Non-RPG General News - On Fan Project Shutdowns

@Equity Arcade Michelle McLean talks about how zealous some companies can be about shutting down fan projects and why.

In 2015, a small group ran a small private server, titled Nostalrius, for those nostalgic for the olden days of World of Warcraft-and boy, there were many nostalgics. Before the order, 800,000 accounts were registered on the private server, of which 150,000 were active.

Of course, typical private servers are disallowed. After all, you're getting to play a game for free, especially in World of Warcraft's case. But Nostalrius was a tad different, as it ran version 1.12-the update right before The Burning Crusade expansion-perpetually. The server was deemed the "Authentic, Vanilla WoW" and even ran for about a year before Blizzard's French and US branches officially filed lawsuits ordering the server to be shut down by April 10, 2016.

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Of course, fans didn't take this lightly and even formed a petition in response, which garnered roughly 38,000 supports at the time of this writing... within a single day. This quote speaks deeply though:

"We never saw our community as a threat for Blizzard. It sounds more like a transverse place where players can continue to enjoy old World of Warcraft's games no longer available, maybe until a new expansion appears; a huge and powerful community of fans that remains attached to future Blizzard games, as we have in no other gaming company.

We don't have the pretention to come up with a complete solution regarding legacy servers that you and your company didn't already think about, but we'd be glad and honored to share it with you if you're interested, still on a volunteer basis."

And you know what? The volunteers are absolutely right. How are they a threat to Blizzard and World of Warcraft? After all, it's not like the players are going to start playing the newer version of World of Warcraft if they lose access to the vanilla server.

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The author cites valid reasons for a takedown below.

Fans are making money off the IP
This is another reasonable reason for a shutdown. If the project is not-for-profit, then I don't see a reason for said project to be shut down, but more on that in a bit. Now, if fans are making money off an IP, then yea, there is an issue there. You're making money using a company's rights, which just sounds wrong, and if copyrighted, that could land you in hot water.

Companies are in the midsts of planning something a fan has already gone ahead and established
That's right-sometimes, when a takedown occurs, it's because the company is hiding some big secret. If a fan is crafting an HD remake of a game and a company orders a takedown, it could be merely because there are plans in store for an official HD remake. For instance, the Resident Evil 2 Remake Fan Project. InvaderGames, the group behind Resident Evil 2: Reborn, had once been ordered to abandon the work at Capcom's behest, only because Capcom revealed plans to remake the game itself. However, this actually led to a happy ending, as InvaderGames was invited to meet with the development team of Capcom "to discuss further ideas."

To me, that's awesome and a huge benefit for everyone, and it can happen, depending on the developers.

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More information.

Lemme write what I've heard:

1. Blizzard killed "rogue" server but it's holders are already opening another one (IIRC in Russia, don't take my word 100% as I don't care about MMOs so I don't remember everything I hear from friends).

2. The "rogue" server was nonprofitable and was the original game without any later DLC (I think)

3. Blizzard has every right to choose what to do with their IP

4. Blizzard does not want to run their own, profitable, original game without DLC, server for whatever reason

5. While being "rogue" server, one can think it's piracy online but apparently the majority of it's users were legit game buyers who just wanted to play the original game without DLC


Why does someone care about MMO crapware I just can't understand. I'm trying desperately to sour the milk on my friends who're MMO junkies by suggesting them real games, it doesn't help. Maybe the problem is me suggesting RPGs instead of common overhyped garbage that plays itself and has autoaim even on K/M?
What's even worse, instead of buying TW3, they're recently hooked on installing, trying then of course uninstalling phone crapware. Dunno why do I even bother, but I still do. And my biggest sin in this story is that I don't mind them wasting time on phone garbage as much as seeing them wasting salaries on MMOs.

Joxer you gotta give that up. It'll just turn you bitter and people will just start thinking you're an asshole. People want different things out of life. Don't shit on them because they like and want different things.

I forget which country you're in and whether you get the same thing I do, but get shit on all the time for not participating in NFL fantasy football leagues. I just don't care about football. Then I get shit on for season subscriptions to MLB broadcasts. I like summer! I like baseball! STFU haters!

Back on topic:

1. On the Blizzard rogue server shutdown
Hey, if I'm not mistaken, the rogue server was created by illegally reverse engineering the original Blizzard server.... so IMHO it is not an innocent fan project but a clearly illegal activity.

