How copyright stopped a fan remake of the hit shooter
Mods, fan conversions or creations that were created in level editors are an integral part of gaming. This also includes the risk of breaking copyright – or at least getting close to it.
The game “Goldeneye 007”, released for Nintendo 64, is still one of the most popular shooters. Released in 1997, it revolutionized the control options for first-person shooters on consoles and became a real multiplayer hit with its four-player split screen. In Germany, however, the game is indexed – German-language versions could only be obtained from Austria or Switzerland.
The User Krollywood According to its own information, worked over 1,400 hours on a recreation of the game. He recreated the sections of “Goldeneye 007” level by level. To do this, he used the level editor of the game “Farcry 5”, and players could use the Arcade service of the game be selected by Ubisoft. Now announced Krollywood, howeverthat his project, which he had been working on for so long, was removed.
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MGM, Microsoft, Nintendo and Ubisoft
The reason he gives himself is that Ubisoft received an email from MGM and they then informed him that they can no longer offer his game on their platform. A network of copyright claims and responsibilities has ensured that players are no longer able to play the self-made version of a game from 1997.
“Goldeneye 007” was produced by the Rareware studio at the time, which at the time largely belonged to Nintendo. Nintendo, in turn, was the publisher of the game. MGM held the rights to the “007” brand. Rareware now belongs to Microsoft and with it the rights to the game “Goldeneye 007”. In contrast to games such as “Donkey Kong 64”, which is a trademark of Nintendo, the company cannot assert any rights whatsoever with “Goleneye 007”. A step that Nintendo usually likes to take.
It is therefore a bit surprising that Microsoft did not demand the removal of the fan project, after all, they have the rights to the intellectual property – that is, to the game mechanics, level structures or the mission design. It is apparently MGM themselves who bother with a fan game using their brand name. And that, although the spread of this project should not mean any restrictions for the success of the “James Bond” games. In contrast to Microsoft, for example, who may well be interested in offering a possible remaster of “Goldeneye 007” at a profit. And above all of this stands Ubisoft, which has to ensure that their service does not offer any games that violate copyright.
Copyright can be opaque
This case shows once again that intellectual property, brand names and copyright can be a partly opaque trade – especially when it comes to rights that were negotiated almost 25 years in the past. It’s always a shame about the work that Krollywood has put into his gaming project. He himself says that he is currently looking for ways to offer his game outside of Ubisoft’s Farcry Arcade.
