New MS Shadowrun game?, link below Options

[Everfast]

Take a look. Interesting.

Team Xbox - Shadowrun

[Bigity]

How can they register the trademark, when I assume it is a trademark belonging to WizKids?

Also, if they are going to make an Xbox SR game, why bother. There are enough half-assed shooters on the Xbox already.

In my mind, the only system/console heafty enough to truely demonstrate all Shadowrun is, is a computer.

If it's Xbox, I see a game like Deus Ex 2. Crap from a good franchise.

[the_dunner]

I'm not a lawyer, so please don't take my understanding of this as gospel. However, I worked with a patent attorney for a bit, so I've had trademark law explained to me. Again, I'm not a lawyer, don't bank on this.

It's my understanding that Trademarks are only relevant within the particular field in which they're trademarked. So, for instance, Shadowrun is trademarked within the publishing industry by Wizkids. If Microsoft were to use it within the computer gaming industry -- a completely distinct industry -- they'd need to first register the trademark.

It's where industries overlap or fail to overlap that makes for nightmares.

[Herald of Verjig...]

That's probably actually trying to trademark the custom Shadowrun logo that will be on the poster for the game that never gets produced. It'll be a slightly different creepy unidentified skull.

[edit] or the dunner could be right

[Spook]

Six years later, I still have the promo sheet for "Shadowrun : Assassian" sitting in a box somewhere.

Sadly, after seeing bunk like what Halo became, I don't think it'll be any good if anything does come out of it.

[KarmaInferno]

[CircuitBoyBlue]

I'm not a lawyer, either, but I think trademarks apply across different fields. Didn't the Beatles sue Apple computers because their recording label was called Apple, or some similar situation?

[PBTHHHHT]

Circuit city blue boy... answer is yes. The Beatles have Apple records, they originally sued Apple computers way back, but they came to the understanding that Apple computers being in the computer field would not cause brand confusion. But now that Apple computers is selling music via the internet, they (Apple records) are now doing something (i.e. suing or raising a ruckus, I'm not sure what exactly).

Trademarks can be expired if they don't renew their registration of the mark... so MS registering the shadowrun mark for computer gaming is a sign... :D

As for my little knowledge of trademarks...
I am NOT a lawyer... but I am in law school.
Also I actually do work for the US patent and trademark office (but as a patent examiner).

Disclaimer: any comments by me does not reflect anything about my office. I'm just clarifying things for the masses. :P

[Wounded Ronin]

[Spook]

[mmu1]

Knights of the Old Republic and Morrowind are proof enough that you can make real RPGs for the X-Box. I'd rather they made it a pure PC game, but just as long as it's a good, single player RPG rather an a POS MMORPG or action title, I'll be happy regardless of platform.

Of course, this is going to be a title for X-Box Next, anyway. (if anything comes of it)

[Ol' Scratch]

[kryton]

I dunno I bet Micro$oft will F#&* it up. From what I can gather I don't think they'll have the stomach to make it any more than a cheesy first person shooter. I've heard Fable was a decent game with a decent amout of roleplaying. I wonder though if they'll really make it as gritty as it needs to be. My guess it's not going to be up to par with games like "Grand Theft Auto" or other games. Maybe they'll hire the right staff who knows? After hearing and seeing how the Crimson Skies game was designed they blew like 40% of they're budget on the opening credits and movie for the game. There's alot of potential I just hope they have the creative staff to really make it stick out above the noise. To do that will require alot of development and design. I would hope they get someone like Sam Lewis, Mike M., or Tom Dowd in as a developer/designers. Hell with the Shadowrun campaign I think Bitrunner would be a good "knowledge" guy for the project. I dunno after what Mike Pondsmith went through at M-Soft I'm just a bit leary is all.

It comes from drinking all that Scotch.....

I wish M-soft the best of luck....They're going to need it.

[Wounded Ronin]

[Bigity]

While the early SR games might have been decent, for what they were, no console comes close to giving what I'd want to see in a SR game.

The Xbox might qualify as a computer as far as the rights go, hell, it _is_ a computer.

[Wounded Ronin]

I'd argue that Genesis shadowrun went beyond decent and was actually tremendous fun. I've played it over probably like 10 times or something.

[Bigity]

For the time, but would you be satisfied with that kind of game, namely sound and graphics, today?

I never said if they were making a game based on 25 year old technology ;)

[Caine Hazen]

I so talked about this months ago.... now if I can only find the posts to link to em..

[Dakhran the Dark]

Ehh. Hopefully, like the Mechwarrior games, they'll make this one for both Xbox and PC, although they may try the marketing delay bit, put it out on Xbox first.

And just to fill in some backstory for some of you, Microsoft bought out FASA Interactive (the computer game branch of FASA) a good number of years ago, then started capitalizing on this with a string of Battletech, Mechwarrior, and Crimson Skies games. Most of the original FASA crew are still employed by Microsoft, so it's not as if the same people who did the "programming" for Windoze will be doing the game design for Shadowrun -- these people have the know-how to do a decent product...

My only concern is what kind of game they're looking to do, whether a Deus Ex style FPS, or a KOTOR-style CRPG, or gods forbid, a MMORPG...

[GunnerJ]

[bitrunner]

let's just hope they don't dig back into their archives and ressurect the Assassin project...

[mintcar]

[QUOTE Darkharan the Dark]My only concern is what kind of game they're looking to do, whether a Deus Ex style FPS, or a KOTOR-style CRPG, or gods forbid, a MMORPG...[/QUOTE]

I´m happy as long as it´s an RPG, or has sufficient RPG features. Worst thing that could happen is if it becomes a straight shooter or a sneaker. I would also be pleased with an adventure game with a gritty detective style. RPG is top of the list though.

[Nikoli]

Hrm...
GTD:Seattle

Grand Theft Data...

[DrJest]

[mintcar]

Does anyone whant to argue that Bugie or Bioware started making worse games when they started making them for Microsoft? To any good game designers, the origin of the money doesn´t matter as long as they can make great games. And Microsoft knows from experience that it´s good buisness to give the creative geniuses in the developing houses all the slack they need. They´re still evil, it just doesn´t matter in this instance.