NEW mod idea, based on 1984 (George Orwell)

[mind.controller]

Hi there, and yep it's another mod idea. But this isn't a WW2 or 'Nam shooter, or a Dawn Of The Dead or CS clone. I want to make a mod based on the book 1984 by George Orwell.

The mod would be multiplayer, with one side playing the "Brotherhood" (resistance fighters against Big Brother) and the other side playing the Thought Police. Set in "Airstrip One" (London), Oceania, maps would pretty vast. Hopefully I would also be able to use AI spy helicopters and vehicles too, on the side of the Thought Police.

Objectives for the resistance would be rescuing captured members, assasinating top goverment officials, stealing secret documents etc, and for the Thought Police would be infiltrating the underground bases, capturing members of the Brotherhood and others, or simply just disposing of the uprising.

So what do people think? If you would like to help out, it'd be nice if you had an interest in the book, and are 100% committed.

Many thanks for reading, mind.controller

 

[The Dark Elf]

Your gonna need to obtain permission first. I don't know who or what owns the rights for 1984.

 

[mind.controller]

Your gonna need to obtain permission first. I don't know who or what owns the rights for 1984.

heh, I was just asked the same thing in a different forum. The problem is, I don't think there is a person or company who owns the license to the book, and of course Orwell has been dead for over 50 years now. So whether I need to get permission off one of his grandsons or whatever I really do not know.

 

[Deleter]

someone always holds the rights to literature. do some research or change it a little bit so its not a direct copy. just dont make it without doing one of those first.

 

[The Dark Elf]

heh, I was just asked the same thing in a different forum. The problem is, I don't think there is a person or company who owns the license to the book, and of course Orwell has been dead for over 50 years now. So whether I need to get permission off one of his grandsons or whatever I really do not know.

Well we know someone owns the film rights to it. And depending on what they had in the contract that could include all transmitted rights, which even though it was filmed before computer games took off, could cover them for it.

You need to be absolutely sure or someone could shut you down real quick. Look at War of the Worlds. The book is public domain BUT only in the US, the film rights are owned by Paramount, the game rights are owned by Jeff Wayne, the musical obviously aswell. So even though the book is basically pretty much free to use and to download from the net to read, you can't actually do an awful lot with it, except perhaps re-publish the book after sorting things out with a few lawyers.

So yeah, gets complicated when you think about it.

 

[Drealoth]

The whole point of 1984 was that there was no chance that there ever could be a resistance.

 

[Deleter]

so, maybe he's taking creative liscence with it, thats the better way to do it anyhow. :thumbs:

 

[ChaosCarlos]

a person has to be dead for 70 years before the copyright on their work is nul and void.

Except of course if there were special circumstances to who he left the copyright to, like the author of Peter Pan (JM Barrie) did.

 

[The Dark Elf]

You could always do what Brazil did. Change it enough but it still seem familiar.

Pretty much what Deleter already said really so yeah

 

[gallon]

the 1984 theme has been made in many movies... equilibrium is one (and that spelling might be wrong). Brazil as mentioned above, ray bradburys farenheit story about the fireman that burns book (got the movie as well, not that scifi though, made -67)...

How you'd make that clear and good in a mod is a challenge though, as the resistance VS the power is the oldest concept ever (still cool). reminds me of the story of halflife2, which is all but creative and new...

 

[NickOuellette]

What would concern me is that wouldn't it eventually become 'just another sci-fi shooter'? I mean, the resistance thing has been done to death, and the book's charm came from it's unique world... it would be tough to represent a world of subtle menace like that in a shooter. Now, if you put an emphasis on the guerilla urban gameplay you hinted at with the assassination and document stealing objectives, then you could do something unique with it.

 

[holy_cheese]

hl2, is based loosly on 1984.....
that pretty much says it right there, if you change it enough that you don't infringe on ip laws, then your most likely just end up with hl2....

 

[TMoney]

It's been done. It's called Half-Life 2.

 

[Pesmerga]

a person has to be dead for 70 years before the copyright on their work is nul and void.

Except of course if there were special circumstances to who he left the copyright to, like the author of Peter Pan (JM Barrie) did.

Not true. Rarely does a peice of work become owned by noone, especially one of such magnitude. The rights are passed either through George's will or to the publisher, in which the rights go through the company founder and through his family.

If indeed the rights are non-existant, feel free to make a mod.
Although I don't very much like the idea; Half-Life 2's SP was more or less a supression based campaign, fighting your way up.

 

[ChaosCarlos]

Ahh well that'll teach me to listen to my old English teacher

 

[NickOuellette]

YOur english teacher suggests mod ideas to you ?

 

[ChaosCarlos]

No, she told me about the 70 years nul and void thing.

This mod idea isn't mine anyway

 

[Jangle]

thats one coool english teacher.

when I read 1984 in school you could hardly hear yourself think for all the chavs and chavettes shouting.

"yer wot?"

"wot the f**k's a ministry?"

 

[username]

Actually, my old English taught me that after 75 years, copyright becomes void, that's why there is no copyright on Shakespeare or Dickens works. So, I guess you still got another 18 years before you can make the mod

 

[NickOuellette]

I didn't know that. So I suppose that makes Oedipus fair game for a mod? heh heh heh...

 

[username]

What is Oedipus? I'm thinking Homer's book with the one-eyed cyclops in it but I'm probably thinking about the totally wrong thing

 

[Deleter]

not quite the totally wrong thing, they are both greek(i believe). the cyclops is the odyssey and oedipus is a guy who slept with his mom then tore his eyes out. fun guy.

 

[Pesmerga]

And thus stems the Oedipus Complex.