Nogalious available on Steam

I have received my code for the Steam MSX version, but it seems to only run on Windows. Has anyone found a workaround to make it work on Linux/Mac? I can download the files and run the .exe via Wine, but it then tries to verify it's running through Steam and fails to start...

The included emulator is a 'limited' version of openMSX. I've succeeeded to launch the game on my Windows system, but the screen remained black.

The solution is to go in the console (F10) and to change the video renderer: by default, it's SDLGL-PP and my system seems to accept only the 'classical' SDL (I don't have checked with updating of drivers and don't have the intention to check that). Typing set renderer SDL in the console is the good thing to do!

Steam Play only exists in Linux, not in Mac unfortunately... I supported it in Kickstarter and it turns out I cannot play it. Oh well...

The openMSX executable (openmsx.exe) is exactly the same as the official 0.15.0 for Windows 32bit (5428Ko - sha1: dbc4eaaee4444d43427fa78e9dbc118d39310076)

What is 'limited' is especially the hardcoded (in the main executable) C-Bios MSX1 European machine. Of course, it's still possible to select another machine in the console or the OSD menu, but it will start without the game. A distributable rom is included, it's the demo version of the game. As the main executable is required to play the complete version of the game instead of the demo version, you can't choose to play on a MSX2 machine for example, the only way to get MSX2-like colors is to change the gamma value in the console.

And of course if you want to use another emulator (blueMSX for example), you can only play the demo version.

As long as the non-GPL'ed binary code isn't linked directly then there is no problem. In this case if the main binary simply uses the OS to launch the (unmodified) GPL'ed openMSX binary then there is no problem indeed. They are in that case simply two 'unrelated' processes in your OS.

If he would have hardcoded the ROM in the openMSX binary, then he would have to release all the (source!)code that is needed to recreate that altered openMSX binary and that code will have to be GPl'ed also. In this the MSX version of Nogalious would need to be placed under GPL. Put given the fact that apparently he uses openMSX as-is, it seems he is compliant with the GPL.

Hello, I'm Rafael from LUEGOLU3GO, I'm who coded both Nogalious MSX and LPGS Steam Launcher, I can confirm you that openMSX is not modified in any way, all the logistic in order to get full version from de demo ROM is made on the LPGS Steam Launcher.

LPGS Steam Launcher is in beta phase, and we want to offer to any who want to use in his owns productions in order to easy get his ROMs to Steam community by himself.

Of course due to it is in beta phase, it can have bugs an details that must be changed, if you has any problem to launch Nogalious MSX Steam, feel free to contact with me, I'll do all my best to solve your problem.

If you are interested in use LPGS Steam Launcher in your productions, you only has to write to lpgs@luegolu3go.com

Best regards.

Here's the LPGS Steam Launcher window - it seems indeed to act like a DRM application:

@Pencioner: The question isn't whether openMSX is modified, the question is whether openMSX is a part of the game as it is shipped on Steam, or whether the launcher, openMSX and the ROM are independent programs that just happen to be installed together.

If you remove openMSX from the game package, the ROM cannot execute anymore. If you bypass the launcher, the ROM loses critical functionality: it reverts to the demo version. So that suggests that the launcher, openMSX and the ROM are not independent programs, since only the three of them put together form the full playable game.

@mth: ah i see your point. but i'm not that much into licensing

In general we love it when people use openMSX, but it has to be done while respecting the license. I believe a solution is possible if LUEGOLU3GO would separate the launcher, openMSX and the ROM. That does mean dropping the DRM, since there is no way to enforce DRM when openMSX and the ROM are fully independent programs.

While Steam offers DRM, as far as I know it is up to the individual game developer to enforce it or not. Given that this is an inexpensive indie title, I think most players wouldn't resort to piracy if they can easily buy the game officially. So I'm not sure why the DRM is there in the first place.

CBIOS has the BSD license, which allows any modification and distribution (the real libre license imo ). However it does mandate that you include the license terms and copyright notice.

CLK is licensed under the MIT license. Also MAME is largely (but not entirely) BSD nowadays.

Before including a GPL licensed product I would always contact the authors beforehand to avoid misunderstandings and surprises, or else make absolutely sure I fully abide by the license terms. Misunderstanding the GPL license terms is understandable given how complicated it is (the length of that FAQ says as much), but including the license and copyright info is a no-brainer start of course :).

What I’m interested in, regardless of DRM or such, is it possible in principle to distribute openMSX and a non-GPL compatible MSX ROM or disk image in one package (not putting the burden on the user to install a separate runtime first), without requiring the MSX software to be licensed under GPL as well?

Intuitively a runtime and a binary which it executes are “well separated” (in the words of that FAQ), and bundling it is simply a matter of convenience. However I get a strong feeling it’s far from that simple. A reason why I don’t use GPL myself… It’s never been clear to me what the implications are exactly.

rafa32gr the cbios and openMSX license are distribution licenses and not for the end user in this case. If you are not familiar with this I suggest you contact someone who can explain what the legal implications/ramifications are of breaking the license agreement. You are in violation of the GPL license and responsible.

https://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-violation.en.html

Rafael, they way you used/incorporated openMSX is totally unacceptable to the openMSX team. And we would like you to stop using our software in this manner asap. As Maarten already stated we love it when people use openMSX, but it has to be done while fully respecting the license. The GPL states the terms under which we allow this.

The GPL is at his heart about protecting the rights of the software user. In short the right to freely run, study, share and modify the software. This means that when distributing our software you agree with these terms and bind yourself to respect these rights.

