Sega Puts a Stop to Streets of Rage Fan Game

[ComicsAreWeird]

Sega, get your shit together and make a brand-new HD Streets of Rage game. Or maybe look at what Capcom did with Street Fighter 4 and take what made the game great and enhance the graphics (but keep it a side-scrolling beat´em up). What we dont need is dick moves like this.

 

[DTWolfwood]

SEGA seems to be very...unfriendly to their fanbase. One of the worst of the big companies, I'd say. I look back with nostalgia at the old SEGA, but the current one is like a grumpy old man telling the kids to get off his lawn.

I hope these guys take a legal sidestep, rename the game and throw in a pallete swap or something to keep SEGA away. It's a real shame when loyalty is rewarded by destroying years of your fan's work on a tribute.

seconded that motion

 

[SenseOfTumour]

Sadly, it seems to be the way of the big corporations nowadays, why on earth would they contact the makers and offer them a deal where both Sega and the creators could make some cash on a dead IP, when they can just stomp all over a non profit fan project and ensure they make zero cents entirely.

The makers said on their site that they were struggling to make online multiplayer, so left it out rather than have a second grade option in their game, Sega could have put their team on it for what..a day maybe, and had a great multiplayer release ready to go. Easy big sales on Xbox Live, the PSN network, Steam, etc. Big piles of $10 sales all over the place.

Of course, a days work on putting some network code into a game is far more effort than cut n pasting old dreamcast and megadrive games over with zero effort or improvements.

I'd be interested in seeing the curve of Steam sales of Streets of Rage over the last and next month.

 

[v3n0mat3]

The thing is, SEGA hates being upstaged, especially by fans. Because they keep making shit sequels of their own games, then when someone else comes along with a better remake... SEGA will not have that. I'm a SEGA kid all the way, but when they pull this kinda crap, it makes me wonder...

 

[similar.squirrel]

Why didn't they just make some cosmetic changes, then have some seemingly random user release a mod that brought the game back into it's original glory?

 

[Quiet Stranger]

♫Already got it!♫
So yeah, fuck you sega. Pulling this shit after the dude has already finished it.
Shit like this is why fans turn on companies.

*whispers* hey man, can ya hook me up?


OT: Fuck you sega ya fucking ass holes

 

[Iglock]

Snip.

Couldn't agree more.

 

[Zeraki]

Hey Sega I've got this really crazy idea. Instead of pissing on the fans that actually want another Streets of Rage, make a new one! Seriously Streets of Rage 3 came out in the mid 90's, it's time to try making good games again.

 

[Madman123456]

Sega is one of the "Asshole Companies". They didn't care much about the Games when their consoles where dying, they cared for the Money they could get right now. Well, every Company does that of course or otherwise they wouldn't be a company for much longer.
But Sega here doesn't understand PR. They may have wanted to keep their Options open, see how this remake is going and then decide if the old games will be on another old games compilation.

They probably figured that if this remake is going to be downloaded very often, People want Streets of Rage. So they'll sent a cease and desist order and on the next Sega Genesis collection, you're going to see Streets of Rage again.

And if Collections are the only way to play Streets of Rage, People will buy these Collections. They wont buy Collections if there's a Streets of Rage game better then anything Sega has ever done. Sega seems to think so at least.


Sega has proven to be even more greedy and lazy then usual for a big Company once again.

Bomber Games should rename their Game to "Streets of Greed" and redraw some Sprites. "Mr.X" should be replaced by a old drunk blue Hedgehog who constantly drools and tries to sell copies of old games.

 

[mindlesspuppet]

I have to wonder why these guys didn't just save themselves sometime and use the Beats of Rage engine... oh well.

 

[SenseOfTumour]

Also, if I was Bomber, after showing respect to SEGA and having it thrown in my face, I'd rename it 'Beats of Rage', rename all the characters, and release it as a legally protected 'parody' work. Possibly adding a paypal button so people can donate to Child's Play or the like too. Show just how much above Sega they can be. Maybe add a tired, burned out guy in a hedgehog cosplay suit called Chronic as a very easy boss fight.

