Square Shuts Down Fan-Made Chrono Game

[zoozilla]

This stinks of "dick move".

I mean, the project had been going on since 2004. Surely Squeenix could have had the mercy to end the project before 5 years of work were put into it if they were going to end it at all.

But of course, this could have cut into the profits of Chrono Trigger DS!

Spoiler

BULLSHIT!

 

[capnjack]

How can you not feel bad for them? This was a labor of love that was given the digital finger just before it was finished. It's like kicking over a kid's sand-castle at the beach (not that anyone does that anymore).

Because they're being complacent. I say stick it to The Man

 

[Riles]

This:

"Well, the reason they C&D is because they have to aggressivly protect the rights, otherwise it creates precident. Once there is precidence for them allowing people to run all over with their properties, it becomes almost impossible to protect them in court. What they SHOULD have done is contacted the group, created a special contract with stipulations limiting them soley to this one and current fanservice project, and let the project run with their blessing and the legal understanding this was a fan made non-prof that extended no rights from the Chrono Trigger liscence to them or anyone else outside Squenix."

In addition, I'm convinced this move by Square Enix is not motivated by greed; they're simply doing what thousands of companies are forced to do in order to protect their intellectual property every day.

It's tragic that these fan projects get fox'd like this, but the brains behind the project undoubtedly saw this coming for years what with the fate of the Chrono Trigger Ressurection project.

Fun Game: Bet on how unlikely it is that anyone will take the rightful indignation they feel over this tragedy and actually work to change an aging behemoth like International Copyright Law!

 

[puffenstuff]

This is one of the major problems with copyright and why it needs a complete overhaul - perhaps it needs to be dismantled altogether. Copyright was put in place to balance the rights of the consumer between the rights of the corporation, not to give full and unrestricted rights to the consumer. More importantly, even if this was in complete accordance with the laws of today, Square Enix would still be complete fucking morons for shutting a project like this down. Shutting it down only serves as an outright attack of fans of the original Chrono Trigger, and when you give your fanbase the shaft, you're only hurting yourself. If this game was allowed to materialize, it could pose NO THREAT to Square Enix, since it is just a ROM, and, in all likelihood, it would just increase the sales in Chrono Trigger-related products.

But I don't feel bad for the people who worked five years to create this, because their compliance was their choice. What they should have done is shut down the site, shut down everything related to it, and leak the project on to bit torrent. That way, their five years of hardwork is mostly not lost, everybody gets to appreciate it, and Square Enix can't take action against them.

I was going to write a long and eloquent post on the obsolescence of our copyright system and how it is now working against the creation of new content, which it was originally intended to encourage. Then I saw that this fine gentleman had beat me to it. So in internet parlance:
^this^

 

[Dalisclock]

Seriously, I hope the code is still there, and maybe the game will be finished and released somewhat under the radar. Once released, eventually it will be found by those who want to find it(and Square can't cease and desist the entire internet).

 

[randommaster]

Square Enix is being a bunch of cockbites latly

Lately? They've always been self-righteous dicksmurfs.

Ever seen Video Games Live? They can't stop VGLive from playing Final Fantasy's music, because owner/composer/creator Nobuo Uematsu gave permission to play it, but Squenix will be eight years dead before they allow VGLive to show a single clip from any of their games. Rah rah rah!

So, when it came time to play the Kingdom Hearts score, Disney was more than happy to provide 100% of the visual end of the presentation.

Now tell me, who wins and who loses with that?

That alsp explains why there is a bunch of fan art during "One-winged Angel."

 

[badsectoracula]

What it always amazes me in such cases is that these people who make unauthorized use of brands and trademarked stuff have a lot of talent, yet while they know what they're going to mess with (C&D, etc) they decide to go with it instead of making something new and original. Or a 'spiritual' sequel. Or at least modify the game enough so it won't be any legal restrictions.

