Star Wars FPS Mod Gets LucasArts Permission

Thanks to UT2003Troopers.com for the news that their Unreal Tournament 2003 'Troopers' Star Wars-themed mod has been officially approved by LucasArts. This extremely rare step means the previously unlicensed mod is free to enter the Make Something Unreal competition without restriction, and the announcement continues: "The agreement made with LucasArts (after a long period of VERY friendly negotiations) also allows the Troopers Development Team to implement Star Wars assets and content directly from the movies and games. This means that, with the exception of the Star Wars music (which LucasArts doesn't own the rights to, and so therefore could not give us the rights to use), we can use anything we want."

Comments

Woohoo

[Komarosu]

Looks like LucasArts have finally accepted theres alot of fans wanting to create works around there fave films... Hopefully this will be the start of something better for all the mod makers out there trying to make a movie spinoff mod.

Wtf?

[rylin]

WTF?
I repeat: WTF??

Lucas Arts being more reasonable than a Wookie during mating season?
Seems SCO passed on the crack..

Re:Wtf?

[karnal]

I'm just upset that Mr. Lucas didn't get a chance for the company to use the Chewbacca defense against the modders!

Re:Wtf?

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm more surprised that Lucasarts doesn't own the music of Star Wars.

Re:Wtf?

[Anonymous Coward]

stfu. that's not funny.

Re:Wtf?

[Anonymous Coward]

I think this is the one case where the Chewbacca defense wouldn't work... it wouldn't be a non sequitur.

Why should politics inhibit our dreams?

[Parallex]

It is a rare opportunity when the cards of this greedy, posessive and paranoid world fall your way. This is a perfect example of the kind of dream come true for those of us with enough ambition to allow ourselves to reach beyond common conceptual life.

But the question remains - Star Wars, for all its intellectual property ownership, is a universe built by community and, somewhat, by faith. Each and every Star Wars fan has their own unique perspective on the universe and what they gain, in each case, is a very personal thing. Keeping the Star Wars universe alive is as much the responsibility of the fan as is the producer. Why then, is a fan threatened with legalities the moment they try to genuinely and honestly contribute to the universe a community upholds. How else is 'Jedi' something of an official, registered religion nowdays (or so I've heard)?

Personally, I can tell you that many times I have had the drive to write a Star Wars story, create a Star Wars data source or write a Star Wars game - but every time I have been defeated by the ever looming cloud that is 'lawsuit'. I think it's a shame Star Wars isn't available more readily to the teaming masses ready to dabble their fingertips into the realm of Star Wars, especially considering the glaring lack of quality in the genre recently (taking Star Wars Galaxies as a prime example).

I'm not a thief or a criminal - all I want is to help enrich the fan's Star Wars experience, why then should my second Uncle's cousin's daughter be sister to Lucasart's CEO?

We can only dream - and to those whose dreams punch through, give them our support and envy.

Re:Why should politics inhibit our dreams?

[Provocateur]

(before anything else:)

What? You mean UT could be THE Star Wars game that's better than SW:Galaxies itself??

(And now my addition to poster's comment:)

I remember the old Star Trek episodes were published, and after these pocketbooks came out, there was one which was a compilation of FAN/READER-contributed stories. The better ones were chosen and put in this book, and I enjoyed reading them, especially the one where the cast of the TV series were suddenly thrust into the parallel universe of the REAL Star Trek universe (and vice versa?)

Well,

[luekj]

In Soviet Russia, Lucasarts get Star Wars FPS Mods Permission.

Re:Well,

[Axis of Weasel]

funny++ god bless you yakov.

NO THANKS!!!!

[j0nkatz]

Last thing I want is for some Ewok to score a head shot on me!

After all they work for free for SW

[imperator_mundi]

If Lucas & co still wanting to see campfire outside theaters weeks before the release of Episode III why should they frustrate fans who like SW so much that they spend theirs free time developping stuffs that will surely help keeping the hype about Starwars alive?

Pushing the fans give away theirs fanatism is the best (possibly the only) way to turn a cult movie back to the "just movie" status.

Re:After all they work for free for SW

[Anonymous Coward]

is the best (possibly the only) way to turn a cult movie back to the "just movie" status.

I thought Ep1 and Ep2 were..

Re:After all they work for free for SW

[AzraelKans]

beep! sorry to correct you! but the benefiated there is LucasFilm the film company not LucasArts the game company which has created most star wars games and several other franchises.
Of course there is a connection, but LucasArts doesnt make money from the films (not directly at least)
LucasArts (as far as I can see) is not making any revenue because they don't own UT2003. (if this MOD was for Jedi Outcast/Academy it would be a quite different story)

A question remains...

