EA steals from Games Workshop

[Gentleman Adventurer]

I never really cared about Warhammer that much, its so GRIMDARK that I could not take it. I mean, I like a good war as much as any first worlder, but Warhammer seems to be just a wank fest all about war and killing and shit. It just seems a bit unhealthy to me. Only the Ciaphas Cain books (and those are just Flashman IN SPACE!) retain my interest because, at lest they have a scene of humor.

That said, I do (did?) love Commander and Conquer. I don't like were EA took the franchise, but what can you do. I just did not by Commander and Conquer 4 and called it a day.

I feel like I can somewhat defend the first tank, the "Grinder Tank" looks at lot like the Yuri Lasher Tank from Red Alert 2 - Yuri's Revenge. The Twin barreled tank is in almost every Commander and Conquer game ever. Yuri's Revenge came out in 2001 for what that is it worth.

But the one that looks like the Baneblade. Shame on you Phenomic. I have no defense for that one.

I have seen a few people here say, "lots of people steal ideas from GW", well since GW took most of their ideas from earlier, better, sci-fi does that mean said people are just re-stealing from GW.

 

[MDSnowman]

40K stopped making interesting commentary long ago and apart from Dan Abnett novels, is now just an excuse to have power armoured space marine porn. It's a giant galaxy spanning epic war setting, but C&C is somewhat grounded in reality, Tiberian Dawn was pretty recognisable as the 90s, whilst further games are just a post apocalyptic version of that. 40K makes no references to anything from our modern day time.

40k isn't sci fi.... it simply isn't.

It's high fantasy in a sci fi setting. Its the combination of the two things that makes 40k as compelling as it is to folks. Therefore coming down on it for 'not being grounded in reality' is like griping that realistic FPS games don't have enough death rays or Elves.

But yeah. Some lazy mech designer is going to get the whole company sued and make EA look even worse.

Worst bullet point on a resume, ever.

 

[Gitty101]

I can hear many attorneys cracking their knuckles in anticipation. EA gon' get SUED.

 

[Weaver]

Boy, the sheeple sure do enjoy finding reasons to "hate" EA. Which is funny, because they'll all still buy their products. It's cute how people on the internet throw around words at the slightest provocation, chuck a little tantrum, rant for a week and and then open their wallets and make new releases push sales records sky high.

Wonder what it'll be cool to hate next...

I always hated this picture because all it demonstrate is 15 people out of the 833 that decided not to buy the game, bought the game.

Half the people in the picture are playing other games; but it's the internet, why think about things?

 

[Yopaz]

Wow, this must be embarrassing. This reminded me of that World of Darkness artist who...took some inspiration.

Spoiler: Hunter the Vigil - the Aegis Kai Doru illustration

Hunter the Vigil - the Aegis Kai Doru illustration

Spoiler: What he might have been inspired by

What he might have been inspired by

Dang, those two are almost identical.

OT: I agree with those who say this is most likely someone who has messed up rather than something done intentionally. Still incompetence is bad.

 

[endtherapture]

40K stopped making interesting commentary long ago and apart from Dan Abnett novels, is now just an excuse to have power armoured space marine porn. It's a giant galaxy spanning epic war setting, but C&C is somewhat grounded in reality, Tiberian Dawn was pretty recognisable as the 90s, whilst further games are just a post apocalyptic version of that. 40K makes no references to anything from our modern day time.

40k isn't sci fi.... it simply isn't.

It's high fantasy in a sci fi setting. Its the combination of the two things that makes 40k as compelling as it is to folks. Therefore coming down on it for 'not being grounded in reality' is like griping that realistic FPS games don't have enough death rays.

I didn't say it was sci fi?

The two can't be compared. Tiberian Dawn/Sun is Earthbound sci fi. 40K is galaxyspanning space fantasy.

 

[EMFCRACKSHOT]

At least on the bright side the Baneblade is an awesome tank. I wonder if they're gonna copy the Leman Russ next?

The leman Russ is an almost identical copy of a WW1 tank, the name of which escapes me at the moment. Games Workshop are pretty well known for "borrowing" ideas and the like, what goes around comes around really - there are only so many different types of tank you can design.

Live and let live.

The Leman Russ is a WW1 Tank with a turret on top. The Baneblade is an oversized Main Battle Tank Chassis with far too many guns and sponsons.

Just clarifying a bit, not correcting.

The Leman Russ is a Land Raider with a turret. In turn the Land Raider is inspired by some british WWI tanks. Especially the track and the side sponsons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:British_Mark_V_%28male%29_tank.jpg

The Baneblade is far too fantastic to be a working tank. It looks like GW mixed and matched a lot of different historical tank components, probably by looking at pictures.

