Blizzard: Valve Shouldn't Trademark DotA

[JerrytheBullfrog]

Since CS and DoD both started out as mods for HL and then Valve hired the guys who made them then trademarked the names I think they are quite within their rights to Trademark DotA as they hired the guy who originally created the mod and he now heads up the Dev team responsible for DotA 2.

Blizzard should have hired him first and then there would be no dispute.

Just my 2 cents

Half-Life: a Valve game.

War3: A Blizzard game. DotA was made by the Blizzard community. This isn't Valve hiring someone out from their community, this is them stealing the name from some other community entirely. It's disgusting.

Yes but TF was a quake mod and Valve developed it into one of the best Multiplayer games of all time and they are still updating it today.

They will do the same with DotA 2 just watch and see.

Valve has made one excellent multiplayer game, TF2. I'm not arguing that.

Blizzard has made at least six excellent multiplayer games. WC2, SC1, D2, WC3, WoW, SC2. The last five are still being updated, and with the exception of WoW, all the updates are for free. Blizzard is now adding four free new games to SC2, one of which is an (apparently awesome) take on DotA.

Sorry, I think I'll take the guys who make fantastic multiplayer in three different genres over the guy who just happen to make good FPS games.

Valve did not just make one excellent Multiplayer game they hired 3 separate Dev teams, The TF guys, The CS guys and The DoD guys to make 3 EXCELLENT multiplayer games and now they have decided to recruit Icefrog to help create DotA 2 in the Source Engine just like the Dev teams above and CS is still the Quintessential Multiplayer game of all time and it pays the highest out in E-Sport leagues.

TF2 has been updated 120 times since release 3 years and 13 days ago just think what DotA 2 updates will be like since most of the new TF2 maps are COMMUNITY based.

Yes, Valve makes CS and DoD. Those are "pretty good" multiplayer games, not "excellent" ones. TF2 is the only excellent multiplayer game Valve has. And guess what, they're STILL all FPS games. Valve hasn't shown any capability to make games that aren't FPSes, so I'll believe it when I see it.

And CS the quintessential multiplayer game of all time? Lol, have you SEEN Starcraft tournaments? StarCraft is THE e-sport.

Blizzard does multiplayer better than anyone else. Valve makes great singleplayer experiences (HL2, Portal) and one awesome multiplayer (TF2). I know who my money is on.

 

[steamweedlegoblin]

Valve and Blizzard going toe to toe with each other is something I'd pay good money to see. I hope this gets ugly!

 

[Christopher Dudgeon]

Since CS and DoD both started out as mods for HL and then Valve hired the guys who made them then trademarked the names I think they are quite within their rights to Trademark DotA as they hired the guy who originally created the mod and he now heads up the Dev team responsible for DotA 2.

Blizzard should have hired him first and then there would be no dispute.

Just my 2 cents

Half-Life: a Valve game.

War3: A Blizzard game. DotA was made by the Blizzard community. This isn't Valve hiring someone out from their community, this is them stealing the name from some other community entirely. It's disgusting.

Yes but TF was a quake mod and Valve developed it into one of the best Multiplayer games of all time and they are still updating it today.

They will do the same with DotA 2 just watch and see.

Valve has made one excellent multiplayer game, TF2. I'm not arguing that.

Blizzard has made at least six excellent multiplayer games. WC2, SC1, D2, WC3, WoW, SC2. The last five are still being updated, and with the exception of WoW, all the updates are for free. Blizzard is now adding four free new games to SC2, one of which is an (apparently awesome) take on DotA.

Sorry, I think I'll take the guys who make fantastic multiplayer in three different genres over the guy who just happen to make good FPS games.

Valve did not just make one excellent Multiplayer game they hired 3 separate Dev teams, The TF guys, The CS guys and The DoD guys to make 3 EXCELLENT multiplayer games and now they have decided to recruit Icefrog to help create DotA 2 in the Source Engine just like the Dev teams above and CS is still the Quintessential Multiplayer game of all time and it pays the highest out in E-Sport leagues.

TF2 has been updated 120 times since release 3 years and 13 days ago just think what DotA 2 updates will be like since most of the new TF2 maps are COMMUNITY based.

Yes, Valve makes CS and DoD. Those are "pretty good" multiplayer games, not "excellent" ones. TF2 is the only excellent multiplayer game Valve has. And guess what, they're STILL all FPS games. Valve hasn't shown any capability to make games that aren't FPSes, so I'll believe it when I see it.

And CS the quintessential multiplayer game of all time? Lol, have you SEEN Starcraft tournaments? StarCraft is THE e-sport.

Blizzard does multiplayer better than anyone else. Valve makes great singleplayer experiences (HL2, Portal) and one awesome multiplayer (TF2). I know who my money is on.

Yeah Starcraft is a massive E-Sport......In SOUTH KOREA!!!! CS is still the big Draw to Western E-Sport leagues with TF2 following close second.

 

[Senaro]

I see no reason for Valve to trademark a game they aren't responsible for creating. Even Blizzard won't trademark it, and it's made from from THEIR game.

 

[Gindil]

Man, Valve fanboys can be the worst kind of deluded. Do you really believe that Gabe Newell is out to give you things because he loves you all so huggy much?

He's done a pretty good job for the last few years.[/satire]

OT: If the original person made the game, and he works for Valve, I fail to see the issue. I doubt that Valve would turn into trademark trolls where Blizzard can't use it. More than likely they'd just as likely license the name out or leave it to Blizzard to make their own.