(it worked for BugFactory in Tombrandt Driftwood's case)

 

[Signa]

This is one of the major problems with copyright and why it needs a complete overhaul - perhaps it needs to be dismantled altogether. Copyright was put in place to balance the rights of the consumer between the rights of the corporation, not to give full and unrestricted rights to the consumer. More importantly, even if this was in complete accordance with the laws of today, Square Enix would still be complete fucking morons for shutting a project like this down. Shutting it down only serves as an outright attack of fans of the original Chrono Trigger, and when you give your fanbase the shaft, you're only hurting yourself. If this game was allowed to materialize, it could pose NO THREAT to Square Enix, since it is just a ROM, and, in all likelihood, it would just increase the sales in Chrono Trigger-related products.

But I don't feel bad for the people who worked five years to create this, because their compliance was their choice. What they should have done is shut down the site, shut down everything related to it, and leak the project on to bit torrent. That way, their five years of hardwork is mostly not lost, everybody gets to appreciate it, and Square Enix can't take action against them.

QFT. Copyright law is out of hand.

And if I was them, I would do exactly that. No fucking way am I throwing away 5 years of hard work. Not even for the threat of lawsuit. What are they going to do? sue for damages? WHAT DAMAGES?!

 

[Flunk]

Since they already did this exact same thing with a Chrono-Triger themed game that was written from scratch (Chrono Trigger Resurrection) a few years ago I'm not surprised at all by this. This was a ROM hack, that means that they took the original programming and altered it. That's definitely infringement, it's a modified version of Square's product.

I'm normally against IP holders over-extending their rights but in this case it's totally justified. If you take someone's product, modify it a bit and distribute it, then it is infringement.

 

[Syndef]

Well...there is certainly a specific group of lawyers that aren't suffering in this economy...

 

[capnjack]

I was going to write a long and eloquent post on the obsolescence of our copyright system and how it is now working against the creation of new content, which it was originally intended to encourage. Then I saw that this fine gentleman had beat me to it. So in internet parlance:
^this^

It's great to see someone who actually gets that. I've only recently begun to learn about the adverse effects of copyright on content creation, and the way stricter copyright laws would utlimately work against the companies that lobby for them. If you're interested in that stuff, I recommend reading http://techdirt.com. It's the blog that - sorry for the cliche - opened my eyes.

 

[bad rider]

If they were gonna send a cease and desist letter why wait five years? I'd understand if it was a few months in or a year, but waiting that long seems a little harsh to then make them cut developement.

 

[sneakysnake128]

Stupid Squeenix. They have a warehouse full of FF7 and Chrono Trigger milk and they won't even give a beggar a drop.

 

[roekenny]

Can't they get around the whole thing if just renamed it changed the names of the NPC's towns and landmass redo some of more obvious creatures as then just say Chrono was the inspiration?

As can't screw them over then and work is not completely lost and if Square go on how alot of similarities just point the to the copyright laws and the list of rpg clichés and tell them to swivel? As how think so many budget brands get away selling similar goods.

 

[Lord_Jaroh]

Since they already did this exact same thing with a Chrono-Triger themed game that was written from scratch (Chrono Trigger Resurrection) a few years ago I'm not surprised at all by this. This was a ROM hack, that means that they took the original programming and altered it. That's definitely infringement, it's a modified version of Square's product.

I'm normally against IP holders over-extending their rights but in this case it's totally justified. If you take someone's product, modify it a bit and distribute it, then it is infringement.

And this is why copyright law needs to be fixed, as there is absolutely nothing wrong with doing this. Either that or every person on the planet who has "modded" their cars in some way shape or form should be in the same sort of predicament, or even the people who sell mod parts.

The law is wrong, and it will be changed. It's just up to society to determine when.

 

[Lios]

If we don't see a new Chrono game in the next 4 years, Square is getting its ass kicked. I'm seriously getting ticked off with them lately.

I blame the new CEO.

 

[Hedberger]

Allright, henceforth i will pirate any of their games if i ever need them.