Wikipedia

Fan game

(Redirected fromFangame)

Afan gameis avideo gamethat iscreated by fansof a certain topic orIP.They are usually based on one, or in some cases several, video game entries or franchises.[1]Many fan games attempt tocloneorremakethe original game's design, gameplay, and characters, but it is equally common for fans to develop a unique game using another as a template. Though the quality of fan games has always varied, recent advances in computer technology and in available tools, e.g. throughopen source software,have made creating high-quality games easier. Fan games can be seen asuser-generated content,as part of theretrogamingphenomena, and as expression of theremix culture.

Development

edit

Fan games are either developed as standalone games with their own engines, or asmodificationsto existing games that piggyback on the other's engines.[2]Each approach has different advantages, as standalone games are generally accessible to larger audiences but may often be more difficult or time-consuming to develop.

Standalone games

edit
Taisei Project is an open source fan game set in the world ofTouhou Project.

Fan games are often developed using pre-existing tools andgame engines.TheUnity engineandAdobe Flashallow fans to develop standalone games, as with other programs such asGameMaker,Construct,RPG Maker,or any of theClickteamproducts (such asThe Games FactoryandMultimedia Fusion 2).

Fan game developers often select and usefree and open sourcegame engines (such asOGRE,Crystal Space,DarkPlaces, andSpring) to help fans create games without the cost of licensing a commercial alternative. These engines may be altered and redesigned within the terms of their open source license and often cost significantly less than commercial options, but do not always allow developers to easily create high-end visual effects without additional effort.

It is also possible for fans to develop original game engines from scratch using a programming language such asC++,although doing so takes much more time and technical ability than modifying an existing game; an example is theSpring Enginewhich started as fan-madeTotal Annihilationgame.[3]

Modifications to existing games

edit

Fan games are sometimes developed as amodificationto an existing game, using features and software provided by many game engines. Mods usually are not allowed to modify the original story and game graphics, but rather extend the current content that was provided by the original developer. Modding an existing game is often cheaper than developing a fan game from scratch.

Because of the complexity of developing an entirely new game, fan games are often made using pre-existing tools that either came with the original game, or are readily available elsewhere. Certain games, such asUnreal Tournament 2004andNeverwinter Nights,come with map-editing and scripting tools to allow fans to developmodsusing the engine provided with the original game. Games such asDoomare old enough (end-of-life) that theirsource codehas been released, allowing radical changes to take place; more examples in theList of commercial video games with available source code.

Another form of modding comes from editing theROM imagesof older games, such as SNES games. Programs such asLunar Magicenable a user to modify the existing data in the ROM image and change levels, character graphics, or any other aspect the program allows. While normally played onemulators,these newly edited ROM images could theoretically be used in conjunction with a flash drive to actually create cartridges for the older system, allowing the modified ROM images to run on the original hardware. A notable recent example of such a fan game isThe Legend of Zelda: Parallel Worldswhich was hailed by reviewers as a remarkable unofficial sequel toA Link to the Past.[4][5][6]Other notable examples includeLegend of Zelda: Curse from the Outskirts,[7]Blaster Master: Pimp Your Ride,andSuper Mario World - The Second Reality Project 2.[6]

Famous fan mods (for example,Counter-Strike,Day of Defeat,andPirates, Vikings and Knights II) may even be adopted by the game developer (in all the mentioned cases,Valve) and made into an official addition to the existing game (Half-Life).

edit

Console releases

edit

Because fan games are developed with a relatively low budget, a fan game is rarely available on a console system; licensing fees are too prohibitive. However, unlicensed fan games have occasionally made it onto consoles with a significanthomebrewscene, such as theAtari 2600,theNES,SNES,theGame Boyline, Sony'sPlayStation,PlayStation 2andPlayStation Portable,and many others.

Suppression and cease and desist

edit

Some companies shut down fan games ascopyright infringements.Original copyright holders can order acease and desistupon fan game projects, as by definition fan games are unauthorized uses of copyrighted property. Many fan games go as far as taking music and graphics directly from the original games.

A notable case in late 2005 involvedVivendi Universalshutting down aKing's Questfan 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 its last release in 1998. After a letter-writing campaign and fan protests, Vivendi reversed its decision and gave permission for the game to be made.[citation needed]As part of the negotiations, the developers were required to remove "King's Quest" from the title.[8]Conversely, fan protests for the shutting down ofChrono Resurrection(a remake demo ofChrono Trigger) in 2004 have yielded no result onSquare Enix's action to block the project.[9]

Nintendois notorious for its strict protection of its intellectual property (IP)[10]and has shut down many notable fan games, including an HD remake ofSuper Mario 64,[11]AM2R,[12][13]andNo Mario's Sky.[14][15]Nintendo has also taken down variousPokémonfan games such as "Pokenet"[16][17]and "Pokémon Uranium".[18][19]

ASpyro the Dragonfan game,Spyro: Myths Awaken,was shut down byActivision(the current owners of theSpyroIP) in September 2018[20]and later becameZera: Myths Awakenwith all Activision-owned content being replaced by original content. After this legal action, other fan-made games likeSpyro 2: Spring Savannastopped the development. Previously in 2007, legal action was also taken by Activision against an open source software named Piano Hero by sending a cease and desist letter, which resulted in a name change toSynthesia.

