Awesome(ly Obscure) Moments in Gaming History
A recent Angry VideoGame Nerd episode made passing comment to the Game Genie. I owned both the NES/SNES versions of this wonderfully helpful device and it got me to thinking about the company that made it, Galoob.
Galoob is a very unique name, and I remember it being pretty prominent when I was younger. Not so much anymore. A quick trip to Wikipedia brought me up to date on the company (bought out by Hasbro in 98), but it also brought to my attention a somewhat landmark case in Galoob vs Nintendo of America.
I'm used to gaming being treated as an ugly red stepchild, so when I read that the District Court ruled that "Having paid Nintendo a fair return, the consumer may experiment with the product and create new variations of play, for personal enjoyment, without creating a derivative work." I was pretty surprised.
I know courts are supposed to treat this seriously, but the fact that someone really understood the case kinda surprised me. It also made a nascent case for modding.
I thought I'd share this, and ask for any similar occurrences that anyone could contribute.
"Personally I'm looking forward to buying a PC with a 128 core processor integrated with 32tb of memory in about 10 years time. Shortly there after Will Wright's Spore 3 will become self aware and annihilate humanity in a nuclear holocaust."
I don't know if it's terribly obscure, but it's fitting since it involves Nintendo and another lawsuit. Universal Studios sued Nintendo over Donkey Kong, saying it infringed on King Kong. Turned out, King Kong had gone public domain many years prior, so the case was dropped. I believe Nintendo was counter-suing Universal for the court costs, which they won.
This makes me wonder, though, what happens when Mario goes public domain? Suddenly anyone and everyone can make a Mario game for any system.
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If Nintendo is anything like Disney, Mario will never, ever, ever go public domain. Mickey Mouse should have at least twice already.
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler. - Albert Einstein
Considering Disney has lobbied the US congress to extend copyright to something insane like 90+ years, that's a problem we won't come across for a while.
But essentially [redacted since I have no idea what i'm talking about]
"Personally I'm looking forward to buying a PC with a 128 core processor integrated with 32tb of memory in about 10 years time. Shortly there after Will Wright's Spore 3 will become self aware and annihilate humanity in a nuclear holocaust."
Obscure moments, I was thinking Donkey Kong 3, when my character had cans of bug spray shooting Donkey Kong in the balls between rounds of insects. I'm way off base with this topic.
XBox Live: MaxShrek .... Steam ID: MaxShrek
I am intrigued by your ideas and wish to subscribe to your newsletter.
Based on the findings of the report, my conclusion was that this idea was not a practical deterrent for reasons which at this moment must be all too obvious.
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Disney has trademarks on Mickey Mouse, and Nintendo has trademarks on Mario. Trademarks don't expire, so even if the copyright expires, you couldn't make something new with either of those characters and use their names.
The Disney thing is more to prevent people from showing or reusing their old cartoons without paying royalties.
And so they can release fifty year old movies on the current format and collect another $40. If they fall to public domain, I could media shift and give away copies without repercussion.
You should check out some of the cartoons that have fallen into public domain- dumb sound effects added, some voices changed, music changes, story edited. It's not a pretty picture.
XBox Live: MaxShrek .... Steam ID: MaxShrek
If the Mario brand could be diluted, it would be worthless by now. After Mario Teaches Typing, I don't think there's a lot lower he can go.
Homo sum, humani nil a me alienum puto
You obviously never played any of the Mario is Missing games.
Occasionally
I get the urge to write out
a stupid haiku
Ah, I see. Trademarks. Good, good.
Mario Teaches Sodomy was a rare case of a Mario game that's actually better than his platformer roots.
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Remember the "Hot Coffee" sex thing in Grand Theft Mariocart?
Based on the findings of the report, my conclusion was that this idea was not a practical deterrent for reasons which at this moment must be all too obvious.
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Hey, it worked for House of the Dead.
Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler. - Albert Einstein
Doctor mario was a fairly acute foreshadowing of our current munchausen syndrome leaden, pill obsessed society. Or something.