In the age of lawsuits being thrown around like used condoms, it is so refreshing to see a challenge not involving the courts. For the ill-informed, Notch, the almighty creator of Minecraft, is being threatened legally by Bethesda over The Elder Scrolls trademark. Mojang's next project, a collectible card game akin to Dungeons & Dragons (so, nothing like The Elder Scrolls franchise) is called Scrolls and Bethesda feels their trademark is infringed upon.
I hate to admit it, but Bethesda does have a case. But I am confident in saying that the gaming audience can coordinate the differences between both franchises. Arguably, this meaningless debate is only aiding Mojang, making Bethesda look foolish. This case is purely based on the similar timeline: the much-advertised Skyrim and Mojang's follow-up are slated for release on the same day. Yep, November 11, the day we commemorate the loss of fallen soldiers, another battle will be raging.
When Notch first spilled on a news on his Twitter, Bethesda stayed quiet. Then the oddest challenge to settle a dispute came from Notch: Mojang's three best players versus Bethesda's top three players in an old-style Quake 3 match. Mojang wins and Bethesda drops the suit; Bethesda wins and Mojang avoids court hell and changes the name. The most lighthearted approach to a serious allegation I've ever seen.
The original blog post on Notch's blog can be viewed here. No word yet on whether Bethesda will (or should) take the challenge seriously, but if so, the matches better be live-streamed.
Just an update: Hey guys, it's been a slow summer. Unfortunately as is the case every summer in the gaming industry. But I assure everyone the post count will rack up come September. In the meantime, I started a personal blog over on Wordpress that be viewed here. Just a place to rant about certain topics not involved with gaming. Enjoy the blog(s)!
No comments:
Post a Comment