Square Enix pulls the trigger on Chrono Trigger fan projects
by JC Fletcher 
{ May 12th 2009 at 11:15PM } 
Square Enix also sent letters to other fan projects, including the Chrono Compendium, which responded by taking down all pages and forums related to rom-hacking projects. "We do not accept the validity of Square Enix's claims," Chrono Compendium's ZeaLitY said, "nor the legal rationale underpinning their position. Nonetheless, we are complying with their demands so as to avoid the expenses and burdens of litigation, because, frankly, they can afford a frivolous lawsuit more than we can." After the break, footage of the promising, but now dead, Crimson Echoes, made by people who, until last week, liked Chrono Trigger a lot.
[Via Kombo; thanks, Booxatron!]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Cosmo @ May 12th 2009 11:22PM
Dick move Square Enix....................dick move.
CH3BURASHKA @ May 12th 2009 11:54PM
I totally agree. I've never played Chrono Trigger so I can't appreciate how monumental this is, but I think it's rather obvious developers need to embrace the community, not kill it off. They should've either cooperated or just bought the game from them and made another million. God damn...
Cosmo @ May 13th 2009 12:45AM
I got to play it years ago on my PC thanks to a PC emulator. If it wasn't illegal then, I'm sure its illegal now thanks to it no longer being abandonware because of Nintendo's Virtual Console. But I wouldn't want to purchase a Wii just to play it.
Cosmo @ May 13th 2009 1:02AM
This is a nice fan-made cover for a PSP version of the game if it ever comes out. ; )
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/2553137089_ab725e322a_o.jpg
WINterfang @ May 13th 2009 1:10AM
That cover wasn't good at all...ew.
S. Tiger @ May 13th 2009 3:35AM
Hey bro, get the DS VERSION. 'Cause Square Enix isn't going to be porting it to PSP any time soon.
exodus264 @ May 13th 2009 3:36AM
Unfortunately this isn't the first time square-enix has done this either.
Here's one project (http://www.opcoder.com/projects/chrono/) to make a 3D chono trigger which got a cease and desist letter almost 5 years ago. You can still see some of the screenshots and a trailer.
tenor77 @ May 13th 2009 9:26AM
Square Enix may own the Crono Trigger IP but that shouldn't stop them from releasing the game. Tweak some sprites change some names viola they're back in business. If they did the game right this can be fixed in an afternoon.
Dan CiTi @ May 13th 2009 1:30PM
@STiger
ROMs
Sora @ May 12th 2009 11:22PM
Wow, that's bullshit. Squenix is essentially saying that fanfiction is illegal. -.-
Feba @ May 13th 2009 3:04AM
Generally speaking, it is. You're using someone else's characters, settings, plot devices, and speaking generally ideas. Say whatever you like about how stupid modern copyright law, I'm inclined to agree-- but it is the law, and it does forbid things like that. Only a few works, such as Star Trek, endorse their fan fiction. In fact, Star Trek actually has fan fiction *series*, although they're obviously not in competition with the franchise itself at the moment. Most fan fiction, however, is purely written, or fan art drawings. When you start to have TV shows where fans produce their own episodes, or video games where people are actually making games, you start to run into bigger problems with competition.
Arashikou @ May 13th 2009 4:06AM
Mmm, indeed. One of the cardinal rules of fan-work, when I was introduced to it at any rate, was that you never work in the same medium as the work you're a fan of because it is almost guaranteed to draw unwanted legal attention. While it sucks, fan-work is technically in violation of copyright law (aside from rare exceptions where the original creators have seen fit to officially endorse, license, or allow fan-derivatives) and is allowed to exist only by the grace of the original creators' realizing that suing their most ardent fans over loving the work enough to want to extend it would be the epitome of foolishness - a nicety most corporations will not continue extending if they view you as entering competition with the original work.
