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| | '''Fan games''' are computer and video games made by fans featuring popular based on one or more established video games. Many fangames attempt to ''clone'' the original game's design, gameplay and characters, but it is equally common for fans to develop a unique game using another only as a template. Though the quality of fangames has always been variable, recent advances in computer technology and in available tools have made creating high quality games easier. | | '''Fan games''' are computer and video games made by fans featuring popular based on one or more established video games. Many fangames attempt to ''clone'' the original game's design, gameplay and characters, but it is equally common for fans to develop a unique game using another only as a template. Though the quality of fangames has always been variable, recent advances in computer technology and in available tools have made creating high quality games easier. |
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| − | ==Legal issues==
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| − | Some companies go out of their way to shut down fan games, declaring them copyright infringements. Such shutdown has been believed to have a chilling effect on free speech, where amateur developers can't predict what a court will find as fair use. The term "foxed" is often used to describe these incidents, stemming from the original coining of the term from 20th Century Fox's shut down of an ''Aliens''-themed total conversion of ''Quake.'' In the vast majority of cases, the original copyright holders have full legal justification to order a cease and desist upon fan game projects, as by definition, fan games are unauthorized infringing uses of copyrighted property. Many fan games go as far as taking music and graphics directly from the original games.
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| − | A notable case in late 2005 involved Vivendi Universal shutting down a ''King's Quest'' fan project, ''King's Quest IX: Every Cloak Has a Silver Lining''. It was to be an unofficial sequel granting closure to the series, which had been abandoned since 1998. After a letter-writing campaign[http://www.savekqix.org/] and fan protests, Vivendi reversed its decision and gave permission for the game to be made. As part of the negotiations, the developers were required to remove "King's Quest" from the title.[http://www.tsl-game.com/info/faq/#genC]
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| − | Other times, companies have endorsed fan games. Very few companies have ever officially made comments on fangaming, however. This is seen through a ''Myst'' fan game, called ''The Ages of Ilathid'', where Cyan Worlds, the original creators of ''Myst'', had given permission to the creators of the fan game. [http://www.agesofilathid.nicewebs.com/board/index.php?showtopic=1257] Most companies that don't outwardly promote or challenge fan games have in the past exacted a ''de facto'' policy of non-involvement or neutrality, officially stating that their copyrighted material may not be used without permission, but refusing to prosecute fangamers for doing so, in much the same way as fanfiction is tolerated.
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| − | Because fan games are developed with a relatively low budget, rarely is a fan game available on a console system; licensing fees are too prohibitive for fan games, even if the game is made with original content. However, [[homebrew]] fan games can occasionally make it onto consoles with prolific homebrew gaming, such as the [[Sega Dreamcast]] [[PlayStation Portable]] and [[Game Boy Advance]].
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| − | [[Category:Fan Games| ]]
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Revision as of 15:52, 1 June 2008
Fan games are computer and video games made by fans featuring popular based on one or more established video games. Many fangames attempt to clone the original game's design, gameplay and characters, but it is equally common for fans to develop a unique game using another only as a template. Though the quality of fangames has always been variable, recent advances in computer technology and in available tools have made creating high quality games easier.
