Stella+KDE Posted September 28, 2004 Share Posted September 28, 2004 I would like to know if anyone here knows who the Author of Space Zap is or Who i would contact about getting permission to release my Remake of this arcade game from my Youth. The program will be Finished October 25, 2004 and will be Freeware. thanks in Advance to all those who reply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 Midway owns the license (made by Game-A-Tron). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella+KDE Posted September 29, 2004 Author Share Posted September 29, 2004 well there goe's my remake down the drain. Thanks nukey Shay. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NovaXpress Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 Try changing the graphics and give it a new name. It's worth a shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella+KDE Posted September 29, 2004 Author Share Posted September 29, 2004 just sent an Email to Midway asking for Permission, i hope they will let me without having to pay a licenseing fee, i Explained to them that it is going to be a freeware fan game. and NovaExpress i thought about that too, but would'nt they still be able to prosocute me just based on the similarity ?, if not then i will go that route instead. Man i love that game more than i did as kid, coolest ever next to sinistar and Robotron. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NovaXpress Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 Have you played the Astrocade version, "Space Fortress"? It's fantastic. Now that you've sent a letter to Midway it's too late to change the name. You already admitted that you're out to make a new version of Space Zap. Otherwise, you could have pretended to have thought up the mechanic yourself or claim to be inspired by Vault Assault. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella+KDE Posted September 29, 2004 Author Share Posted September 29, 2004 no have not played Space Fortress is it available in Mame ? and yeah i shot myself in the foot there on that one but i figured it is better to get permission rather than just do it and have to pay a big fine or somthing like that. but who knows they may say "Sure, who in thier right mind would play that garbage ?." and if they do then yay but i do not know if they will even reply to my Email at all if they do i will post it Either way. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dav Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 My lawyer tells me that you can't copyright game play, you can only patent it. And that's very unlikely. As long as you name it something different and make it look a little different you're probably ok. Of course that doesn't mean they can't hassle you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 Yup...the only successful case that I can think of that went against this was Atari vs. Magnavox (K.C.Munchkin). Since then, Atari doesn't really have a very good track record of winning cases. Sorry for bringing up Atari again, but what you are doing is very similar to what Craig Pell did with Indenture. He asked Atari, they said no, and he published anyway. AFAIK, they never attempted to take him to court. Similar game, different platform, entirely different program. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph3 Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 Maybe that is how Imagic get away with the same "Space Zap" type level in their game. Very, very similar, but with different graphics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dav Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 I"ve been trying to remember and I can't. Wasn't it atari that was throwing it's weight around with some of the smaller platforms. They'd threaten the small time author of a similar game and then since he couldn't defend himself he'd sign over his rights for nothing and they'd change the name back to Pacman and release it as is. Saved on porting costs. I know I read that story somewhere, just can't remember where. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella+KDE Posted September 29, 2004 Author Share Posted September 29, 2004 well i have not gotten an email reply yet, so from what i understand as long as i Change the graphics a bit and the title i can still make and distribute this as a freeware fan game ?. then that is what i will do, now i just have to think of a new name and design some new graphics. Anyone got any Ideas for a good name that is not already in use ? I really appreciate all the good info you guys have given me on this most people could care less about remakes as they are just old news and not really worth worrying about. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NovaXpress Posted September 29, 2004 Share Posted September 29, 2004 Some of us just loved Space Zap! With new graphics you are safe. remember that the clincher in the KC Munchkin case was that the judge felt the characters looked too similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dav Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Yes, you should be OK. Keep in mind that being in the right is not the same as not being sued. But I can't imagine anyone at midway/atari even really remembers the game and who has rights to it, much less has lawyers on retainer with nothing better to than hassle individuals. BTW this is what my version of space zap looks like. A rotating ball, I added a second gun. Any resemblance of the enemy ships to mt fuji is strictly a coincidence. