Put the wish list for porting projects HERE...

[Svartalf]

Marathon sounds like a good prospect. Its still property of Bungie, right? I think it's a done deal. The entire trilogy is even available as a full legal download. Updated gfx and a professional looking package might make it more appealing.

Considering that Bungie is the one offering this very thing, including high-res textures, landscapes, and other effects enhancements, for download- I don't get what you're asking here.

http://source.bungie.org/

It's all been done after a fashion. Unless you're talking about a cross-platform commercial re-spin using the stuff offered there at that URL for next to nothing as a cheap meatspace pack and a "download" that's "supported" and supports the project...

Well, if that's the case, find a publisher (If we get GoG talking to us...that would be the publisher if Bungie would sign off on it...) and then we might be in a better position to talk with them about that one.

Besides, wouldnt it be awesome to have the Marathon for Linux section of the game site saying: "From the makers of Halo."

Heh... That MIGHT just have the legal vultures from Redmond descend upon you on that one. Remember, in the US, you can file damned near any crap you see fit (See SCOX vs. IBM...) even if there's no factual basis for it- you'd have to spend money defending against anything they might field, legit or otherwise so. I want to make games and stuff like it, not keep Lawyers paid up and employed...

[xav1r]

Today I got a very interesting email from one of the key people behind Powerslave and the Lobotomy Saturn games engine, Erza Dreishbach, regarding the status of Powerslave as well as the engine:

The legal situation for that stuff is real complicated. I never saw Lobotomy's publishing contracts, so as far as I know Playmates might own the rights to Powerslave. Lobotomy seemed to think it was free to continue using the Saturn engine though, and Snowblind and I have recently acquired the rights to all of Lobotomy's intellectual property.

However, when Lobotomy went out of business, they licensed it all to Crave. The license was for 10 years, renewing for another 10 if not terminated by either party before hand. We terminated their license last Summer, but they don't really agree that it was all legal.

So using any other Lobotomy property will require negotiation with Crave, or accepting some risk of litigation.

Very kool info, aint it? This could lead to somewhere.

[Svartalf]

Very kool info, aint it? This could lead to somewhere.

Interesting...

I never saw Lobotomy's publishing contracts, so as far as I know Playmates might own the rights to Powerslave.

I'd ask Playmates again if they'd be so kind as to determine if they're the rights holders in standing for Powerslave, and if so, if they'd be interested in a "respin" of it for the "retro" crowd.

However, when Lobotomy went out of business, they licensed it all to Crave. The license was for 10 years, renewing for another 10 if not terminated by either party before hand. We terminated their license last Summer, but they don't really agree that it was all legal.

I would like to know the details of this was before forging forward. Crave can certainly state the whole affair was not legit, but if they're within the terms of the agreement/contract as it was actioned by Lobotomy and Crave at the time they got bought out, they'd have trouble making a case. Having said this, however, Crave can file just about any junk they like to do to muddy up the waters (SCOX showed us that this can be done for quite a while, in fact...) and I'm a little leery of undergoing talks without a bit more discussion. Moreover, one would wonder just precisely what they have in their hand that would be worth fighting over like that...

[xav1r]

Interesting...



I'd ask Playmates again if they'd be so kind as to determine if they're the rights holders in standing for Powerslave, and if so, if they'd be interested in a "respin" of it for the "retro" crowd.



I would like to know the details of this was before forging forward. Crave can certainly state the whole affair was not legit, but if they're within the terms of the agreement/contract as it was actioned by Lobotomy and Crave at the time they got bought out, they'd have trouble making a case. Having said this, however, Crave can file just about any junk they like to do to muddy up the waters (SCOX showed us that this can be done for quite a while, in fact...) and I'm a little leery of undergoing talks without a bit more discussion. Moreover, one would wonder just precisely what they have in their hand that would be worth fighting over like that...

Ragarding Playmates, I contacted them twice about it, and in both cases they didnt know there was a game called Powerslave. :P I got the same reply from the same person. About Crave / Lobotomy, they can certainly bitch a moan, but it most likely wont get them anywhere. I dont think they have some special contract in their sleeve over the IP of these games. Im still waiting for a reply from Erza regarding a opensourcing/re-releasing of the Lobotomy games.

[Svartalf]

Ragarding Playmates, I contacted them twice about it, and in both cases they didnt know there was a game called Powerslave. :P I got the same reply from the same person.

They shuttered the business unit in question and they may not realize they hold the rights to the first title- or, depending on how the deal was structured, when PIE was shuttered, the rights didn't stay with PIE's successor in interest, the parent company.

About Crave / Lobotomy, they can certainly bitch a moan, but it most likely wont get them anywhere. I dont think they have some special contract in their sleeve over the IP of these games. Im still waiting for a reply from Erza regarding a opensourcing/re-releasing of the Lobotomy games.

/me nods...

There was plans to produce (how far the dev work got remains to be seen...) for a "Powerslave 2" right after the casino game they were first tasked with was finished. I doubt that there's anything special about that though. I think there was only concept art that was ever done on it. Only Ezra's bunch and Crave knows for sure what all is there (To be sure, there's got to be "something" there, even if it's rights to the old stuff for people like GoG to publish or for Virtual Console downloads to 360/PS3/Wii like Interplay's done with Earthworm Jim on the Wii... If not, they'd not bother with this little powerplay move over it like they've done...)

[xav1r]

They shuttered the business unit in question and they may not realize they hold the rights to the first title- or, depending on how the deal was structured, when PIE was shuttered, the rights didn't stay with PIE's successor in interest, the parent company.



/me nods...

There was plans to produce (how far the dev work got remains to be seen...) for a "Powerslave 2" right after the casino game they were first tasked with was finished. I doubt that there's anything special about that though. I think there was only concept art that was ever done on it. Only Ezra's bunch and Crave knows for sure what all is there (To be sure, there's got to be "something" there, even if it's rights to the old stuff for people like GoG to publish or for Virtual Console downloads to 360/PS3/Wii like Interplay's done with Earthworm Jim on the Wii... If not, they'd not bother with this little powerplay move over it like they've done...)

So whats the course of action you would recommend taking?

[RobbieAB]

Moreover, one would wonder just precisely what they have in their hand that would be worth fighting over like that...

The devastating PR damage such a battle over a Linux port would do to Linux as a gaming platform?

[Svartalf]

The devastating PR damage such a battle over a Linux port would do to Linux as a gaming platform?

Uh... Riight. I thought you weren't the paranoid type, RobbieAB...

No, what you're seeing here is a pissing match over people involved with the former company who, per contract, have the rights to pull the plug on all the licensing that was given to the buyer, per the buyout deal- and the company who thinks they "own" it in perpetuity, never mind that they did nothing with it and even if the parties didn't pull the plug, they had only another 10 on anything with it before it ceased being theirs and reverted to the original owners.

[xav1r]

So what can be done? Theres an opportunity here, its not our problem that these 2 companies are engaged in a pissing contest, their little fight shouldnt have these games and such fall into outer space as a consequence.

[RobbieAB]

I was referring to why a port could end up in a legal mess, rather than the current situation. They would sort of have a plausible sounding case, kind of, and it would certainly sound more plausible than SCOs case. Add to that, there does exist a large company who would love to see another messy legal wrangle drag out for 5 years tainting Linux by association...

Ok, I'm being paranoid, but I personally would say "Don't Touch" without the situation being settled.