Since when is Commander Keen available on Steam?

mortimermcmirestinks · Post by **mortimermcmirestinks** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 3:11

http://store.steampowered.com/app/9180/

Is this real or what?

Post by **Keening_Product** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 3:27

The games have been on there for ages! Years, I think!

I don't understand why they haven't progressed from it being Windows only yet though - I assume the DOS emulator they use could easily be ported to Linux and Mac and be used for many older games.

Pokota · Post by **Pokota** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 3:54

So that's why the Source Code won't get released.

NY00123 · Post by **NY00123** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 9:22

Pokota wrote:So that's why the Source Code won't get released.

I don't see how is this related. For instance, source code for Doom may be available under a free license, but the data (i.e., the graphics, maps and the like) is not. So you still have to obtain a copy of Doom in order to play it, even if it's done using, say, a source port.

Lunick · Post by **Lunick** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 11:50

http://techcrunch.com/2007/08/06/id-sof ... eam-train/

You're only 6 years late o/

mortimer · Post by **mortimer** » Fri Nov 08, 2013 19:53

Lunick · Post by **Lunick** » Sat Nov 09, 2013 1:29

Keening_Product wrote:The games have been on there for ages! Years, I think!

I don't understand why they haven't progressed from it being Windows only yet though - I assume the DOS emulator they use could easily be ported to Linux and Mac and be used for many older games.

Totally missed this post, I don't think id have updated ANY of their older catalogue since putting it on Steam and I don't think they have any real interest of updating them which is really sad.

Post by **Levellass** » Sat Nov 09, 2013 4:42

Commander Keen has been available on steam ever since we dissolved it and heated it to 100 degrees Celsius.

guynietoren · Post by **guynietoren** » Sat Nov 09, 2013 12:46

I bought it several years ago. Too bad the bundle has to be missing Keen6. But that's not their fault entirely.

chrissifniotis · Post by **chrissifniotis** » Sun Nov 10, 2013 0:20

guynietoren wrote:I bought it several years ago. Too bad the bundle has to be missing Keen6. But that's not their fault entirely.

I have been wondering why that is the case. But oh well.

Post by **Keening_Product** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 5:31

chrissifniotis wrote:I have been wondering why that is the case. But oh well.

You don't know the story behind K6's distribution?

chrissifniotis · Post by **chrissifniotis** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 9:14

I know about the games, but not the story behind the games. No.

Post by **Keening_Product** » Mon Nov 11, 2013 11:33

From 3D Realms:

Episodes 1-3 are collectively called "Invasion of the Vorticons," and are published by Apogee Software. This series of Commander Keen was released on December 14th, 1990, according to Tom Hall, then Creative Director for id Software.

Episodes 4-5 are collectively called "Goodbye Galaxy!" and are also published by Apogee Software. This series of Commander Keen was released somewhere around June of 1991. There was also a special CGA edition of Keens 4-5. The CGA version is functionally identical to the standard EGA version of the game, but with CGA graphics. Apogee discontinued the CGA version in November 1997.

In April 1998, episodes 1-5 were bundled together on a single CD and sold as a unit for $49.95. This is now the only way any of these Keen episodes may be purchased.

Episode 6 is a stand-alone game which uses the Keen 4-5 engine and is entitled "Aliens Ate My Babysitter." From its creation in 1991 until 1996, it was distributed by FormGen, and Apogee merely resold it, like any other retailer would. In 1996, FormGen was bought by GT Interactive and did not continue to distribute the game. Therefore, Apogee was left with what stock they had at the time. In August 1997, that stock ran out. As of now, the only way to get Keen 6 is as a part of "The id Anthology" package, but that CD, for some reason, only has the CGA version of the game. There was a playable demo of Keen 6 that FormGen distributed at one point. It was released to various online services as #6k-demo.zip and k6demo.zip; it may or may not still exist in some remote part of the Internet.

(Here: http://www.3drealms.com/tech/keen.html )

Paramultart · Post by **Paramultart** » Wed Nov 13, 2013 7:18

I always thought that was poor planning on ID's part... Just like making Keen Dreams for Softdisk when they could have just made another Dangerous Dave title and reserved the rights to all their Keen games.

Post by **Levellass** » Wed Nov 13, 2013 22:43

On the other hand:

'We need to throw these guys some scraps, Keen or Dave?'

'I really feel that a violent guy with a gun is the future of gaming, give 'em the kid instead.'