NO HL3 or other 3d games

[Mikademius]

Dallas based law firm McKool Smith is suing Electronic Arts, Take-Two, Ubisoft, Activision, Atari, THQ, Vivendi, Sega, Square Enix, Tecmo, LucasArts and Namco Hometek for breaking the "Method and Apparatus for Spherical Planning", patent nr. 4734690" from 1988. This patent covers all 3d-graphics in gaming and therefore all the sued companies have sold 3d-games illegaly.

If McKool Smith wins the american court can claim the income of ALL THE GAMES THE PUBLISHERS HAVE EVER PUBLISHED

They will also claim the right to claim money for EVERY 3d-GAMES IN THE FUTURE

8 of the sued companies are represented by ibson, Dunn & Crutcher, but they wouldn't comment on the case. However an anonymous representative for one of the firms say this :

"Publishers should be very concerned. They seem to have a case. It's not impossible that they might win. There are a lot ov clever people on the case and they take this case very seriously"

If you ask me this will crash the gaming industry. No one will afford to create games in 3d anymore if this comes through. Perhaps people will create the good old 2d games instead... But seriously. This is horrible news.

www.gamer.no (norwegian)
www.gamedaily.biz
www.slashdot.org

 

[iamaelephant]

For those interested - http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-...0&s1=4734690.WKU.&OS=PN/4734690&RS=PN/4734690

They do seem to have a good point - this is very bad. Why are you silly Americans always sueing each other?

 

[aeroripper]

They do seem to have a good point - this is very bad. Why are you silly Americans always sueing each other?

Because we can't find a higher purpose beyond money. I thought everybody knew that :-P

EDIT: It just seems to me they were waiting to unload this whopper on the industry for some time... if it was being violated for so long, why didn't they bring it up before? I doubt they will actually win this... i can only imagine they would hafta pay royalties to them if they win.

 

[K.I.L.E.R]

Have they frequently enforced this patent beforehand?
Why shouldn't the judge just throw the case out?
Any judge with common sense will throw this out of the courts.

 

[mrlangenakker]

wtf?!
I didnt even know about this and how did they violate it?
why is this happening?

 

[Homer]

Dont worry, someone big(EA, MS) will throw some money at this and it will go away.

 

[mrlangenakker]

ahhh good i was worried for a second
it would suck if that group won, never heard of them before

 

[iamaelephant]

Have they frequently enforced this patent beforehand?
Why shouldn't the judge just throw the case out?
Any judge with common sense will throw this out of the courts.

Mostly I disagree with these crazy court cases most Americans seem to indulge in these days, but if you read that patent it's actually quite obvious that these guys own rights to all 3d applications. Quite sad really

 

[bliink]

For once, I'm glad giant companies like MS, EA etc can buy their way out of trouble

 

[trizzm]

if they win, they better get some bodyguards with all the money they'll make.

 

[Yombi]

thats how patients go -_-

Wonder if they will try hitting Maya and all the big 3d products next.

 

[mrlangenakker]

lol
id help you with that

 

[Xenon]

If they continue with this lawsuit, someone is gonna get seriously Assassinated, and that is not the sued ones that are going to suffer.

 

[mrlangenakker]

yes it will be the gamers that suffer most of all

 

[Esquire]

This world is stupid.

 

[Clavius]

This world is stupid.

Nononono, not the world, the United States of America.

 

[mrlangenakker]

i agree with you there Esquire, the world can be stupid when tings like this happen

 

[haggie]

this has really pissed me off!!! :frown: i want to make games in the future and i have spent too much time and effort for it to go to waste just because some f***cked firm dont like them, i want games to go forward not to go backwards!!!! :frown:

 

[Dead-Inside]

Don't worry. They won't win. If they win, they WILL be killed by at least 10 angry gamers (Most are sane enough to stay away from it, but some gamers will get too mad to stop themselves and will therefor gladly kill off some stupid ****ing byrocrat trying to take away their fun).

Actually.. I hope they win.

 

[Cerpin]

Christ, if they get what they want they`ll even get money from every single movie that has ever used CGI.

 

[Dead-Inside]

If you think about it, companies can make AWESOME 2d games today.

 

[A.I.]

That's the case why I loooooove open source :afro:

But you can blame Micro-kaching!-soft for all this patent non-sense. They've lobbied the laws for patenting non-sense like double-click, now their own sword has turned against them.

Bravo, M$, you just forgot to pull the gun out of the holster before triggering it, hehe. :thumbs:

 

[Abdi]

im not surprised.... its america

 

[mrlangenakker]

yes why cant most steriotypical americans not sue everyone (was going to say some bad about lawyers but i stopped myself there are some good lawyers out there)

 

[haggie]

dont you guys get it this aint a joke this could be very serious we could loose 3d games completely and i think the american court system is a bunch of BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Mikademius]

American lawfirms find it funny to ruin the business bigger than the movie- and music and music industry in total. what a waste

 

[mrlangenakker]

yes what a waste that highly paid people find fun in things like this

edit- if they find this funny

 

[destrukt]

if they lose .. those companies are going to beat them down.

 

[ranmafan]

The collective IQ of the Human race has just gone down by 100.

 

[haggie]

I AM FUMMING MAN!!!!!! :angry: if they loose not only will one of the biggest industries in the world go down the drain but it will ruin the lives of people who intend on making games in the future!

I pray to God those companies do not loose.

Oh and from this day forward i hate all lawers! :sniper:

 

[A.I.]

http://www.mckoolsmith.com/

Tough nut.

 

[Sorze]

Haven't the people with the patent forfeited their right to sure people, by not suing for the last 14 years??
Isn't that why companies can't let mods use their themes (get foxed and all that), if they don't protect their brand (or whatever) constantly, they can't do it later either...

Or am i wrong?

 

[InnerDemon]

Heard about this before, it's a law firms scheme to cash in.

Software and Hardware prices will sky rocket because of this, and as said: some will go all out bust.

Any sane Judge wouldn't let them win, for the simple fact that the patents are rather vague.

 

[mrlangenakker]

guess people could always release free games over internet by using game engines from games like hl2 and doom 3 if that lawyer group wins

 

[haggie]

"McKool Smith is one of the nation’s largest trial firms."
great just great

 

[ksimm]

Don't worry, EA will settle out of court and buy the patent, charge every other publisher / developer thus adding to its already huge monopoly 'Challenge Everything' !!! :E

 

[A.I.]

Haven't the people with the patent forfeited their right to sure people, by not suing for the last 14 years??
Isn't that why companies can't let mods use their themes (get foxed and all that), if they don't protect their brand (or whatever) constantly, they can't do it later either...

Or am i wrong?

Yup, that just sucks. If I was a judge: "Where the hell have you been for the last 16 friggin' years you miserable ****** ***** ******?!?!?!?1111oneoneonequestionmark"

 

[[Born][nBk]]

Yahhooo!!! I Hope They Shut Down Every Gaming Company Ever!!! Then Microsoft Will Crumble!!!! And Bill Gates Will Be Poor As Everyone Else!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I Stand Rite Behind That Lawfirm!!!!!!!!!!!!! Games Are Worthless They Damage Brain Cells And They Alter Your Thinking Patterns!! It Will Be The Best Thing That Ever Happend Too America! Ban All Video Games Get Kids Out Of The House!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[mrlangenakker]

what are you doing in a gaming forum then?

 

[haggie]

ummm...mate god help you if your statement is serious because i will come to your house...and i will cut you!