Can't EA open the source of Darkspore server side?

[vitor251093]

The servers were shutdown over 2 years ago. Many people still want to play the game again, but updating Darkspore for offline playing takes money, and since the game isn't for sale anymore, it's understandable that it won't be updated for that. 

However, if EA opens the source of the Darkspore server side, fans of the game would be able to host their own servers for the game, and bring it back to life. It wouldn't take much effort. EA literally already has a page for sharing its open source components; it would be just a matter of uploading the server side code there.

Sure, you probably would have to remove the Origin API calls first (unless they don't even work anymore), but either way, it wouldn't take much effort nor money. 

Thanks in advance,

[Freggi-Liz]

@vitor251093 Hi

Thank you for your constructive feedback. I think the game having a smaller fanbase like Spore to really keep it alive, it was not profitable enough. A company like EA has to work economically, it's not just server costs, it's also the people behind a game. I do not think it would be possible in the future to give out the source components. The developer of this game has left EA and with him the rest of the team. , Therefore, it will been never becomes possible,  that Darkspore comes back. With going away  of developers, passed away Darkspore.

[vitor251093]

@Freggi-Liz Hi

As a developer I can tell that, while developed in-house, an application and its source does not belong to its developer nor its team, it belong it its company. That being said, if EA is a responsible company, the Darkspore server source code is still with EA, probably in some private repository. One of the developers may have kept a copy of the server source during development, but legally, it belongs to Maxis and EA.

Also, while the team behind Darkspore left in 2015 (if I'm not mistaken), a company should keep records of everything for at least 6 years. Usually that's applied to payment related records, but when you deal with a software that is directly connected to a payed product, it's fair to assume that it may be mentioned during legal actions in case something wrong happens.

Let's say for example (not real example, just picturing) that Darkspore had advertised 40 different creatures, but players had only unlocked 39; players accuse EA of fraud, and start a legal action against EA; EA is ordered by the justice to show the server code related to character unlock requirements, showing that it was available, and so proving that no one could meet the requirements to unlock, but it was there (if no one unlocked it there is no logs related with that, so the only way to prove would be with the source). That being said, even if the Darkspore related files were only with its team at this point, EA should have retrieved those files so they could keep them for their own protection.

Sure, EA had no legal issues with Darkspore (afaik), but you never plan that kind of thing; they are always unexpected, so you must always be prepared.