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Posted by Baker [65.60.179.35] on 2010/03/09 08:44:30

Nexuiz, the "free and open source game that anyone can edit", is currently under full fledged assault ...
http://alientrap.org/forum/viewtop...
It is a hard story to relate but gist of it is that Nexuiz the "free and open source shooter" is in grave danger of being a console game urusped and made into a proprietary console game with the former game Nexuiz unable to even refer to itself as "Nexuiz" ...
I know that some people hold different points of view regarding open source (viva diversity of POV!) but at the same time Q1 and Q3 continue almost exclusively due to open source ...

#1 posted by metlslime [69.181.147.51] on 2010/03/09 09:35:55
after reading the thread, it seems like the GPL issue, while not clear-cut, hasn't actually pissed anyone off (probably because nobody on that board contributed code to darkplaces.) However i would be suprised if there really is ZERO third-party code in the darkplaces engine...
The issue that everyone's upset about is apparently that this company has assumed ownership of the Nexuiz name, which they claim has value (reputation/word of mouth awareness) and that value was generated by the community. Which is true. And it's obvious that the company knows that this value is there, since they are adamant about keeping this nonsense word as their name.
Probably what then nexuiz community needs to do is drop all reliance on illfonic/alientrap for hostng/leadership, get a new host, rename their game, and advertise the hell out of it. I wouldn't trust any company to let me use their trademark for an unofficial project, in the long run. Even if illfonic plays nice for now, as soon as they get bought by a giant faceless company, that company will honor none of the "gentelman's agreements" about any trademark or other IP it believes it owns.
It's Mighty Weird For Sure ...
#2 posted by Baker [65.60.179.35] on 2010/03/09 12:22:36
"To me, game development is a form of art. But, only if the entire team and I are getting their hands dirty in the creative process. Our games are the working proof that small teams can still do big things. One man armies, cool people, and a passion for creating dope stuff" ... Kedhrin Gonzalez
I guess creating dope stuff makes it all worthwhile. The dopage and stuffage, in particular ;)
Sigh ..
Well, it is weird that Illfonic ... a month old company (see homepage http://www.illfonic.com/ ) with no game titles or as far I can tell anyone with any gaming titles was enough of a temptataion is wash Nexuiz down the toilet, as far as the name goes.
"Real" Nexuiz has to go by the name "GPL Nexuiz" or whatever Illfonic ... however long they exist at least ... decides the original Nexuiz project is allowed to call themselves.
I have a "Nexuiz" GPL .wad I am trying to remaster for Quake .. well, I thought it was a Nexuiz wad at least ... maybe it is a "GPL Nexuiz" wad now or maybe I should just omit the word Nexuiz for fear of violating a trademark in the future and just call it "a conversion of the wad available from the textures available at "www.alientrap.org/nexuiz/&qu... which is a "free and open source shooter ... at least the last time I visited the page, if the link still works ..."
I love how the Nexuiz article announcement by Illfonic -- if you even take Illfonic seriously, which I don't -- refers to Nexuiz as a "popular cult FPS" and no where mentions open source whatsoever, which is of course its claim to fame.
Link:
http://wii.ign.com/articles/107/10...
And other than agreeing with you on every point, this is sure a hell of a lot of chaos for a console that is likely to fall flat on its face at the expense of betraying a great many contributors who now are not exactly sure what they contributed and even the name of the project for sure.
I'm ranting a bit for sure, but this is a mighty strange turn of events which just goes to show that trust is a key element in the world.
Calm Down
#3 posted by Spirit [213.39.129.48] on 2010/03/09 12:24:59
If you want to blame someone, then blame the one who gave them the name (or did not protect the name properly).
Why?
#4 posted by Baker [65.60.179.35] on 2010/03/09 12:29:35
I'm trying to prevent the next Hilter (sic). You of all people should understand that.
/end joke
Kidding aside, doesn't this rank among the top fowl things (from the bird perspective, or perhaps foul things from other perspectives) you have ever seen?
Assault?
#5 posted by Blitz [98.232.102.255] on 2010/03/09 12:53:27
I'm not really sure how it can be considered an "assault" when the main contributors of the project are working in conjunction with the people making the console port.
I wouldn't get too worked up over it anyway, I don't see this one making any money for anyone.
Hm
#6 posted by ijed [216.241.20.2] on 2010/03/09 13:28:44
I can see where you're coming from, but this seems more like 'The Sale of Nexuiz'.
Not that that's not a crying shame, but nothing lasts forever.
'The Sale Of Nexuiz'.
#7 posted by meTch [69.183.41.20] on 2010/03/09 14:01:27
along with
'The Shafting of the Nexuiz Community'
That's Implied
#8 posted by ijed [216.241.20.2] on 2010/03/09 14:14:56
Imagine a graph showing 'quantity of corporate involvement' against 'community care'.
I Mean
#9 posted by ijed [216.241.20.2] on 2010/03/09 14:19:30
'lack of community care'
