Star Control: Origins - Star Control reboot from Stardock

[Infinitron]

I wonder what took them so long? The game has been out for a while.

Seems the DLC is still for sale though.

 

[Zombra]

Wow, that was sudden.

 

[MRY]

Waiting till after holiday sales shows good faith that is unusual in bare knuckle brawling.

 

[Dexter]

Horseshit.

Can't he sue those greedy Activision motherfuckers for a Wrongful Takedown notice and incurred business damages now?

 

[A_boring_GOG_bot]

* starts a crowdfounding campaign to buy bread for poor starving Brad *

Let the fun begin .

 

[Dexter]

Apparently this is the full legal text, Stardock filed an Injuction against the DMCA claim that was denied while the legal dispute is ongoing: https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.320268/gov.uscourts.cand.320268.102.0.pdf

Some bastards also celebrating this because they dislike Brad and his politics:

 

[Dexter]

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

 

[Cael]

Pretty biased. He claims that it was R&F that escalated the war when we all know it was stardick who did so. It is basically 9 minutes of the guy talking about how stardick was in the right and the world hates him because Gamergate. Seriously, WTH? Gamergate? Really? Not his arrogance, his lawfare and his deceitful shit, but because he supported Gamergate. Did stardick pay the guy off to make that shit?

 

[AwesomeButton]

Waiting till after holiday sales shows good faith that is unusual in bare knuckle brawling.

Not good faith. It may be sizing up the settlement number :D

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Game seems to be still available on GOG.

 

[A_boring_GOG_bot]

Game seems to be still available on GOG.

Different timezone , european country , national holiday .

 

[Dexter]

Game seems to be still available on GOG.

If anyone still wants to buy it, it's also still Available over this Bundle on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/sub/36151

And they didn't take down the "DLC", although at this point development till the lawsuit concludes is likely in question: https://store.steampowered.com/app/961150/Star_Control_Origins__Earth_Rising_Season_Pass/

 

[Rahdulan]

So according to a dev:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/271260/discussions/1/1742229167221237036/#c1742229167221442332

There is nothing in SCO from SC2.

We still don't, to this day, know precisely what they think they have rights to in Star Control: Origins. We own the trademarks to Star Control relating to the classic series and the copyright to SC3.

If you believe that it's ok to bypass the legal process to issue DMCA's based on mere allegations made at the 11th hour then that's really on you.

Thread is now locked so that's that, but does anyone know more or is it obfuscation on dev's part?

 

[Infinitron]

So according to a dev:
https://steamcommunity.com/app/271260/discussions/1/1742229167221237036/#c1742229167221442332

There is nothing in SCO from SC2.

We still don't, to this day, know precisely what they think they have rights to in Star Control: Origins. We own the trademarks to Star Control relating to the classic series and the copyright to SC3.

If you believe that it's ok to bypass the legal process to issue DMCA's based on mere allegations made at the 11th hour then that's really on you.

Thread is now locked so that's that, but does anyone know more or is it obfuscation on dev's part?

As I've said before, Wardell has been skirting the line here. He took some of Star Control's races, kept their original names (which he trademarked), but basically "modded" their appearances and backstories. Then he said "Oh, these are entirely new races that just happen to have the same names, no copyrighted Star Control 1-2 intellectual property here". I think that was pretty sleazy and unnecessary.

I might not agree with everything he says, but I generally concur with the "both sides" sentiment of nickolaidas in that Steam discussion: https://steamcommunity.com/app/271260/discussions/1/1742229167221237036/?ctp=3#c1742229167221574941

Ah. So you're implying - no, scratch that - you've stated in the past, on your own forums, that Reiche and Ford aren't the creators of SC (which is why you use the word "creators" in " ", as if you're being ironic).

Then, mind telling me why you've been pestering them in the past during the production of Origins to be involved in your project? Seems weird, since you've claimed that they've just did some artwork in the manual and little else. Mind telling me why you've been asking them to be your guests of honor in that 25th anniversary event of yours? Mind telling me why you've constantly egged them to give you interviews?

Mind telling me why you've been so hurt by their actions since they were 'your heroes', as you've personally written on your own forums? Seems a little weird since you don't consider them the creators of SC, and just two guys who aided Accolade in making the game.

And don't get me wrong, I don't think they're saints in this whole bruhaha. Announcing Ghost of the Precursors a few days/weeks before your beta was nothing short of a d*&k move, and I don't think they ever intend to make the game - this was announced for the sole reason to spite you and turn the SC fandom away from your game. I truly believe that. I also think that the FundMe stuff is in bad taste since I don't believe that taking Activision money for 5-8 years after making a crapload of cash in Skylanders has left them in an economic situation where they can't support themselves in a trial.

