Skyrim LoTR Mod (MERP) shut down by WB - does this have implications for TATW?

[Kahvipannu]

I wonder why people keep mentioning TATW?

I mean, they can not think WB will say 'Oh, we haven't (yet) asked another mod to close down? Then we must let MERP be! Hoho, how silly us...' or can they be so stupid they hope so?
Or is it simple jealousy? A mentality of 'OK, if we're going down we shall take as many as possible with us down into the void!'?

The latter I'm afraid the more credible, in short sighted folks anger.

True, but I believe WB already knows about TATW, atleast now after they noticed how high quality products mods can be. And if you just google LOTR-mod, TA is propably one of the first to come up.

EDIT: Exactly Ztree.

good point there about companies' competition. Following this logic, Bethesda would do well to protect MERP. Alas this is not going to happen

Recently Day-Z showed what a mod can do to a products sales, Arma II sales exploded for long period of time. Ofcourse this has the side-effect that publishers take notice of this, but good thing is that developers see what a mod can do to sales of old product.. It's propably exactly this what WB is afraid of.

[Ngugi]

It is haha; I did not wondered over WB's actions or lack of actions concerning TATW but why people complaining to WB keep drag up TATW since it will not help anyone in any way

[Kiliç Alì]

Originally Posted by Ngugi
I wonder why people keep mentioning TATW?

I mean, they can not think WB will say 'Oh, we haven't (yet) asked another mod to close down? Then we must let MERP be! Hoho, how silly us...' or can they be so stupid they hope so?
Or is it simple jealousy? A mentality of 'OK, if we're going down we shall take as many as possible with us down into the void!'?

The latter I'm afraid the more credible, in short sighted folks anger.

My friend, I disagree with you on this, it is stupidity more than jelousy. Like, when you are speaking with someone at school and the teacher gets angry with some other mate who's speaking to somebody else. I can't count how many time reaction was, "Hey, but they're speaking aswell! Why they can and I not!?"
And yes, they hoped in their sub-consciusness (spelling?) the teacher would have said, "Ok little pupil, then you can do as you like "

[Principe Alessandro]

It's simply disturbing to see how people with no money can create something better than the products of the filthy rich gaming industry. Gaming industry should stop to produce games and instead releases engines easily moddable. In fact now I consider games just as engines and I am inclined to buy those with the better mods.

I stopped to care at all about the vanilla games, it is just hopeless nowadays to expect to have a good game and with those prices it is even an insult to the customers.

[Elensul]

It's simply disturbing to see how people with no money can create something better than the products of the filthy rich gaming industry. Gaming industry should stop to produce games and instead releases engines easily moddable. In fact now I consider games just as engines and I am inclined to buy those with the better mods.

I stopped to care at all about the vanilla games, it is just hopeless nowadays to expect to have a good game and with those prices it is even an insult to the customers.

+1

[Darth_Revan]

Has there been any news on the status of this issue??

[ztree]

The situation is kinda difficult at the moment. We are still in communications with them over our lawyer, but they seem to be not much interested anymore, since we stopped development at the moment and that is all they want. So they could just ignore us and that's the end of it.

So we are thinking of putting up a little bit more pressure on them. I don't know if the team would be Ok with me spilling all the beans here, but I can say for sure that we want to post a news article on moddb soon, to inform everyone what is going on (including the next actions).

All I know is that the WB lawyer who was the spokesperson talking to us over email, is not with WB anymore but with another company now. I have no clue if it has to do with us (but I highly doubt it, though my ego would like to believe it ). So the new spokesperson is very slow to talk to and I have no clue what that means in lawyer world (bizarro world).

It's all very tiring but I don't want to lose hope. The mod and the Tolkien universe means a lot to me.
Also, we have some more good supporters (youtube guys with a lot of followers). Plus, and now get this, someone of our supporters wrote a letter to Ian McKellen and he freaking replied! I can't find the exact quote now, but he said something like:

...well WB is very protective of their IP...Get in contact with Peter Jackson, he may have an ear for you....

So he gave us an adress and we wrote letters, explaining our situation. I don't know if or when we get an answer.

[StealthFox]

Awesome that Gandalf replied, but I'm actually not too surprised about it. Not too long ago he rallied to help save a pub called "The Hobbit" from a copyright infringement law suit. (Link!) Maybe he will be of some help, and the additional addresses/contacts (PJ?) can help too!

[Jean=A=Luc]

Mr. McKellen's a classy gentleman.

[SRACon17]

"For more than 20 years, a Southampton pub called The Hobbit has featured artwork and character-themed drinks based around J.R.R. Tolkien's famous “Lord of the Rings” series.
But the pub's colorful and fruity Gandalf and Frodo cocktails were in danger of being stricken from the menu. The group that owns the rights to Tolkien’s books, The Saul Zaentz Company, recently leveled charges against the local bar, asking them to ditch all references to the characters."

really? that's so...

[the lightning legion]

well the pub is alittle differnt its name is aimed at making money while mods generally arnt

[SRACon17]

but it's already 20 years. WB gave notice to them only because the Hobbit movie is coming out.

[Maiar93]

I am interested to see whether Peter wants to respond or not.

[Bowmaster]

PJ? Yep, come here all LotR film(s) creators! Join US (I don't mean United States), in the mental fight against Warner Bros.

Hmm, Warner Bros... More like Warner Betrayers (It's still WB).

[Mackey18]

If they're not interested anymore, why don't you just continue as you were and see if it provokes them again.

[uddhava]

It's simply disturbing to see how people with no money can create something better than the products of the filthy rich gaming industry. Gaming industry should stop to produce games and instead releases engines easily moddable. In fact now I consider games just as engines and I am inclined to buy those with the better mods.

I stopped to care at all about the vanilla games, it is just hopeless nowadays to expect to have a good game and with those prices it is even an insult to the customers.

Well just to nuance that slightly:

1) 20% off games that start development actually get developed. Off that 20% makes money (so 4% makes money off all games that are started in development).

2) modding would not be possible without the vanilla games including this one (thanks to open source this is getting easier). It's always easier to critique and improve work than build something from scratch (as for instance an essay)

3) (In Holland) prices of games and gamesystems have only gone down since I started gaming (roughly 20 years ago). I remember bying the first Mortal Kombat when I was ten, cost me the equivalent of about 80 euros (inflation not counted).

4) although there is no consensus on the numbers, piracy is not very good for the pcmarket fuelling the habit of making cheap games (for normal prices)

That being said, as with a lot of other industries, a lotta crap is made, publishers have too much say, and your suggestion is very interesting. Just saying that making videogames is not a sure road to riches and not all companies produce mere games.

Uddhava

[ElvenKind]

If you want, you can sign a petition to help MERP in their battle http://www.moddb.com/mods/merp-middl...laying-project

[Bowmaster]

Petition reached 19300. ztree, there's still hope.

[ztree]

Yup, and I want to say a big, huge THANK YOU, to every one who supports us. I (and all the team) want to give something back to you guys, one day, and mod middle earth like there is no tomorrow.
Yes, there is still hope. Let's not lose our hope and get desperate mad like Denethor during the siege of Minas Tirith. Let's be more like Imrahil or Gandalf. =)

[Erthad]

Why not write Stephen Colbert? He's a pretty big LotR fan so something might come from that.