Al Lowe reveals his Sierra source code collection—then puts all of it on eBay

[Collector]

https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2018/11/ ... t-on-ebay/

If this is not some kind of joke I am saddened that it might go down some black hole by the buyer. This should be saved for prosperity.

[Tawmis]

It's not a joke:
http://sierrahelp.com/forums/viewtopic. ... 188#p69188

[Semi-Happy Partygoer]

Jeez. I hope whoever winds up with this is someone who puts it to good use.

[Tawmis]

Jeez. I hope whoever winds up with this is someone who puts it to good use.

Well since it's going for over two thousand dollars so far, just for the LSL2 code... I am sure whoever owns it is serious.

EDIT: Sorry, going for over SEVEN thousand dollars...

[MusicallyInspired]

Some people would just sit on it, though. Which is a total waste. Honestly, this stuff would have been better of donated. It's a miracle it even exists! Everything else from Sierra was lost and trashed.

[Tawmis]

Some people would just sit on it, though. Which is a total waste. Honestly, this stuff would have been better of donated. It's a miracle it even exists! Everything else from Sierra was lost and trashed.

You say it's a total waste - but based off one game, Al Lowe is getting over $8,000 (and climbing). Considering he was smart enough to save it, why shouldn't he attempt to make a profit on it? He's retired and has grandkids to buy stuff for. And to do this right before Christmas? Perfect timing. It'd be cool if it was put to a museum, but honestly, I am happy Al Lowe is making some money for being smart enough to think about saving this stuff back in the day.

[MusicallyInspired]

Well yeah there's that. I know it's not a waste for him. But to have this stuff exist it's almost the biggest troll in the world to buy it and sit on it. I hope that doesn't happen.

[notbobsmith]

At least I hope there is an attempt made to recover and archive the data.

[Rath Darkblade]

I know I am late to the party (on this thread, at least), but I simply could not post on the other thread... *points up to Tawm's post for a link to the other thread.* Not sure what happened there!

I agree that these should be enshrined in a museum. They are one-of-a-kind! They don't exist anywhere else. Once they go, well... that's it.

But good on Al for providing for his grand-kids.

Jeez. I hope whoever winds up with this is someone who puts it to good use.

Well since it's going for over two thousand dollars so far, just for the LSL2 code... I am sure whoever owns it is serious.

EDIT: Sorry, going for over SEVEN thousand dollars...

Update: Nope! The most expensive item is over $10,000. Ding ding ding ding ding!

And, if you add them all up, the six items are going for a cool $32,261 - and still going.

Some people out there have a lot of money. (Cue Guybrush Threepwood: "A lot of money?? WOW!")

I won't use the old cliche "Too much money and too little sense", since we don't know what these people are going to do with these disks.

I put in a bid for $50, but I think I've been out-bidded!

Let's hope that the lucky buyer is either the curator of a museum (who would put them on display), or an Indiana Jones-type (who would donate them to a museum), rather than a Gollum-hoarder type. "We got the Precious!"

[MusicallyInspired]

Seems Al Lowe's ebay auctions were cancelled. Someone must have picked up the phone.

[Tawmis]

Seems Al Lowe's ebay auctions were cancelled. Someone must have picked up the phone.

Or they were bogus bids, to have reached $10,000.

[MusicallyInspired]

Why would the auctions have been cancelled before they finished?

[Rath Darkblade]

Eh? They're not cancelled - here they are!

Just search for "al_lowe" (note the underscore) in eBay and you'll find them...

[Collector]

Not what we are talking about.

[Tawmis]

Eh? They're not cancelled - here they are!
Just search for "al_lowe" (note the underscore) in eBay and you'll find them...

The "Source Code" disk bids (LSL1 and LSL2) are the ones that got pulled.

Why would the auctions have been cancelled before they finished?

Who knows? Maybe because they got so high, Al checked? Because while the source code is awesome, because it's Al's personal copy - $10,000 does seem excessively high. I'd expect several thousand at the most - but nothing more than $5,000 for it.

Or, as you said, maybe whoever owns the "rights" to Sierra called and said that it technically belongs to them and he can't do it.