Mods, fan transformations or creations made in level editors are an integral part of the games. This also includes the risk of copyright infringement – or at least getting close to it.
“Goldeneye 007”, released for the Nintendo 64, is still one of the most popular shooting games. Released in 1997, it revolutionized the control options for first-person shooters on consoles and became a true split-screen multiplayer hit for four players. However, in Germany, the game is indexed – German-language copies can only be obtained from Austria or Switzerland.
The User Krollywood According to her own information, she worked more than 1,400 hours to recreate the game. He recreated the ‘Golden Eye 007’ sections level by level. To do this, use the level editor of the game “Farcry 5”, players can use Arcade game service It is chosen by Ubisoft. right Now Krollywood announced, howeverThat his project, which he worked on for a long time, was removed.
MGM, Microsoft, Nintendo, and Ubisoft
The reason he gave himself was that Ubisoft received an email from MGM and then informed him that they could no longer offer his game on their platform. A web of copyright claims and responsibilities has ensured that players can no longer play a homemade version of a game from 1997.
“Goldeneye 007” was produced by the Rareware studio at the time, which at that time was largely owned by Nintendo. Nintendo, in turn, was the publisher of the game. MGM owns the rights to the trademark “007”. Rareware now belongs to Microsoft and with it the rights to the game “Goldeneye 007”. Unlike games like “Donkey Kong 64”, which is a trademark of Nintendo, the company cannot assert any rights whatsoever with “Goleneye 007”. A move that Nintendo usually loves to make.
So it’s a bit surprising that Microsoft didn’t ask for the fan project to be removed, after all, they have the intellectual property rights – ie the game mechanics, level structures or mission design. It seems that MGM themselves are the ones taking care of the fan game using their brand name. This is despite the fact that the spread of this project should not mean any restrictions on the success of the James Bond games. Unlike Microsoft, for example, who should be interested in offering a potential enhancer of “Goldeneye 007” at a profit. Above all this stands Ubisoft, which has to ensure that their service does not offer any games that violate copyright law.
Copyright can be opaque
This case shows once again that intellectual property, brand names, and copyrights can be a partially opaque business – especially when it comes to rights that were negotiated almost 25 years ago. It’s always unfortunate about the work Krollywood has done on his gaming project. He himself says he is currently looking at ways to present his game outside of Ubisoft’s Farcry Arcade.
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