Doubt about a Lord of the Rings VideoGame large as Skyrim.
polycounter lvl 3
Hi to everyone. I want to discuss some hypothetical topic about the legal framework sorrounding the producction of a videogame. If a big community of game artist, coders, designers and so on wanted to create a videogame using a license like Lord Of the Rings, would be that legal?
Understanding that they would be using such a free engine like Cry or UE or Unity and with no money paid, and free to distribute and download.
I think this is a complicated issue, and i dont have any idea about this, if someone knows something about this information would be very appreciated.
What i think is... People wants a game like skyrim, in the lord of the rings world, so a independent project, made by enthusiasts, there's no reason to be illegal because they are making what they want for themselves non profit intended, so for me it would be okay, because Warner is not doing such a game. Yes they did Shadow of Mordor, but it felt more like Assassins Creed, i think what community wants is a vast game about middle earth.
So ideas? hypothetically speaking of course.
Understanding that they would be using such a free engine like Cry or UE or Unity and with no money paid, and free to distribute and download.
I think this is a complicated issue, and i dont have any idea about this, if someone knows something about this information would be very appreciated.
What i think is... People wants a game like skyrim, in the lord of the rings world, so a independent project, made by enthusiasts, there's no reason to be illegal because they are making what they want for themselves non profit intended, so for me it would be okay, because Warner is not doing such a game. Yes they did Shadow of Mordor, but it felt more like Assassins Creed, i think what community wants is a vast game about middle earth.
So ideas? hypothetically speaking of course.
Replies
doesnt matter if its non profit or whatsoever.
contact the ip holder and ask permission, if they say no, move on.
http://www.theonering.net/torwp/2012/10/05/62775-warner-bros-shut-down-free-skyrim-lord-of-the-rings-mod/
http://www.cinemablend.com/games/Warner-Bros-Shuts-Down-Fan-Made-Skyrim-Lord-Rings-Mod-46799.html
http://www.moddb.com/mods/merp-middle-earth-roleplaying-project
Already done, already shut down by the owners of Lord of the Ring
Even if it is not a serious game for a AAA industry does it really injure the IP Holder. And what if is not public. So what is ilegal is to publish. Isnt it? Because if no one knows xD
It's complicated... https://www.standoutbooks.com/fan-fiction-legal/
thats why i m telling non-profit
But the main thing, is why some can do stuff like this http://sakimichan.deviantart.com/art/Link-X-Dark-Link-WARNING-YAOI-teaser-563312274
Nintendo would never allow this in a legal way.
It's really not legal, it's just that disney haven't do anything about it yet , the day the legal department decide to take this matter into their hands she's going to have hugeeeeeeeeeeeee problems. It's probably going under radar because it's really a gray area since she's not really selling the artwork directly.
It's not like she was selling at convention making a few buck, she wins more then a specialize doctor with those character. I'm really surprise no one used her as an example yet.
1. Ask for permission from the IP owner or
2. Take the risky way, make it and live with the possibility of the owner come and say "That's not yours"
So i understand whoever want to make a fangame has/have to take calculated risks, or ask for the IP, but knowing Christopher Tolkien or Warner Bros. will never let do that, but theorically in around 2045 lotr will be free of rights, isnt it?
Pretty much any fan fiction could be seen as damaging to an IP because the owner could argue that the fan is attempting to establish canon content. If the fan made content conflicts or overlaps with how the owner wanted the IP to develop, it could lead to negative reviews or a frustrated audience, which would damage sales and thus damage the IP financially. The owner could then sue you for damages, not just your profits.
Okay, I wouldn't wish anyones eyeballs to bleed, and yes there are limitations, but why no simply change a load of areas in Skyrim? Hell...re plan the geography of the land that is Skyrim and re build areas that are lore friendly to LOTRs?
I'd love to see the Shire in Skyrim...OOPS I mean LOTRs mod for Skyrim
Edit: And make it free of course
Angband is a really popular roguelike probably the third most popular in terms of roguelikes. It has been going for years and it has not been shut down. Angband is set in LOTR universe and features Morgoth, Sauron and Smeagol. However, it probably not worth Warner Brothers time to even write to them shutting this down unlike say someone making a Skyrim mod that is LOTR themed and it gets super popular or gets a huge mod team.
( otherwise most fantasy genre works would have disappeared a long time ago? )
LOTR does not own orcs dragons wizards and goblins...
Take a cue from Dungeons an Dragons creator Gary Gygax after the LOTR lawsuit threat and rename things:
hobbits = halflings
ent = treant
balrog = Balor
Seems enough has worked for TSR and Hasbro?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sources_and_influences_on_the_development_of_Dungeons_%26_Dragons Maybe hexagonal doors for yer Hobbit alternative etc etc.
Also there have been many different flavors of LOTR by different artists.
Have u checked out the works of the Brothers Hildebrandt?
Should yer Wizards look like Merlin or Gandalf? ( with long grey beard, staff and cloak I don't know how u can prove otherwise? )
Hmm, that's a good one.
I think there's a mod that already adds weapons from LOTR into the game, but that's pretty small compared to something like a full campaign with actors and whatnot. Bethesda wouldn't sue, though I bet they have a line in their terms of use disallowing copyrighted content as mods to protect themselves. (Not that they've ever enforced it.) The Tolkien's could still sue but the mod would have to be akin to a full game for them to bother.
Here's the best explanation I've seen on this:
[ame]
By all accounts it's going to shut down in 2017, Warner Bros only has the license until then if I'm not mistaken. Maybe then we will see something else set in the same universe. It is bound to happen sooner or later anyway, there wil never be a better fantasy universe.