It's not necessarily their fault, but creating space where a community can exist (let alone thrive) doesn't even enter into the equation.
Because the industry is run by accountants.
What's The Issue Really?
#10 posted by Jago [194.86.38.38] on 2010/03/09 15:40:45
Do the people behind the change have the legal right to do what they are doing? If no and you are a party with a vested interest, call your lawyer.
If yes, can you really blame them for attempting to leverage the Nexuiz "brand and name recognition" (and yes, there is very deep sarcasm in these words) if they are getting a game publishing deal? This kind of thing has happened FOREVER. Hell, Quake 2 had nothing to do with Quake, it was named Quake 2 because Quake had name recognition and brand value.
#11 posted by rudl [85.126.193.67] on 2010/03/09 16:17:54
Will darkplaces and nexuiz die?
I guess Lh won't put much effort in it any more?
#12 posted by Spirit [213.39.129.48] on 2010/03/09 17:09:02
rudl, don't worry. If this has any impact on future DP development, then only good. Hell, LordHavoc developed on QuakeLive and DP only got better... ;)
Some links from the scampie:
http://www.celephais.net/board/vie...
http://web.archive.org/web/2005011...
Spirit
#13 posted by JPL [82.234.167.238] on 2010/03/09 23:02:08
... wow, after having a quick read through all these func_ post, it seems there are "tensions" here... :P
Oh Yeah....
#14 posted by metlslime [173.11.92.50] on 2010/03/09 23:20:56
i knew the name "Vermeulen" was familiar... just couldn't remember exactly what QMAP drama it was a part of.
Looking Over That Ancient Drama
#15 posted by grahf [76.104.21.196] on 2010/03/10 18:42:51
It becomes apparent that this was the intention and plan for alientrap all along.
Vondur Rules
#16 posted by DaZ [78.149.148.36] on 2010/03/11 11:15:27
http://www.celephais.net/board/vie...
"This conveyor of Satan will never end!"
Xonotic
#17 posted by rudl [85.126.193.67] on 2010/03/22 15:42:12
http://www.xonotic.org/
#18 posted by gb [89.27.241.170] on 2010/03/22 19:37:46
> This means that there will never be a single person with total control over the project.
This is very smart. Imagine a single person owned the Linux kernel O_o
Free software projects need to be community-driven and community-owned. Signing away of copyright and NDAs are not the norm in free software, and never should be.
I'm glad to see this happen.
Best of luck to the new project. Well, both of the new projects.
#19 posted by gb [89.27.241.170] on 2010/03/22 19:39:59
> A more defined artistic direction
Lookie! Someone understood something. Always nice when that happens.
Actually GB
#20 posted by Jago [84.249.95.211] on 2010/03/22 21:10:45
Linus Torvals owns the trademark to Linux. And he has enforced it too.
But back to the subject: this Nexuiz business got to /. http://games.slashdot.org/story/10...
Actually GB
#21 posted by Jago [84.249.95.211] on 2010/03/22 21:10:45
Linus Torvals owns the trademark to Linux. And he has enforced it too.
But back to the subject: this Nexuiz business got to /. http://games.slashdot.org/story/10...
#22 posted by gb [89.27.241.170] on 2010/03/22 23:56:02
The Linux kernel and most GNU software are licensed under the GNU General Public License (GPL). The GPL requires that anyone who distributes the Linux kernel must make the source code (and any modifications) available to the recipient under the same terms. Other key components of a Linux system may use other licenses; many libraries use the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL), a more permissive variant of the GPL, and the X Window System uses the MIT License.
Torvalds states that the Linux kernel will not move from version 2 of the GPL to version 3. He specifically dislikes some provisions in the new license which prohibit the use of the software in digital rights management,[85][86] and it would also be impractical to obtain permission from all the copyright holders, who number in the thousands.[87]
Trademark != Copyright != License.
And
#23 posted by gb [89.27.241.170] on 2010/03/22 23:57:28
In the United States, the name Linux is a trademark registered to Linus Torvalds.[90] Initially, nobody registered it, but on 15 August 1994, William R. Della Croce, Jr. filed for the trademark Linux, and then demanded royalties from Linux distributors. In 1996, Torvalds and some affected organizations sued him to have the trademark assigned to Torvalds, and in 1997 the case was settled.[91] The licensing of the trademark has since been handled by the Linux Mark Institute. Torvalds has stated that he trademarked the name only to prevent someone else from using it. LMI originally charged a nominal sublicensing fee for use of the Linux name as part of trademarks,[92] but later changed this in favor of offering a free, perpetual worldwide sublicense.
Anyway.
Interesting Twist On This Story...
#24 posted by metlslime [159.153.4.50] on 2010/07/15 06:14:37
Nexuiz is now using cryEngine:
http://www.shacknews.com/onearticl...
So,
#25 posted by meTch [99.33.192.12] on 2010/07/18 03:35:52
did they just dump out Lordhavoc and his engine which the original game was based off for some new never-used one or was Lordhavoc informed of this, did he agree, is he still getting dawwahs? :O
I'ze Asked Him
#26 posted by stevenaaus [114.72.235.46] on 2010/07/23 11:39:27
and LH says Still getting paid, just for work on CryEngine3 for that title....so it's all good.

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