In 2021, a lawsuit was filed byRockstar Games' parent companyTake-Two Interactiveagainst the authors of re3 and reVC, which werereverse engineeringprojects for the gamesGrand Theft Auto IIIandGrand Theft Auto: Vice Citythat allowed the games to be played on contemporary platforms such as theNintendo Switch.Take-Two asserted that they "are well aware that they do not possess the right to copy, adapt, or distribute derivative GTA source code, or the audiovisual elements of the games, and that doing so constitutes copyright infringement", and also alleging that the project has caused "irreparable harm" to the company.[21][22]Take-Two dismissed the lawsuits in April 2023.[23]

Also in 2021, Osmany Gomez developed a game called "I Am Batman" using theUnreal Engine 5engine, using the charactersBatman,JokerandPenguinfromTim Burton'sduology.[24]In May 2021, the developer posted a video of a demo version of the game on his YouTube channel, but two days later Warner Brothers blocked his video. Gomez does not want to sue the film studio and therefore the project was closed.[25]

Capcomsuspended a fan's remake ofCode Veronicaand the originalResident Evilon copyright grounds.[26][27][28]

Endorsement and turning a blind eye

edit

Other times, companies have endorsed fan games. For example,Capcomhas featured Peter Sjöstrand'sMega Man 2.5Dfan game in their community site more than once.[29][30]However, Capcom Senior Vice President Christian Svennson has stated that, while they legally can't sanction fan games, they won't proactively go after them either.[31]In 2012, Capcom took Seo Zong Hui'sStreet Fighter X Mega Manand funded it, promoting it from a simple fan game to an officially licensed freewareMega Mangame.[32]

In 2008,Christian Whiteheadcreated his owngame engine,known as theRetro Engine,for use in theSonic the Hedgehogfan gameRetro Sonic.Whitehead developed a proof-of-concept prototype ofSonic the Hedgehog CDrunning on the Retro Engine and pitched it toSega.[33]Sega gave their approval, and a full remake running on Whitehead's engine was released two years later.[34]Whitehead later worked with fellow fan-programmer Simon Thomley to develop mobile remakes ofSonic the HedgehogandSonic the Hedgehog 2,and ultimately directed an all-newSonic the Hedgehogtitle,Sonic Mania,with a development team made up of individuals noted for their work in theSonic the Hedgehogfan community.[35]Mania would also be used as the basis forSonic Superstars.

Skywindis a fan remastering ofThe Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind(2002) in the game engine ofThe Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.The original game developers,Bethesda Softworks,have given project volunteers their approval.[36]The remastering team involves over 70 volunteers in artist, composer, designer, developer, and voice acting roles. In November 2014, the team reported to have finished half of the remaster's environment, over 10,000 new dialogue lines, and three hours of series-inspired soundtrack.

In April 2017, Mig Perez and Jeffrey Montoya releasedCastlevania:The Lecarde Chronicles 2.The game features all new assets and a new soundtrack, as well as new voice acting from actors who appeared in the officialCastlevaniaseries, such asDouglas Ryewho playedDraculainCurse of DarknessandRobert Belgradewho playedAlucardinSymphony of the Night.Konamiallowed the game to be released with the contingency that the game remains non-profit.[37][38]

