Windows 95 had dedicated code to run Sim City (opens in new tab)

(pcgamer.com)

43 pointswunderbaba3y ago17 comments

17 comments

> Microsoft tracked down the bug and added specific code to Windows 95 that looks for SimCity. If it finds SimCity running, it runs the memory allocator in a special mode that doesn’t free memory right away. That’s the kind of obsession with backward compatibility that made people willing to upgrade to Windows 95.

Impressive; now, if only we could trick them into considering "privacy" a core feature and add "backward compatibility" for it in newest Windows releases, we'd be golden.

scarface743y ago

Why is this “impressive”. Microsoft made money by selling Windows. If Windows got the reputation for being incompatible with popular software, people wouldn’t have bought Windows

arthurcolle3y ago

It's cool when people make an effort and help the community of users.

Doesn't matter if they are Microsoft PMs that got this prioritized or nerdy gamers that originally surfaced this issue, or sympathetic programmers that created the "fix" in this form (hey lets just change the default behavior of the memory allocator/de-allocator/whatever)

I'm sure this straight up would not happen at Apple, today, for example. Challenge for the audience to surface counterexamples!

1 more reply

hypertele-Xii3y ago

There are different ways to make money, some more impressive than others. Compare e.g. painting a painting and selling it, vs mugging an old lady in the street.

1 more reply

Macha3y ago

It's interesting that the games media has treated this as some totally unknown fact on an obscure blog, when it feels like it even qualifies as common knowledge among HN (and obviously painting joel as some random ex-microsoft developer who just happens to have a blog is similar)

gipp3y ago

I've been a daily user of HN for near a decade and this is news to me

stavros3y ago

Oh man, I wish I had links to some article about how much effort some MS engineer went to to get old versions of things like Quicken working. It was a good read, you'd like it, if someone else knows the one and can link.

2 more replies

rasz3y ago

>"Jon Ross, who wrote the original version of SimCity for Windows 3.x

Ross wrote Sim City 2000 https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,7...

The story is indeed about Sim City 2000. Funnily enough this bug is also present in DOS version of the game. Dude who hacked together "DOS32AWE - DOS/4G compatible DOS Extender with Sound Blaster AWEUTIL MIDI synthesizer support for Protected mode,VIASB" https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=62&t=83065 rediscovered this independently.

It also manifests when trying to run Sim City 2000 using DOS32A instead of DOS/4GW https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=24929

57FkMytWjyFu3y ago

Now they tear out features to break Sim City. https://answers.ea.com/t5/Other-SimCity-Games/SimCity-4-Wind...

smilekzs3y ago

This is more like eliminating outdated unsafe DRM.

As a commenter over there suggested, you could always use "a modified executable from the Internet".

alvarezbjm-hn3y ago

The purpose of DRM is not security although it can be sold like that.

ThunderSizzle3y ago

Sounds more like they wanted more redudent digital PC game purchases for older titles.

57FkMytWjyFu3y ago

I'm struggling to see what is safer about a modded exe.

I'm similarly struggling to see the value in breaking old games because new versions exist.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

17 comments

gigel823y ago

Impressive; now, if only we could trick them into considering "privacy" a core feature and add "backward compatibility" for it in newest Windows releases, we'd be golden.

scarface743y ago

Why is this “impressive”. Microsoft made money by selling Windows. If Windows got the reputation for being incompatible with popular software, people wouldn’t have bought Windows

arthurcolle3y ago

It's cool when people make an effort and help the community of users.

I'm sure this straight up would not happen at Apple, today, for example. Challenge for the audience to surface counterexamples!

1 more reply

hypertele-Xii3y ago

There are different ways to make money, some more impressive than others. Compare e.g. painting a painting and selling it, vs mugging an old lady in the street.

1 more reply

Macha3y ago

gipp3y ago

I've been a daily user of HN for near a decade and this is news to me

stavros3y ago

2 more replies

rasz3y ago

>"Jon Ross, who wrote the original version of SimCity for Windows 3.x

Ross wrote Sim City 2000 https://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,7...

It also manifests when trying to run Sim City 2000 using DOS32A instead of DOS/4GW https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=24929

57FkMytWjyFu3y ago

Now they tear out features to break Sim City. https://answers.ea.com/t5/Other-SimCity-Games/SimCity-4-Wind...

smilekzs3y ago

This is more like eliminating outdated unsafe DRM.

As a commenter over there suggested, you could always use "a modified executable from the Internet".

alvarezbjm-hn3y ago

The purpose of DRM is not security although it can be sold like that.

ThunderSizzle3y ago

Sounds more like they wanted more redudent digital PC game purchases for older titles.

57FkMytWjyFu3y ago

I'm struggling to see what is safer about a modded exe.

I'm similarly struggling to see the value in breaking old games because new versions exist.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse