News: Higby tweets Sneak Peek at Next Weeks Theme

[Crator]

Originally Posted by Crator

I wonder how that works exactly in the art industry. There are similarities between the two, yes, but there are differences too.

Originally Posted by EASyEightyEight

We artists like to call it "referencing" and "inspiration" The latter causes is us to want to come up with something like it because it's cool, but we merely use it as a reference to get the basic design out, then we detail it with our own imaginations from there.

Ya, I knew that. I just meant, as far a copyrights go. And how do they affect something if the inspiration used to create you're art is too close to the original.

[Firefly]

Originally Posted by EASyEightyEight

I'm sure Games Workshop is still kicking themselves in the balls over this.

I don't think so. When we were building Warhammer Online, we asked the GW representative and they really didn't care - the way it was explained was this: Games Workshop has an incredibly high standard. Blizzard's product did not meet that standard. Yes, it's a cash cow. But when it was demonstrated to GW, it was a sub-standard, ugly cow.

[Captain B]

It still is a sub-standard, ugly cow.

[EASyEightyEight]

Originally Posted by Crator

Ya, I knew that. I just meant, as far a copyrights go. And how do they affect something if the inspiration used to create you're art is too close to the original.

Very hard to prove in court. Generally speaking, the Terran Republic heavy armor concept we've seen could probably be more attributed to the Helghast (still Sony, I know, but bear with me,) however it's arguably different enough that it's not copyright, even if you took a hose from the... I guess snout of the TR gasmask and wrapped around the back, it would still be a TR helmet. Even easier to call it original and stand alone when you have the rest of the armor to see it with, which gives me the impression of Half-Life's hazard suit (just by what we can see in the image.)

I used to compare the Master Chief to the DOOM marine myself. You can see in PS1 the inspirations in some of the helmet designs (TR motorcyclist, Vanu bicyclist, NC riot.) For their part, I don't think they were exactly trying to copy the Stormtrooper pilot helmet, the concept art looks more like a skull to me, with the orange goggles feeling straight out of Killzone's Helghast.

For the sake of reputation however, it's best if people don't immediately relate the design to something else upon seeing it, especially in mass towards a single object (you've failed then.) Gas masks and goggles are kind of dead in the water in this way though. MANY "bad guys" in video games and movies wear gas masks. It's iconic for bad things in general.

For the most part, no one will give a crap unless it's an all-too obvious rip off.

Don't get me wrong though, the TR are the good guys in PS2, oh yes! The NC are terrorists. I can at least count on the VS to work with the TR if it means saving civilian lives.

[Tikuto]

hm.. terran ftw.

[Canaris]

New Clownites to the left of us and Van00bs to the right, still the Terran Republic looks great in it's goggles!

All disparaging remarks about them just means you're jealous.

What is the deal with the studio empire imbalance anyway?
Also who's the highest ranking TR lover?

[FrittsUSKTA]

Looks like a scuba helmet ... That's just what I need hehe