[krin]

Will the 'Troopers' team get to keep all prize money if they should win the 'Make Something Unreal' contest? And maybe another, better question; are they even elegible for the contest considering they have access to the Star Wars content? It's great that LucasArts has given them permission though, I could never understand why companies such as LucasArts frowned so much on people making stuff like this when it's non-profit and all in good fun. A lot of authors don't want people to write fan fiction stories and the like.. and that never made a lot of sense to me; sure people should be creative and come up with their own original stuff, but sometimes you read something or watch a movie and just want to be creative with the characters and worlds placed in front of you.

Re:A question remains...

[PainKilleR-CE]

If you read the article, it mentions that any prizes, except a game engine, will go to charity, which is more than likely a requirement of the license they negotiated with LucasArts.

Re:A question remains...

[Anonymous Coward]

I imagine a lot of it goes into licensing issues. Especially when the work is public domain or otherwise "open-source" ... If one copy of their material gets used under a free license, then their competitors may have legal access to use it.

Re:A question remains...

[Dot.Com.CEO]

Public domain is not necessarily "open source". You can put a program in the public domain without showing its source. Just thought I'd clear this confusion.

Re:A question remains...

[moonbender]

Any prizes they win will go to the George Lucas foundation for eccentric movie directors. ;)

So 'Lucas Arts' has a pet team, now?

[IM6100]

So what it comes down to, is one particular team now is Lucas Arts 'pet team' and will be able to mow down the competition and win the prize. Nobody else will be able to compete on the same level, as Lucas Arts will be on them in a second if they do.

Hmmm, it does sound like there must have been 'very friendly negotigations.' I hope everybody played safe so there's no chance of an STD.

Re:So 'Lucas Arts' has a pet team, now?

[AllenChristopher]

That would be very strange, LucasArts jumping on another mod team for making a better mod that was, oh, not based on Star Wars.

There's no category in the "Make Something Unreal" competition for "Star Wars Mods" that I can see. Make Something Unreal Categories.

So the other teams have to use original ideas or those of a company that doesn't jump on people? Is that a big ethical problem in a contest to create creative content? Presumably it is on the strength of the art assets and gameplay value that the Star Wars team puts together, not on the strength of "it's cool to be a jedi" appeal in an unplayable mess, that they intend to win.

Re:So 'Lucas Arts' has a pet team, now?

[bitrott]

Wow. YOU'RE a cynical pratt aren't you? I mean, you're not really wrong, but you could try and see this as a good thing instead of yet another way to cluster-fuck the populace.

If only...

[Spankophile]

If only Lucas would grant permission for someone else to make Episode 3. Then we might get a movie worth watching!

Re:If only...

[luekj]

I don't think you can deny that teh 'prilogy' has been special in it's own way. If you don't think Lucas is Special enough to express his creativity uninhibited, no matter how greedily and possibly self-centeredly he goes about it he is special.

We are all special, in our own ways.
And for some of us, that means making lots of money while turning a comedy relief into a pete the repeat parrot for stupidest things ever caught on film.
Well, nevermind....mod me down already.

Re:If only...

[Parallex]

"...no matter how greedily and possibly self-centeredly he goes about it he [George Lucas] is special." I'm sure his mother told him he was special too... Right after she entered convulsions after experiencing, "Mesa Jar Jar Binks sah!"

the OTHER SIDE

[rerunn]

Theres alot more to this

Theres quite a soap opera brewing away at UT200Troopers.com

The team members got into a big pissing match with the project lead and they ended booting his ass. He got all up tight about it and has been making his opinions known in the forums as well as on his website where he details his interactions with Lucas Arts.

His account did not include any VERY friendly negotiations. In fact, Lucas Arts threatened legal on his ass before anything else.

I can only hope

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe this means work on the Ep IV/V/VI DVD's might happen soon? I mean come on now... I can understand on waiting for the DVD market to grow (cheap way to maximize sales), but let's pull the trigger on this already.

And yes, I know I am supposed to wait until after Ep III is done. I don't care. I want my old stuff on DVD now. Indiana Jones was done finally...

Galactic Conquest mod for BF1942?

[antdude]

How about this cool mod? Will it be allowed?

Re:Galactic Conquest mod for BF1942?

[Vaevictis666]

To enter the Make Something Unreal contest? Probably not as it's not a UT2003 mod. To use LucasArts' IP? That's a whole separate contract.

