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Keen 10: Commander Keen in Copyright Infringement

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 8:44
by Paramultart
I'd like to pitch a mod idea.
Title: Keen 10: Commander Keen in Copyright Infringement
Subtitle: Battle For The Ultimate Justice

Premise:
Commander Keen receives a distress signal from an alternate universe, in which he is the star of his very own hit video game series. The message transcribes to his computer monitor and reveals a desperate plea from his very own fan base:
"Commander Keen, the rights to your video game series have fallen into the hands of a stupid, selfish corporation that doesn't care about you or the fans! The series stopped on a cliffhanger, and the last thing they did with the Keen character was license it to a terrible Gameboy game that was totally not faithful to the series and didn't even attempt to follow the story line! Now, they're keeping the video-game version of you locked up in a maximum security prison, along with the source code to your games, with no plans to ever release either of them! Rumor has it that they are planning on taking the Keen character and making horrible mutated CLONES for potential crappy mobile adaptations, but it is more likely that these hideous creations will serve as guards to secure their prison, along with all of the hideous GBC game's mutations, and the GBC Keen himself serving as the warden. Please help us, Keen! PLEASE! You're our only hooope!"

Keen takes one more glance at the flickering monitor, shrugs off the feeling of shock, disbelief and existential paradox, and says "Those alien bastards are gonna pay for ruining my game!"

Keen sets the BwB Megarocket for "inter-dimensional hyper-drive" and BLASTS through to the parallel universe to maximally deliver THE GREAT JUSTICE!



So who wants to make this mod?

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 9:11
by NY00123
What... the...

While it's safer to assume it will never happen, back in the middle of December I've thought of a bit of joking around, mentioning the idea of using this title as a name for a theoretical merger of Chocolate Keen with Omnispeak...

