Square Enix and Amazon.com announce Thief Mod Contest

[jay pettitt]

Most Thief FMs you're not actually distributing Eidos owned IP. It's the new stuff you distribute. The textures and so on are already installed on the target machine.

 

But yeah, it would seem to be in the spirit of the competition to use TDM to create a mod for the Thief universe ~ in which case there might be some question about distributing it. At least hypothetically.

Edited February 21, 2014 by jay pettitt

[Springheel]

The EULA for the comp says you can enter the competition but you can't distribute a mod containing anything that's owned by Eidos - so I guess that covers TDM/Eidos IP angle.

 

Well, by that logic you couldn't distribute a Thief mission either, so we'll have to get confirmation about that. There shouldn't be any difference, in that clause, between releasing a T2 mission that talks about Garrett and Hammerites, and a TDM one that does. Obviously you couldn't distribute actual files; a recreation of Baffords that uses Thief sound files would be another matter that we'd have to clarify.

 

Are you guys going to stay in touch and maybe help judge entries and whatnot?

 

We're not involved in the judging unless something changes.

[nbohr1more]

I presume we have enough details to post at moddb now?

[Springheel]

Not as many as I'd like, but go ahead.

[brethren]

There's finally something official out, on EM's blog:

 

http://community.eidosmontreal.com/blogs/Thief-Modding-Contest

 

The wording is really kind of bad. It says "Your entries may be based on Thief Gold, truly a great source of inspiration." It doesn't say anything about using Thief 2 or The Dark Mod. Then, at the bottom, it just says "To get the Dark Mod, voted PC Gamers Mod Of The Year in 2013, or for more information on how to create a mod, visit thedarkmod.com." Whoever put this press release out made it sound really confusing. Tbh, if you're going to use Thief over TDM, you're more than likely going to use Dromed 1.21, because that's the most recent version, and it's for T2. So why are they pimping Thief Gold?

 

Oh, and btw, the release does say voting will be handled by "the community, members of the Thief development team, and member of the Dark Mod team." So I guess you guys are voting after all.

 

This whole thing seems just kind of screwed up and not planned very well. I can't see them getting too big a turnout for this.

[grayman]

This has been a case of spiraling in toward the final wording. I suspect there will be another iteration of the release that will clear things up.

[STiFU]

Oh, and btw, the release does say voting will be handled by "the community, members of the Thief development team, and member of the Dark Mod team." So I guess you guys are voting after all.

 

This whole thing seems just kind of screwed up and not planned very well. I can't see them getting too big a turnout for this.

TDM-team is definitely not judging, as Springheel said. The information on the blog is simply outdated and wrong.

 

The whole contest had actually been planned well, but somewhere along the lines, things got messed up. Some miscommunication here and there. But things seem to get on track now...

[Lux]

This contest concerns me a bit. Won't this temporary license to use Thief IP create problems down the road? How do we go back to telling people no, when nearly every entry into this contest says otherwise? I'm surprised to see you guys so quickly jump on the opportunity to contaminate the waters after all that has been done to avoid legal troubles.

 

What I see this as, is a contest presented by the current Thief IP holders to get ideas for their sequel (Thief 5) that they will have rights over. I guess you can look at that two ways, you could be the inspiration for the next Thief game (after Thief 4), or you are a prostitute that isn't getting paid much at all.

 

Of course this is just speculation on my part and may have no bearing on anything EM have presented.

[stumpy]

It reads like you can use thief ip for a dark mod map but you can only make a video of that version. And the video then becomes copyrighted to square-enix and you can't ever release the map to be played with the square-enix, Eidos IP in it. So better off using either thief gold, or thief 2, or thief 3 editors to make map if you want to release it. Or make a dark mod map with no references or using thief IP to be on the safe side. Most people will think that the dark mod is a garrett related map even if it contains no garrett related material, like hammerites, or mechanists. or a thief named Garrett.

Edited February 21, 2014 by stumpy

[Springheel]

What I see this as, is a contest presented by the current Thief IP holders to get ideas for their sequel (Thief 5) that they will have rights over.

 

I can think of about a dozen reasons why that seems unlikely.

