“We Need to Protect our Intellectual Property Rights”
…Uh oh.
Last week, Ryan Bloom told you about the sudden and unexpected pull of Sega fan game Streets of Rage Remake from the Internet. Today, Kotaku’s Michael McWhertor received a formal response on the matter from Sega Europe, and if their words don’t make you cringe a bit, they should.
“SEGA is committed to supporting any fans that take an interest in our games, and where possible we do so by involving them in Beta tests and other development, marketing or research opportunities,” said the unnamed contact on the record with Kotaku. “However we need to protect our intellectual property rights and this may result in us requesting that our fans remove online imagery, videos or games in some instances.”
As noted in Ryan’s previous story, Sega was made aware of SORR’s intentions via a letter, and aired no concerns then. The move, for some, is seen as hypocritical. One commenter to the Kotaku article, revealed below as Mentski, noted how this project was treated compared to many Sonic fan projects over the years, including the Sonic Amateur Games Expo:
Interesting that Sega don’t do anything to remove games and hacks made by the Sonic fan community [....] to the extent that one of their community guys was a special guest at the recent Sonic Fangame Expo.
But a bunch of guys with love for a 16 years dead franchise make a labour of love which quite literally takes the 3 original games and improves on them in every way? Bring out the C&D Hammer!
But in light of SORR’s quick exit pared with Sega Europe’s blanket statement, perhaps it is time for SFG makers to worry, in particular with titles like Sonic Fan Remix and Sonic 2 HD stealing the show. The former, even in its early state, was praised as being better than Sega’s own Sonic 4: Episode I, according the the attention SFR received in Game Informer magazine.
What do you think? Is it time to ring the alarm bells, or do you find tampering with one of the largest areas of Sonic fandom too risky for Sega? Tell us below in the comments.
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Hoho. That was my comment on Kotaku, that was.
An odd move, to be sure. I don’t know that it will affect the Sonic fandom, though. Sega’s more than aware of it and generally just leaves it alone.
Screw these European assholes hammer SOA’s community reps until they issue a apology!
You can be sure that if this affects the Sonic community in any way, it will start an all-out war. Once its over, you can be sure the world will end up resembling something similar to Silver’s devastated future. Hell hath no fury like a Sonic fan scorned…
Little unfair, but, it’s their property, they can do what they want when they want. Always realize there’s a chance the work you put into making a fan game will be thrown away from a C&D. It’s the risk you take.
This being my stance, I don’t really have feelings for these Streets of Rage guys. I mean it sucks, but again, that’s the risk they took, and SEGA, for some reason, just decided it wasn’t a good idea. Streets of Rage isn’t made by Sonic Team/Dimps, so I’m wondering if that’s a factor in this.
And there is a even bigger chance than it can be turned into a PR shitstorm resulting in them backpedaling. Whoever was responsible for this should be made an example of to guard the community from future threats.
Say nothing and do nothing, SEGA and their games will be continuously be bashed whether they do something or not.
People get upset when they make games, people get upset when they don’t make games, people get upset when they make themselves get upset, people get upset over other SEGA games that they ignore or not.
Unfortunately people won’t let things go and they’ll hold everything over SEGA’s head until the day they die, just pretend Streets of Rage is on a compilation disc packed in with 49 other genesis classics and play that… oh wait… there is…
Ya know…yeah intellectual property of theirs bla bla bla…but we are fans…..Oh such shame on us for wanting something better and some fan(s) make it happen. I don’t see this bein a game of intellectual property…I think this is gonna end up being a game of jealousy pure and simple and its gonna create bigger and greater hatred to the company that gave birth to our blue blur friend and quite frankly I don’t see these fan games out to make asses out of anyone…they just wanna give the public what the hell they want. SOMETHING FRIGGIN FUN!…and if that’s a crime…shame on the persecuters for they are only bringing destruction upon themselves….anyone remember Simple Simon Jeffery?…there is a lesson here…don’t piss off your fan base cause you will end up regreting it. The last couple of years the people have spoken and greatly voiced their concerns! You have been warned Sega. You piss off your fan base and its gonna result in your greatest loss to come! Look what happened in the Geohot case! Severe retalliation from all angles.
Sega is making all of the wrong moves here. What they need to do is take a page out of Valve’s book and make the content OFFICIAL. That’s were Counterstrike came from (it was a mod that Valve bought). That’s how we got Portal.
Sega needs to stop pulling double standards and get their act together.
This certainly is troubling but more than that I wonder if maybe some management somewhere changed hands and the new guy (or new department!) isn’t quite as welcoming to this kind of thing.
@Ryan: From what I recall, there was a restructuring of the Western divisions of Sega last year. Sega America is heading digital distribution while Sega Europe is heading console and PC development.
That would make Sega America responsible for the Emulated re-releases of games such as SoR, yet it was Sega Europe hitting Bombergames with the C&D.
…Makes me wonder if they have something up their sleeves regarding a new console SoR game.
I fear the worst. We don’t need another Golden Axe: Beast Rider.
@Ryan
“changed hands and the new guy (or new department!)”
Mmmmm.
For me, Sega change all department and turn into professional company.
Starting in sonic colors and sonic 20th (Sonic adventure 1,2 cd, Sega Sonic animation).
If sonic 20th is good (equal or better than sonic colors). Sega “finally” start cancel all fan projects in name of money.
Look Chrono Ressurection, Zelda and another fan works.
The difference between Sonic fanprojects and the SoR fangame is that the SOR game is actually just a really good upgraded version of the original game. The Sonic fangames are games with ripped sprites and maybe music but remixed not actually upgraded versions of original games.
In other words… I think the people making Sonic the Hedgehog 2 HD should watch there backs.
@Danielle
“the SOR game is actually just a really good upgraded version of the original game”
Then Nintendo would have shut down Zelda Classic for being the original Zelda in its entirety with user mod supports and Super Mario Bros. Crossover for being SMB1 in its entirety with more playable characters (or if you play as Mario for the whole run, zero changes at all).
Oh wait, they didn’t. Genesis still does what Nintendon’t!
They just released Streets of Rage 2 on the App store, thats most likely why they wanted this taken down.
http://blogs.sega.com/europe/2011/04/14/mega-drive-classic-%E2%80%9Cstreets-of-rage-2%E2%80%9D-now-available-on-app-store/#more-3516