From The Cutting Room Floor

Modem Wars
Developer: Ozark Softscape Publisher: Electronic Arts Platform: Commodore 64 Released in US: 1988 This game has a hidden developer message.

The first multi-computer online game! A real-time tactics game that, despite the title, does not involve modems fighting each other.

Programmer's message

A message from designer Dan Bunten about piracy can be found starting at 0x00101:

        I COULD TRY TO PREACH TO YOU ABOUT 
HOW PIRACY IS WRONG AND IMMORAL. I DOUBT I 
COULD CONVINCE YOU. (I'VE ALWAYS BEEN 
SKEPTICAL OF PEOPLE WHO DEFEND THEIR OWN 
INTERESTS THROUGH MORALITY). INSTEAD LET ME 
TELL YOU SOME PRACTICAL THINGS ABOUT PIRACY.
	I KNOW THERE IS A LOT OF JUNK ON THE 
MARKET AND PROBABLY YOU THINK WE ARE ALL 
GETTING RICH AT YOUR EXPENSE. I'M SURE THERE 
ARE SOME PUBLISHERS AND AUTHORS WHO ARE 
RIPPING YOU OFF. THEY DON'T CARE IF YOU LIKE 
THEIR PRODUCT -- JUST THAT YOU BUY IT. BUT 
THAT'S NOT TRUE OF ME. I'VE ALWAYS TRIED TO 
DO ORIGINAL, WELL WRITTEN PRODUCTS WITH 
INTEGRITY AND WOULD GLADLY REFUND YOUR MONEY 
IF YOU ARE DISATISFIED.  HOWEVER, SINCE I 
ONLY GET A DOLLAR OR TWO FROM EACH PURCHASE 
MOST OF YOUR MONEY IS IN OTHER PEOPLE'S HANDS. 
(BUT IF YOU WANT MY PART OF YOUR MONEY BACK, 
JUST WRITE ME AT THE ADDRESS BELOW).
	AS FOR GETTING RICH, IT JUST AINT TRUE 
IN MY CASE. (GOING BROKE MAY BE MORE LIKE IT!) 
OF THE PRODUCTS I'VE DONE IN THE PAST 
(M.U.L.E., SEVEN CITIES OF GOLD, HEART OF 
AFRICA AND ROBOT RASCALS) ONLY SEVEN CITIES 
MADE ANY MONEY AND HEART OF AFRICA JUST BARELY 
BROKE EVEN. WHAT THIS SAYS TO MY PUBLISHER IS
THE MARKET DOESN'T WANT MULTI-PLAYER STRATEGY 
GAMES! BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT. FOR INSTANCE, I 
HEAR FROM LOTS OF PEOPLE HOW MUCH THEY PLAYED 
AND LOVED M.U.L.E. (MANY MORE THAN 7 CITIES) 
BUT THE SALES DON'T REFLECT IT (7 CITIES SOLD 
5 TIMES AS MANY COPIES). 
	THE FACT THAT YOU ARE DIGGING AROUND 
ON THIS DISK AND THINKING ABOUT HOW TO DECODE 
IT IS PROOF THAT THE GAME IS FUN ENOUGH TO TRY 
TO STEAL IT AND GIVE IT TO YOUR FRIENDS. WELL, 
IF YOU DO STEAL THIS GAME, ELECTRONIC ARTS 
WILL NEVER KNOW THAT THEY ARE WRONG. YOU'VE 
GOT TO LET THEM KNOW YOU WANT MORE GAMES LIKE 
THIS BY VOTING WITH YOUR WALLET. ALSO, IN THAT 
WAY YOU MAKE IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO FINANCIALLY 
SUCCEED IN THIS BUSINESS.  (BY THE WAY, SINCE 
I CONVINCED EA NOT TO "COPY PROTECT" THIS 
SOFTWARE, IT'S POSSIBLE TO MAKE A "SAMPLE" 
COPY FOR YOUR FRIEND AND JUST HELP THEM 
IDENTIFY THE MAP OVER THE PHONE BEFORE YOU 
BOTH PLAY EACH OTHER).
	IF I STILL HAVEN'T CONVINCED YOU NOT 
TO PIRATE THIS GAME, THEN DO ME THE FAVOR OF 
SENDING ME A LETTER TO TELL ME YOU LIKED THE 
GAME EVEN THOUGH YOU DIDN'T FEEL LIKE YOU 
OUGHT TO PAY FOR IT.  (YOU MIGHT SEND A COPY 
TO EA TOO).  I REALLY DO CARE MORE ABOUT 
WHETHER PEOPLE LIKE MY STUFF THAN WHETHER I 
MAKE MONEY. WE'LL GET BY SOMEHOW.
DAN BUNTEN
P.O.BOX 1845
LITTLE ROCK, AR 72203