I guess when I said "original derivative works" I was being too broad. I meant specifically that no one creates what would traditionally be considered "mods", in the Sims or Quake sense, for WoW without being shut down. You cannot create spells, weapons, dungeons, monsters, or even texture changes without violating their EULA.
I don't consider the UI modifications they allow to be in the same category because they cannot affect core gameplay or create new gameplay content, or even modify the way the game world looks, only the way the UI looks. And fan art is obviously something completely different, as well.
People need to stop bringing up WoW in these discussions. UI mods are nothing like being able to actually change gameplay, characters, levels, etc.
If WoW allowed players to create dungeons or spells or even just visually change character/armor/weapon models, you might have an argument. But it doesn't, so you don't. It's a completely different category. (Yes some people have replaced in-game models but they've stated that is against their EULA and have made various changes to the client to try and prevent it.)
Or maybe they don't feel like wasting their time and money trying to halt projects that will never get past having a website with an About section and 3 pieces of concept art.
Uh, no one creates original derivative works for WoW (a.k.a. emulated servers) without getting a cease and desist letter. Not only that, but Blizzard recently started taking advantage of what is actually a pretty strict licensing agreement for working on UI mods, such as not allowing them to be sold or allowing them to ask for donations anywhere in-game.
Further, there's a long detailed history of mods for Quake, Unreal, Half-life, etc. that took content, characters, or even just concepts from other works that were not part of the game they were modding being shut down permanently by the owners of said content, characters, or concepts. Those games also have detailed license agreements about what users are and are not allowed to do with mods for those games.
There is no such modding agreement with Square Enix for Chrono Trigger.
I thought his lawsuit was sour grapes until I got to this part of the article:
As a result, according to the filing, Garriott exercised the options within the 90 day window, "[forcing] him to sell into one of the worst equity markets in modern history."
I don't think there was malicious intent here by NCSoft (meaning, I don't think they purposefully tried to force him to sell his stock when the economy was potentially as bad as it was going to be for the next 3 years), but that argument does seem rather sound in that he could have been forced to miss out on a LOT of stock value.
Not to denigrate their programmers' skills, but in Blizzard's case the "shipping late because they're not happy with it" thing generally refers to gameplay, not necessarily to the portability or maintainability or extensibility or whatever of their code.
Granted, not having easily extensible code for an MMO would be pretty stupid, and I'm pretty sure Blizzard is not stupid.
Anime nerds needed to learn to be tech savvy in order to download the newest anime/manga as they're released in Japan without having to wait for them to be imported (and without paying for them, of course).
Sadly, in the USA, copyright never dies. Ever. Just when you think it's about to, Disney pays off congress to extend it another 30 years. I expect by the time I die, copyrights will be lasting well over 250 years.
If there's a rash of break-ins in your hometown you don't recommend that every home owner goes out and buys a gun, you track down the criminals responsible and put them to justice.
I think this is Microsoft's main problem. They've re-used the naming convention for Vista/XP Starter Edition which was intended for developing countries even though this OS has a completely different target market and completely different rationale behind its limit. It's for netbooks and it's so they can attempt to ensure a certain minimum performance level on such low power hardware without stripping the OS's features as much.
Whether you agree with their solution or not, their reasons are of a purely technical nature and not an economical or, some would claim, malicious one. At least not *this* time.
Or it could be they re-used the name because they intend to use the same build for both purposes.
Yes. Sweden is using techniques such as encouraging people to bike to work or car pool or ensuring factories have low emissions. China simply has 1 billion people without electricity or running water.
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I guess when I said "original derivative works" I was being too broad. I meant specifically that no one creates what would traditionally be considered "mods", in the Sims or Quake sense, for WoW without being shut down. You cannot create spells, weapons, dungeons, monsters, or even texture changes without violating their EULA.
I don't consider the UI modifications they allow to be in the same category because they cannot affect core gameplay or create new gameplay content, or even modify the way the game world looks, only the way the UI looks. And fan art is obviously something completely different, as well.
