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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."
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.
"What do you mean you have no ice? Do you expect me to drink this coffee hot?" - Random Customer, Clerks
WTF?
I repeat: WTF??
Lucas Arts being more reasonable than a Wookie during mating season?
Seems SCO passed on the crack..
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.
Last thing I want is for some Ewok to score a head shot on me!
Don't mod me, bro'!!!!
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.
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.
-PainKilleR-[CE]
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.
A Good Intro to NetBS
If only Lucas would grant permission for someone else to make Episode 3. Then we might get a movie worth watching!
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.
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?
"I Know You Are But What Am I?"
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.
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".
- Tal Cohen
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.
Go ahead MOD my day!
More opinions here
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.