Microsoft Responds To Master Chief Mod
At times, inter-corporation jeering can prove silly and pointless, though, occasionally someone is able to slam the other company in such a manner that it just causes me to uncontrollably crack up.
As the modding community for Unreal Tournament 3 became aware of the addition of Microsoft stalwarts Master Chief and Marcus Fenix, Playstation3 owners took great enjoyment in demonstrating how they suddenly had access to a full spectrum of choice, FPS protagonists. Soon thereafter, legitimate legal questions were raised as this was a potential infraction on trademarked characters.
Microsoft attorney Don McGowan quickly addressed the situation within his personal blog, and his candor is quite entertaining:
The developers aren't selling the mod, they're not monetizing Microsoft's IP, they're just creating something to share their love of the Master Chief on a new platform... And much though I love my friends at Epic, Unreal Tournament isn't Halo. This will also remind people of just how great the Halo games are and remind them that if they're done with the user-created faux-Halo experience, the real Halo is available only on the Xbox 360. And no one is taking characters from PlayStation games (do they even have any games?) and putting them on our platform...
That last line just slays me.
It is one thing to hear someone like Cliff Bleszinski (nay, CliffyB) talk trash, but for the corporate attorney? Snap!~
Master Chief on PlayStation? Yep, we know... [DonkeyXote Tells All]
[via Kotaku]
Noun
Posted to Miscellany on 27 March 2008
· Comments (7)
Other stuff like this: Machinima, master chief, microsoft, sony, unreal tournament 3
I think he's just compensating for something. I never thought of Halo as any more than a cookie cutter FPS. I don't think a model of a generic character is going to sway anyone.
Although I'm not much of a halo fan, I can't help but feel the sting of that last line of the attorney's comment.
Meh, I don't see how it's going to make Microsoft look any better when they have employees talking down on another company like that. I personally never got into Halo much myself I played all three and didn't see anything special about it. People make those mods out of fun nothing more, not because they want the game to be more like halo.
That last line is just mean! Someone could make a "Resistance Guy" or "Warhawk Guy" for 360. ;)
Kratos... Daxter, or Clank and those other guys whose names escape me at the moment.
Xbox isn't exactly brimming with iconic characters themselves! I'd hate to see a Sony Smash Bros, or Microsoft Smash Bros.
I've no love for Microsoft, but that was all class. From pointing out that Microsoft won't be Foxing the modders, to closing with a ding at the competition; this lawyer is awwwwright.
Ha ha. Nice one Microsoft man!
Oh wait. Even if there was a Sony exclusive character that someone wanted to mod into a 360 title, MS doesn't let modders anywhere near games on the platform. Sony and Epic win this round for actually allowing mods in the first place.
Oh, and Halo ain't all that!