Demoscene in the context of .nfo

⭐ Core Definition: Demoscene

The demoscene (/ˈdɛmoʊˌsiːn/) is an international computer art subculture focused on producing demos: self-contained, sometimes extremely small, computer programs that produce audiovisual presentations. The purpose of a demo is to show off programming, visual art, and musical skills. Demos and other demoscene productions (graphics, music, videos, games) are shared, voted on and released online at festivals known as demoparties.

The scene started with the home computer revolution of the early 1980s, and the subsequent advent of software cracking. Crackers altered the code of computer games to remove copy protection, claiming credit by adding introduction screens of their own ("cracktros"). They soon started competing for the best visual presentation of these additions. Through the making of intros and stand-alone demos, a new community eventually evolved, independent of the gaming and software sharing scenes.

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👉 Demoscene in the context of .nfo

In the Warez scene, .nfo (short for info) is a file name extension for a text file (sometimes called an NFO file) that accompanies and describes a release of pirated software or media. The file contains information such as title, authorship, year and license information. For software, it might contain installation notes. This information is delivered for publishing through digital media to make it searchable on the web as well as within local catalogues and libraries. This type of file is also often found in a demoscene production, where the respective group includes it for credits, contact details, and the software requirements.

This type of file has been described as the press release of the warez scene. Info files were ubiquitous, and sometimes required, during the era of the Bulletin Board System (BBS). The file was a stamp of authenticity, explicitly explaining what group released the software and described what modifications (or cracks) were applied if any. Once a software was packaged with an info file and then released, it was then officially owned by that group and no other group could ethically re-release that particular package. A typical warez info file was elaborate and highly decorated, and usually included a large ASCII art logo along with software release and extended warez group information. The most important information is which group, which cracker and which member actually tested and packaged. The designers of these info files, who worked closely or within the warez groups, frequently incorporated extended ASCII characters from the character set code page 437 in the file.

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⭐ Core Definition: Demoscene
👉 Demoscene in the context of .nfo
Demoscene in the context of PC game
Demoscene in the context of Fairlight (group)

Demoscene in the context of PC game

A personal computer game, or abbreviated PC game, also known as a computer game, is a video game played on a personal computer (PC). The term PC game has been popularly used since the 1990s referring specifically to games on "Wintel" (Microsoft Windows software/Intel hardware) which has dominated the computer industry since.

Mainframe and minicomputer games are a precursor to personal computer games. Home computer games became popular following the video game crash of 1983. In the 1990s, PC games lost mass market traction to console games on the fifth generation such as the Sega Saturn, Nintendo 64 and PlayStation. They are enjoying a resurgence in popularity since the mid-2000s through digital distribution on online service providers. Personal computers as well as general computer software are considered synonymous with IBM PC compatible systems; while mobile devices – smartphones and tablets, such as those running on Android or iOS platforms – are also PCs in the general sense as opposed to console or arcade machine. Historically, it also included games on systems from Apple Computer, Atari Corporation, Commodore International and others. Microsoft Windows utilizing Direct3D become the most popular operating system for PC games in the 2000s. Games utilizing 3D graphics generally require a form of graphics processing unit, and PC games have been a major influencing factor for the development and marketing of graphics cards. Emulators are able to play games developed for other platforms. The demoscene originated from computer game cracking.

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Demoscene in the context of Fairlight (group)

FairLight (FLT) is a warez and demo group initially involved in the Commodore demoscene, and in cracking to illegally release games for free, since 1987. In addition to the C64, FairLight has also migrated towards the Amiga, Super NES and later the PC. FairLight was founded during the Easter holiday in 1987 by Strider and Black Shadow, both ex-members of West Coast Crackers (WCC). This "West Coast" was the west coast of Sweden, so FairLight was initially a Swedish group, which later became internationalized. The name was taken from the Fairlight CMI synthesizer which Strider saw Jean-Michel Jarre use on some of his records.

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⭐ Core Definition: Demoscene

👉 Demoscene in the context of .nfo

Demoscene in the context of PC game

Demoscene in the context of Fairlight (group)