NOOO! KQIX shut down by Vivendi

Snarky · Fri 07/10/2005 05:33:16

You know that awesome-looking King's Quest IX fan game? The one in full 3D, with amazing-looking cut scenes, full voice acting and an ambitious plot harking back to the first eight games? The one that should be out in spring 2006?

Vivendi (who own all the old Sierra copyrights) just sent them a cease-and-desist letter.

Details on this page.

:'( :'( :'( :'( :'(

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens · Fri 07/10/2005 05:37:29

What makes no damn sense to me is why they didn't pursue permission to make it from Vivendi BEFORE putting all that effort into a 3d engine,etc. It's a waste just to find out they can't make it anyway. And please, not the 'because Vivendi wouldn't give them permission' argument...It's groundless since these guys were, as they say, ready and willing to desist the second Vivendi got annoyed.

Snarky · Fri 07/10/2005 05:46:44

If they asked permission, it was almost certain that Vivendi would say no. In that case, they could absolutely not do it.

If they didn't ask permission, there was a chance that Vivendi wouldn't notice, or wouldn't care enough to shut them down.

It was a risk. They always knew it was a risk. But there's no point making out like this is something they had coming. Vivendi are basically acting like dicks for no good reason.

Gilbert · Fri 07/10/2005 05:59:22

Well, since they're doing that much of materials already, I suppose they can just change their game to Prince Quest or whatever, with the world "looking like" a KQ world, but not the KQ world.

MrColossal · Fri 07/10/2005 06:26:16

Since we have no idea why Vivendi shut down kqIX there's no reason to assume they are being dicks for no reason, as the post they wrote said, all the games are being re-re-released so the games are still out there.

They didn't ask permission and they got shut down. If you're going to make a game based on someone else's IP for the love of peter, don't make a website for it until it's done and ready to download.

I hope they can move onto their own stories now and blow us all away.

Squinky · Fri 07/10/2005 06:29:22

It was a fancy-ass website though eric...Damn fancy...

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens · Fri 07/10/2005 07:26:36

Eric and I are thinking along the same lines here. These guys were NOT ignorant of the risks, they even claim to have been prepared for such an eventuality. With the sheer level of effort put into the engine I don't think it's reasonable to assume they could remain 'under the radar' with such a quality product. It was bound to draw attention to themselves (it's happened many times to games of much lesser quality). That's my problem with fangames of this scope, honestly; so much damn talent and effort wasted when they clearly could make an original adventure without any risk of being shut down.

Rui 'Trovatore' Pires · Fri 07/10/2005 08:39:57

It's true about the risks and about how they should have contacted them first (isn't that what the old Tierra did, contact Roberta Williams directly or something? And I know for a fact that I contacted Al Lowe - even though Vivenda now held the copyright. I couldn't contact them anyway - I tried but I couldn't. But I digress), but damn, that's a LOT of work, too much to go down the drain.

TheYak · Fri 07/10/2005 08:50:59

And the first segment was due to be released in Q4 of this year, right? It would've been better had Vivendi stopped it awhile ago. In either case, alongside their FAQ and pictures, they said that if Vivendi stopped them, they could just change character names, graphics and a couple plot points. It's odd that the announcement doesn't mention anything about potentially releasing a modified KQIX.

Vivendi weren't really being dicks, they were protecting an intellectual property that an amateur team seemed to be better at adding to than Sierra was (for KQ8 and IMO KQ7). It would've provided competition with any attempts at sequels or re-releasing KQ Collections. As the holders of the IP, it was within their rights and probably best interests. The fact that Vivendi is a company comprised of dicks and doesn't actually generate a damned thing or have any useful creative input doesn't change the fact that they are no more dickish now than they were prior to September 30th.

Rui 'Trovatore' Pires · Fri 07/10/2005 08:53:04

Quote, they were protecting an intellectual property that an amateur team seemed to be better at adding to than Sierra was

I always thought fan-products meant free publicity and such.

Plus, KQ2+VGA was a piece of art and I don't remember anyone bothering about that.

esper · Fri 07/10/2005 08:53:17

If it really is as good as everyone says, why don't they just try to sell it to Vivendi? Does anyone have any links to the developer's page? I'd be interested to see what's going on here.

Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens · Fri 07/10/2005 09:52:09

For some reason publishers don't offer the truly good fangames an opportunity to complete development under a commercial license. I'm sure it's a combination of risk (the developer is unknown and less likely to draw attention) and the idea that the fangame creators really didn't have the right to do it in the first place.

Nikolas · Fri 07/10/2005 10:37:09

I can understand the love one might have for a game, or a character, or a story, but I do find it pity to risk all this effort, and from what I've seen it was FANTASTIC! just like that!

I don't know, althought there are at least thousands of lookalikes from Toliens stories (not only the LOTR but also Silmarilion and the Hobbit), no one (I just remember Kinoko here) seemed to try and make a "Fanbook", about Tolkien and thus trying to get permission to do so.

You have a game of HUGE success and 8 (?) sequels (at least) and you decide to do for yourself the 9th? And do a better job than the original ones?

Really if I was Roberta or Vivendi, I would be pissed off for some "punks" (for the shake of argument), trying to steal the glory of KQ series. I would have them kissing my ass and then I would say no...

I'm really sad, but I never thought that this could work... And even worst when doing all this amazing job...

Rui: I have no idea why they didn't come after you for Larry. Maybe you didin't draw so much attention, and still don't, who knows...

Pity though :'(

jetxl · Fri 07/10/2005 10:39:47

KQIX got cancelled because Roberta Williams sucks dog dicks.

Nacho · Fri 07/10/2005 10:42:25

It is a pitty, annoying and such... But I fear everything Vivendi did was correct and ethic. $:-\$

Nikolas · Fri 07/10/2005 10:47:49

Quote from: jet on Fri 07/10/2005 10:39:47
KQIX got cancelled because Roberta Williams sucks dog dicks.

Do you have a picture of that? Cause I love animal porn pictures...

No really, what would you do if you had created KQ for like 15 years. You were spending all your time on your "child" taking a lot of money from your "child" of course and then one day someone, you don't even know, comes up and says, "Hey! I stole the idea and I did a better job than you ever did!"

How would you feel?

Being a creator, of various things myself, I would say that I would be pissed off, and really if I had the legal right I would shut them down...

I am being the devils' advocate here, but this is the real world... Sorry jet.

jetxl · Fri 07/10/2005 11:29:12

Quote from: Nikolas on Fri 07/10/2005 10:47:49
Quote from: jet on Fri 07/10/2005 10:39:47
KQIX got cancelled because Roberta Williams sucks dog dicks.

Do you have a picture of that? Cause I love animal porn pictures...

No really, what would you do if you had created KQ for like 15 years. You were spending all your time on your "child" taking a lot of money from your "child" of course and then one day someone, you don't even know, comes up and says, "Hey! I stole the idea and I did a better job than you ever did!"

How would you feel?

Being a creator, of various things myself, I would say that I would be pissed off, and really if I had the legal right I would shut them down...

I am being the devils' advocate here, but this is the real world... Sorry jet.

Exuze moi?
How would the brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson and Mother Goose feel if they saw the product of Roberta Williams, the un-tallented thief, RAPING their stories!!11!!!!1
They would feel cornholed! LET HER CEASE & DESIST! (and let her pick up a piece of glas while she's at it)

Those KQ9 guys, who were spin docter-ing to make sence of the plotline, are hardcore Sierra fans. Vivendi closed them down. Way to show your appreciation for the fans.

[edit] And NO, I don't have animal porn pictures. Google them yourself.

Kinoko · Fri 07/10/2005 11:35:15

Quote from: Nikolas on Fri 07/10/2005 10:37:09
I don't know, althought there are at least thousands of lookalikes from Toliens stories (not only the LOTR but also Silmarilion and the Hobbit), no one (I just remember Kinoko here)

Huh? O_O Er, sorry, what... er, that went right over my head. Why am I being mentioned?

Nikolas · Fri 07/10/2005 11:41:58

Jet: first of all relax!

Second all I'm saying (and do try to think that cpyrights don't stay forever but for only 75 years,if i'm not mistaken) is that i can undersatn vivendi and that i wuold be pissed if something like this happened to my game or music.

Of course i know that she stole each and every fairy tale she could get her hands on, but why all the hate? And why towards me, I did say that I'm the devils advocate here.

Relax, when somebody disagees with you you don't have to kill him...

Kinoko: I just remembered you saying something about noone and no one. Just that...

Kinoko · Fri 07/10/2005 11:42:39

OH! Right.

I had NO idea what you were referencing me for.