Game Jackal
Encyclopedia
Game Jackal is a PC
application developed by Antiguan
-based company SlySoft
that allows users to play PC game titles without the need for the game's media to be in the CD-ROM
or DVD-ROM drive. The program functions similar to a virtual drive
; however, instead of making use of large disc images, Game Jackal uses a proprietary format which takes up considerable less storage space by working to only capture data the game requires to run.
Game Jackal is advertised to work with around 90% of games on the market, including games such as Sid Meier's Railroads!
, Neverwinter Nights 2
and Need For Speed Carbon. While the authors admit not every title is bound to work with Game Jackal, support is gradually improving and regular updates which combat various bugs and blacklisting
, as well as expanded functionality in the building of its profiles.
Game Jackal works by establishing a game profile which is used to store all of the game's relevant data. To begin, an original copy of the game is needed to allow Game Jackal to successfully 'capture' the game for use later. If a first attempt at capturing a profile does not succeed, it may be performed again: anything else Game Jackal picks up will simply be added to the profile.
On January 2007, Jacal Consulting announced that Game Jackal would no longer be available for sale due to circumstances beyond their control. They subsequently closed the official website. According to several press releases, this was due to changes in Australian copyright legislation that came into effect on 1 January 2007.
Game Jackal was eventually acquired by SlySoft
in March 2007, and a new version, dubbed 'SlySoft Game Jackal Pro', was released on 2 June 2007.
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
application developed by Antiguan
Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda is a twin-island nation lying between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. It consists of two major inhabited islands, Antigua and Barbuda, and a number of smaller islands...
-based company SlySoft
SlySoft
SlySoft Inc. is a software company located in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda. Its products consist of software to back up and convert digital media, including CDs, DVDs, HD DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs, as well as copy and back up optical media and render PC-based games playable without the...
that allows users to play PC game titles without the need for the game's media to be in the CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
or DVD-ROM drive. The program functions similar to a virtual drive
Virtual drive
A virtual drive in computing is a device that to the operating system appears to be an ordinary physical disk drive, with disc images substituted for disc reading hardware through the use of software called a disk emulator...
; however, instead of making use of large disc images, Game Jackal uses a proprietary format which takes up considerable less storage space by working to only capture data the game requires to run.
Game Jackal is advertised to work with around 90% of games on the market, including games such as Sid Meier's Railroads!
Sid Meier's Railroads!
Sid Meier's Railroads! is a business simulation game developed by Sid Meier on the Gamebryo game engine that was released in October 2006 and is the sequel to Railroad Tycoon 3. Although Sid Meier created the original Railroad Tycoon, subsequent versions were developed by PopTop Software...
, Neverwinter Nights 2
Neverwinter Nights 2
Neverwinter Nights 2 is a computer role-playing game developed by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Atari. It is the sequel to BioWare's Neverwinter Nights, based on the Dungeons & Dragons pencil and paper fantasy role-playing game...
and Need For Speed Carbon. While the authors admit not every title is bound to work with Game Jackal, support is gradually improving and regular updates which combat various bugs and blacklisting
Software blacklist
Software blacklisting is a tool used by manufacturers of software and music on CD and DVD to prevent copying.Essentially the software on the disc will audit the user's computer for certain types of virtual CD and CD authoring software, or for debugging software used by warez groups to create...
, as well as expanded functionality in the building of its profiles.
Game Jackal works by establishing a game profile which is used to store all of the game's relevant data. To begin, an original copy of the game is needed to allow Game Jackal to successfully 'capture' the game for use later. If a first attempt at capturing a profile does not succeed, it may be performed again: anything else Game Jackal picks up will simply be added to the profile.
Legality
The legality of the usage of Game Jackal is still constantly being discussed. Its authors claim that the program is completely within legal boundaries because:- The profiles are designed to be created from original copies of game CDs.
- The profiles can not be publicly distributed.
- The program does not modify any of the game's contents or data.
On January 2007, Jacal Consulting announced that Game Jackal would no longer be available for sale due to circumstances beyond their control. They subsequently closed the official website. According to several press releases, this was due to changes in Australian copyright legislation that came into effect on 1 January 2007.
Game Jackal was eventually acquired by SlySoft
SlySoft
SlySoft Inc. is a software company located in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda. Its products consist of software to back up and convert digital media, including CDs, DVDs, HD DVDs, and Blu-ray Discs, as well as copy and back up optical media and render PC-based games playable without the...
in March 2007, and a new version, dubbed 'SlySoft Game Jackal Pro', was released on 2 June 2007.