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[Discussion] Nintendo and Fangames

Letrax

Letrax

    • 79
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    9
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    • Seen Jan 17, 2017
    Pokemon uranium is of course not the first fangame to be shut down.

    But now we have Pokemon Phoenix Rising for example which already has a lot of attention.
    Don't even want to think about it when its actually released. So now im wondering...
    Isnt nintendo probably going to shut it down when its released?
    I mean im not the brightest star in the universe but isnt exactly this going to happen?
    I mean it kind of sucks that you cant make a pokemon game too good looking..
    Well of course I can understand Nintendos position but isnt this going to happen for sure
    for Pokemon Phoenix Rising? Or is there something im just not understanding?
     
    Last edited by a moderator:
    Uranium hasn't been shut down. They've said it themselves: Uranium has received numerous takwdown notifications from lawyers representing Nintendo of America, but otherwise it is still in active development and releasing bug fix patches, with the most recent one as recent as 18 hours ago.

    Onto the main question, "Will Pokemon Phoenix Rising [and other Pokemon Fangames] meet fates similar to Uranium"? Unfortunately, the answer to that is unknown. There have been several successful Pokemon fangames from the start of the Rom Hacking scene until now, and that likely won't change. Between then and now- in the 10 years i've been part of this community, very few fangames have met fates like this, and even less have been issued Cease & Desist orders. But, like we've gone over countless times before, this is a risk we developers know and are willing to take.

    We know what we're doing is illegal. We know that what we're doing can be shut down by Nintendo at anytime, for any reason at all. There is no rhyme or reason to it; it can be because a game was popular, or because it had different mechanics. It can be for whatever reason they decide. We know the risks involved, and yet we continue to do it, hoping that we're able to tell the story we want to tell, to make the game we want to make.

    So, to answer your question: I don't know. Abnegation doesn't know. Nobody knows. We're just as in the dark about the future of our fangames as you are, and the best we can do is continue on as we have been, hoping that Nintendo decides to overlook these projects.
     
    Last edited by a moderator:
    Derxwna Kapsyla said:
    We know that what we're doing can be shut down by Nintendo at anytime, for any reason at all.
    Click to expand...
    It depends on where you live, there are some countries where you don't need to fear that because of lax copyright laws. Another thing which matters is the size of the project, you're save as long as you keep it under the radar. MLP Fighting is Magic is prime example of what happens when fan game project becomes too big, it got taken down by Hasbro even before it was finished. Bronies were pissed off about it but luckily another anonymous team finished it.
     
    Yeah, it's due to what happened recently that I'm a bit paranoid about Nintendo-related fangames.

    I might still do mine, but because of what happened recently, they'll have to be for friends only--or, at the very least, on a "need-to-know" basis.

    I guess, at best, Nintendo has a different "dictionary" on what "Fair Use" is. And one person mentioned perhaps the reason the CnD hammer came down is the fangame became too popular for its own good.
     
    CoolTrainerDBoy said:
    Yeah, it's due to what happened recently that I'm a bit paranoid about Nintendo-related fangames.

    I might still do mine, but because of what happened recently, they'll have to be for friends only--or, at the very least, on a "need-to-know" basis.

    I guess, at best, Nintendo has a different "dictionary" on what "Fair Use" is. And one person mentioned perhaps the reason the CnD hammer came down is the fangame became too popular for its own good.
    Click to expand...

    Don't worry about Nitendo noticing about your game but worry about whether your game turns out the way you want it to be. I'm trying to be inspiring here. Anyways I think that it would be kind of hard for any other fan games to receive that much attention around now specially because I'm mostly sure that for all the current games to finish it will take them at least 1,2 or more years. And this is only my opinion but I think that the graphics heavily impacted it's popularity.
     
    Derxwna Kapsyla said:
    Uranium hasn't been shut down. They've said it themselves: Uranium has received numerous takwdown notifications from lawyers representing Nintendo of America, but otherwise it is still in active development and releasing bug fix patches, with the most recent one as recent as 18 hours ago.

    Onto the main question, "Will Pokemon Phoenix Rising [and other Pokemon Fangames] meet fates similar to Uranium"? Unfortunately, the answer to that is unknown. There have been several successful Pokemon fangames from the start of the Rom Hacking scene until now, and that likely won't change. Between then and now- in the 10 years i've been part of this community, very few fangames have met fates like this, and even less have been issued Cease & Desist orders. But, like we've gone over countless times before, this is a risk we developers know and are willing to take.

    We know what we're doing is illegal. We know that what we're doing can be shut down by Nintendo at anytime, for any reason at all. There is no rhyme or reason to it; it can be because a game was popular, or because it had different mechanics. It can be for whatever reason they decide. We know the risks involved, and yet we continue to do it, hoping that we're able to tell the story we want to tell, to make the game we want to make.

    So, to answer your question: I don't know. Abnegation doesn't know. Nobody knows. We're just as in the dark about the future of our fangames as you are, and the best we can do is continue on as we have been, hoping that Nintendo decides to overlook these projects.
    Click to expand...

    Honestly, I don't see anything wrong with Uranium's fate. It's actually a really amazing fate, let me add.. Plus the added publicity, like I said in the other thread.

    The real pickle here is when they go for the fan games which are generating plenty of attention before actually being released.. Scare tactics is what that is, I say. (Although I've heard horrors about Square Enix)
    I'd keep pressing on with a project stealthily, no matter what.
     
    Pokémon fan games on the indie site Game Jolt were all taken down today (including the one I'm working on) after Nintendo issued a takedown notice.

    Technically not a direct C&D for the individual game devs, but it's as big a warning shot as one can get.
     
    Yeah, It's sad that we can't earn money ;p
    I guess this place might be safe to post showcase... maybe...
     
    VisualJae said:
    Game Jolt does allow devs to earn money through ad revenue, though. I can see that being one of the main triggers for takedown.
    Click to expand...

    You can very easily turn off ads from your game, but I'd imagine not a lot of people did.
     
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