 

Or make a dark mod map with no references or using thief IP to be on the safe side.

 

The information in the FAQ is based on a verbal agreement. Until we see something in writing, we'll continue to follow our standard policy regarding Thief IP--that we cannot endorse, support or host it.

[c0mputer-fr0d]

I myself wouldn't bother participating cause I would have no hope. Everyones ahead of me with knowledge of the dark radiant interface and I cannot do any 3d modelling or textures. But I really would like someone from this forum to win this and also to be able to play all the maps.

[Springheel]

You don't have to actually MAKE a mod. There's an entire category just for people who have cool ideas.

[Springheel]

Oh, and btw, the release does say voting will be handled by "the community, members of the Thief development team, and member of the Dark Mod team." So I guess you guys are voting after all.

 

No, this is outdated information that (for some reason) is still being included. TDM is not involved in the judging in any way.

 

This whole thing seems just kind of screwed up and not planned very well.

 

It's certainly not quite the process that I was expecting.

[vvGarrettvv]

I can understand that the TDM-core-team is happy and proud to be part of the T4-contest campaign.

It is more then well earned after all the free time spend keeping the original `Thief-style`alive.

But as long as no Lawyer has taken a look, and confirmed, that the contract (hopefully there will be one)

is completely `waterproof` the usage of any name, subject, even the reference to something regarding

the Thief -brand will be like a walk on very thin ice.

What happens with levels created during the contest? Can they be provided for DL on thedarkmod.com?

Can they be provided for DL after the contest is over or to be removed immediateley?

What if the contest is over and somebody creates a level with a Garrett and hammerites a.s.o. ?

 

As somebody who has had some SONY-lawyers in his neck after we used a name of a band which has created

one title song for the TV series SCRUBS ( Bands name was "avion" ) I`m kinda paranoid regarding

copyright. ( We were first, but that wasn`t not of interest )

And it would be very sad to see the TDM going down the drain because of some small-printed.

Edited February 21, 2014 by vvGarrettvv

[Araneidae]

When I try to follow the Thief Gold instructions (go to http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009IXL5FO/ref=dsvrt_review_asin_detail and enter the promotion code) the amazon page simply says "This item is currently unavailable". Anybody else have this problem? Or is this a region locking issue (I'm in the UK)?

[New Horizon]

Says currently unavailable for me too, but then again I'm in Canada.

[grayman]

Currently unavailable for me too, and I'm in the U.S.

[Springheel]

Apparently they keep running out of codes.

[Araneidae]

Apparently they keep running out of codes.

Must be difficult to manufacture new ones...

[grayman]

I'm not sure that's the reason.

 

Here's a realtime shot of the code manufacturing floor, and everyone seems quite busy.

 

 

Not sure what's going on.

[Springheel]

I suspect they only create a certain number of codes at a time, in order to control the number of downloads. But I have no insider info about that.

[Springheel]

I've updated the OP. Important changes include the following:

 

This FAQ is based on the information I was given in conversations with Square Enix. Not all of it has been reflected in the contest rules posted thus far. Until it is confirmed in writing, you should accept this information at your own risk.

 

So can I use The Dark Mod to create a Thief mission?

 

The Dark Mod has always been careful not to use any IP belonging to Square Enix. However Square Enix has agreed in conversations with me that they are allowing people to use Thief IP in The Dark Mod for the purposes of the contest. However, until this information is reflected in writing we will continue our policy of not endorsing, supporting, or hosting TDM missions that use Thief IP. Note that you can enter the "If I could mod I would create" category without creating anything at all, so copyright questions would not apply.

[Bikerdude]

Here's a realtime shot of the code manufacturing floor, and everyone seems quite busy. Not sure what's going on.

 

LOL

[Bikerdude]

Announcing the first (of many I hope) TDM mission for submission to the mod contest: currently WIP.

 

http://forums.thedar...300#entry337060

[Deadlove]

I know the contest just asks for video of a mission, but I figure I speak for more than one of us when I say I hope you get it finished before the contest so the rest of us Taffers can enjoy it! Looking GREAT!!!!