View Full Version : Damn Square!
I always figured they hated their fans, but come on. It was barely going to be a demo once finished! There had better be a new Chrono game out within a a year and a half now, that's all I've got to say.
http://www.opcoder.com/projects/chrono/
epobirs
09-07-2004, 08:12 AM
How much smarter might it have been to instead make an investment and actually publish this? It would probably cost them a fraction of what they'd spend to do the same thing inhouse.
How much smarter might it have been to instead make an investment and actually publish this? It would probably cost them a fraction of what they'd spend to do the same thing inhouse.
I don't see what the problem was. Nothing was going to come of it that would threaten them. The devs were only ever planning to make about 10 key events from the game playable. It's not like they were going through and re-making the whole game.
thingsfallnapart
09-07-2004, 08:21 AM
this was one of the best side projects i saw going, that i have ever seen. how disappoint does it have to feel to work that hard on working so hard on that, to have it shut down.
Cornfedwb
09-07-2004, 08:21 AM
This suprised someone? Holy hell people, they were directly ripping off a copyrighted product.. and you expected Square to be fine and dandy about it? And even if you're only making "10 key events playable" that's called copyright infringement, and that'd be illegal.
The only suprise for me is how long it took.
j.elles
09-07-2004, 08:25 AM
I see your point. But stuff like this has happened before. Quest for glory and Kings quest remake availible online for example. And like tierra. They weren't going to charge anything for it, so it does come as kind of a surprise.
Cornfedwb
09-07-2004, 08:32 AM
I see your point. But stuff like this has happened before. Quest for glory and Kings quest remake availible online for example. And like tierra. They weren't going to charge anything for it, so it does come as kind of a surprise.
Sierra released their old products as freeware years ago... that's the difference. Sierra isn't interested in remaking any of the games AGD is redoing.
epobirs
09-07-2004, 08:36 AM
This suprised someone? Holy hell people, they were directly ripping off a copyrighted product.. and you expected Square to be fine and dandy about it? And even if you're only making "10 key events playable" that's called copyright infringement, and that'd be illegal.
The only suprise for me is how long it took.
Numerous non-profit 'homage' projects have been allowed to proceed without hassle in the past. One book of Star Trek short stories is composed largely of fanfic that had been floating around the net for years before anthologized commercially under the auspices of Paramount's pet publisher, Simon & Schuster. Square isn't necessarily doing themselves any favors with this action unless they intend to produce a similar 3D reworking of Chrono Trigger. If they are, it's news to me.
I wonder if they could go ahead with it under the criticism piece of fair use laws. Write a paper saying "this is how Square SHOULD have done CT" and go ahead with it.
epobirs
09-07-2004, 08:45 AM
Also, consider this. Paramount has been entirely cooperative with this bunch who are essentially making a new Star Trek series in the same era of the original show but with modern CGI and makeup work. Paramount isn't giving money or material support but nor are they placing any major obstacles in their path so long as they adhere to their non-profit status.
http://homepage.mac.com/starshipexeter/exeterstudio/
daphatty
09-07-2004, 10:37 AM
It is a shame that such great work is going to waste, but Square is the rightful owner of the Chrono IP. Had the quality been shitty, I don't think Square (or the fans for that matter) would have given Resurrection a second thought.
It is sad but predictable.
It is a shame that such great work is going to waste, but Square is the rightful owner of the Chrono IP. Had the quality been shitty, I don't think Square (or the fans for that matter) would have given Resurrection a second thought.
It is sad but predictable.
And yet a million shitty sprite comics ripping off Square's stuff are allowed to run wild and free.
daphatty
09-07-2004, 10:40 AM
Sprite comics are way different than a playable game. You know that.
Sprite comics are way different than a playable game. You know that.
No, it's the same thing. Both infringe on their IP. Sprite comics are actually worse, since they take directly from the games. At least CTR was all original programming.
daphatty
09-07-2004, 10:59 AM
Yes, they both infringe upon the IP. But that was not my point. Sprite comics are not a game. That is the difference. Your admission that the comics are of poor quality just reinforces my original point. Square could care less about "a million shitty sprite comics" but they damn well do care about a game based on their IP. Games are their bread and butter, not sprite comics. That's like saying Square should go after "fan art" artists or cosplay wannabes.