Re:Galactic Conquest mod for BF1942?

[antdude]

Vaevictis: Yeah, I meant LucasArts' IP.

wha?

[iainl]

While I, as a mere gamesplayer, think this is a definite Good Thing, I just dread to think what the lawyers at Activision, who have already sued Paramount for diluting the Star Trek license, think - they publish the Jedi Knight games, don't they?

Who would splash down real cash for the frankly poor Jedi Outcast when there are better-looking mods for free?

Re:wha?

[Mike Hawk]

Co-publish with Lucasarts. Clearly the Star Wars IP is still owned by Lucas. They have to "co-publish" with Activision because Lucasarts wants to work with Ravensoft on the Jedi Knight games and Raven is owned by Activision. There is no grounds to sue, as it would appear Lucas has not even licensed Activision anything in this case. Please mod parent "Unlikely hypothetical karma-whoring".

Re:wha?

[An'Desha Danin]

Because Jedi Outcast is anything but a poor game. It has far and away the best saber combat in any game ever.

Re:wha?

[crazyphilman]

Amen to that -- the multiplayer is just amazing. FFA, Death Star, 20 bots, all Jedi Master, sabers only. Use Force Speed and open up a can of whoop ass! Fan-tastic.

Re:wha?

[Pvt_Waldo]

If it's that good, Activision (or someone) will buy it. Look at Counter-Strike, Day of Defeat, etc.

Re:wha?

[bitrott]

Outcast POOR? Clearly you havn't enjoyed the visceral thrill of bursting into a room a storm troopers, gone force-choking one while your lightsaber whings around the room slicing and dicing until returning to you THROUGH the guy you've been throttling.

I know what will happen.

[DaBj]

This picture says it all. =)

Re:Access to Star Wars content

[Vaevictis666]

Also in the article it mentions that while they have access to just grab the stuff, they are "creators" and prefer to model from scratch. It's just for the minute details that they'll be grabbing stuff from the source, like the Tie Fighter flyby sound mentioned. The gist of the agreement afact is that LucasArts are allowing them to use it (and thus they're not running against IP laws with the Make Something Unreal contest) not that they'd hand over stuff for them to use.

Music suggestion

[Tal Cohen]

If they can't use Williams's music, how about using his source of inspiration? The Planets by Holst; especially "Mars, The Bringer of War".

what the?

[AzraelKans]

Why in the world is lucasArts giving permission to a mod team to create a game that plays exactly like Jedi Outcast and Jedi Academy? at first I thought this mod would be something different (or at least better) like a 3d RTS but after seing the webpage it looks to me this is nothing but an ordinary vainilla ut2003 deathmatch mod with an sw theme (??).

Is Jedi Outcast Academy doing that bad? where they so impressed (or unimpressed) on this mod? maybe they thought they could get some free advertising on "make something unreal" but for any "ad" they sale they will inevitably lose more on their own FPS sales, even if they got partial rights, they can't even sale this mod.
I dont understand where any revenue may come from this, it really makes no sense.

Re:what the?

[SmallFurryCreature]

Let me guess, you are a manager or a lawyer.

The "revenue" is in not pissing of your fans who pay through the nose for your merchandise. Read up on how Star Trek, despite the fact that it was cancelled after the third season, became this juggernaut License.

Perhaps because of all the fan made work?

So instead of looking really bad by trying to sue some pennyless students for being hardcore fans who will probably watch the movies dozen of times, buy all the books, they look good while loosing nothing.

Their own games are unaffected. Mods are a tiny percentage of the gaming market.

Re:what the?

[AzraelKans]

Nope, Im a game developer (a small one though)
Anyway I dont think you are getting the whole picture here, this guys are not just getting "permission" (in which case lucasarts could simply just look in the opossite direction and allow this mod to be) they are getting support! they actually can use all profesionaly produced sounds models and textures from previously released games!

I can understand from watching the screenshots why Lucasarts was impressed with the quality, but if this mod wins the "unreal contest" and gets released around the same time than "jedi academy" sales could in fact get hurt.
this simply makes no sense, Lucasarts could have offered the team jobs instead. maybe even realize it would be a good idea to license the ut engine for their next game, but offer full support to a mod group? creating a mod that will compete against dark forces? for a game that belongs to a different company? out of the kindness of their hearts? that is too good, to be truth LucasArts must have something up their sleeves.

Re:what the?

