FAQ on Non-Technical Questions about Classic Sierra Games
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1)I can't seem to find _______ anywhere? Where can I get a copy?
2) I saw this so-called abandonware site where they had _______ available for download free. Is this legal?
3) What official Sierra game soundtracks have been released over the years?
4) What happened to the original Sierra On-Line company? Who owns Sierra now?
Question: I can't seem to find _______ anywhere? Where can I get a copy?
Answer: The best places to look on-line are eBay or any other auction site (Yahoo!, Amazon, etc.). And you never know what you'll find in a bargain bin or a software reseller store when you least expect it. There are also a few games which were made available for download off certain internet sites with permission from Sierra (see below).
Question: I saw this so-called abandonware site where they had _______ available for download free. Is this legal?
Answer: In most cases, no it is not. There are a couple exceptions (those of which we know about are listed below) where certain sites gained permission from Sierra to post and distribute specific old games on their site (in the same way that Quest Studios received permission from Sierra to distribute their music). Any sites that do not explicitly say this are probably posting these games on the Internet illegally. The ethical side of this is harder to weigh for some people, but the illegality of it is clear and indisputable.
Sites which offer Sierra (and often many other) games for download with express permission from the owners of the games' licenses, copyrights, etc. are:
* Back to the Roots (www.back2roots.org), which offers the Amiga versions of many classic Sierra games for download.
Also, Sierra's first game, Mystery House - which plays on Apple II - was released into the public domain on one of Sierra's anniversaries. Any site which carries the game does so legitamately.
Question: What official Sierra game soundtracks have been released over the years?
Answer: There are official soundtracks for:
* The soundtrack included with the Complete Guide to Babylon 5
* Gabriel Knight (included in the Gabriel Knight Mysteries: Limited Edition only)
* Inca
* Quest for Glory V: Dragon Fire
* Return to Krondor
* Sierra Soundtrack Collection
Sierra also released a demo cassette tape entitled "Live from the Sierra Lounge" which contained several Sierra game songs. See our Sierra Lounge page.
Question: What happened to the original Sierra On-Line company? Who owns Sierra now?
Answer: Activision in 2008.