Sega sinks to new depths (1 Viewer)

[JamesH]

In the midst of what could be looked at as a semi-hostile takeover by Sammy, Sega has taken an action that could have industry-killing implications if successful. According to this link, Sega has basically decided to sue the makers of Simpsons Road Rage because it ripped off Crazy Taxi.

http://www.gamespot.com/all/news/news_6085112.html

While I don't think anyone can deny that Road Rage is derived from Crazy Taxi on some level, a win by Sega here would set a dangerous precedent. What if the Konami decides to sue the makers of Metal Slug because the two games are similar? Or what if Nintendo decides to sue every company that has ever created 2-d or 3-d platformers because they borrow too heavily from the Mario games? Then, the makers of Pitfall sue Nintendo? Lets hope Sega is laughed out of court here, otherwise every entry into an established game genre is an invitation for a lawsuit.

 

[Dave F]

If I remember correctly, there have been similar video game lawsuits before. I think they were dismissed, but I'm sure there is some one here with better memory. =)

-Dave

 

[Kyle McKnight]

One was between two arcade games, one version of Street Fighter 2 and a different game that was basically identical.

 

[BrianB]

I suppose the makers of GTA3 could sue the makers of the new Simpsons game.

I don't believe Rockstar have a patent on the methodology of displaying their game, which is what Sega have for the Crazy Taxi arcade game. This is the key to their case against EA/Radical/Fox. It isn't just another "look and feel" type case - they have a definitive patent on the game mechanics, interface & features.

 

[JamesH]

I guess this opens up a bigger question: should companies be able to patent game ideas? And if so, does Sega really have the right to assert control over the mission based driving genre? Driver was out before Crazy Taxi and was really the breakout game for the genre, and there may have been some lesser games even before Driver.

I've always thought that when a game is released, the ideas in it become public domain for other developers to build on. That's how improvement comes about. Where would shooters be today if the owner of the River Raid patent was the only company allowed to make them? The long development time on games allows plenty of time for the originator to profit from the creation. The ideas behind games don't even make them great, it's all in the execution. Execution is why, years later, Halo and GTA3 are unsurpassed. Companies have attempted to clone them, but how many have been successful?

 

[BrianB]

I would like to see the details of said patent.

There's a nice thread at LCVG with details of the patent.

As stated by RobotMonkey in that thread, they didn't patent "game ideas" or "gameplay" - they patented methods for displaying concepts. Similiar sounding, but legally very different.

 

[David Williams]

Wow, sure took them a while to find a courthouse. Why bother suing over a game that is a) almost 2 years old and b) wasn't very successful to begin with. What's the point? Desperate for cash? Hoping Fox will settle?

 

[Dave F]

Wow, sure took them a while to find a courthouse.

I bet they didn't get any tip from the passenger. They should use Crazy Dash more often on the straightaways.

-Dave

 

[Bill MacAdoo]

The lawsuit asks the court to stop the sale or import of "Simpsons Road Rage," which has sold more than 1 million copies to date, as well as for damages for lost profits and a recall of any copies of the game available at retail.

1M @ $49.99 is a lot of dough. Okay, probably all 1M weren't at $49.99, but I'd wager a big portion was...

 

[David Williams]

I guess somehow in my mind I crossed crappy reviews with poor sales. Oh well. This isn't to say I didn't enjoy the game, but boy did it get critically savaged.

 

[Jay Mitchosky]

There's really only a handful of gaming concepts out there anyway. If more developers/publishers start writing patents on elements of the games it could either stiffle the industry or, through need, bolster creativity.