Knowing that the people behind Crimson Echoes should have been more prudent somehow doesn't take the sting off of this, though. I suppose they could take it as a compliment, though! Squeenix apparently found them to be enough of a threat that they shut them down! (Unlike, say, the countless awful CT ripoffs made in the various RPG Maker games.)
DVersion @ May 12th 2009 11:25PM
I think that there should be a real re-working of copyright laws that explicitly state that intellectual property can be used for non-profit projects. This is the same rationale that has the music industry all up in-arms with samples and remixes. Where the audience is not just passively absorbing the media but are in fact interacting with it, creating a new experience and adding their own sense of creativity on to it.
We have the technology now to expand our relationships with these mediums and I don't mind saying that it sucks total balls that this new 'interactive audience' is being stone-walled by these non-sense cooperate lobbies that prevent people from doing amazing things.
BigD145 @ May 13th 2009 1:17AM
Fair Use? Parody? No?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use
Olicon @ May 13th 2009 6:33AM
At least IPs that has been apparently abandoned should become open for people to play with.
Honestly, SQE never went back to the project after Chrono Cross, which was forever ago too.
Holly @ May 13th 2009 7:32AM
That would be an awful idea, how would you feel being a developer and spending years to make a game, only to have some fans take all that hard work and make their own creation out of it?
Maybe some people would also be flattered people have taken such an interest to go that far to make a sequel. Well I've developed parts of games, of my own projects, but thats how I would feel.
All these projects knew what they were doing is illegal. But I agree with Cosmo, it was a dick move on squares part.
The only reason I can think why they would do something like that, is to maybe crush the fan base so current and future projects will cease. It's not really a good idea to hurt the fans like that if that was they idea. CT DS was very unexpected, but it seems square is trying to generate CT interest, and I don't see why because they said they weren't interested.
tung lashor @ May 13th 2009 8:08AM
Part of the point of copyright law is to allow a creator of something to make money from their creation. How would that work, if it became legal to produce free copies? (not that the issue of profit really applies to this case)
DVersion @ May 13th 2009 9:27AM
Well you could be like valve who have no problem with a fan remake of the origional Half-life. And I'm not talking about piracy, that's a whole nother subject, I'm talking about fair use so the audience can contribute to the experience, not just passively observe it.
Dustin @ May 13th 2009 11:34AM
@Holly
I'd be fucking honored if somebody took my work and expanded on it for no other reason than to have fun and share something with the community. These guys weren't making money and they weren't hurting Square's precious fucking profits.
Fuck Square Enix. I'll be damned before I buy another one of their products. Greedy bastards.
BigD145 @ May 13th 2009 4:50PM
Fan made content is never sold by the fans. Every fan knows that wouldn't fly. So, it's up to the original IP owners to just sit back and watch new fans buy up the various ports they sell OR the company can buy out the fan made content and resell it with their own label. How hard is that?
Matias @ May 16th 2009 7:58PM
It's not like SE would lose money anyways, it's copletely free and not made by them, hell, it might even help them to promote the original CT.
And really, how many people that actually know CT, go in the internet AND find the fan sequel (it's not like it's famous or has ads around the intenet).
Squid @ May 12th 2009 11:26PM
While I'm sure this is upsetting for them, I don't disagree with Square Enix. They have a right to defend their copyright. And the fact that are defending it shows that they still value the franchise, which is definitely a good thing.
What I don't understand is why people continue to make these fan projects when history has shown game companies to be pretty consistent in shutting them down. Why not put those talents to use creating something new and original?
HotLimit @ May 12th 2009 11:44PM
I'm guessing it's easier to piggyback on something that already has a fanbase than to try and grow one out of nothing for something 'new and original'. Sadly a game can be all sorts of awesome but it won't get the notice it deserves.
Plus did anyone read that 'letter from Square Enix'? It read like their beef was that [team of fans] claimed copyright on Chrono Trigger, which goes against copyright law. That seems like something [team of fans] would have known not to do.
