Please see this thread if you just want to show interest in the idea -> https://www.crumbsim.com/forum/general-discussion-1/would-you-like-to-see-crumb-as-open-source-or-libre-software-show-your-support-here
To keep discussion related to the above topic compact, I've created this thread so we can share news and discuss about this topic.
My subjective reasons for asking CRUMB to be libre are:
- I like to be able to modify and explore all the software I use
- Users could port it unofficially on currently unsupported platforms such as Linux and MacOS on M1
- Full customizability and improved support for mods and other components
- Companies and schools alike could contribute to this project too to publicize their own products (think about Arduino or Sparkfun making prototyping tutorials on this and then you build the actual product later)
- Libre software is eternal, If Mike were to disappear, the community could keep the software going (don't worry I'm not planning on kidnapping you Mike :) )
I believe it should be possible, if the developers were not to be interested in fully releasing all the assets, to do what Overgrowth did, releasing the actual source but keeping the assets only downloadable from Steam.
Also, a GOG.com release would be nice, but again this is completely subjective to me.
@Mike Bushell would you mind to comment?
First of all: I do not mean any offense. But there are unsettling signs regarding the future of CRUMB. The last official progress notification on Steam ("Just a quick update to show that I am pouring long hours in to making CRUMB Advanced as detailed and complex as possible") is now almost one year old (and it was not clear if it meant the CRUMB we have payed for or a future version like "CRUMB 2.0" or "CRUMB Advanced"). There seems to be no roadmap, project plan or any other information available, how CRUMB is going to be developed. And the state of this forum (being obviously spammend at the beginning of this month and not being moderated) speaks for itself, too.
It seems you have lost interest in developing CRUMB or other priorities - whichever reasons you have, they are not mine/ours to judge. BUT: Me and obviously at least a few other people here on the forum have NOT lost interest in CRUMB, quite the opposite. So this whole "should CRUMB be open source" discussion is less a "Mike should give this brilliant piece of software away for free" but more a "Mike seems not to be willing or capable of keeping this brilliant piece of software alive for whatever reason. How can we make sure it stays alive and well nevertheless?". And I am well aware, the answer to this is not necessarily to make CRUMB open source.