After all, I'm assuming Activision can't sue over EA's 'Duty Calls', right?

Whether or not you were joking, that's a very good point - parodies have special exemption from copyright law, so doing this could not only be a massive take-that to Sega but also a way for the developer to get his work out there.

I indeed did mean it, and depending on how the creators feel about their treatment, I'd certainly look into it.

It's like buying your first love a ring then seeing it in a pawnbrokers window the next day.

I know if I'd spent eight years on something, and kept the IP owners, who I had so much respect for, informed of what was going on, and then on release, they decide 'now you've spent 8 years on this, we don't like it, throw it all in the bin or we'll bankrupt you, your family, your friends and your pet rabbit.', well, I'd probably change my opinion, and be happy to rewrite a few parts, 'Duty Calls' style, while still making it better than Sega's output, as an extra slap to their spoiled child reaction.

Reminds me of the 'immigrant' argument 'they come over here, can't even speak the language and take British jobs!'

If you're so bad at your job that someone who can't speak the language can fall off the back of a lorry and take over, you need to get better, not complain about them

Sega need to get better, not complain because they're getting schooled in game design by a group of fans.

 

[Vibhor]

Actually this made me go download the game illegally (the fan game) just to show sega the finger.
Its always something with japanese developers.
First make a good game and then forget it for eternity but when someone makes a remake and distributes it for free, they throw in a cease and desist.
That same happened with Chrono Trigger remake and now this. I actually loved this one as I had played it.

 

[CM156_v1legacy]

Sega need to get better, not complain because they're getting schooled in game design by a group of fans.

To be fair, it is rather demanding to expect them to compete with "free".

Personally, I don't know why you would spend 8 combined years on a project like this. It just seems like a waste of time to me.

 

[ArmorArmadillo]

While I'd like to say that this is a purely Stupid move on SEGAs part, since a fan project like this would only have renewed fan interest in a property that is otherwise gathering dust and provided a springboard for an official follow up, there is one thing they have that justifies their conduct.

US Copyright law has an unfortunate feature due to the evolution of juris prudence and civil procedure that failing to make claims on an issue that you are aware can hamper your claims in the future. Which is to say, not trying to enforce copyright on a small issue now may lose them the all their copyright protections on big claims in the future.
Sadly, as a result, companies often have to pursue claims like this just to protect their copyrights.

 

[GGZeta]

Sega: its pussy hurts because their fans make their own games better than they do.

Pretty much sums up my feelings as well. Also, when I heard the music and saw the character collection it got me all excited again for the franchise. I really want to find my sega and dig these games out to replay them.

I know from a business IP management sort of standpoint you can't let people make games for a franchise they haven't bought a license for... but why doesn't Bomber just change the sprites and call it Roads of Anger? They've stated that all of the code is there own, if they change the sprites and environment they'd have a completely different game that Sega couldn't get all butt hurt over. Heck, I'd volunteer to do the artwork for it for free too just for the opportunity to breath life into the genre of side scrolling beat-em-ups.

 

[DrunkMc]

I say these guys "rebrand" the title Raging Streets, change the color scheme of the character's hair and clothes, and re-launch it. People will already know what it is, and they can get away with it.

 

[True Nero]

i never really understood the things that Sega does. i mean, you've got a fanbase bigger than the entire population of Canada even though you CONSTANTLY disappoint us with horrible Sonic games and other lack luster wastes of time. and so when a bunch of rabid fans try to pay homage to their childhood and how awesome Sega is, LAWYERS AWAY!

seriously, Sega doesn't seem to give a crap about their fans at all. hell, you look at any other developer out there right now, and they would be ecstatic to see fans do all this work. having fans show that you guys are doing something right. not only that, but having fans be so motivated to make something like this Streets of Rage fan-game, it's a sign that you guys really made an impression on someone.

this is the same thing that Sega did to YTMND with all the sega parodies. they should feel honored that people love them so much even though all they do is practically everything but punch us all in the face individually. it's like they live to destroy.

 

[ZombieGenesis]

Jealousy on Sega's part, they know they can't make anything that good anymore. They aren't allowed to.