You both portray yourselves as poor victims, while I believe you're both being jackasses. You both let your pride get the better of you for an old IP which I loved and right now both you and Reiche make me sick to my stomach with the pettiness you both display.

All I know is that I wanted to buy both games, and now I want neither. Enjoy your♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥contests in court, I hope they'll be worth it.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/271260/discussions/1/1742229167221237036/?ctp=4#c1742229167221695509

No. They explicitly said they didn't want anything to do with your game, and asked you to stay out of the copyrighted characters, races, ships and lore.

Your Chenjensu / Arilou DLC and tiny dreadnaught kinda f*&ks that up.

And like I said, they're asses as well, and just like you are going for blood, they're going for blood too.

https://steamcommunity.com/app/271260/discussions/1/1742229167221237036/?ctp=4#c1742229167221757518

So this is just the track?
https://steamcdn-a.akamaihd.net/steam/apps/907571/header.jpg

If so, they may be after you because of the name and the picture alone.

For the record, I don't think that Origins did anything truly wrong concerning copyright infringement, but it did tip-toe within the area (MaelNum, Arilou) often enough to give P&F leverage for their lawsuit.

Just like P&F's original statement calling GoTP a 'true' sequel to SC2 was a jab as SC3, not Origins (since Origins was called a prequel in separate continuity). How could a game calling itself a 'true' sequel could possibly be a jab at a prequel?

And while I 'get' that SC2's cover is property of Stardock now, P&F calling themselves the creators of SC2 was not a falsehood in any way. They created that game and shown that picture to let the people know that "We, the guys who made THIS, are planning to do another game." If certain video game journalists worded it in a way that made it seem as P&F were working for Stardock or as Stardock was making GotP is a separate matter.

Which is why I said you both let your pride take the better of you and are now suing each other for trivial matters.

 

[Dexter]

As I've said before, Wardell has been skirting the line here. He took some of Star Control's races, kept their original names (which he trademarked), but basically "modded" their appearances and backstories. Then he said "Oh, these are entirely new races that just happen to have the same names, no copyrighted Star Control 1-2 intellectual property here". I think that was pretty sleazy and unnecessary.

Maybe you shouldn't talk about shit you know nothing about or actually play a game before making any such claims or spouting crap about it, since in the release version of the game there absolutely aren't any "original names" and the species all look different.

Here's a list of Alien races if you need any help: https://starcontrolorigins.gamepedia.com/Alien_races

Most of your cited replies are a series of strawmen that don't really apply or don't reflect the reality of the situation. While I think that there are claims by Fred & Paul that have merit e.g. especially in regards to the rights to distribute the old Star Control games reverting back to them, which Stardock probably actually screwed up with: https://af.gog.com/forum/general/star_control_1_and_2_being_removed_from_gog/page1?as=1649904300 they are absolutely in the wrong by attacking their own creation, Origins.

You know that the retarded fanboys are scratching the bottom of the barrel when they've played and combed through the entirety of Origins to help the two charlatans (who by the way still haven't shown any signs that they actually plan to release any "Star Control sequel" other than using the concept of such for lawfare and trying to pull an actually existing and decent "competing product" off the market) with their case and all they came back with was two music DLCs in SteamDB regarding races that never made it into the game and were removed over 4 months ago before the game ever actually released: https://steamdb.info/app/907570/subs/ https://steamdb.info/app/907571/history/ and an Easter egg on a single planet making mention of some of the species in the old titles in a throwaway sentence: https://i.imgur.com/0Dm84sC.jpg

As it stands there doesn't seem to be any valid reason why they would believe that a game Stardock worked for 5 years on, wholly developed and built an entirely new universe and lore around is somehow "their Copyright" in any way or form, for them to issue this fraudulent DMCA takedown notice over, other than trying to pressure them into settling by depriving them of a market and dragging it out using that sweet Activision money. And even if what you're saying was the case (which it isn't) and there were species with a few established names in the game that didn't resemble the original works/designs at all as at some point apparently planned that still wouldn't be Copyright infringement or otherwise illegal if they didn't Trademark these specific things: https://rpgcodex.net/forums/index.p...-ford-legal-drama.118642/page-13#post-5684981

For instance like this:
https://trademarks.justia.com/752/62/klingon-75262598.html
https://trademarks.justia.com/760/10/jedi-76010998.html

 

[Cael]

Waiting till after holiday sales shows good faith that is unusual in bare knuckle brawling.