2. On fan projects overall
I happen to know a bunch of movie people from top Hollywood studios. These guys are the most paranoid, control-freak psychopaths you've ever seen. Very amusing to talk with them
If they smell out that a fan activity is about to happen with one of their IPs, they'll immediately try to shut it down. Why?
Because...
... they feel insecure that it is not *their* project, and they might fall out from grace,
... they fear that since they are not in control, the IP would be damaged,
... they envy if the project happens to be a success, the success is not theirs.

I think the same story goes with top tier game IPs as well.

Its been going on for years and it will continue to go on.
There are so many Everquest servers I can't count and there are 100 times as many Warcraft servers- there are downloadable executable programs with the whole server inside that makes it so people with almost no knowledge can run one.

Why do people do it? Same reason they drink,do drugs have sex or go to the beach. They like it. Blizzard missed an opportunity to host a progression server which was wildly popular for Everquest. People really like the Original Warcraft.

The Everquest people gave up on trying to shut down the servers.

What I heard was that there are many of these fan servers for original WoW. However Blizzard went out this particular one since they were getting around 150k+ users!!! That's more than many other MMO out there right now. Anyway these guys started to ask for donation etc so given the number of users, that's lots of money and hence caught the eye of Blizzard lawyers.

What I hate, then, is firms like Blizzard taking ideas from their fans - but of course never paying them.

All will be silenced - licensed - silenced - in the name of gold - money - profits - penny - money.

I don't doubt there are valid reasons for shutting down fan projects like those mentioned. But I think it's indisputable companies also shut down fan projects that are non-profit and not something they are working on or ever intend to. MERP is one thing that comes to mind.

I think I've read sometime/somewhere that the holders of an IP have to defend it, otherwise they run the risk of losing it. If so, I suppose they don't have much choice????

Pibbur who may very well be mistaken

joxer said:

I'm trying desperately to sour the milk on my friends who're MMO junkies by suggesting them real games, it doesn't help. Maybe the problem is me suggesting RPGs instead of common overhyped garbage that plays itself and has autoaim even on K/M?
Dunno why do I even bother, but I still do. And my biggest sin in this story is that I don't mind them wasting time on phone garbage as much as seeing them wasting salaries on MMOs.

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You sound like a great friend! If only I had someone around to tell me over and over again what games I should and shouldn't like, how to spend my free time, and what a jackass I am for wasting my money. *sigh* At least I've got internet forums!

Alrik Fassbauer said:

What I hate, then, is firms like Blizzard taking ideas from their fans - but of course never paying them.
All will be silenced - licensed - silenced - in the name of gold - money - profits - penny - money.

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Any specific examples? I'm not even a fan of Blizzard but you sound a teensy bit paranoid.
1) Lots of ideas evolve simultaneously in different environments
2) Lots of fanboys and modders end up working in the game industry precisely because companies love their (unpaid) mods and ideas
3) What practical way would you suggest to compensate people for ideas Blizzard wants to adopt? How can the person who has an idea legally prove it was his idea? You're familiar with the case of Facebook, where one guy (Mark "Billionaire" Zuckerberg) overheard two other guys with a great idea?
4) Do you think a minor idea for improving an existing property has some financial value? Or do you think Blizzard has wholesale ripped someone off and created a new game that someone else specced out in a design doc?

pibbur who said:

I think I've read sometime/somewhere that the holders of an IP have to defend it, otherwise they run the risk of losing it. If so, I suppose they don't have much choice????

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That's true of trademarks; they can weaken over time if they aren't defended. I don't think it's true of copyrights or patents though.

I had a few weeks of fun on a private server, things where more fun back in vanilla IMO. Was actually still subbed to the real deal at the time, just didn't play any more and just kept in touch with my guild.

@rjshae: Ahh. I see the difference. Thanks for explaining.

pibbur whonders where the name, which he had to write 3 times before he got it right, comes from

Played a bit on Nostalrius, was a nice Server. I won't play WoW on the Live Servers anymore, because they turned the game into a dumbed down kids game since at least Mists of Pandaria.

Ok, every AddOn was a bit of a Decline. Burning Crusade turned the game from fantasy steampunk to science fantasy, from Warhammer to Masters of the Universe. Wrath of the Lichking made the game again more grimdark, but simplified the Gameplay. Still I liked the Closure of Arthas Tale.

Cataclysm was the first AddOn in wich I haven't got my money's worth and when they started their chinese furry paradise with Mists of Pandaria it was clear for me that I'm no longer in Blizzards target group. If they kept Servers in different States of the Game running - or at least some Classic Servers - I never would have stopped paying their Fees... well, I'm a bit angry about their demeanor, they better have to create games on a genius level if they want to have another Cent from me.