In reality, the bottom line is Square can go after whoever they feel is a direct threat to their IP's and no one can say shit about it. Chrono belongs to square. Period.
Sartori
09-07-2004, 11:10 AM
I see your point. But stuff like this has happened before. Quest for glory and Kings quest remake availible online for example. And like tierra. They weren't going to charge anything for it, so it does come as kind of a surprise.
Sierra released their old products as freeware years ago... that's the difference. Sierra isn't interested in remaking any of the games AGD is redoing.
Did they really? When was this? I totally missed it.
Cornfedwb
09-07-2004, 11:14 AM
I see your point. But stuff like this has happened before. Quest for glory and Kings quest remake availible online for example. And like tierra. They weren't going to charge anything for it, so it does come as kind of a surprise.
Sierra released their old products as freeware years ago... that's the difference. Sierra isn't interested in remaking any of the games AGD is redoing.
Did they really? When was this? I totally missed it.
I can't seem to find any of it anymore.. but about 6 or 8 years ago you could download the majority of their old adventure games off of their website for free. I know they had Betrayal at Krondor, Kings Quest 1 & 2, Space Quest 1, 2 & 3, a few of the old Leisure Suit Larry games, etc.
Indiana
09-07-2004, 11:24 AM
I'm not suprised they killed it. I only wish they would have purchased the development and hired the programmers to make the project. I understand why they killed it since they are reusing characters owned by Square. If they published crap it could have hurt the franschise from every being published again.
epobirs
09-07-2004, 11:26 AM
I see your point. But stuff like this has happened before. Quest for glory and Kings quest remake availible online for example. And like tierra. They weren't going to charge anything for it, so it does come as kind of a surprise.
Sierra released their old products as freeware years ago... that's the difference. Sierra isn't interested in remaking any of the games AGD is redoing.
Did they really? When was this? I totally missed it.
Well, it's not so much Sierra as the current incarnation of the last of many corporations to acquired the IP pile into which the Sierra properties had been assimilated. There is not a single person left at the current company who was involved in those games.
OTOH, the thing to keep in mind is that the IP for those specific binaries are what passed into the pubic domain. The IP remains in the ownership of VU and they are the only entity that can legally produce new works based on those properties. For example, the new Leisure Suit Larry game. Likewise for new binaries. If the new LSL does so well VU decided to produce a collection of all the earlier LSL games (plus Softporn Adventure for those PS2 owners with a USB keyboard) they still can and nobody else has that option.
epobirs
09-07-2004, 11:30 AM
If you Google on the term 'abandonware' you can find sites with thousands of binaries that have been released into the public domain.
GuilewasNK
09-07-2004, 11:33 AM
This reminds me of the Bid For Power Quake III mod. It was one of the more original mods (and it was very good). It placed DBZ characters in a world where they could fight in 3D environments. It was free and only helped promote the DBZ franchise but they were told not to use DBZ characters (of course that was easily circumvented by putting original characters in then people making DBZ skins).
This also reminds me of how WWE shut down many sites that made WWE music videos. They were getting free promotion and WWE shut it down. I can understand the point of shutting someone down but killing fan made homages to IP is not the best route to go either.
epobirs
09-07-2004, 11:43 AM
One problem some of the IP owners have is the perception that freebies don't just promote their product but also dilute the value. Whether that is true or not is beside the point since it is up to the IP owners to decide what is done with their property.
Yes, they both infringe upon the IP. But that was not my point. Sprite comics are not a game. That is the difference. Your admission that the comics are of poor quality just reinforces my original point. Square could care less about "a million shitty sprite comics" but they damn well do care about a game based on their IP. Games are their bread and butter, not sprite comics. That's like saying Square should go after "fan art" artists or cosplay wannabes.
Uh, CTR is closer to fan art and cosplay than sprite comics are, as it's original content and merely infringes on IP and not the actual copyrighted material.
In reality, the bottom line is Square can go after whoever they feel is a direct threat to their IP's and no one can say shit about it. Chrono belongs to square. Period.
I never though differently, I just said it's a profoundly assious thing for Square to do and frankly it's put me right off buying Star Ocean today.