Author Topic: Current IP Situation  (Read 9452 times)

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Offline unsrm

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Current IP Situation
Hi all,

I seem to recall hearing that the Freespace IP was back in the hands of Interplay who will probably do nothing with it... I'm guessing that forum members have tried and failed to get hold of it?

If so what was the reason?
1. Interplay wouldn't sell
2. Too expensive?

I've played the game since I was 14 when it first came out and its the only game that I still keep coming back to 20+ years later. This is helped but the huge work of this community so massive kudos to you HLP designers and content creators.

I've been financially very lucky and would consider putting in a very serious bid for the IP so would love to know the latest from those on the forum 'in the know'.

Best,

Chris

 
Re: Current IP Situation
AFAIK FS IP is still worth 1mio$ or so, atleast it was way above anything somebody here could effort.

 

Offline The E

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Re: Current IP Situation
Hi all,

I seem to recall hearing that the Freespace IP was back in the hands of Interplay who will probably do nothing with it... I'm guessing that forum members have tried and failed to get hold of it?

We did no such attempt, since the cost would very likely exceed the capabilities of any one member and very likely the amount we would be able to get through crowdfunding.

Quote
If so what was the reason?
1. Interplay wouldn't sell
2. Too expensive?

It's entirely 2. Interplay wants at least a million USD for it; or at least, that was the asking price back when they sold off a bunch of their IP 3 or 4 years ago.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns

 

Offline unsrm

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Re: Current IP Situation
OK, so we know anybody who can find out out what the current price is or do I need my lawyer...

 

Offline The E

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Re: Current IP Situation
You will definitely need a lawyer, preferably one that specializes in intellectual property law. Then, you and your lawyer need to contact the remains of Interplay and get into negotiations.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns

 
Re: Current IP Situation
Become a lawyer with international reputation, that should get you the required $~

  

Offline Nyctaeus

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Re: Current IP Situation
Let's not start another "why can't we just make FS3 as a community?" thread, because it would lead to the same conclusions. And those conclusions were very disappointing each time we get into this.

At some point I don't want to discourage you from your efforts, but... Even if you somehow manage to obtain the IP, what are you going to do with this?
« Last Edit: June 15, 2020, 08:55:41 am by Nyctaeus »
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Offline The E

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Re: Current IP Situation
Speaking for myself only, the dream situation would be to release FS2 under a Creative Commons CC-BY-SA or CC-BY-SA-NC license, with the source code being relicensed under the BSD license (or a similar Open Source license that isn't GPL, but GPL compatible).
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns

 
Re: Current IP Situation
That would be pretty much the ideal outcome.

 

Offline unsrm

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Re: Current IP Situation
This is why I wanted to start this conversation

Speaking for myself only, the dream situation would be to release FS2 under a Creative Commons CC-BY-SA or CC-BY-SA-NC license, with the source code being relicensed under the BSD license (or a similar Open Source license that isn't GPL, but GPL compatible).

The source code is already released, what is it you feel can be gained from your suggestion here? I'm not being difficult, I genuinely don't know.

Let's not start another "why can't we just make FS3 as a community?" thread, because it would lead to the same conclusions. And those conclusions were very disappointing each time we get into this.

At some point I don't want to discourage you from your efforts, but... Even if you somehow manage to obtain the IP, what are you going to do with this?

A fair point, ideally I'd allow Volition (what remains of it) to create and new game and continue the story. To save me investigating EVERY FS3 thread, could you provide a synopsis of where they end up or go wrong?

Chris

 
Re: Current IP Situation
They planned a FS2 addon-pack about returning to Sol. For FS3 they tossed around the idea with going into offense against the Shivans; in the end both got killed so early on they never planned anything concrete.

 

Offline unsrm

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Re: Current IP Situation
Yeah, that much I read, what about the creative commons thing you mentioned?

Chris

 

Offline The E

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Re: Current IP Situation
Speaking for myself only, the dream situation would be to release FS2 under a Creative Commons CC-BY-SA or CC-BY-SA-NC license, with the source code being relicensed under the BSD license (or a similar Open Source license that isn't GPL, but GPL compatible).

The source code is already released, what is it you feel can be gained from your suggestion here? I'm not being difficult, I genuinely don't know.

The FS source code has never been released with a "standard" Open Source license. This means that some of the things we would very much like to do, i.e. release the engine as an official package for the various Linux distros, are very much impossible. It also narrows our options when integrating new software packages; for example, we are currently using the open-source ffmpeg library to do video playback - but since we're not licensed with a GPL-compatible license, some features of ffmpeg (like h264 support) are not usable for us.

Quote
A fair point, ideally I'd allow Volition (what remains of it) to create and new game and continue the story. To save me investigating EVERY FS3 thread, could you provide a synopsis of where they end up or go wrong?

It's very simple. If it isn't Volition, it isn't FS3; Turning FS3 into a community project is a recipe for disaster, as our community is built around heterogenuous storytelling where very different visions of how to tell stories in FS (and what stories to tell) are all equally valid.
If I'm just aching this can't go on
I came from chasing dreams to feel alone
There must be changes, miss to feel strong
I really need lifе to touch me
--Evergrey, Where August Mourns

 

Offline unsrm

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Re: Current IP Situation
Well, in the unlikely event that I am successful then that can certainly be looked into, the FSO creativity is one of the reasons the game still thrives 20 years later.

On your point if its not V it ain't FS3, I agree. I've loved some of the' parallel universe' storytelling people have shown but it would be a political nightmare to do get the community to agree on a story.

A few things spring to mind:
1. Have we pushed the current engine as far as it will go, i.e. would a new engine be needed, possibly
2. If the story was written by Volition then maybe the community could create it under guidance, just an initial thought.

As has been said, better not to get people's hopes up too much, I have contacted my IP lawyer and the proposed sum is not impossible for me. This will not be a quick process though!

Does anybody senior on the forum have any contact with Volition do you know? Not much point in doing it if they aren't interested!

Chris

 

Offline Mobius

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Re: Current IP Situation
My utopian dream with respect of the fanbase owning FreeSpace's IP is more of a philosophical one. The fact itself that, some two decades after the release of a game, its fans have done so much to keep it alive and end up "buying" it, has some sort of intrinsically beautiful meaning.

Except it won't be the fanbase as a whole owning it, but many members grouped in an association or foundation, depending on how the thing is meant to be handled.
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Offline mjn.mixael

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Re: Current IP Situation
I would be absolutely stunned if Volition made FS3 as we imagine it. Space sims are a dead genre and getting a developer to spend time on a dead genre, even if the IP is free... even if the devs love the IP... is not a great business decision.

If they did anything with a freely given IP, and that's a big if... it would almost definitely not be a space sim. Not sure I want that.
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Offline unsrm

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Re: Current IP Situation
Hence my question if anyone on the forum has contact with V :)

 

Offline DefCynodont119

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Re: Current IP Situation
If they did anything with a freely given IP, and that's a big if... it would almost definitely not be a space sim. Not sure I want that.

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Offline General Battuta

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Re: Current IP Situation
Hence my question if anyone on the forum has contact with V :)

I email with Jason Scott off and on.

 

Offline unsrm

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Re: Current IP Situation
Excellent - I have messaged him on Linkedin but God knows I hate the platform, how would you consider best to proceed, General? All we need to really know is that if he and Volition have any interest in the IP as a Space Sim... if not then I'll stop wasting his and everyone else's time...