In case of doubts, I still have the IRC log. Posted with permission from Lunick:
Dec 18 11:00:33 <ny00123> Well, mind more PM nagging? Oh, why should we mind, we're married... </snip>
Dec 18 11:01:05 <ny00123> erm anyway, I've thought of this just in the last day or so (again?)
Dec 18 11:01:26 <ny00123> Well I'm sure you're aware of it up to some level.
Dec 18 11:01:50 <ny00123> Basically, even zenimax cannot do "whatever it wants to" with Commander Keen.
Dec 18 11:02:11 <ny00123> Say, may they distribute Keen 6/Dreams at all?
Dec 18 11:02:43 <ny00123> Also, I've had this strange thought. Even if no sources are released at all
Dec 18 11:02:53 <ny00123> maybe a bit of fun can be made out of the situation...
Dec 18 11:03:31 <ny00123> Can two Keen interpreters be merged? Like CGenius with Omnispeak.
Dec 18 11:03:47 <Lunick> That would be up to the owners of each "port" I guess.
Dec 18 11:03:55 <Lunick> And if they are coded the same way too...
Dec 18 11:04:01 <ny00123> Well, CGenius has some Omnispeak code now. And ChocoKeen has decompression routines "borrowed" off Commander Genius.
Dec 18 11:04:16 <ny00123> But it's true that I feel like the differences are still great.
Dec 18 11:04:21 <Lunick> Do we even know where Commander Keen 6 resides? Keen Dreams is known because of the android port
Dec 18 11:04:41 <ny00123> People guess Keen 6 resides in the company known as Atari or so nowadays.
Dec 18 11:04:57 <ny00123> At least the rights to distribute this specific game.
Dec 18 11:05:16 <Lunick> I wonder if Devolver bought anymore titles from Atari. They bought the rights to a game called Marc Ecko's Getting Up and put it on Steam.
Dec 18 11:06:32 <ny00123> Oh, interesting.
Dec 18 11:07:03 <ny00123> http://kotaku.com/mark-eckos-graffiti-g ... 1483260436
Dec 18 11:07:10 <ny00123> Wait when has that happened
Dec 18 11:07:57 <ny00123> Ah
Dec 18 11:07:58 <Lunick> Well, I was beta testing the game about a month ago...
Dec 18 11:07:59 <ny00123> Last week?
Dec 18 11:08:06 <Lunick> I think it was released last week yeah
Dec 18 11:08:32 <ny00123> At least if I believe Wikipedia and check the date of a news post (as shown by Google - 1 day ago or something like that.)
Dec 18 11:08:51 <ny00123> Alright, guess how can a merger of, say, Chocolate Keen and Omnispeak be named
Dec 18 11:08:58 <Lunick> I don;t know, I thought the game was garg lol
Dec 18 11:09:00 <ny00123> considering the fact that, at the least, they share very similar goals
Dec 18 11:09:17 <ny00123> and based on reverse engineering (a clear part of these goals in a way).
Dec 18 11:09:26 <Lunick> Chocolate Keen+ <.<
Dec 18 11:09:32 <ny00123> hehe
Dec 18 11:09:39 <ny00123> Nice choice...but
Dec 18 11:09:45 <ny00123> ok giving you more two trials :)
Dec 18 11:10:51 <Lunick> Strawberry Keen? :P
Dec 18 11:11:14 <ny00123> Heh, I actually considered that name for Chocolate Keen before releasing the... first release
Dec 18 11:11:30 <ny00123> of course, yeah, there's Strawberry Doom.
Dec 18 11:11:33 <ny00123> *Of
Dec 18 11:11:49 <ny00123> Well, still not that. But giving you one more chance...
Dec 18 11:12:05 <ny00123> Note
Dec 18 11:12:32 <ny00123> Not that it happens but, if zenimax approves source release anyway, this name I've thought of won't be so relevant as much as it may be now...
Dec 18 11:12:55 <Lunick> ny00123 Keen? :P
Dec 18 11:13:01 <ny00123> hehehehe :)
Dec 18 11:13:15 <ny00123> Alright, ready to hear..er read the specific name?
Dec 18 11:13:41 <Lunick> Sure :)
Dec 18 11:13:46 <ny00123> CCICI!
Dec 18 11:14:05 <Lunick> o.o
Dec 18 11:14:21 <ny00123> Not sure if you realize what I'm referring to :O
Dec 18 11:14:28 <ny00123> and/or implying
Dec 18 11:14:41 <Lunick> I have no idea
Dec 18 11:14:44 <ny00123> Alright
Dec 18 11:14:51 <ny00123> Does DDICI sound familiar in any way? :)
Dec 18 11:15:01 <ny00123> if not you can...Google or so
Dec 18 11:15:06 <ny00123> First result for me :o
Dec 18 11:15:39 <Lunick> Dangerous Dave in Copyright Infringement?
Dec 18 11:15:48 <ny00123> Yeppie
Dec 18 11:15:54 <Lunick> So Commander . in Copyright Infringement?
Dec 18 11:16:03 <ny00123> Yes!!
Dec 18 11:16:16 <ny00123> Or if to do it their way... Commander Keen in "Copyright Infringement"!
Dec 18 11:16:24 <ny00123> Oh oops
Dec 18 11:16:27 <ny00123> Silly me
Dec 18 11:16:29 <ny00123> CKICI :)
Dec 18 11:16:43 <Lunick> NOW it makes sense ahaha
Dec 18 11:16:47 <ny00123> hahahahahaha
Dec 18 11:17:24 <ny00123> Anyway, yeah. Such a name for a source port...
Dec 18 11:17:49 <ny00123> even if just in theory.
Dec 18 11:19:17 <ny00123> So, yeah, even if the sources no released
Dec 18 11:19:57 <ny00123> (and anyway the situation with the rights is not so simple - Keen 1-5 distributed by zenimax *and* 3d realms, Keen 6 can maybe be legally distributed by... what's (not) left out of Atari, and Dreams - yeah.)
Dec 18 11:20:19 <ny00123> at least a bit of fun can be made.
Dec 18 11:20:30 <ny00123> Not sure anybody will like that, of course...

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 9:50
by Paramultart
This looks like a case of copyright infringement infringement!
Next, you're going to tell me the name "Keen 10" is already taken!
Whatever shall we do?

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 12:07
by Keening_Product
Dangerous Dave will be elated.

"Rumour has it that they are planning on taking the Keen character and making horrible mutated CLONES for potential crappy mobile adaptations". Did I miss something?

