Quiet all! Don't you know what is going on. If Vivendi Universal is on fan games hunting now. You must be quiet here then. Shhh.  They are still watching us!

Don't mention on any more fans games here.  ;)

But yes it is true this is not a good year for any fans games wich has ben made in many years and suddenly it is just taken away.

Aren't you all fan's games makers jealous because AGDI team is still save but not you guys? But since they are allies to Vivendi Universal don't mention on any others fangames wich is still in producings. We got a spy here on the forums who is making a list over all the fan's games now. So please be quiet!!!

Me too... Really sad.  :(

Fribbi, shut it.

Fribbi, would you like to be willing to think these kinds of things through a little more before posting stuff? You're not exactly helping things.

VU didn't need an informer to know about KQ9. They knew about that project already at the time we were in contact with them. SQ3's cancellation seems rather random to me, I must admit that, but I'm still not sure if it's wise to jump to the conclusion that someone specifically told VU about the project. There must have been at least a couple of places that linked to that project.

Random? I dont think so. There is a bigger picture here, something is happening. Read this article, Lucas Arts & VU are on a C&D spree:
http://www.adventure-eu.com/index.php?o ... &Itemid=63

Ummm, whoever wrote that article either had inside info or he merely jumped the gun on how LF-games got a letter. Their website has been closed, yeah, but no letter has been mentioned and the closure might very well be to avoid attention from whoever would want to keep a close eye on their project and shut it down if it was nearing completion.

As for "randomness", yeah, SQ3 seemed random to me. The game was by no means near completion as far as I could see nor did it have the amount of public attention KQ9 had. Seeing that there's several projects that also infringe on VU's copyright, I'm still at a loss why that particular one had been picked.

My same thoughts. The only thing I can think of is that someone actually complaind about SQ3R. Thats the only reason I can think of.

Like I said before. We got a spy here from Vivendi Universal and Lucarts and AGDI forums is the best place for them to make a list over all fan games so they can shut it. so if you are going to remake another Sierra or lucasarts game don't mention about it here in this forums.

I am just helping other fans games makers to escape!

I just hate to see other fan games wich has being in work in many years and suddenly  destroyed.

And what is so wrong with that. Did I do some evil crime here?

Then if it is then I shut up then and I won't give you more advice. I always know this will come up to others fan games.

Now a question to AGDI team.

You wanted to inspire and convince other people to remake a Sierra games right? Aren't you then as guilty as the others fan game makers then. Why is your projects still save but not others?

You are just lucky!  ;)

Will we in the future always have to depends on you to remake a another games or are Vivendi Universal and Lucasart finally going to do that?

It can't be a spy on these forums because Infamous Adventures would of been wipped out then. SQ3R wasen't near as popular as KQ9... I don't know whats going on.

Uh, no, it's because they have a legal agreement with Sierra/VU. If the other groups had that, they would still be here as well.

Ug, this news is so crummy. What really frustrates me about all this is that VU has put NOTHING into bolstering, supporting, building interest in adventure games or adventure game classics (they only attempt being Magna cum Laude which was huliatingly terrible), whereas fans working for no money, not stuck in the conventions of 'oh, it has to rain money from the heavens to be worth making' spend their time and dedication actually fulfilling the wants of the adventure gaming public on their own time and dollar. As soon as there seems to be enough interest generated in it, VU smells cash, shuts down the small projects and then wants to rerelease the SAME games (that they never made in the first place) for a quick profit. I mean, the fan games that are coming out are as good, if not better, than the original games and playing even a mediocre fan game would be better than playing KQ5 or SQ2 AGAIN.

The worst thing is, in my opinion, that VU has 'copyright' over these games, yet all they did was 'buy the rights' and then promptly shut down any work on the games. Whereas the fans are putting their blood, sweat and tears into these games. If anyone deserves a 'right' to these games, it should be the people who are keeping it alive.

If VU had any sense, they would have BOUGHT the remakes/fan games and released them!

My (angry) two cents.

But they are still lucky!

How can other fan makers wish for agreement from Vivendi/Sierra?

Wish? They can wish all they want. AGDI has a inside contact that pushed the idea forward I think.

Vivendi is very short-sighted people, i see. I don't have any words.


Alias, please set link to "THIS AGDI THREAD" here

 ooops.

I'll fix that ASAP.

Naturally, we speak to a person who represents VU when asking them about stuff. But quoted statement is just a wild guess not based on any factual evidence whatsoever.

So what do you guys of the leftover artwork on the site?

It appears my theory that remakes should be okay has been invalidated.  Pity.  Looks like it may be open season on fan projects.

I read in another thread about how the BS and Runaway fangames have been in agreement with the license holders.  Is that just thoroughness similar to AGDI's or could it be because of copyright laws are different in Europe (relative to LA and VU stateside)?

It's gonna end up that the adventure community is going to have ti be all underground if we want to thrive in remakes and sequels.  Underground as in off the browser and into other forms of internet communication.

I guess it is posible to ha underground projects were only allowed people could know & visite a passwoprd locked website. Its possible.

I think that anyone working on a fan game that's close to completion and who hasn't yet got a C & D letter should put up a beta version immediately.  That way, if they do receive the C & D, then at least some people will be able to play their game.  Don't announce it in advance, and no fanfare; just quietly put up a beta version that we can download.

I'm no lawyer, but I actually wonder about the legality of what VU is doing. As far as I know copyright law prevents profiting from the use of copyrighted work. Since the fan projects are essentially free, it would be a big stretch for VU (or other companies doing similar things) to claim that copyright is being violated. I'm sure there is a 'damage' argument, which covers stuff like this where it could be argued that 'free' versions of their product damage their ability to sell their product. But that would be hard to prove as well, since they've shown no desire in producing more, or continuing production on these sorts of games - if anything, they're rereleasing this stuff due to increased interest generated by fans and fan projects - the exact opposite of what they'd have to argue. I think the fan projects would have a very strong case.

Of course, what this really comes down to is that this is a SLAPP lawsuit (shutting you up by dumping lawyers on you) and no fan project is going to be able to pay to go up against VU or other companies for stuff like this.

But like i say, I'm certainly no lawyer and haven't been following the behind-the-scenes hapnins enough to know the specifics.

It's very sad as this kind of things are happening...

Generally it would be wiser for adventure fans to create just entirely original (fan?)games than remakes. For example, my own project (as it sometimes will be completed, at least I hope so) is original, so nodoby (except me) can ever shut it down!

Considering remakes, why they must be advertised on web already at the beginning of the project? If the creators could kept the project as secret until it would be nearly completed, VU (for example) couldn't shut it down until the game would be released! My own project hasn't a web site, and it will not have such a "place" until the game is nearly completed. There shouldn't be any reason to advertise a game that will not be completed for many, many years.

I guess its like people said before, if VU don't protect them, then they will lose the rights. I still don't see how that works though, if they have the paper work I don't see how they can simply lose the rights.

Lies never get you far, you know that, Alias, don't you?