Actually, the Leman Russ (without the side sponsons) is closer to the French Char Bi bis
But the Land Raider is definitely a Mark V Male tank.

Spoiler: Char B1 bis

The Baneblade was definitely inspired by the Maus though. With a load of extra stuff on it of course xD

Spoiler: Maus

The Rhino is just an M113. There isn't really much originality in imperial tank design xD
Oh and the guy who designed those tanks, shame on you. There are plenty of non copyrighted tanks you could have stole.

 

[Musicfreak]

-snip-

I'm confused. You posted an image before about the MW boycot but no one here said "OMG Boycot EA because they stole GW stuff". Considering the evidence we have to work with, i.e the OP link and picture, I'll make my judgements from that until someone gives me evidence that proves my opinion wrong.

Evidence so far says EA have copyrighted GW stuff.

What evidence? Go ahead, show me proof that EA made those designs and that they have no legal right to do so. I'll wait here. Off you go.

Whaaat? You caaaan't? You're just willing to make the claim that a company has broken the law because someone shows you an image? "Well no one has shown me evidence EA didn't do it. So... they must have! Derp."

That's my point. The only evidence available at the moment is the OP link and the image, and I will take my opinion on the available evidence.

Rofl. The only evidence available is in the OP? Says who. Did you even TRY to look? You are gonna sit here and tell me the only evidence in the world is this thread? No? Oh, you just don't wanna look into it yourself and would prefer to claim someone has committed an illegal act based off no actual proof (which is in and of itself illegal). But hey, making a claim with potentially less than 1% of the evidence is better than remaining undecided or doing your own research, right!

"I have been shown an image that someone claims to be accurate. Until someone proves otherwise, I will believe this person."

Nothing like thinking for yourself.

No a quick Google search brings up GeekNative, RockPaperShotgun, Eurogamer, SegmentNext, Steam, PC Gamer, Plagerism Today and GameFAQs all reporting on the issue

Woah, woah, woah! Hang on a sec! Someone reported on it? Oh, okay. Sorry. I forgot that when someone reports something it means it's true.

$10 says you Googled it, didn't read a single one of them beyond looking for keywords and couldn't name a single source for the information off the top of your head, lol.

It's funny how you're jumping all over this guy for not spending enough time verifying the source when you yourself didn't spend five minutes researching the claim. If you did you would have discovered that this story does indeed seem to be legit. Your hypocrisy is astounding.

 

[Bostur]

@EMFCRACKSHOT

Thanks for posting the pictures. I never heard about the Char B1 bis, to me it looks directly taken out of the WH40K setting. :-D

Some of the models have changed over the years. I remember when they reused the Land Raider chassis for several models, it was part of the Leman Russ set at one point. They made an effort to make some of the tanks more unique later.

The Rhino is just an M113. There isn't really much originality in imperial tank design xD

I've been around quite a few M113s myself, I'm grateful they didn't have any frontal spikes ;-) Part of what I like about the Imperial tank line is the mix of realism and fantasy. The reuse of hulls for example. The Whirlwind is a great example of believable design, using a proven APC hull for another role.

 

[Soviet Heavy]

I'd say that the Char B1 looks more like the Baneblade than the Maus. It has the hull mounted cannon for one thing, and the turret being further back.

A lot of the Imperium's heavy tank designs like the Malcador and Macharius take from the british and german super heavy tanks.

 

[EMFCRACKSHOT]

@EMFCRACKSHOT

Thanks for posting the pictures. I never heard about the Char B1 bis, to me it looks directly taken out of the WH40K setting. :-D

It wasn't actually a bad tank. Superior in many ways to the Panzerkampfwagen III but lack of an internal radio and poor tank doctrine on the part of the french means it never saw much action and never made it into tank 'pop culture'

Some of the models have changed over the years. I remember when they reused the Land Raider chassis for several models, it was part of the Leman Russ set at one point. They made an effort to make some of the tanks more unique later.

i'm glad they did, i mean lets face it, some of their early tank designs (Like the original vindicator) weren't the best looking.

I've been around quite a few M113s myself, I'm grateful they didn't have any frontal spikes ;-) Part of what I like about the Imperial tank line is the mix of realism and fantasy. The reuse of hulls for example. The Whirlwind is a great example of believable design, using a proven APC hull for another role.

I am with you 100% with the re-use of hulls etc. It fits very nicely with the STC system in 40k. I do remember seeing an M113 that had been converted into a Rhino at gamesday one year. That thing was just incredible

I'd say that the Char B1 looks more like the Baneblade than the Maus. It has the hull mounted cannon for one thing, and the turret being further back.

A lot of the Imperium's heavy tank designs like the Malcador and Macharius take from the british and german super heavy tanks.