Not good faith. It may be sizing up the settlement number :D

Apparently not. From https://steamcommunity.com/app/271260/discussions/1/1742229167221237036/?ctp=4

"It's complex case that began even before game was out.

Game was DCMA'd once already, then Star Dock asked court to block further DCMA until case is judged claims before game was released (otherwise game couldn't have been released at all).

Court just this week denied that, which meant Paul were free to DCMA again until case is over. (And who knows how long it will take...)"

Funny how the stardick munchers only have "Whoa! I love the game and hate the guys trying to stop me playing it!" or "They are wrong to use GoFundMe!" Nothing about legality, just emotions and tangential stuff.

 

[<3sRichardSimmons]

Both parties have been acting like huge dicks by trying to garner fan-support by intentionally obfuscating, dissembling, and making unsubstantiated claims, but this is a whole new level of fuckery on P&F's part. They're sending a very loud and clear signal that they do not give a fuck about games, gamers or the creative process; only their bottom-line and egos matter to them. Fuck those dudes. Congratulations on convincing me to buy a game that I was on the fence about guys (it's still available on GOG at the time of this posting).

 

[Taka-Haradin puolipeikko]

Pretty much everything about this is rank bullshit except the game itself.

 

[Beastro]

This is the whole reason why shit like copywrite law exists and why it should be clear cut.

It's clear what Stardock and Wardell ultimately intended, but I wonder what the other side did when the sold bits and pieces of their IP like this?

 

[Zombra]

Here's a list of Alien races if you need any help: https://starcontrolorigins.gamepedia.com/Alien_races

Nice link.

And of course that's not even mentioning the upcoming

How is this not an egregious violation?

 

[Beastro]

I get a vibe that they got thrown in at a later date in development when this fued began to start developing.

Still, I vaguely recall the Arilou being in early game screenshots...

 

[Dexter]

Here's a list of Alien races if you need any help: https://starcontrolorigins.gamepedia.com/Alien_races

Nice link.

And of course that's not even mentioning the upcoming

How is this not an egregious violation?

Here's the appearance I remember in the game, they're never specifically called anything other than "Mysterious Watchers/Aliens":


For comparison:

The second claim is an outright lie, as explained above this was about Remastered music Soundtrack by the Original composers (which respectively own the Copyright to their work):
https://littletinyfrogs.com/article/490131/star-control-aliens-and-music-return

As some of you know, Riku Nuottajavi and Dan Nicholson, the two primary composers from Star Control II, have signed on with us to bring the Star Control II music to Star Control: Origins. With the help of our long-time collaborator, Mason Fischer, we have begun to remaster, remix and in some cases completely recreate the classic songs with today's audio fidelity.

And there's nothing "planned" or "upcoming" about it, since these were rethought/removed about 5 months ago before the game even released, probably in relation to the ongoing lawsuit and rather trying to stay on the cautious side: https://www.stardock.com/games/starcontrol/store and the only reason you even know about it is that people went digging through old SteamDB entries.

So none of what you (and the horde of people like you on various Subreddits and similar) are referring to is actually in the game. Beyond that it wouldn't have been a Copyright violation even if Stardock went through with it (at most it would have added to the Trademark dispute) if they didn't resemble the old aliens or their lore. As the DMCA is applied anyone could basically claim to hold the Copyright for any kind of material under penalty of perjury and content providers are obligated to act, whether there's anything to the claims or not, which has to be proven through lengthy court battles. I hope Stardock can sue for damages incurred to their business after this is done with.

Beyond that I mainly wish you dishonest shitbags would stop lying instead of repeating the same (debunked) or outright wrong/misleading points you apparently latched on to and are circlejerking over to defend two millionaire Activision studio bosses.

 

[Zombra]

Ah, I stand corrected on the "upcoming" Chenjesu thing, wasn't aware that was a previous thing that ended up not being done. Nevertheless, the fact that it ever existed in the first place is sufficient proof to me that Stardock never had any particular intention to not use the old aliens.

If you honestly see zero resemblance between the Arilou and the Arilou though ... you're blind. I can only conclude you're being willfully obtuse. The two images you posted, the guy is even wearing the same jacket for chrissakes. And that conversation ... lol. Do you really need me to pick it apart line by line to show how closely it copies the one in SC2?

For the record, I have no intention of "defending" anyone ... Reiche is being a dick too. I only weighed in because your irrational defense screamed to be debunked. Stardock absolutely has been pushing their entitlement and have crossed the line a number of times. They asked for it and continue to ask for it. There's no good guy here.

 

[Turtle-Zone 3000]