[Anonymous Coward]

"I can understand from watching the screenshots why Lucasarts was impressed with the quality, but if this mod wins the "unreal contest" and gets released around the same time than "jedi academy" sales could in fact get hurt."

If LucasArts does it's job and provides gamers with something fun and new sales won't be bothered one bit. If they just put out some lame shooter as you accuse the mod makers of doing won't LucasArts just be getting what they deserve?

"This simply makes no sense, Lucasarts could have offered the team jobs instead. maybe even realize it would be a good idea to license the ut engine for their next game, but offer full support to a mod group? creating a mod that will compete against dark forces? for a game that belongs to a different company? out of the kindness of their hearts? that is too good, to be truth LucasArts must have something up their sleeves."

It could very well be that at the end of the contest depending on the quality of the final version of the mod that LucasArts will offer them jobs. This looks like the perfect assignment for ppl to cut their teeth on to get into the gaming industry. The mod team works on a project and sees it through all the while interacting with professionals at LucasArts. At any rate I'm happy any time a company embraces it's fan base. I really don't care what the reason is either way. :)

Too Little ...

[loopback_127001]

Too Late. Lucas has been crushing out the life of fansites in the name of 'protecting the copyright' for years. This is coming about because of the truth that everyone knows: the "Star Wars" brand is shoddy, tarnished & losing any respect it used to have, and being supplanted by LotR and Harry Potter, 2 franchises that are capturing the minds of people and giving them what they want. Lucas wants that geek demographic to love them again, like they did before DVDs, before Episode 1, and before they perma-fucked the toy collector market by flooding the world with a billion tons of useless shit that's still clogging the KayBee Toys of the world today. There is nothing in this announcement to praise LucasArts for, and as other posters have already pointed out, it actually is something that would appear to give this one team an unfair leg up on others in a competition. If they want to be truly impressive, announce that this deal stands for all development teams who register their projects with LucasArts, agree to not sell for money and keep all copyright notices for LucasArts blah blah blah ... Really, though, this is just the first of what I am guessing will be a number of attempts on the part of the World of George Lucas to try and recapture some of that Fan Mindshare. Nobody even gives a rat's ass about the coming FINAL STAR WARS MOVIE. The attitude? "well it's gonna suck. that's a shame." And really, truly, don't get me started on the original 3 movies STILL not being available on DVD.

Re:Too Little ...

[Dachannien]

"And really, truly, don't get me started on the original 3 movies STILL not being available on DVD."

Considering that they probably won't come with the original footage available (you know, like the original Jabba's Palace dance number, for example), I really wouldn't want them on DVD or any other medium.

Up setting....

[wacko-Netgear]

You know I am a big fan of gaming... have enjoyed many games... years of games... but was pisses me off about this. Is that the reason behind lucasarts and there protection of there stuff is that they can create an orginal idea and profit from it... but this mod team can't create and orginal idea and they will profit off of lucasarts... I am a huge fan of the star wars series... My uncle works for Lucas Arts; i find this to be an upsetting thing because not only has this mod team not created a worth wild mod that presents new gameplay ideas or new content to the star wars era... but it takes away from what lucasarts has spent so many years creating..
I mean i agree we need a good Star Wars FPS or a good Star Wars RTS... but lets leave that to those who know that they are doing.. I have played this mod and i can say i was not pleased.. i saw nothing great other then a bunch of stormtroopers running around killing a bunch of rebels.. I have seen this before in so many other star wars games... WOW its on the UT engine well if that is so hot then why not let Lucas Arts make a nice FPS game using the UT2k3 engine.
I just think its wrong that they have allowed them to use what they have worked so hard to create, to have that dumbed down by nothing new...and old and dusty ideas. I would be more incouraged to enjoy this mod and this agreement if they had something new to offer and where just not gaing fame because they have star wars in there name or because they have a storm trooper model as a playable character.

Where does it say LucasArts gives permission?

[gozar]

I started poking around, and the closest I can see on on this page, which is Patrick Fitzsimmons page. On it he says he defied the first C/D e-mail and posted his maps anyway. Later on, a Tom Sarris posts in email and on the forum that Lucas Arts was never going to sue.

Nowhere do I see any sort of official e-mail or letter from LucasArts Legal giving them permission to continue. If it's there and I'm missing it, please let me know!

Don't you see

[Anonymous Coward]

LucasArts is going to give them permission and they will see if their good, then offer them jobs. FUCK YOU NEAL.

Mac support?

[mokolabs]

Anyone know if this'll run on the Mac version of UT2003?