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^Debora, Ferrari; Luca, Traini (2009).The art of games: nuove frontiere tra gioco e bellezza.TraRari Tipi. p. 171.ISBN978-88-902991-2-4.
  2. ^Postigo, Hector (October 2007)."Of Mods and Modders: Chasing Down the Value of Fan-Based Digital Game Modifications".Games and Culture.2(4): 300–313.doi:10.1177/1555412007307955.ISSN1555-4120.S2CID143727901.
  3. ^"Spring review in Linux Pratique n51".Linux Pratique.1 February 2009. pp. 10–12. Archived fromthe originalon 4 February 2009.Retrieved4 January2009.
  4. ^A New SNES ZeldaArchived24 December 2011 at theWayback Machine.UGO.com.9 January 2007.
  5. ^Plunkett, Luke.LttP Remade As Zelda: Parallel WorldsArchived23 January 2012 at theWayback Machine.Kotaku.10 January 2007.
  6. ^abHacking is Cool: Shame They Don't Teach It at School.Retro Gamer.Issue 35. p. 99. March 2007.
  7. ^Altered States: The Best ROM Hacks.Retro Gamer.Issue 13. p. 72. January 2005.
  8. ^"Phoenix Online - The Silver Lining".www.postudios.com.
  9. ^"Singin' the Brews: The History and Philosophy of Homebrew Game Development from 1UP.com".Archived fromthe originalon 27 January 2011.Retrieved26 June2008.
  10. ^Orland, Kyle (2 September 2016)."Nintendo's DMCA-backed quest against online fan games".Ars Technica.Retrieved14 November2023.
  11. ^Crecente, Brian (31 March 2015)."Fan-made Super Mario 64 HD replaced with Nintendo-made takedown notice (update)".Polygon.Retrieved9 August2016.
  12. ^Alexandra, Heather (9 August 2016)."The Metroid II Remake Nintendo Doesn't Want You To Play".kotaku.com.Retrieved9 August2016.
  13. ^Otero, Jose (8 August 2016)."Nintendo Shuts Down Metroid 2 Fan Remake AM2R".IGN.Retrieved9 August2016.
  14. ^Donnelly, Joe (5 September 2016)."No Mario's Sky parody game blocked by Nintendo lawyers, DMCA's Sky takes its place".Retrieved6 September2016.
  15. ^Walker, Alex (5 September 2016)."No Mario's Sky Taken Down, Replaced With DMCA's Sky".kotaku.com.Archived fromthe originalon 7 September 2016.Retrieved6 September2016.
  16. ^Watt, Meghan (2 April 2010)."Nintendo puts stop to fan-made Pokémon MMO, Pokénet".@geekdotcom.Archived fromthe originalon 27 August 2019.Retrieved15 August2016.
  17. ^Fletcher, JC (2 April 2010)."Nintendo shuts down fan-made Pokemon MMO".Engadget.Retrieved15 August2016.
  18. ^Hernandez, Patricia (15 August 2016)."Despite Takedown, Pokémon Uranium Creators Say It's 'More Alive Than Ever'".Retrieved15 August2016.
  19. ^Murphy, David (14 August 2016)."Nintendo Takes Down Fan-Made 'Pokemon Uranium' Game".pcmag.com.Retrieved15 August2016.
  20. ^Kent, Emma (25 September 2018)."Activision lawyers send Spyro fan game cease and desist".Eurogamer.Retrieved25 September2018.
  21. ^Clayton, Natalie (3 September 2021)."Take-Two is once again trying to kill reverse-engineered versions of GTA III and Vice City".PC Gamer.Retrieved7 September2021.
  22. ^Scullion, Chris (3 September 2021)."Take-Two is suing the creators of GTA 3 and Vice City reverse engineering projects".Video Games Chronicle.Retrieved3 September2021.
  23. ^Andy Chalk (7 April 2023)."Take-Two dismisses lawsuit against Grand Theft Auto modders".PC Gamer.Retrieved12 February2024.
  24. ^"Batman (Tim Burton Universe) Tech Demo Game" Non-commercial project. Fan game demo ".
  25. ^"Batman 1989 inspires Arkham-style fan game complete with Nicholson's Joker".gamerevolution.4 May 2021.
  26. ^"Capcom shuts down Resident Evil 1 & Code Veronica fan remakes".24 December 2022.
  27. ^"Resident Evil 1 and Code Veronica Fan Remakes Canceled Due to Cease & Desist".26 December 2022.
  28. ^"Capcom Reportedly Shuts Down Resident Evil Code Veronica Fan Remake".28 December 2022.
  29. ^"Capcom-Unity".Capcom-Unity.
  30. ^"Capcom-Unity".Capcom-Unity.
  31. ^Svensson, Christian (5 August 2011)."What is Capcom's stand on fangames?".Capcom-Unity.Archived fromthe originalon 10 January 2012.
  32. ^Brelston."Street Fighter X Mega Man coming 17 December".Capcom-Unity.
  33. ^Rainer Sigl (1 February 2015)."Lieblingsspiele 2.0: Die bewundernswerte Kunst der Fan-Remakes".Der Standard.
  34. ^Parkin, Simon (22 December 2011)."Sonic CD Review".Eurogamer.Retrieved21 April2017.However, after a few weeks, Whitehead's website was taken offline, as was the YouTube video he released to show off his work. It seemed as though Sega's lawyers had issued a cease-and-desist and ordered his work to be scrapped. Two years later and an official Sonic CD release surfaces bearing Whitehead's name. Sega had done what few multinational companies of its size, age and resultant inflexibility could have: made a fan a creative asset.
  35. ^Seppala, Timothy (22 July 2016)."'Sonic Mania' looks like the 2D sequel fans deserve ".Engadget.Retrieved9 August2016.
  36. ^Owen S. Good (10 January 2015)."Fans remastering Morrowind give another glimpse of its landscape".Polygon.
  37. ^"Castlevania Fan Game Gets Official Voice Actors on Board - Rice Digital".18 November 2016.
  38. ^"Lecarde Chronicles 2 Brings Gothic Castlevania Action to 18th Century France".26 April 2017.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fan_game&oldid=1257002193"