AGDInteractive - Sierra Adventure Game Remakes Forum

Hi guys looks like VU is closing all this fan based projects down. they have closed KQ9 and SQ3 VGA. looks like they targeting the fan games. so does that mean we can epect QG2 VGA To be canned as well. let us know now so we dont have to get our hopes up

QFG2VGA will be completed unless VU makes a very drastic turn in thinking.

We're pretty confident SQ3VGA wasn't really shut down, btw. It's most likely a hoax.

I seriously think I would go into withdrawals if it got cancelled.
YES -- when I haven't even played it yet -- THAT'S HOW ADDICTING it is going to be!  :rollin

By the way, if you don't mind my asking, what exactly did VU say about your making KQ1/2/QG2 VGA? I don't suppose they said, "You have our undying gratitude...here's 5 million dollars for your efforts...."?  :eek

No but seriously, what'd they say?

We're allowed to continue at this point.

if these people could bum around the forums for 10 minutes they'd see these kind of posts everywhere. I believe one of rules is to look for your answer before starting a topic, probably the most important rule and one of the only ones I can remember other then the logical thinking ones.

I think they're playing this very well. They try to keep a balance to keep the interest there. For example, I'm sure most of the community will purchase the re-releases.

That site for SQ3 hadn't been updated for awhile, they probably stopped paying for it.  This schtuff about KQ9 is scary though. Kinda shows how much companies DONT care about their fans and just care about their "property". It's really a shame because both this project and SQ7 have both collaborated with former developers and even the creators don't have a say due to legal issues.  If these game companies aren't going to make any new games in these series they should really lay off of the fans who are working hard to keep these communities alive.

Hi all,

I'm fairly new in these forums, but I have played KQ1VGA & KQ2VGA.  Both excellent games!

I just wanted to make sure King's Quest fans knew about an effort that's been launched to try to save KQIX.  A bunch of fans, including myself, have gotten together and launched a website to help save the game.  Drop by if you're interested.  http://www.savekqix.org

--Matt

What or who is "VU"?

Vivendi Universal, if I'm not wrong.
EDIT: And to get my posts informational value to atleast 1%, http://www.vugames.com/corporate_overview.do.

That should explain it.

Erpy wrote:We're allowed to continue at this point.

QFG2VGA will be completed unless VU makes a very drastic turn in thinking.

I'm glad to hear that. MY best wishes for QFG2 VGA to be released and become a great success as well as the other two rwmakes were.

Ok, thanks.

Hey all,

Just wanted to quickly update you.  We're now on MySpace, so if you're signed up over there, feel free to add us to your friends list.

http://www.myspace.com/savekqix

If you haven't yet sent an email to Vivendi, please take 10 seconds to do so.  If we can save King's Quest IX, it will be a win for ALL fan games.

http://www.savekqix.org/help.htm

That's the disadvantages with re-releases, it gives the lawyers something to gnaw at and make them want to tear down the fan projects

It really grieves me to learn that they were stopped. Speaking as someone who has been around watching the fan games being made for the past 6 years, seeing one being announced generally makes me hope that it gets finished. So far, the only projects that have been finished with any degree of reliablity were the remakes by the AGDs. This says a lot about the dedication and perservance and effort you're willing to put into these projects.

I hope that these large companies, who frequently cling on to their copyrights like children cling on to their old blankets when they no that sometimes it's best to let it go, realize that these fan projects may actually help greatly in aiding them in whatever projects they wish to release and may actually spurr more fan projects since they make people become interested in these old games once again.

But sadly, big companies have their reasons for doing this that we may never understand or simply believe that their copyrights are far too important to allow this sort of thing to happen. What to do, what to do?

Till next time stay cool  :smokin

Only problem is... if VU/Sierra lets go of their copyrights there will be no stopping some a-hole to quickly register the brand under his name. It remains a difficult case.

That's not what I'm talking about. If someone tries to do something like that they should step in full blast and stop him. What I'm talking about is the fan projects who's people are doing them not out of any dastardly intention to take the copyright for themselves, but out of sheer love and respect for the game series they are working to continue.

Till next time stay cool  :smokin

No, I understand you completely.

But in such a case... how do you stop someone from doing it? It will probably take him less than 24hours and then what?

All I'm saying is: companies have all the right to protect his copyrights. Any of us would have done the same. Everyone who starts a fan-project knows this, so there is no excuse. But that won't stop us from taking chances... human nature I guess.

They COULD take the chance that the fan-games would help promote their products, but the chances always exist that a game like QfG4.5 would damage the image of their titles. Would you take that chance?

