'OpenCiv1' is a project that disassembles the first 'Civilization' and makes it open source.

' Civilization ' is a turn-based strategy game where you aim for victory while developing your civilization and engaging in diplomacy and war with other countries. The first computer game version of the series was released in 1991, but a project called `` OpenCiv1 '' to rewrite the original Civilization into open source is being promoted by volunteers.

Open source rewrite of Civilization 1 Source Code - OpenCiv1 Project | CivFanatics Forums
https://forums.civfanatics.com/threads/open-source-rewrite-of-civilization-1-source-code-openciv1-project.682623/

OpenCiv1 aims to open source version 475.05 of the first DOS version of Civilization released in 1991 by disassembling it . On the project's official page, the reason for open sourcing the original Civilization is: 'The game is still very popular and easy to play. However, it can only be played on outdated platforms such as DOS or 16-bit Windows. , there are also several bugs that remain unfixed, which hinder the game's popularity.'

The results of OpenCiv1 are published on GitHub, and an alpha version has already been released. However, at the time of writing the article, it was not possible to completely reproduce the Civilization source code, so in order to play Civilization using OpenCiv1, it is legally required to own the original version of Civilization. Although some of the OpenCiv1 assembly code is emulated on the virtual CPU, the remaining code has already been replaced with new copyright-free code.

GitHub - rajko-horvat/OpenCiv1: Open source rewrite of the original Civilization Game designed by Sid Meier and Bruce Shelley in year 1991
https://github.com/rajko-horvat/OpenCiv1

The original Civilization was published by Microprose , so they originally owned the copyright. However, Atari bought the rights to the film from Microprose, and Atari then sold the rights to Civilization to Take-Two Interactive . Later, Take-Two Interactive also sold the rights to Civilization to Firaxis Games .

It is unclear whether Take-Two Interactive owns the copyright to the original Civilization. In 2006, Take-Two Interactive released a commemorative Civilization box, which included the original version of Civilization. However, it is unclear whether Take-Two Interactive temporarily acquired the publishing rights or whether they were able to release it because they owned the copyright.

As mentioned above, the copyright and trademark situation for the original Civilization is quite messy. In addition, since the game makers who may own the copyright are major game makers, it is highly unlikely that they would approve a project by volunteers aiming to open source Civilization. As a result, a person involved in the project writes, ``Many of these projects are quietly proceeding without attracting attention.''

The full version of OpenCiv1 is scheduled for release in mid-2024. In the full version, the original sound, image, and text data that is still protected by copyright will be replaced with copyright-free data, so you will be able to play the game even if you do not own the original version. .

The worst-case scenario for OpenCiv1 is to receive a DMCA deletion notification via GitHub.