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Subject: "Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK" Archived thread - Read only
 
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SmkViper
Member since Sep-11-07
60 posts
Mar-18-15, 02:00 PM (EDT)
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"Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK"
 
   LAST EDITED ON Mar-18-15 AT 02:15 PM (EDT)
 
First I heard about Minter was from Eyrie's own NXE, so I figured the article would be of interest to people here:

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-03-18-jeff-minter-beyond-disgusted-with-atari-over-txk-block

At least I can pretend he went on to create an Tempest version in VR and the Archangelion control systems...

Edit: On the upside, thank you Atari for letting me know about this game so I can buy it!

-SmkViper

--SmkViper


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  Subject     Author     Message Date     ID  
  RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK Gryphonadmin Mar-18-15 1
     RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK SmkViper Mar-18-15 2
  RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK Terminus Est Mar-18-15 3
     RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK Gryphonadmin Mar-19-15 4
         RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK Terminus Est Mar-19-15 5
             RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK Gryphonadmin Mar-19-15 6
                 RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK Terminus Est Mar-19-15 7
     RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK SmkViper Mar-19-15 8

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Gryphonadmin
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22375 posts
Mar-18-15, 02:24 PM (EDT)
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1. "RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK"
In response to message #0
 
   LAST EDITED ON Mar-18-15 AT 02:30 PM (EDT)
 
>First I heard about Minter was from Eyrie's own NXE

Here's something freaky to consider: NXE takes place THIS YEAR.

More on topic, I'm saddened by this, but not surprised, particularly given that the company now called Atari has the square root of fuckall to do with the one that gave the world so many great games in the '80s and '90s. What we have today is the video gaming equivalent of that outfit that scrounged up the rights to the name "Indian" and sold rebadged Harley-Davidsons, only with more defensive, predatory zeal. Capitalizing on heritage and goodwill with essentially zero effort.


--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.


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SmkViper
Member since Sep-11-07
60 posts
Mar-18-15, 04:16 PM (EDT)
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2. "RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK"
In response to message #1
 
   >>First I heard about Minter was from Eyrie's own NXE
>
>Here's something freaky to consider: NXE takes place THIS YEAR.

Yeah, ever since we've gotten to the year 2000 it's been kind of funny to look back over history and see the dates on various sci-fi literature, movies, etc, and see how close/far they are to modern day.

>More on topic, I'm saddened by this, but not surprised, particularly
>given that the company now called Atari has the square root of fuckall
>to do with the one that gave the world so many great games in the '80s
>and '90s. What we have today is the video gaming equivalent of that
>outfit that scrounged up the rights to the name "Indian" and sold
>rebadged Harley-Davidsons, only with more defensive, predatory zeal.
>Capitalizing on heritage and goodwill with essentially zero effort.

I'm not sure "earning enough money to purchase the corpse of a dead company" is exactly zero effort. But I certainly eyed Infogrames sideways when they changed their name to Atari. It just seemed... tasteless at the time. (And still does, come to think of it)

-SmkViper

--SmkViper


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Terminus Est
Member since Nov-5-04
569 posts
Mar-18-15, 11:43 PM (EDT)
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3. "RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK"
In response to message #0
 
   I've never played Tempest - indeed, my only exposure to the game and its creator is through NXE - but it seems odd to me that Atari would make such a big stink about this. I mean, yes, they own the name and the original game, but it's pretty damned obvious they were never going to DO anything with it.

I wonder if he could change some sprite data (and maybe arrange a new soundtrack) and successfully give them the finger?

For that matter, I wonder if crowdfunding could get the guy a lawyer or two to shovel this great big steaming pile of BS Atari has dumped on his lawn...


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Gryphonadmin
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Mar-19-15, 00:24 AM (EDT)
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4. "RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK"
In response to message #3
 
   >I've never played Tempest - indeed, my only exposure to the game and
>its creator is through NXE - but it seems odd to me that Atari would
>make such a big stink about this.

As noted in a prior post, today's Atari is actually Infogrames. Bloody French. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.


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Terminus Est
Member since Nov-5-04
569 posts
Mar-19-15, 01:16 AM (EDT)
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5. "RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK"
In response to message #4
 
   I got that they weren't the actual Atari. Which... to be honest, that makes it even MORE headtilt-worthy, to me at least. It makes no sense for them to be so anal about this, except from a purely greed-motivated viewpoint... in which case, you'd think they would be trying to confiscate instead of block. Then again, that may not even be possible, so what do I know? ...Basically, as you put it, the square root of fuckall. :)

I'll just go back to my seat in the 'This is BS, Infogramatari' peanut gallery.


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Gryphonadmin
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22375 posts
Mar-19-15, 01:26 AM (EDT)
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6. "RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK"
In response to message #5
 
   >I got that they weren't the actual Atari. Which... to be honest, that
>makes it even MORE headtilt-worthy, to me at least. It makes no sense
>for them to be so anal about this, except from a purely
>greed-motivated viewpoint...

Well, the operative intent of my previous post wasn't so much to belabor the "not really Atari" part so much as to take a cheap shot at the French. It makes perfect stereotypical sense for them to be pointlessly obstructionist. :)

--G.
-><-
Benjamin D. Hutchins, Co-Founder, Editor-in-Chief, & Forum Mod
Eyrie Productions, Unlimited http://www.eyrie-productions.com/
zgryphon at that email service Google has
Ceterum censeo Carthaginem esse delendam.


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Terminus Est
Member since Nov-5-04
569 posts
Mar-19-15, 02:26 AM (EDT)
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7. "RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK"
In response to message #6
 
   Fair 'nuff. :)


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SmkViper
Member since Sep-11-07
60 posts
Mar-19-15, 11:11 AM (EDT)
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8. "RE: Jeff Minter under fire from Atari for TxK"
In response to message #3
 
   LAST EDITED ON Mar-19-15 AT 11:12 AM (EDT)
 
>I've never played Tempest - indeed, my only exposure to the game and
>its creator is through NXE - but it seems odd to me that Atari would
>make such a big stink about this. I mean, yes, they own the name and
>the original game, but it's pretty damned obvious they were never
>going to DO anything with it.
>
>I wonder if he could change some sprite data (and maybe arrange a new
>soundtrack) and successfully give them the finger?
>
>For that matter, I wonder if crowdfunding could get the guy a lawyer
>or two to shovel this great big steaming pile of BS Atari has dumped
>on his lawn...

As detailed in the news post and Minter's own post that they link to, Minter isn't using any old Atari assets or code. The soundtrack is completely new, if in a similar style, and the graphics were created without any of the source art on hand.

Minter even points out that Tempest X for the Playstation was specifically created to be "different enough" so that Atari wouldn't have to pay him royalties, so, by extension, TxK should be "different enough" that "new-Atari" shouldn't have a leg to stand on.

I am not a lawyer however.

And it sounds like "new-Atari" has set this up in such a way as to make it as expensive to fight as possible, just to reduce the chances of loss.

I don't think anyone is going to dispute that TkX was "inspired by" Tempest 2000, or that it could even be considered perhaps a "Tempest Clone" in the same way that we have piles of "match-3 clones" on mobile these days. But considering you have the same guy making the game in both cases, that's kind of to be expected.

You can't copyright game mechanics, after all. (You can copyright a rules book, but not the actual mechanics themselves)

-Jeff

Edit: Grammar, clarity

--SmkViper


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