Have you ever used Myabandonware.com to download old video games?
Probably not!
If you’re visiting this page for the 1st time, it’s high time that you know nothing about Myabandonware and want to get familiar with the concept of abandonware before downloading any games from the website.
I won’t keep you waiting but before I tell you more about Myabandonware, let’s understand what is abandonware –
What is Abandonware?
Abandonware refers to a product, typically software, that has been disregarded by its owner and manufacturer, hence no official support is available for it.
However, you should know that despite the lack of support or enforcement from the original creators, the copyright for these products typically still exists. As such, hosting or downloading such software could potentially infringe upon these rights and be considered illegal.
Is myabandonware Legal?
MyAbandonware.com is a well-known website that hosts and provides downloads for thousands of retro and older video games that are no longer available for sale or supported by their original developers or publishers.
This is often referred to as “Abandonware”, hence the website name.
In terms of legality, MyAbandonware.com and sites like it operate in a grey area. While technically distributing copyrighted games without explicit authorization from the rights holders is illegal in most jurisdictions, many of these older games have had their rights abandoned, and enforcement of these rights is rare to non-existent.
Is myabandonware Safe?
MyAbandonware is generally considered safe as there is no major adware present on the website.
But I always recommend remaining cautious while downloading any files from the website. Additionally, I advise you to always scan any file you download with antivirus software to be on the safer side.
How to Use Myabandonware Safely?
Here’s how you can use Myabandonware safely in 2023 –
- Navigate to Website: Open a web browser and go to myabandonware.com.
- Search for a Game: On the home page, you can immediately start looking for your desired game. You can do this by typing the game’s name into the search bar located in the upper right corner, or by browsing the games through the categories given (By Year, By Genre, By Platform, etc.)
- Select a Game: Once you find a game you’re interested in, click on its title. This will navigate you to the game’s specific page, where you can find data about the game: when it was released, on which platforms it can be played, and a short description of the game.
- Download the Game: On the game’s page, scroll down until you find the ‘Download’ section. Choose the file that’s best suited for you based on its description. Click on the file name to start the download process.
- Install and Play the Game: After downloading the game file (usually in .zip, .iso, .exe, or similar formats), you will typically need to extract the file contents using a program like WinRAR or 7zip. Once the contents are extracted, you can run the game file which is typically an .exe file.
Sites like Myabandonware I Recommend
Here are three popular websites similar to MyAbandonware where you can find and download old and abandoned video games:
- Abandonia – Abandonia is a retro gaming site that offers thousands of classic PC games that are categorized and classified accordingly. The site also has an active community where users can discuss their experiences and issues with the games.
- The Internet Archive – The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library offering free universal access to books, movies, and music, as well as a large collection of retro and classic video games. Many of these games can be played directly in your browser.
- Old-Games.com – Old-Games features over 5,000 games from various platforms. It offers downloads on a ‘Combination Rating’ system, where it averages out each game’s ratings from the Internet Archive, MobyGames, and Old-Games.com.
Once again I recommend you take necessary precautions when downloading anything online as that particular file may contain viruses/malware.
Conclusion
As you can see how easy it is to download any old abandoned video game. However, if Myabandonware isn’t working for you the way you want it to work, take a look at 3 best sites like Myabandonware.
Before I sign out, tell me which old game you will be downloading using Myabandonware. I will be waiting for your answer in the comments below.