The only way VU could allow a fan game to proceed and still protect their copyrights is to allow teams to use their intellectual property under a license agreement.  (as they have with AGDI)

Obviously VU don't want to invest heavily into having lawyers draw up licensing agreements, but this is the only way it can be done

Gronagor wrote:No, I understand you completely.

But in such a case... how do you stop someone from doing it? It will probably take him less than 24hours and then what?

All I'm saying is: companies have all the right to protect his copyrights. Any of us would have done the same. Everyone who starts a fan-project knows this, so there is no excuse. But that won't stop us from taking chances... human nature I guess.

They COULD take the chance that the fan-games would help promote their products, but the chances always exist that a game like QfG4.5 would damage the image of their titles. Would you take that chance?

I'm not sure how you can stop someone from doing it, but I'll be somewhat inclined to guess that it could be a bit like what they're doing now or perhaps taking them to court for it. I know that companies have all right to protect their copyrights against threats, but what if there is no real threat there? AGD interactive has no chance of doing this and so do many other fan projects. They should be picky in what they attack rather than outright attack every single person around, that's a bit too much if you ask me.

Also, in regards to QFG 4.5.... well, all I'm going to say is this: The person who did it will suffer the most and not the game itself. Although I'm sure that the company would be displeased by someone abusing their product by making such a ludicrious parody of it, but would it really do any more damage to it than offical releases such as Leisure Suit Larry MCL? (Honestly, I found many things in there that would harm the LSL series than help it!)

I don't think that games like QFG 4.5 should be there, but then again, how often do people like this come up? How do they really stand up in numbers as compared to more honest and decent fan projects and remakes?

Till next time stay cool

Paladinlover wrote:... but would it really do any more damage to it than offical releases such as Leisure Suit Larry MCL? (Honestly, I found many things in there that would harm the LSL series than help it!)

BUT, they made that game. Their own fault. If something fails or damages the reputation of a project, they need to blame someone. If a game sells badly: simple... they fire the guy they've put in charge of the project.

I don't think that games like QFG 4.5 should be there, but then again, how often do people like this come up? How do they really stand up in numbers as compared to more honest and decent fan projects and remakes?

But that's a chance they have to take. They won't know how good/bad the game will be until they've played it themselves.

PS: I agree with you! In an ideal world, that would have been great! But I can't see bigger companies easing up at all. I remember a while ago where people praised LucasArts for being more lenient. That awoke the beast and they've closed down 2 major projects in a row. Why? They saw there was still interest in those games, so they've started their own... which were cancelled.

They could always just pull a Quest for Glory 4 1/2 and compleatly ignore any and all requests to shut down with cocky and sarcastic replies. That game can still be downloaded from multiple locations.

Adventurer wrote:They could always just pull a Quest for Glory 4 1/2 and compleatly ignore any and all requests to shut down with cocky and sarcastic replies. That game can still be downloaded from multiple locations.

The only problem with that idea is that with a little bit of detective work, the identities of AGD1 and AGD2 can easily be discovered and that makes them very easy to pursue for legal action from VU, unlike the team who did QFG4.5, who remained mostly anonymous. Far too risky and outright suicidal to try such a tactic, IMO.

I respect everyone's right to their copyright but at the same time wonder if it wouldn't be for the better if there were some general rules about this that were more generous..

You could set the rules how a disclaimer must be stated..

Stress the issue that there must be a statement about the game being unrelated to the original company and product.

Perhaps have a few rules about slander demanding you respect the original as to prevent things like QFG4.5 from happening.

Maybe set up a time-span for when it is allowed to "borrow" graphics and other things from the original(perhaps to include a demand that the borrower makes clear how this and that it is the property of <insert name here>)

The reason I think that you should allow this "borrowing" is for the simple reason that 1: There'd be millions of law-breakers anyway that could never by the sheer amount be brought to justice(making a precious few unlucky souls criminals when everyone else get off scot free; also producing a no win situation for all parts) 2: It's morally dubious to fine a kid in court just because he made a little flash film about Guybrush Threepwood.

I think it's sad when a company strikes down on fanworks like that and Lucasarts especially is infamous. They may have some good reasons but in my opinion, it's disrespectful to the fans and it's probably also bad buiseness practice. If you'd force the issue about a disclaimer, it'd be so much easier for everyone. Fanfiction and such things could go from borderline to legal.. Lawyers and investigators could spend more time with the bigger issues such as downright pirating.

To take an appropriate example, would it be correct to have a copyright law that makes every studio musician, perhaps remixing with just a few old beats, law-breakers? Vintage computer games now exist in the very same sphere you know.

Guys, I heard that King's Quest 9 has been saved, but I'm not totally sure. Anywho, they said that they gave approval to the team to continue on with the production of the game.

If that's the case, then it's a good thing indeed!

Till next time stay cool  :smokin

Check the offtopic forum.