Abandonware

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Abandonware is a product, typically software, ignored by its owner and manufacturer, which can no longer be found for sale, and for which no official support is available and cannot be bought.^[1]

Within an intellectual rights contextual background, abandonware is a software (or hardware) sub-case of the general concept of orphan works. Museums and various organizations dedicated to preserving this software continue to provide legal access.^[2]

The term "abandonware" is broad and encompasses many types of old software. Definitions of "abandoned" vary, but in general it is like any item that is abandoned – it is ignored by the owner, and as such, product support and possibly copyright enforcement are also "abandoned".^[3]

Only 13 percent of all classic games released between 1960 and 2009 are currently commercially available, according to the "Survey of the Video Game Reissue Market in the United States," published in 2023^[4] by Phil Salvador for the Video Game History Foundation and the Software Preservation Network.^[5]

Examples of abandonware include The Simpsons: Hit & Run, Lemmings, the first two Civilization games, and all Need for Speed titles released prior to Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit in 2010 (except for 2011's Need for Speed: The Run and Shift 2: Unleashed which are also abandonware.)^[6] According to PC Gamer: The Lord of the Rings: The Battle For Middle-earth II, The Neverhood, Black & White, Midtown Madness.^[7]