Timothy's HDD upgrade is finished. Finally got the Deathstar out of there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EGames_(vi...developer)
You may have never heard of this company, but if you were a middle schooler who just got his first web-connected computer in the mid-2000s, eGames could be a familiar name. At it's core, they were a shovelware company, putting out CD-ROM compilations of games at major retail stores during that particular decade. Some of them were your run-of-the-mill Shareware game collections, but others contained original games. I have a couple of these myself. One of them, "Break!" is a compilation of seven different Breakout clones from different indie developers, and all are rather good. Same goes for "Space Arcade Collection". In a way, eGames was a publisher that indie developers could seek out and have their games released to the market in the era before digital storefronts became the norm.
Even with original compilations like these, eGames could get a little sketchy. At my local flea market, they have an eGames 101 game collection. The catch? Most of said games on the disc are cut down "special edition" versions. They aren't shareware, but you only get half of the levels or content that the full version contains. Indeed, eGames did sell full versions of these "SE" labeled games as standalone discs for higher prices. They also bundled adware with some of their earlier games.
eGames discs began disappearing from retailers towards the late 2000s, and apparently they refocused themselves on becoming another one of those casual game developers for online storefronts and social media. They didn't go out of business until 2012, being acquired by a mining company of all things.
I may mention this to LGR, as it could make a very interesting Tech Tales episode. eGames discs pop up regularly at flea markets and thrift stores. Good luck getting them to run on Windows 10. My breakout collection only runs properly on XP.
I love foxes, especially the one in my avatar.