Since you embed our software in your product, you prohibit the end user to launch openMSX without starting your launcher program. You thus clearly restrict the end-user of freely running the program. (So does your DRM!)
The end-user can not share openMSX in the way you distribute our software since he as no access to openMSX at all in your current software.
He can not modify the openMSX in your launcher since he can not rebuild your launcher even if he got the openMSX source from us... (And you should offer a way to get the sources or you are in violation with point 3 of the GPLv2 license)

The way you currently have wrapped openMSX in your launcher means that your launcher should be licensed under the GPL, so that you would give all end-users the same freedoms as stated above (freely run, study, share and modify). Thus also forcing you to offer the code so that we can rebuild the entire launcher including the embeded openMSX and rom since you made it one monolithic block.

Personally I'm under the impression that you do not want to open source your launcher and the MSX version of Nogalious...

But I think that there could be positive a way forward to satisfy both parties and that you should at least do the following:

1. Have a normal and complete openMSX distribution installed in a subdirectory of the launcher and not embedded in your app. This way people can freely run and share openMSX without having to copy your launcher. And they can replace/modify/update openMSX without having to alter your launcher.
2. In your documentation state more clearly that you are using openMSX a free emulator not developed by you and that openMSX is distributed under the GPL license. I would even suggest to replace the text 'Launching the emulator' in the launcher by 'Launching the 3th party openMSX emulator'

Of course you could simply drop openMSX and obtain a payed license of fMSX from Marat Fayzullin

Of course , we want you to check that all ok, please, give me an email and i'll give you Steam codes to check by yourself.
Best regards.

@Sebbeug: Buy a cartridge. You can use it on all your MSX.

@hap: While this might be true, this should be only for personal usage. There are other ways to obtain the rom from the launcher (which we will not be discussing), and we would highly recommend that people who would like to play the game on the real hardware go out and buy the actual physical cartridge. Please visit https://www.luegolu3go.com/product-page/nogalious-msx-cartridge for more info.

Understand that we as openMSX team do not condone software piracy. Hence we do not even provide rom dumps of bios/basic roms of the MSX machines we emulate.

We are working with LUEGOLU3GO in a positive atmosphere of mutual respect as to facilitate them to be able to use openMSX as emulator for their original work (the MSX rom version of Nogalious). Suggesting that they include a modified openMSX would open a whole other can of worms, a situation we all would like to avoid.

So allow me to ask you to do the right thing and drop this train of thought please.

I think LUEGOLU3GO could offer the full ROM as DLC to the Steam version for fair price, i think there are many who would buy that too

IT is really a shame to see all the reactions.
ok, the guy should have asked in order to include openMSX.
BUT, instead of trying to rip all of us, charging for a ROM file, he decided to publish his game at a larger audience where money is not a problem. Specially such small amount. Not to mention that could attract worldwide attention to our community.

@to the author: please get in contact with some other emulator authors. Maybe the guy from WebMSX will see no problem with that.
Wish you luck!

Regarding to GoG and DosBox there is some differences that makes not applicable in this case:

* Does not use or include any kind of DRM nor linking with original code.
* Does not hide or camouflage in anyway DosBox program.
* The source is available in the DOSBox directory of every DOS game on GOG (1.2 MB as a tar.gz).
* DosBox Code is under GPL but OpenMSX is GNU GPLv2+/3

Those points makes no applicable the same rules as Dosbox :)

Thanks for the clarification Manuel

All of you have my support

I know is not much but I think you should know that many people here are at side of OpenMSX team and we don´t say enough thank enough for your work, keep going pals!

We are very grateful about your emulator and the current license.

Hm... is the Steam version a full copy?

Take care.

Hello Everyone,

First of all, thanks to the OpenMSX team for their collaboration and always good disposition.

We continue to improve the LPGS services respecting 100% the GPL license following the advice that OpenMSX is transferring us.

Since the Beta 4.3 version we have added double security factor beyond the controls that we can apply in the emulator part always respecting the GPL license, avoid in the case of ROM download that this can be used.

For us the most important thing is the security of the ROMs, so that when the GPL license of OpenMSX is an inconvenience to be able to cover with guarantees the service that we want to offer (apart from being very grateful for all the collaboration to OpenMSX), we would apply other alternatives to the model in which we have already been working.

Best regard.

Hello, I am Raúl from LUEGOLU3GO. We are working on different alternatives that allow us to create the product that we want, respecting the levels of service and scalability that we are contemplating, in some cases in line with your comments.

All of the above, apart from being very grateful to OpenMSX and its team for the good disposition and collaboration they have always had with LUEGOLU3GO STUDIOS.

As we see is Steam like another channel, a channel that allows us to reach MSX games with players from all over the world who, in many cases, did not know about the MSX system, did not know certain types of games and could find them interesting.

We are working on being able to reach other channels besides having their own. Our main objective is to reach the whole world and do it with a model that allows us to play MSX games taking advantage of current technology and current distribution channels, giving value to developers and offering millions of players something totally new to them, helping to keep MSX system and other retro systems alive.

This can be done perfectly with OpenMSX and with a DRM system, in fact we are doing it.
The LPGS suite is made up of different products, all of them aimed at reaching millions of people around the world and for each product we are working with the best alternatives. For example, for other products in the suite where we need absolute control of the emulator, we have acquired fMSX.

The only game I bought with DRM from STEAM have not been usable after system update. Finally I had to find a hack to play with it. The game starts really faster since and still works now.

So I have the same opinion as Sebbeug. I can not buy all the games I want in cartridge.

Failing to see? Really?

To promote new MSX games always will be better a full open source/open hardware solution.

Advice speak with Mr Nishi/Msx Licensing Corporation to know about the legal status of what you are tryng to do.