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Bad News: X-Bomber
News posted 6th November, 2008 by Simon Colmer
After being confined to my bed for the last week for being ill, I have finally got the energy to come and sit at my computer to update the front page only to find some very scary news about the game X-Bomber (Thanks to Mark Radon) It seems the original creators of the show “Star Fleet” want this game stopped. There are a few emails on the original website which have been sent back and forth from the creator and the shows representatives – but this is a moment click-creators need to stand side by side and fight for what is right. Show your support by visiting either of these links! Click here to visit the TDC Forum Link Click here to visit the X-Bomber Website Tweet

Posted by Codemonkey

6th November, 2008

lol this was posted two news posts down. Thanks for your motavation though!

Posted by Marko

6th November, 2008

Thank you, Mr. Colmer, for your help. And thanks to Rikus and -Liam- for their reaction/agreement, if there was any.

I like this game, i think it's a great shoot 'em up, regardless of the material it's based upon. I dislike people without common sense, such as the people 'threatening' Piers Bell. They are attacking the very person trying to promote their product and who loves their product. That is stupid, and that's why i feel so strongly about their actions, whether i think they have a leg to stand on or not.

And thanks for the response in the forum, i'm impressed by everyone's reactions. It just goes to show that the people who contribute to this site have alot of tenacity and compassion about themselves. That is two things i admire about people!

Posted by Marko

6th November, 2008

Oh i see what you mean now, -Codemonkey-! Thanx Rikus, nice mention

Posted by Ski

6th November, 2008

Uh, what's the fuss? Looks like a pretty boring game to me.

Posted by Marko

6th November, 2008

"Looks like a pretty boring game to me."

Please reserve your judgement until after you've properly played the game.

Posted by Ski

6th November, 2008

Why? a couple of pre-rendered spaceships and a load of bullet particles flying around is nothing to get excited about?

Posted by Marko

6th November, 2008

So you believe graphics to be the key part of any game then?

Posted by Ski

6th November, 2008

No, I just think it looks like any other generic space shooting click-game.

Posted by Xhunterko

7th November, 2008

And its not whether or not the game is good or not. It's the premise of the behavior of the original creators. If they succeed in shutting down a small indie fan(assuming its fan) game. What's to stop other companies from following suit?
Comment edited by Muz on 11/7/2008

Posted by aphant

7th November, 2008

@Xhunterko: Two years back there was a Halo RTS being made, called Halogen. It was actually fan-made mod, using Command & Conquer. Microsoft (owners of the Halo IP) sent the team behind it a cease and desist. Bungie (developers of the Halo IP) had shown some interest in the project and had apologized on behalf of MS for the CD. It was going to be a publicly available free-of-charge mod, too.

Two weeks after Halogen was shut down, Microsoft unveiled an up-and-coming new Halo product: A Halo RTS, being made (and paid for) by Ensemble Studios, called Halo Wars.

What was the problem? Did Microsoft see Halogen as a threat to Halo Wars? Did MS feel that it's IP was being infringed upon? Was it the C&C angle, where MS would be losing money to EA because of the chosen engine? Any combination of the three (and/or any extra possibilities)? Who knows, but that's not the point. The point is that fangames have been shutdown before, and are always at risk of being shutdown.

The funny thing? Halogen looked better and had more of a Halo feel to it than Halo Wars does.

There's also another fangame in the works, a Metroid 2 remake. Nintendo could order a CD on the project, as well. A shame too, because it's looking mighty fine (and plays rather well, too). http://metroid2remake.blogspot.com/

There's an HD fan remake of Sonic the Hedgehog 2, as well. SEGA could CD this if they wanted to. http://forums.sonicretro.org/index.php?showforum=42

The question becomes, what do you do when you get ordered a CD? Quite simple. If you want to continue working on your project, then you keep working on it. Rename it, change some graphics around, and you can continue to publically release information on it. If you want to release it as a fangame (graphics and name switched back), do it discreetly, like via torrent or pass around an anonymous download link. If you want to sell your game just to stick it to the man, keep everything renamed and the graphics changed.

Food for thought: Who really owns the intellectual property, the companies or the fans? Without the fans, the IP can't sell. The answer may surprise you.

Posted by Marko

7th November, 2008

Adam Phant, that is a very good and very intelligent response - your post is exceptionally mature and thought provoking. As was the post by Xhunterko: it is this situation that i find so very very wrong, regardless of what people (rightly) think about the game.

Good luck to Piers Bell - i hope he keeps going and going!

Posted by UrbanMonk

7th November, 2008

The game is pretty boring for the first 2 levels, but then after that it gets quite fun and it seems to have more organization, but then I died and gave up

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Simon Colmer
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