The Maus was the only true super heavy tank that someone tried to produce. It was so massively impractical that it never would have worked. But you whack a demlisher cannon on the front of the Maus, and add on a few side sponsons and boom, Baneblade. The Char B1 is just too small and the body shape is wrong if you ask me. I do love my Baneblades though (you can never stop at just one xD)

 

[daveman247]

Hey, I liked Dawn of War! It was the last time in like 6 years where Steve Bloomers was any good.

as did i, it was more of a dig at how similar the games are

 

[ThePenguinKnight]

Since Warhammer 40K is the birthplace of the Space Marine there's hundreds of movies and games that take from them, so this doesn't bother me much. Plus they're tanks, there's only so much you can do with them.

 

[Racecarlock]

Somebody get me a hot tub of popcorn. I'm going to love watching this.

 

[SajuukKhar]

http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/04/13/ea-explains-copied-warhammer-40k-designs.aspx

Apparently EA explined themselves

"Games Workshop and EA are aware of the IP issues around the artwork in question, which have now been resolved. The artwork was internal EA concept art that was unintentionally released publicly.

No Warhammer 40,000 tanks have ever made an appearance in Command and Conquer Tiberium Alliances, and never will. Games Workshop and EA continue to have a strong relationship working together on Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and the new free to play game Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes which just entered open beta."

 

[Torrasque]

Either someone is about to get fired ruthlessly, or GW was all "Go right ahead and use our shit!", which I highly doubt.

 

[CD-R]

I've only skimmed through this thread but I'm amazed that everyone can be this shocked by EA but can completely ignore the fact that Blizzard essentially built their company on ripping off Games Workshop.

Spoiler

Those are just two examples. There's plenty more.

 

[ChaplainOrion]

Since Warhammer 40K is the birthplace of the Space Marine there's hundreds of movies and games that take from them, so this doesn't bother me much. Plus they're tanks, there's only so much you can do with them.

Actually I think the original Space Marines are from Starship Troopers.

I've only skimmed through this thread but I'm amazed that everyone can be this shocked by EA but can completely ignore the fact that Blizzard essentially built their company on ripping off Games Workshop.

Spoiler

Those are just two examples. There's plenty more.

Actually I think it's going the other way now for Tyranids, I've heard people say that they're more Zerg like with their new units.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-04-12-ea-accused-of-copying-warhammer-40k-tanks-for-command-and-conquer-tiberium-alliances

It's not even funny about how they're almost the exact same thing.

So tell me how do you know that EA stole these tank designs. How do you know that they did not duno ask games workshop about it first? Oh wait thats right you dont your just jumping to conclusions.

GW is like Ebenezer Scrooge pre-ghosts-of-christmas with their IP. And besides, why would they let someone have the same tank designs when they themselves are having a game made with the same ones (Dawn of War 3)? If you were to ask any GW follower everyone will say they're very protective about their IP.

 

[ThePenguinKnight]

Since Warhammer 40K is the birthplace of the Space Marine there's hundreds of movies and games that take from them, so this doesn't bother me much. Plus they're tanks, there's only so much you can do with them.

Actually I think the original Space Marines are from Starship Troopers.

I've only skimmed through this thread but I'm amazed that everyone can be this shocked by EA but can completely ignore the fact that Blizzard essentially built their company on ripping off Games Workshop.

Spoiler

Those are just two examples. There's plenty more.

Actually I think it's going the other way now for Tyranids, I've heard people say that they're more Zerg like with their new units.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-04-12-ea-accused-of-copying-warhammer-40k-tanks-for-command-and-conquer-tiberium-alliances

It's not even funny about how they're almost the exact same thing.

So tell me how do you know that EA stole these tank designs. How do you know that they did not duno ask games workshop about it first? Oh wait thats right you dont your just jumping to conclusions.

GW is like Ebenezer Scrooge pre-ghosts-of-christmas with their IP. And besides, why would they let someone have the same tank designs when they themselves are having a game made with the same ones (Dawn of War 3)? If you were to ask any GW follower everyone will say they're very protective about their IP.

Nope, Warhammer 40K existed long before Starship Troopers but there are a lot of people who don't know this. StarScraft had a lot more going for it than just the designs, I give it a pass.

 

[ChupathingyX]

Nope, Warhammer 40K existed long before Starship Troopers but there are a lot of people who don't know this. StarScraft had a lot more going for it than just the designs, I give it a pass.

Starship Troopers was a book that was released in 1959.

Warhammer 40K began in the 1987.

Starship Troopers basically started the whole "power armoured soldiers fighting aliens" thing, Warhammer 40K was one of the first IP's to make it more well known and bring it to the gaming (both video and tabletop) world along with the Metroid series.

Almost everything in the Imperium is inspired by either some real life army from a particular time period or other fiction.