TxK [Vita]

[Atticus]

Plays great on the PSVita TV, full screen, bang on.

I'd never considered that route. It's now on my 'to do' list. Cheers.

[fishbowlhead]

To be honest if he was contacted about this from the start he should of know this was coming. To suddenly put your hands up and cry "dam you Atari you evil company" isn't dealing with the problem.

Not that the ip is worth buying from a financial point of view, but still. He has more than enough talent to make something else other than a tempest clone, again.

[MrKirov]

If he had at least made attempts to change the look or feel, or even the shape of the ship- this could have been arguable, but seeing as it does look the same, he's caused this himself I feel.

It's the whole Capcom vs Data East thing again- there's nothing illegal about copying popular games- Zynga has made a living from it. But this looks exactly the same with no real difference, and has even been marketed as a Tempest update- unfortunately for him- and us- I feel he is actually in the wrong here and has been a bit naive.

Atari aren't helping themselves though to be fair, their potential action hurts them, Minter and us.

[Brad]

I agree Minter was a bit naive, but... unless Atari are planning to launch Tempest 4000 in the next 12 months this achieves nothing for Atari so why do it? What they should have done is said he can call it Tempest and hand over some royalties.

[MrKirov]

It's business, and it's free money from reparations for Atari- it was bound to happen if the rights hadn't been secured sadly. I agree you must do something to keep it their license, but whether that comes into it or not- who knows. Minter has said he won't have the money for a legal battle, so it's pretty cut and dry for Atari- I'd download the game while you can tbh.

[fishbowlhead]

It's business, and it's free money from reparations for Atari- it was bound to happen if the rights hadn't been secured sadly. I agree you must do something to keep it their license, but whether that comes into it or not- who knows. Minter has said he won't have the money for a legal battle, so it's pretty cut and dry for Atari- I'd download the game while you can tbh.

Yup. The artical states minter was made well aware of the issue before release. If that's factual, and I don't believe it would be false as it's pretty standard to call someone out of this stuff. Then minter only has himself to blame.

This is all common sense legality.

[Golgo]

I agree Minter was a bit naive, but... unless Atari are planning to launch Tempest 4000 in the next 12 months this achieves nothing for Atari so why do it? What they should have done is said he can call it Tempest and hand over some royalties.

Atari are arguing 1) that's it's essentially the same game as Tempest 2000, therefore 2) Minter should hand over the code. I'm guessing they'd like to obtain and release it as 'theirs'. This would give them a bigger slice than mere royalty. I'd still buy it - to my shame. I've been hanging out for it.

I agree with others that Minter has been naive. He expects to be able to shout his way over the legalities by asserting he was sole genius behind the "seminal" (his words) Tempest 2000, even though he was employed by Atari to do it and it remained their IP. I'm more surprised that Sony have let it get this far, tbh, as they've been sponsoring Minter on it - so I understand - as kind of a flagship thing for the Sony-Indie love-in and also for Morpheus. They are negligent not to have thought of IP issues.

[Mayhem]

I agree with others that Minter has been naive. He expects to be able to shout his way over the legalities by asserting he was sole genius behind the "seminal" (his words) Tempest 2000, even though he was employed by Atari to do it and it remained their IP. I'm more surprised that Sony have let it get this far, tbh, as they've been sponsoring Minter on it - so I understand - as kind of a flagship thing for the Sony-Indie love-in and also for Morpheus. They are negligent not to have thought of IP issues.

This is exactly the question that was bugging me ever since the story broke yesterday. Surely Sony would have had some input into the release, test and approval, given it's going out on one of its systems. And if so, then surely the lawyers have let it pass, because I can't imagine legal don't check these things before release.

[Golgo]

Double post :\

[Golgo]

Years ago Minter was approached by the developer of this freeware release (Tsunami 2010, designed for fun as part of a 'make a game in 1K or less' competition) as a kind of courtesy to get the master's blessing. Minter demanded it not be released as it infringed 'his' IP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGKOIZIC7JM

What goes around, etc.

[Lebowski]

I dont get this David Theurer designed the original Tempest for Atari, all minter did is taken the original and expanded on it for a sequel. It's not as if he created it from scratch it wasn't his concept in the first place so god dam right Atari should be kicking up a fuss it's there IP.

I'm sure minter could of done a deal with Atari im sure they would be happy to be associated with a minter Tempest 2000 sequel.

Would Miyamoto get to take Mario, Zelda and the Pikmin with him if he left Nintendo tomorrow??? they would tell him to gtf.

[fishbowlhead]

I dont get this David Theurer designed the original Tempest for Atari, all minter did is taken the original and expanded on it for a sequel. It's not as if he created it from scratch it wasn't his concept in the first place so god dam right Atari should be kicking up a fuss it's there IP.

I'm sure minter could of done a deal with Atari im sure they would be happy to be associated with a minter Tempest 2000 sequel.

Would Miyamoto get to take Mario, Zelda and the Pikmin with him if he left Nintendo tomorrow??? they would tell him to gtf.

I've always wondered why people hold him in such regard. So what he's made "a" tempest. Wasn't his creation, So why has he been alowed to ape off its name all this time and call it "his", then say to others they can t create an homage.

[Golgo]

See your point, FishyB. Most of Minter's stuff has always been derivative, riffing off arcade classics and IPs he's never owned. He's done some more original stuff too like Iridis Alpha and Batalyx, which were never brilliant to play. His best stuff has always been based on arcade precedents that he loves (Robotron, Tempest, Defender), adding a dopey psychelic aesthetic, and refining the gameplay to absolute perfection. That's why he's respected, really. Plus he was massively important in establishing videogaming as an industry and hobby in the 80s when most people thought it was a joke. Plus he's a hell of a character: a gay, bearded mentalist living on a smallholding in Carmarthen with his coder boyfriend and tons of sheep. I've still got his autograph from an Olympia game event in late 80s, lol! But he's wrong over this Atari spat, I agree.

[nakamura]

I like Minter, nice bloke. Hugely overrated mind.

[Decider-VT]

People like an underdog, especially if he makes games like TxK.

I ran across some figures on Llamasoft a couple of years ago and it looked like they really didn't have much in the bank. In that regard I wouldn't say he's overrated, more critically respected.