Square Enix sends cease and desist letter to several fan-projects

#1 Edited by StarFoxA (4908 posts) - 4 years, 6 days ago

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/12/square-enix-pulls-the-trigger-on-chrono-trigger-fan-projects/

Wow, that was a stupid move on Square Enix's part. Many games strive off of their fan communities, and Square Enix needs to embrace that rather than shutting down anything and everything that relates to their games (several other Chrono Trigger fan-projects have been shut down, such as those 3D remakes). Square Enix needs to take a hint from Valve and use that great fan community to their advantage.

I hope one of the developers at least leaks a copy of the ROM hack onto the internet.

#2 Posted by Red (5893 posts) - 4 years, 6 days ago

I'd understand stopping a remake, but a free fan-made sequel? Come on! It's bloody fanfiction. Man, Squenix can be a jerk.

#3 Posted by StarFoxA (4908 posts) - 4 years, 6 days ago

Red said:

"I'd understand stopping a remake, but a free fan-made sequel? Come on! It's bloody fanfiction. Man, Squenix can be a jerk."

The cease and desist letter says something about claiming copyrights, but if they're not profiting, what's the point?

#4 Posted by dankempster (2118 posts) - 3 years, 11 months ago

It's stuff like this that is making me feel increasingly distant from what used to be one of my favourite video game companies. This was in no way going to harm the original Chrono Trigger. I know not all companies are going to treat their userbases in the same way companies like Valve and Bethesda do, but seriously Square Enix, what the fuck?

It also seems pretty hypocritical of them, considering their attitude when it comes to publishing games on behalf of other developers. Take Infinite Undiscovery, for example. The box art for that game was plastered with the Square Enix logo, but the logo of Tri-Ace, the company that actually developed the damn game, was nowhere to be found on the box, the disc, or the manual. Can anybody say double standards?

#5 Posted by Linkyshinks (9884 posts) - 3 years, 11 months ago

I agree.

#6 Edited by Al3xand3r (7574 posts) - 3 years, 11 months ago

It looks like they were using ripped graphics from the original to me. if that's the case, then by distributing their game they would also distribute content that belongs to Square Enix, despite how they keep calling it an "original" sequel. Justified+1, imo.

It's too bad this Mana project died on its own without a cease and desist. It really was original.

#7 Posted by Linkyshinks (9884 posts) - 3 years, 11 months ago

If they were using some of Square's original code, it is understandable.

#8 Posted by Stunt (198 posts) - 3 years, 11 months ago

Fan projects are fan projects, Square. What harm can they cause to the company, it can only promote their games. It's like me writing a story about Chrono Trigger and posting it up online, except in playable form.

That mana project looks like it had potential, too.

#9 Posted by Hailinel (18077 posts) - 3 years, 11 months ago

This is not a new phenomenon on Square Enix's part. A number of years ago, they also shut down a group working on a 3D remake of Chrono Trigger called Chrono Resurrection. Frankly, I thought the move was justified because of a Youtube video of early footage, which included credits. Credits for such concepts as character designs and music from the original game that were not credited to the original Square & Enix staffers, save for a very general "Very Special Thanks" section at the end that was code for "Please don't sue the shit out of us."

#10 Posted by ArbitraryWater (8952 posts) - 3 years, 11 months ago

Why does Square even bother to shut this thing down? 99% (ok, more like 60%) of all fan-made projects fail anyways.

#11 Posted by WilliamRLBaker (4767 posts) - 3 years, 11 months ago

@ArbitraryWater said:

" Why does Square even bother to shut this thing down? 99% (ok, more like 60%) of all fan-made projects fail anyways. "

Because its making square look bad nearly every single fanmade project they have cease and desisted looked great most of which were admitted by the creators to be near completion 99%...ect and it made squre look bad becasue a room of 2-3 people made games more compelling and better then square has done in years, a room of 2-3 people made better games then the 200 people in a room working on ff13.

Its not about property protection if it was then they would have cease and desisted as soon as it was announced but most of the time they wait till they can see weither or not the project is gonna make them look better then they pounce.

#12 Posted by cspiffo (859 posts) - 3 years, 11 months ago

ROM hacks are nothing new. I can't imagine this is much of a real problem for SE. I do understand it's their property but from the outsider's perspective it just seem like a dick move.

Bad PR SE.

#13 Posted by Knives (666 posts) - 3 years, 11 months ago

Yeah, I don't know why Square bothers. Almost all of them suck.

Chrono Trigger

Take control of the lovable but mute protagonist Crono in this time-spanning collaborative effort from Square and Enix. Chrono Trigger follows the exploits of Crono as he and his friends attempt to save the world from a planet-devouring alien creature.

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