS collections in full available for download there. eXoDOS is a project started by eXoscoraie (I may have misspelled it) from Underground Gamer and Pleasuredome.org.uk that collects basically every DOS game ever released, does them up with a premade DosBox wrapper, and makes it easy to run on modern computers.

Basically what I'm saying is, you can download a lot more than you can play online. Like, nearly a terabyte of dos games.

So if they've been given a DMCA exception, then effectively all DOS games are now free, assuming you download them from there.

[samsonlonghair]

I don't see the eXoDOS collections there. Maybe I'm blind, but I don't see them.

[MrEco]

So... did all of our backlogs just collectively grow by 2400 games? ; - ;

[SpoonyBard]

eXoDOS

https://archive.org/search.php?query=ExoDOS

[GSZX1337]

I asked that over at DP where a thread went up I made on it when that stuff was added. NZ17 the head admin said there that with the console roms and the dos stuff the US gov't gave the archive.org people a DMCA exemption. . .

I read the DP post as well as the archive's statements regarding that.

The DMCA thing is interesting. . .

Tanooki and ExedExes, could either of you link to this DP post, or preferably, the sources the admin cites. Every time I've read anything regarding Archive.org's hosting of ROMs the article always ends with the writer questioning the legality of what the site does.

Plus the games themselves are using a stream version of DOSBox with no way to play them other than on the site.

That reminds me that I forgot to mention the Emscripten port of DOSBox used in this collection. *goes to edit first post*

[SNESdrunk]

Zak McKracken! Awesome