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Midway sued for lifting Psi-Ops screenplay for game
chaossoldier
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I can only assume this is what was holding back any hope for a sequel to Psi-Ops. Midway was sued by William L. Crawford III for lifting Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy from his screenplay, also titled Psi-Ops, which he copyrighted in 1998. (Didn't really find anything in a search)
Gamespot sourced
It's been at least 9 years since he copyrighted the screenplay and there's been no movie to come from it.
Though I think he should be happy that his ideas actually took some kind of shape outside of concept art, this is still pretty hefty plagiarism if it's proven the concept for the game was lifted from the concept of his movie.
Last month, William L. Crawford III filed suit against Midway, alleging that the publisher swiped the plot and characters for its game from a 1998 screenplay he wrote, also called Psi-Ops.
"The premise for the Psi-Ops screenplay is government soldiers with paranormal abilities, or 'Psi-Agents,' that fight terrorists that also have paranormal abilities," according to the lawsuit. It mentions a number of characters, including a foreign-born pyrokinetic with a troubled past; a cool and menacing mind control specialist with a slender masculine build, black hair, trench coat, and sunglasses; and a rogue Psi-Agent who establishes his own underground terrorist organization using other Psi-Agents.
The suit goes on to describe Midway's game premise as American soldiers with paranormal abilities--also called Psi-Agents--fighting terrorists who also have paranormal abilities. It then describes the game's characters in the same terms as the screenplay, including a foreign-born pyrokinetic with a troubled past; a cool and menacing operative with the power of mind control, a slender, muscular build, black hair, and sunglasses; and a rogue Psi-Agent who established an underground terrorist organization using other Psi-Agents.
As for how Midway could have known about the screenplay, Crawford's suit says he had set up Web sites with concept art and had been shopping the project around between 2000 and 2003. Crawford also said he attended the 2001 Electronic Entertainment Expo to showcase the project. The suit also says the company Crawford set up to promote his screenplay, Mindshadow Entertainment, received coverage for the Psi-Ops project in publications, including Star Wars Insider, Indie Slate, and TV Zone.
The US Copyright Office's Web site lists "Psi-ops" as a copyrighted screenplay registered by Crawford on March 26, 1998. It also has a listing for "PSI-OPS : the mindgate conspiracy" registered by Midway on July 9, 2004.
Crawford is seeking an accounting of revenue Midway derived from Psi-Ops and a share of the money, which he estimates should be no less than $1.5 million. A Midway representative said the company does not comment on legal matters.
Gamespot sourced
It's been at least 9 years since he copyrighted the screenplay and there's been no movie to come from it.
Though I think he should be happy that his ideas actually took some kind of shape outside of concept art, this is still pretty hefty plagiarism if it's proven the concept for the game was lifted from the concept of his movie.
chaossoldier on
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I doubt they could, seeing as Ubisoft isn't, you know, part of the suit..
doesn't constitute an ending for me.
Now I really want to see them rule in favor of Ubisoft anyways. Y'know... just because.
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1) The concept of psi-agents - Uh. Yeah. Been done just a few times before.
2) Fighting against terrorists - Simplistic cash-in on current events.
3) Pyrokinetic dude with troubled past - I'm willing to give this one some credence.
4) Muscular, menacing operative - Matrix rip-off.
5) Rogue psi-agent - not an unusual plotline for one of the characters to have shady connections.
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Those are all cliche, but all of them in the same two works both titled "Psi-Ops"?
A shame, too. That game was fucking awesome.
He probably is happy that his ideas actualy took some kind of shape outside of concept art, storyboard, and a written screenplay.
It is just that he is more unhappy that instead of purchasing the rights to said materials or working with him, he got his ideas ripped off, and he didnt get paid.
As such, he wants compensation for the work he did for the Midway. That he can claim a piece of the revenue pie larger than if Midway had sat down with him and given him a contract, job, and/or purcahsed the rights to the material now than when he had no barganing power is Midways fault.
If the copyright was filed and valid, and the shopping around occured, there is pretty much nothing that Midway can do except lose the case.
They will try and settle, 1.5 million isnt that much considering the possible court fees and risk of a loss.
* Rogue member of said psychic agency making use of other psychics: Check
* Psychic agent with a cool demeanor, a slender build, black hair, and sunglasses: Check
* Pyrokinetic with a troubled past: Check
Obviously, Psychonauts ripped off this guy's screenplay, which is not at all a load of worn-out sci-fi techno-thriller cliches.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
Of course, there's no real worries about Double Fine being sued - they don't have any tasty, tasty game profits to give to the guy, anyways.
Shame, too, as that game was completely awesome.
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I couldn't believe it when this was posted before, because it was so stupid, but to see it posted again blows my fucking mind.
I mean, he went to E3 in 2001, so he had to of at least heard of this game being developed at some point.
That bitch must have been crazy as hell.
What if they can prove that he had knowledge of the game being developed and that he let the game sell for nearly 3 years before filing suit. I mean, that has play in somewhere.
The worst that would happen is the judge would not grant the full requested amount. But if he actually has a case, expect this to get settled out of court anyway.
(Also anyone else reminded of that crazy chick that tried to sue James Cameron and the Wachoskis because she claimed she invented the "robots rule the earth" setting or some shit?)