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nukey Shay Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 With new graphics you are safe. remember that the clincher in the KC Munchkin case was that the judge felt the characters looked too similar. That and the fact that those types of litigation were still in their infancy (which is the real reason that Atari won IMO). A lawsuit like that wouldn't have flown later on...besides having different names and being a totally different program code, the gameplay is not the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella+KDE Posted September 30, 2004 Author Share Posted September 30, 2004 well here is a rough idea of the new graphic for the main base. it will be better looking than this once i clean up the lines and colors a bit so what do you think ?. Anyway i can post more as soon as i finish the graphics and put them in the code, i should have working demo pretty soon if you would like to see it as the game progress in the work phase as i would like any input as to how it could be improved. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NovaXpress Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Looks like a hex sign. I'd rather see something that actually looked like a spaceship but that's just my taste. Am I wrong, or were Space Fortress and Cosmic Ark the only Space Zap knockoffs that every appeared on consoles? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella+KDE Posted September 30, 2004 Author Share Posted September 30, 2004 well i only knew of cosmic ark, but now i know of the one Dav has and it looks great !, and yeah i know it don't look too good now but it is hard to come up with a graphic that is original and still has the "Old Arcade" look and feel to it, i am still experimenting with ideas but so far the gif above is the best i can come up with for an alternate look. but i will think of somthing eventually Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dav Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Is yours on PC? Mine runs on pacman hardware or in mame on PC, that pretty much guarantees an old school look. I never actually finished mine, it's playable, but iirc you can't be killed, or there's no timer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella+KDE Posted September 30, 2004 Author Share Posted September 30, 2004 mine is on the PC, it is being made with Game Maker 5.3A, i know this is not "real" programming but it is the only tool i have found that i can understand and has a form Coding, the only other alternative i had open to me is Qbasic 7.1 PDS but that would be to slow without Assembly routines and stuff like that but since i cannot understand Assembly and will never be able to understand it due to a learning problem i have with mathematics (i only know basic math) plus it is confusing too. BTW Do you plan to finish your Program ?, i think you should becuase it sounds like it basicly done now, and besides i would play it and it would make a nice addition to my small Mame Library of games (mostly 76 - 84) Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph3 Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Here are a few name suggestions: QUAD THEME (can replace quad with four on some, but quad sounds better) Quad Shooter Quad Ship Quad Invasion Quad Gunner ABSTRAST NEWS Shoot(er) (North, East, West, South) Clock Shot(Enemy at 12:00, 3:00, etc..) SIMPLE(Not used yet according to the klov.com list) Space Station Space Shot/Shoot(er) Space Lazer(not laser) Space Mine Station Attack Station Defender Just throwin' my 2 cents worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella+KDE Posted September 30, 2004 Author Share Posted September 30, 2004 hey Ralph! thanks for the names i think "Station Attack" sounds good ! and fits the theme Give me your full name for the credits section in the Game. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella+KDE Posted September 30, 2004 Author Share Posted September 30, 2004 well here is another gif image of an alternate station and i think this one is gonna be the one i use unless i come up with better one. it is basicly a couple of diffrent things i have seen in an old Sci-fi movie and the refueling station from Activision's Classic Hit title "Star Master" one of my favs for the 2600 system. well Back to Coding have a great day guys and thanks for all the input and help. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dav Posted September 30, 2004 Share Posted September 30, 2004 Here it is. I think it was on my website at one time but I don't see it now. Run in mame as mspacmab or if you have a very old version it was called mspacman. Rename your current mspacmab or mspacman and name this file to it. Use the coin button to coin up, then start. Start 1 fires 1 and start 2 fires the other cannon since pacman doesn't have any other buttons to use. The energy bars at the bottom show how many shots, so you have to alternate. I doubt I will ever finish it. It wouldn't take much but I don't have any interest in programming pac hardware right now. Although when I do the colecovision project I may convert all my pac hardware games to colecovison that may encourage me to finish it. sz.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stella+KDE Posted September 30, 2004 Author Share Posted September 30, 2004 okay, guys i need the Following real names for the list of credits in the game. now if you do not want your real name to be used i can use your board name instead that is up to you. NoveXpress Nukey Shay Dav and i am Also adding AtariAge to this list as well for having a great resource and boards, as well as programmers from the Past Days and now programmers in the present days. thanks Dav i will be playing that Rom later after work. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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