Re: Keen 10: Commander Keen in Copyright Infringement

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 13:00
by szemi
Paramultart wrote:I'd like to pitch a mod idea.
Title: Keen 10: Commander Keen in Copyright Infringement
Subtitle: Battle For The Ultimate Justice

Premise:
Commander Keen receives a distress signal from an alternate universe, in which he is the star of his very own hit video game series. The message transcribes to his computer monitor and reveals a desperate plea from his very own fan base:
"Commander Keen, the rights to your video game series have fallen into the hands of a stupid, selfish corporation that doesn't care about you or the fans! The series stopped on a cliffhanger, and the last thing they did with the Keen character was license it to a terrible Gameboy game that was totally not faithful to the series and didn't even attempt to follow the story line! Now, they're keeping the video-game version of you locked up in a maximum security prison, along with the source code to your games, with no plans to ever release either of them! Rumor has it that they are planning on taking the Keen character and making horrible mutated CLONES for potential crappy mobile adaptations, but it is more likely that these hideous creations will serve as guards to secure their prison, along with all of the hideous GBC game's mutations, and the GBC Keen himself serving as the warden. Please help us, Keen! PLEASE! You're our only hooope!"

Keen takes one more glance at the flickering monitor, shrugs off the feeling of shock, disbelief and existential paradox, and says "Those alien bastards are gonna pay for ruining my game!"

Keen sets the BwB Megarocket for "inter-dimensional hyper-drive" and BLASTS through to the parallel universe to maximally deliver THE GREAT JUSTICE!



So who wants to make this mod?
Keen 10 already exists, which I already released last year. So no chance. :) Moreover Keen 11 and 12 will be mine as well. ;)

Re: Keen 10: Commander Keen in Copyright Infringement

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 13:09
by Keening_Product
szemi wrote:Keen 10 already exists, which I already released last year. So no chance. :) Moreover Keen 11 and 12 will be mine as well. ;)
Firstly, Para pinching the name is part of the joke.

Secondly, will you let the world know you have a trademark on the number 10, or shall I?

Re: Keen 10: Commander Keen in Copyright Infringement

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 15:04
by szemi
Keening_Product wrote: Firstly, Para pinching the name is part of the joke.

Secondly, will you let the world know you have a trademark on the number 10, or shall I?
Firstly: Ah, okay, didn't know.

Secondly: Nope. And no thanks, I don't want that. Theme's closed.

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 15:42
by Paramultart
Nice try, Szemi, but this isn't "Keen 10", it's "Keen 10: Commander Keen in Copyright Infringement - Battle For The Ultimate Justice".
KeeningProduct wrote:"Rumour has it that they are planning on taking the Keen character and making horrible mutated CLONES for potential crappy mobile adaptations". Did I miss something?
Speculation, with a hint of poetic license.

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 15:50
by szemi
Bagoly mondja verébnek.

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 16:50
by Benvolio
Szemi wrote:Bagoly mondja verébnek.
Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile.

Posted: Fri Jan 10, 2014 17:20
by Roobar
ëÂ￾„대체 다른 언어를 사용하여 함께 무엇입니까?

I thought of a similar idea not so long ago. Basically, it was going to be a Crystal Caves 1 mod, if my PC didn't crashed!

The story starts in the Crystal Caves universe, in which the favorite game of Mylo Steamwitz (unless it could be changed) is Commander Keen. In this universe, Tom Hall also finds the Keen source, and Mylo decides that if he can own the rights for it, he can make a new Commander Keen! But only if he had the money to buy the Keen rights... So he would go to mine some crystals and collect enough to trade them in the Galactic Trading Post. And eventually, he will be able to buy the Commander Keen rights and start making new Keen games.

Posted: Sat Jan 11, 2014 2:56
by Levellass
I'd help but I'm already fully booked this year.

Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2014 17:23
by Paramultart
This thread perfectly exemplifies the egocentrism found in so many Keeners, lol.

50% of the responses to this mod thus far have been "I thought of it first!"

You don't see me complaining that settings of Suburb Shenanigans and Episode -3 are eerily close to the original idea I had for Where is Everybody.

Szemi, instead of complaining, why don't you join forces and help make this mod? You can write the story and be the chief level designer.

Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2014 17:40
by Keening_Product
Paramultart wrote:This thread perfectly exemplifies the egocentrism found in so many Keeners
I wouldn't restrict that trait to Keeners. Humanity, maybe? Evolutionary trait.

Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2014 18:42
by Roobar
Or perhaps it shows that this idea isn't original at all.