Sega Encourages Fans to Keep Making Sonic Fan Content, Calls it "Great Stuff"

[ffronw]

Sega Encourages Fans to Keep Making Sonic Fan Content, Calls it "Great Stuff"

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Regardless of how you feel about fan games, you can't deny that Sega's approach is likely to have a more favorable PR outcome than just tossing out a DMCA claim. Fan games tend to not only drive interest in games in the franchise they're based on, and they also make the game's community more loyal and more excited. Kudos to Sega for getting it right.



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[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

INB4 snarky comments at Nintendo for shutting down the Metroid 2 remake fan game.

But to me this is just Sega pratically giving up on Sonic and let the fans do it, I mean Sonic Mania is being helmed by a guy that made the best possible fan-fixed version of Sonic CD with very essential features for Sonic CD.

 

[loa]

Doesn't some regressive copyright law cause them to lose the rights to their IP if they do that?

 

[Quellist]

This is freaking awesome! Whatever missteps Sega have made in the past (and there have been many), props to them for taking this stance! I just hope other publishers consider following their example

 

[Yan007]

Doesn't some regressive copyright law cause them to lose the rights to their IP if they do that?

Not really. It's not like there is any uncertainty that Sega still owns Sonic and has the final word on what is ok and what is not regarding the Sonic franchise. They just gave fans the right to use the IP for fan projects, that's all.

 

[Areloch]

Doesn't some regressive copyright law cause them to lose the rights to their IP if they do that?

You're thinking of trademarks. Copyright has no such requirements.

INB4 snarky comments at Nintendo for shutting down the Metroid 2 remake fan game.

But to me this is just Sega pratically giving up on Sonic and let the fans do it, I mean Sonic Mania is being helmed by a guy that made the best possible fan-fixed version of Sonic CD with very essential features for Sonic CD.

To be fair, they hired him, so he's a SEGA employee, right? Just because he started out as a fan/modder doesn't mean that him being an officially sanctioned employee now is invalid.

 

[Worgen]

Keep in mind this is just their twitter and in the past sega has been bitches about this sort of thing. I seem to recall awhile back them taking down a ton of shining force stuff on youtube when they went all dcma crazy and there have been a number of fan projects they took down. One became freedom planet, the best sonic (not sonic) game I've played... with the dumbest plot I've seen.

 

[gigastar]

Considering SEGA's own tribute to Sonic i should expect that they would want to rely on fans.

 

[Neurotic Void Melody]

That's more like through necessity of having to stay relevant through any means, now that they have lost all confidence in their own games, thrown their hands up saying "fuck it...you guys take the reigns! Good job by the way!" Twitter accounts are not an indicator of quality or passion. Not in this sense especially

 

[BX3]

This is about the reaction to this type of news that I expected. Woah, 'ey! Let's do the can't win shuffle!

Neat to see that at least Aaron Webber is super chill about it. I'd venture to say he wouldn't've been allowed to post that if they weren't at least somewhat lax on their properties being used for fangames.

 

[ScrabbitRabbit]

There's a tremendous number of Sonic fan games, to the point of there being dedicated portals to upload them. SEGA's been turning a blind eye for at least 14 years, since Sonic Robo Blast 2 got pretty big, probably even before that.

This is just their social media guy being openly okay with it.

 

[The Artificially Prolonged]

With good Sonic games being the exception to the rule for a good while Sega really needs any good will from the fans it can get. If Sonic Mania hits it off I wouldn't be surprised if Sonic Team gets phased out and Sega go forward just go publishing high quality fan remakes or at least give them a legitimate platform to be sold on.

 

[Arqus_Zed]

I wonder if SEGA takes that approach towards ALL Sonic fan content...

DeviantArt ahoy!

 

[Hawki]

Meh. Sonic Mania likes like Nostalgia: The Game. Maybe it'll be fun, maybe not, but I can only see Green Hill be rehashed so many times.

Honestly I'm more interested in Sonic 2017 right now.

I wonder if SEGA takes that approach towards ALL Sonic fan content...

DeviantArt ahoy!

You monster! Don't toy with forces beyond your comprehension!

 

[CaitSeith]

INB4 snarky comments at Nintendo for shutting down the Metroid 2 remake fan game.

But to me this is just Sega pratically giving up on Sonic and let the fans do it, I mean Sonic Mania is being helmed by a guy that made the best possible fan-fixed version of Sonic CD with very essential features for Sonic CD.

In contrast, an example of my definition for giving up would be Konami giving up on Silent Hill, Castlevania and Contra (like in the sense of not making any videogames and keeping the IPs for themselves). Sega's actions aren't even close to that.

 

[Steve the Pocket]

Now if only they'd recognize his talents and hire him to turn it into a full game, they might actually have the first Sonic game since the Genesis that wasn't just "not bad for a 3D Sonic game" at best.

But that won't happen, because let's face it, Sega has not only forgotten how to make good games, they've forgotten how to hire people who know how to make good games. Every once in a while one of their second-party studios will put out a decent product out of genuine love for the medium or the franchise, but it's like a blind squirrel finding a nut.

This guy's best bet would be getting together with some artists and turning it into a Sonic-in-all-but-name, like Freedom Planet but in 3D and without the Sonic OC fanfiction breaks every other level.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Is this message aimed at Chris Chan? Or all of Deviant Art?

Kidding aside, its nicer than Nintendo is being to folks. *coughUraniumcough*

 

[Marik2]

So they don't care about the amount of really stupid creepy porn the community has made?

 

[Zacharious-khan]

Some one has to make good sonic content. It may as well be the fans

 

[Davroth]

Is this message aimed at Chris Chan? Or all of Deviant Art?

Kidding aside, its nicer than Nintendo is being to folks. *coughUraniumcough*

You do realize that sending a DMCA when the game is finished after, what? 9 years of development? That's the nicest thing they can do if they wish not to put their copyright at risk. Same with AM2R. That's a fact. If you want to be upset, be upset at copyright laws.