Fuck Square Enix: Chrono Trigger Crimson Echoes C&Ded at 98% completion

[Zeality]

Yeah, Ybrik, you'll hate this: http://crimsonechoes.com/

Chrono Trigger: Crimson Echoes was a fan project modification of the Chrono Trigger ROM begun in late 2004. Development continue thanks to a dedicated group of fans through 2009. By May 2009, the game featured ~35 hours of game play, 10 multiple endings, and 23 chapters, much like the original Chrono Trigger; it was around 98% complete. The plot featured the original cast as they struggled against a new villain risen from the legacy of Zeal.

The team planned to release Crimson Echoes on May 31, 2009 as the first feature-length fan Chrono series game, and an unprecedentedly exhaustive work in the ROM modification community. On May 8, 2009, Chrono Trigger: Crimson Echoes received a cease & desist letter, along with all other game modification activity (even research) at the Chrono Compendium. In compliance with the letter, the development team ceased development on the game, and existing modifications (including Prophet's Guile) were taken down.

We thank those fans who followed the game's development, and also those who poured countless hours into the vision of a fun, new Chrono game, made by fans for fans without copyright claim or intent to make profit.

We understand the frustration. I sincerely hope this action is a sign that Square Enix cares about the franchise and intends to produce future titles, and not merely a shortsighted legal exercise that will further alienate a tired, neglected fan-base.

Signed ZeaLitY, Saturday May 9th, 2009

Why can't Chrono fans catch a break?

[Ybrik Metaknight]

Sorry to hear about it, Zeality. Though honestly, I'm not surprised. It's not exactly the first time that this sort of thing has been shut down.

[sempaimiles]

Bummer! 98% too...that's a real bitch!

[Zeality]

Renaming the topic to venerate joe_cam, whose "Fuck Service Pack 2" thread still makes me laugh: http://www.oneupstudios.com/boards/s...k+Service+Pack

Edit: Oh, I can't edit the title. Ah well. We'll just do it here:

Fuck Square Enix

[Bahamut Chris]

Fuck Square Enix

Haven't I been saying this since Day 1

[joe_cam]

Got ya covered Zeality

[pappy]

I've never played any of the games and even I think that's a super-douchy way to treat your fans.

[SaveSuperJoe]

Yeah, like Ybrik, I can't say I'm surprised about this. They've made it quite clear how they want to go about this in the past.

[jaems-kun]

where's the "back-up" copies being hosted? Someone's gotta be doing something with a 98% 35+ hour "illegal" game.

[Jessperk]

It's frustrating that they're constantly shutting down these projects, and still ignoring the series.

[Dhsu]

Yeah, like Ybrik, I can't say I'm surprised about this. They've made it quite clear how they want to go about this in the past.

But couldn't they have told them, I dunno, 5 years ago? It's almost like they timed this to screw the fans over as hard as possible.

So yeah, SE's not getting any more of my money. Hope they're happy.

[animefreak]

don't buy any more SE games if you want, but doing the 'i hope they're happy' thing is pretty dangerously close to irritating fanboy territory


(plus they don't care)


they did also just release a fantastic DS port, and are probably legally obligated (to keep their copyrights) to crack down on stuff when they find it

[Nodame]

Can't they just say they live in china and just ... do it? release it?

[Flik]

The only way to create and release an illegal game is to NOT make anything public until it's released. Sucks that it got shut down.

[Dhsu]

don't buy any more SE games if you want, but doing the 'i hope they're happy' thing is pretty dangerously close to irritating fanboy territory


(plus they don't care)


they did also just release a fantastic DS port, and are probably legally obligated (to keep their copyrights) to crack down on stuff when they find it

I know they don't care. And that's about as much as I care about your irritating fanboy territory. And about as much as I care about DS ports of SNES games, no matter how fantastic they are. I would be ten times more interested in something that will have new characters, story, and music than I am with anything we've been able to perfectly emulate on the PSP for 5 years already, and that's saying a lot since I barely cared about Crimson Echoes in the first place.

But you don't do that to your fans at 98% completion. You do it when they publicly announce the project and release a demo explicitly saying "if you have a problem with this, please let us know and we'll stop." Not 5 years later when they're in beta. Because that's generally considered to be a colossal dick move. Because a game mod has never ever kept someone from buying the original or future games from them. Because pulling something like this will do EXACTLY that. Because saying they're "protecting their copyrights" is BS or else they would've taken down every single remix and piece of fanart too.

So I hope they're happy about accomplishing absolutely nothing except losing a few dozen customers.

P.S. One thing though, Zeality, why take down all information about the projects? At least mention them in the "Abandoned Projects" section.

[Mustin]

Dhsu makes big points. Especially bringing up fan art and music.

This is definitely a dick move.

Why even bother telling people about it? When it's done, it's done - get it out on the torrents?

I just don't understand people - be it the small, crazy fans that make a sequel to a game themselves, or the giant company that's out of touch with its fanbase.

The whole thing is just too creepy.

[Bahamut Chris]

I just don't understand people - be it the small, crazy fans that make a sequel to a game themselves, or the giant company that's out of touch with its fanbase.

The whole thing is just too creepy.

When a company with ten employees grows to employ a thousand people, a lot of things change, of course. The most important thing then is making money. When Squaresoft employed ten to twenty people, the most important thing was to make something interesting and entertaining. All the people were following their ideas and their dreams or did what they thought was right. A company witha thousand employees can't be run on dreams anymore.

[Dhsu]

Why even bother telling people about it? When it's done, it's done - get it out on the torrents?

Probably partly to recruit talent, but I imagine a lot of these things will be going (or staying) underground now.

[Ybrik Metaknight]

Probably partly to recruit talent, but I imagine a lot of these things will be going (or staying) underground now.

I was under the impression that Crimson Echoes was going to be mostly underground, and maybe it was for a while, but I've been so out of touch with the Chrono Compendium for quite some time now.

[DCT]

The only way to create and release an illegal game is to NOT make anything public until it's released.

Word.

That's real jacked up though, waiting for 98% completion.

-DCT

[joe_cam]

I hope they finish it anyways. Finish it, get it on the torrents. Once it hits the net, it'll NEVER be contained.

[pappy]

Could it have been bought?
I mean, common sense dictates when something is almost done, should it look good, you want to make profit. So if Squeeeeeeeeeenix had a brain, they'd pay off the contributors, finish it off, and market it or $49.99.

[Ybrik Metaknight]

I hope they finish it anyways. Finish it, get it on the torrents. Once it hits the net, it'll NEVER be contained.

Yeah, good way to get them shut down entirely for continuing to work on it after the C&D.

[SaveSuperJoe]

Yeah, it'll never be contained but they'll get fucking sued and ruined.

[joe_cam]

Then "leak" it at 98%. shit leaks all the time and if they have no control over how it leaked, what can be done?

[jaems-kun]

change the title, cut the credits, blame it on someone else.

[Mustin]

Nice.

[joe_cam]

add in something on the title screen with crude MSpaint looking graphics that say "CT HACKAZ 4 LIFE" or something to look like the site was hacked and the files stolen.

[Nodame]

Yea, I don't see how all hope is lost ...

make it anonymous and freaking release it ...

[Ybrik Metaknight]

Yeah, easy to say when it's not your neck potentially on the line. If you actually read everything posted on the Chrono Compendium about this, you'll see that they actually have these guys' names and addresses. I'm sorry, but I think it's totally unfair to criticize them for not "anonymously" leaking the nearly finished game, given what's on the line for them.