People need to stop bringing up WoW in these discussions. UI mods are nothing like being able to actually change gameplay, characters, levels, etc.
If WoW allowed players to create dungeons or spells or even just visually change character/armor/weapon models, you might have an argument. But it doesn't, so you don't. It's a completely different category. (Yes some people have replaced in-game models but they've stated that is against their EULA and have made various changes to the client to try and prevent it.)
Or maybe they don't feel like wasting their time and money trying to halt projects that will never get past having a website with an About section and 3 pieces of concept art.
Uh, no one creates original derivative works for WoW (a.k.a. emulated servers) without getting a cease and desist letter. Not only that, but Blizzard recently started taking advantage of what is actually a pretty strict licensing agreement for working on UI mods, such as not allowing them to be sold or allowing them to ask for donations anywhere in-game.
Further, there's a long detailed history of mods for Quake, Unreal, Half-life, etc. that took content, characters, or even just concepts from other works that were not part of the game they were modding being shut down permanently by the owners of said content, characters, or concepts. Those games also have detailed license agreements about what users are and are not allowed to do with mods for those games.
There is no such modding agreement with Square Enix for Chrono Trigger.
This post needs to be modded up. To be honest, these guys were idiots for ever thinking that this project would NOT eventually be shut down.
It creates anticipation for the next title. Just look at Starcraft 2/Diablo 3/almost anything Blizzard has ever done.
Which is exactly why they gave up.
Obviously it was a genetic defect of the clone. Duh!
I realize the joke you're trying to make, but, for the uninformed, Duke3D came out long before phone-home DRM existed.
I thought his lawsuit was sour grapes until I got to this part of the article:
As a result, according to the filing, Garriott exercised the options within the 90 day window, "[forcing] him to sell into one of the worst equity markets in modern history."
I don't think there was malicious intent here by NCSoft (meaning, I don't think they purposefully tried to force him to sell his stock when the economy was potentially as bad as it was going to be for the next 3 years), but that argument does seem rather sound in that he could have been forced to miss out on a LOT of stock value.
That's exactly how I originally read the post and was slightly confused until I reread it.
Not to denigrate their programmers' skills, but in Blizzard's case the "shipping late because they're not happy with it" thing generally refers to gameplay, not necessarily to the portability or maintainability or extensibility or whatever of their code.
Granted, not having easily extensible code for an MMO would be pretty stupid, and I'm pretty sure Blizzard is not stupid.
Anime nerds needed to learn to be tech savvy in order to download the newest anime/manga as they're released in Japan without having to wait for them to be imported (and without paying for them, of course).
You have grossly misunderstood the purpose of The Daily Show.
No, it's just proof that people like to think that other people think the same way they do (despite evidence to the contrary).
How come Klingons are only allowed to have one language but Earthicans are allowed to have like 1000?
This is the important part people keep forgetting about. It's also why they had to be reinvented for TNG, becoming buddies with the Federation.
To communicate your ideas effectively?
Sadly, in the USA, copyright never dies. Ever. Just when you think it's about to, Disney pays off congress to extend it another 30 years. I expect by the time I die, copyrights will be lasting well over 250 years.
The main reason I go straight for the options menu is that WASD is the industry standard and I've built up years of muscle memory for ESDF.
I'd like to see this rifle that can drive a nail.
Why not do both?
I think this is Microsoft's main problem. They've re-used the naming convention for Vista/XP Starter Edition which was intended for developing countries even though this OS has a completely different target market and completely different rationale behind its limit. It's for netbooks and it's so they can attempt to ensure a certain minimum performance level on such low power hardware without stripping the OS's features as much.
Whether you agree with their solution or not, their reasons are of a purely technical nature and not an economical or, some would claim, malicious one. At least not *this* time.
Or it could be they re-used the name because they intend to use the same build for both purposes.
Yes. Sweden is using techniques such as encouraging people to bike to work or car pool or ensuring factories have low emissions. China simply has 1 billion people without electricity or running water.
It's against the law. We live in a society of laws. Either follow the law or get the law changed.