S. Tiger @ May 13th 2009 12:04AM
So you're saying because Nintendo didn't order a cease-and-desist on the Mother 3 fan-translation that they DON'T value the Mother series, yet Lucas was in Super Smash Bros. Brawl, potentially proving that they DO?
KaBob799 @ May 13th 2009 12:19AM
Not all companies stop fan projects, I've never heard of Nintendo shutting down a fan game project.
AsherR @ May 13th 2009 12:22AM
Well, sure they have the right to protect their material. So why did they let the guys work on it for 5 years before issuing the cease and desist order? Sure they probably didn't know about it right when it got started, but I'm sure they've been monitoring fan projects since they shut down the last fan project (the 3d one).
You talk about companies shutting down fan related project, but that is mainly Japanese companies. Most of the time it's Square. (Don't get me wrong, I love Square.) Do you know what a lot of other companies do? Like Valve? They hire the team working on the mod and publish the product.
Square claims that they want to be more like Western Developers. Well firstly, they should learn how to treat their fans and quit being douchebags.
Squid @ May 13th 2009 12:25AM
I'm not going to speculate on the motives of every game company, I was just saying that it's good that they're still keeping an eye on Chrono Trigger.
And besides, a fan translation is totally different than a new game. Imagine if this fan-made CT sequel was really mediocre or even terrible - something like that could easily diminish the brand power of the franchise.
Jason @ May 13th 2009 12:34AM
Because they, apparently unlike the parent companies of the franchise, are committed to new material for said franchise! Sure, a port of Chrono Trigger is fantastic, but what about fans who are aching for some new adventures? We can't just play the same game over and over, but lately, that is what Uncle Squenix wants us to do, and it is just a mite frustrating!!!!!
Mayne @ May 13th 2009 2:01AM
But in regards to American devs picking up mod teams... The thing is, if they're working on a mod of a recent game, that's all fine and dandy. But if they're basing the graphics and gameplay and overall presentation off of a 15 year old game, then what good is that really going to do for the big devs...?
More on topic though... This is really shaky ground for me. On one hand, I would love it if "fan fiction" in any medium were more appreciated by copyright holders. On the other, I can see why they wouldn't want to run the risk of their properties being tarnished (even if there were no profits made from the fan work itself) by unsolicited modders/developers.
Arashikou @ May 13th 2009 4:21AM
@AsherR: You've hit upon the question still bobbling around in my mind. Why wait so long? Were they really unaware until JUST before it was to release? Were they waiting to see if it was good enough to be a threat? Did they do it out of spite and hatred for their own fans? Were they waiting to see if it would quietly die on its own without forcing them to raise the kind of ire we see in this thread? (Actually, that last one sounds pretty probable... hmmm...)
Mr Khan @ May 12th 2009 11:26PM
And so the arbiter of doom descends from the sky to crush the plebeians and their unworthy attempts at flattery. The holocaust was swift and terrible, destroying all that their impure hands had attempted to craft. Yet they themselves did survive, and awaited their chance to exact justice against the arbiter of doom
-The Chronicles of ZeaLitY. Chapter 1 verse 12
THE Ezio Auditore de Firenze (PSN slycooper_rocker) @ May 12th 2009 11:41PM
i salute the fallen, their attempt was valiant.
/salute
Ridgecity @ May 13th 2009 1:31AM
Wow, that was beautiful. You should do a Chrono Trigger fan project!.
WINterfang @ May 12th 2009 11:30PM
What the fuck? They weren't trying to sell the game.
Seriously that's why American gaming companies are getting the upper hand, they are in touch with their fans,
John @ May 12th 2009 11:30PM
I'm sad now. That looked extremely well done. If Squenix is going to squash everything fan related to Chrono Trigger, they could at least do something else with it besides a DS port.
JerJer @ May 12th 2009 11:59PM
this recent squashing is a much much much better sign than you think :D
MystileArmor @ May 13th 2009 12:03AM
Well, it got publicity. Someone might be like "hey that's a good idea" and finish whatever they've done a bit more out of the spotlight.
