Star Control: Origins is once again available for purchase on Steam. It was taken down a couple of weeks ago after the original owners of Star Control, Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford, filed a DMCA notice to Valve (and GOG, too).

　　Stardock CEO Brad Wardell said in a statement:

　　Stardock is happy to report that Star Control: Origins has been restored for sale on Steam.

　　Wardell also provided a few additional tidbits via Twitter.

　　Nothing I can discuss publicly unfortunately. Other than to say that the dispute is Stardock/GOG/Valve on one side and Reiche and Ford on the other.

　　— Brad Wardell (@draginol) January 17, 2019

　　What some of them don’t understand is that words and short phrases can’t be copyrighted. Only trademarked. And Stardock has the rights to the trademarks. If we wanted to have the same alien species names we could have. But we didn’t.

　　— Brad Wardell (@draginol) January 18, 2019

　　The designers of the DOS game claimed it violated their copyright because it has hyperspace.

　　— Brad Wardell (@draginol) January 18, 2019

　　Both. They put up this table (my comments next to each one) to justify it. This is their table. pic.twitter.com/NKCT8dJCmE

　　— Brad Wardell (@draginol) January 18, 2019

　　If you're wondering whether the game is worth it, look no further than Nathan's review. Below you can find its final excerpt.

　　If you keep your eye on the prize, you can wrap up Star Control: Origins’ main plot in around 25 hours, give or take, although more thorough explorers could potentially mess around a lot longer. The game’s emphasis on player choice makes for plenty of replayability, too. In addition to the main story mode, Origins also lets you engage in online Fleet Battles, and will eventually let players craft their own ships, buildings, worlds, and even new adventures (right now only building and ship crafting is available). If you’re into the world of Star Control: Origins, the sky is pretty much the limit.

　　Star Control: Origins boasts some of the sharpest writing I’ve come across in a while. It made me laugh out loud on multiple occasions, which is a rare thing. Unfortunately, this space adventure is at its worst when it’s at its spaciest. A lack of navigational tools, dull resource collecting, and oversimplified space battles all conspire to knock the game down a peg. Star Control: Origins serves up a lively galaxy worth exploring, but sometimes the commute can be a killer.