And really Blizzard isn't one to talk at this juncture about trademark, patent, or copyright issues.

 

[Something Amyss]

They probably shouldn't, but it's not even like this is a first in the world of intellectual properties.

I agree with Blizz on this, and frankly this is a bad sign for Valve to be doing this.
This is a mark against your coolness factor, Valve. Don't make me lose faith in you.

This has been coming a long time.

 

[BaconBitz04]

lol, except that the modders that made DotA really are indie and some of them aren't happy with the deal.

 

[Wandrecanada]

This is a pretty easy explanation and Valve ends up losing. If they wanted to make a DotA based game there should be nothing stopping them. Using the title DotA is in fact promoting the game via a brand not created or owned by them. It becomes a matter of making money from the minds of others by merely using the name.

Now granted people who know what DotA is and means would all essentially know already who the true creator was but it still makes Valve the bad guy who is stealing someone else's infamy to make dollars.

Whoever decides they want to capitalize on the gameplay style and mechanic by implementing it professionally is something for lawyers to argue over. Using a name you did not popularize in order to draw customers is always bad business and should never be allowed to pay.

 

[Arkley]

It's entirely possible that Blizzard is just saying this because they want to wring some money from the DotA name themselves, but whatever Blizzard's motives for saying this, they are right. DotA should remain in the public domain. That's where it started, that's where it belongs. I'm shocked Valve didn't anticipate this kind of backlash. Surely even if they are successful in obtaining the copyright, it'll do them more bad than good.

 

[AngryMongoose]

Quite frankly I'm surprised Blizzard haven't taken issue with the concept art Valve are producing. It is literally just WC3 characters by a different artist.

 

[GoGo_Boy]

Quite frankly I'm surprised Blizzard haven't taken issue with the concept art Valve are producing. It is literally just WC3 characters by a different artist.

This too...
I really have no Problem with IceFrog (who is awesome) working on a new DotA title with Valve) but if they gonna trademark the DotA term well, fuck that.

And then they are also going to copy every unit in the Wc3 DotA which means they'll recreate all the Blizzard models? I mean they better don't go in front of court against Blizzard because the Wc3 Editor has strict user licenses and so has the whole game itself.
If they really just recreate all the Models with basically the same look, take over the exact names and copy other stuff 1:1 Blizzard most likely could intercept them in case they want to.

Edit:
Just for your info, I did mod a lot in Wc3 'til some months ago.

 

[stormcrow5]

Why trademark dota..... its a custom map in WC3 so if they did they would get the name and.....nothing, if they are thinking about by trademarking DotA they get that gametype they are just being idoits any person could make a AoS map baced on heros and killing the outher bace still.

 

[Crasha]

...so Valve took control of the rights to this game without any permission, and then against the will of the original creators? Legal or not, that seems like a dick move on Valve's part.

I think it's important to note that when Eul, the first creator of DotA, only created the vague concept of what the map is today.

When DotA started growing, lots of mappers made seperate versions of the map, one of them Guinsoo, created the one called DotA Allstars, the one that the current map is based upon, however, what he left was best described as a steaming trainwreck of imbalance.

IceFrog then voluntarily picked up the pieces, added something like 2/3 of the heroes and items that the map has today, and has continued to add to the map ever since. Most of this time is unpaid by the way, It's only been a year since he was recruited by Valve.

Speaking as an avid DotA player, I too think this is a dick move, however in my opinion, on Blizzards part. They've had YEARS to pick up the concept, and frankly, I think the main reason why DotA's on the Warcraft III engine is because the wasn't really anything else for anyone to make the game on.

Now Valve decided to pick it up, and I'm happy, because maybe well finally be able to sort this business with Heroes of Newerth, League of Legends, and their hordes of stupid fans about who's got the better game. No offense.

- Should I mention that I signed up to post this?

 

[GiantRedButton]

well it sounds less that they think it should remain free and more like Blizzard want it.
They keep talking about it being available to the "blizzard community" etc.
Valve have Icefrog and it was his idea to get the trademark and make dota 2.
And icefrog is the authority when it comes to Dota, since he did most of the work. Blizz has no say in this since none of their employees were even part of the development process.

Somehow I can't see myself believing Blizzards mentioning this out of love for the community. Feels like an attempt at a "be the good guy" stunt to me.

... though I was a little curious about Valve and the whole trademarking DotA, all things considered (community focused project, etc...)

They seem to be doing the same thing they did with counter strike and Tf and portal.
They hire the modteam and trademark it.
Counter strike was a mod once too. And now valve owns the devs and trademark.

If IceFrog is the main dude behind DotA and is now working with Valve, then who are "some of DotA's original creators" that are challenging it?

Guinsoo and Eul, the two guys who were working with DotA before IceFrog.

Yeah and Icefrog is the only one left, and still worked on dota. He also was the one who worked the longest on it.
The rest stopped supporting Dota long ago and had their own projects (like LoL).

 

[Captain Pancake]

This could become an ugly mark on Valve's reputation. Tread lightly gentlemen.

 

[GoGo_Boy]

@ Crasha

None has a problem with Icefrong and Valve working on a DotA sequel. Just the trademark is fucking pathetic.
That's really all. You as an avid DotA player are really glad with Valve who literally have nothing to do with DotA claim it as their franchise? How is that?

 

[SinisterGehe]

Would this be international Trademark or US only???