Dracard @ May 13th 2009 1:13AM
"this recent squashing is a much much much better sign than you think :D"
Might want to sit down.
http://www.opcoder.com/projects/chrono/ - Look at the date that this occurred. All I can say is sorry, bro.
Haohmaru @ May 12th 2009 11:33PM
These fans would've made no profit off of this, yet with a mere couple of paragraphs of legalese, what should have been seen as a labor of love was crushed under the foot of the titan Squeenidos.
At least we have the next $30 re-release of yet another 10+ year old game to look forward to, I suppose.
cuso26 @ May 12th 2009 11:33PM
I don't think people would be left to devices like this if Square Enix would get off their fat duff and DO SOMETHING with the damn Chrono franchise. Yeah, DS remake was great and all, and I'm sure you have a lovely remake of Chrono Cross for PSP and PS3 coming out on PSN to announce at E3 this year, but for a series so beloved and so renowned, you'd think they'd try just a little harder to bring a new game in the series to current consoles.
The devil makes work for idle thumbs...
N-zero @ May 12th 2009 11:33PM
I know why it was canceled it's cause the cut scenes weren't long enough and Squenix will be damned to let that happened.
But in all seriousness that video made me wonder of what could have been. I wonder if the fan made story was good. From the looks of it the story in that video looked pretty interesting.
Freeze @ May 12th 2009 11:33PM
Well get an ACTUAL F%%$ING SEQUEL OUT then Square Enix! Stop making fans wait 20 years for another one.
avan @ May 12th 2009 11:34PM
Square Enix How old and pathetic you have become, just look at valve's Counter Strike & Team Fortress, or the dozens of Half Life, quake, doom and all the other pc mods out there.
Evolve or die extinct.
Crusty Magic @ May 12th 2009 11:36PM
I don't see why projects like this continue to be wrangled to death.
Why not just add a disclaimer stating specifically that this is by all means a fan made project and not an official game from the copyright holders?
The only people who would play something like this are die hard fans of the series, Joe Shmoe isn't going to think less of a franchise because he heard on the internetz some computer kids whipped up something like this.
Izeas GT @ May 12th 2009 11:55PM
>Why not just add a disclaimer stating specifically that this is by all means a fan made project and not an official game from the copyright holders?
Because it wouldn't make a difference to Square Enix. The disclaimers used so often for fan fiction are nothing more than a custom. They carry no legal weight.
Now, the big question: how would this game have actually hurt Square Enix? What thought went into this other than "it's ours and not theirs?"
Jawmuncher @ May 13th 2009 12:11AM
I completely agree with you.
On another note Square seems to be making some dumb moves lately
Littleonetwo @ May 13th 2009 8:50AM
@ Izeaus
the legal action could be brought on for more reasons than direct competition, square could be looking at as the game would cause consumer confusion i.e. people thinking its actually from them, and when the game in question does not have a standard of quality, it could look bad on their track record. that's not to say i agree with that argument, just pointing it out.
N-zero @ May 12th 2009 11:36PM
Ohh to correct my above comment I know it wasn't canceled what I meant to say was I know why Squenix threatened them with a lawsuit lol.......... please don't hurt me.
Van Redd @ May 12th 2009 11:36PM
It is a douche move on their part. They won't really get on the ball to get anything going with a real Chrono Trigger sequel and now they can't even let fans have their fun.
What I saw in that video was pretty impressive. Kudos to those guys for all their hard work.
PN04 @ May 12th 2009 11:39PM
Actually no. Fanfiction are quite legal, usually when they dont infringe on the ability of the copyright holder to continue to make money off of that product. Fiction stories have no effect on a video game market but producing another video game based on and even using the intellectual properties (ie. the sprites and artwork) is a direct challenge to SE's copyright of the game. If someone made a flash animation of the stories in these games with the sprites they might get a limp cease and desist but since it wouldnt actually be interactive they probably could get away with it. As much as I would have liked to play any of these Crono fan projects there's no way they can get away with it being out and the open like that.