Limbo of the Lost publisher TriSynergy has responded to yesterday's revelation that the point and click PC game had lifted levels straight from Bethesda's Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion.
Since the original discovery it's also emerged that Limbo of the Lost has "borrowed" environments from Thief 2 (see here and here) and assets from Diablo, Morrowind, UT 2004, Silent Hill and Painkiller. They're in trouble.
"Tri Synergy is just as shocked as everyone else is by the recent screenshot comparisons," the company said in a statement. "At no point during our dealings with Majestic Studios up until the point that the comparison was first publicly made by a third party did we have any knowledge of these similarities. Additionally, Tri Synergy will discontinue distribution of Limbo of the Lost in both retail and online outlets.
"We have contacted the developer, Majestic, and are anxiously awaiting their response. As soon as we know more on this matter we will issue another statement."
A Bethesda representative has confirmed that its legal team is "looking into" the matter. The many other game companies involved are yet to comment.
It's almost like gathering all the lawyers employed by the world's largest gaming companies, stripping them naked, then flicking in the balls with a wet towel...
I'm sorry, but has noone noticed - http://www.geocities.com/limboofthelost/ That's their oofficial addy. At geocities! I can get a more official looking site name for free!
Somehow I doubt they'll find these people on their "post development break"...
Has anyone seen the trailer for this game? I laughed all the way though. It looks truly awful, this isnt the same one as in the other thread about this game but is still pretty funny http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqwNejK2x6Y
Just checked out the trailer, cheesier than a head-on collision between a Wotsit truck and a lorry laden with chedder!
As for the ramapant plagiarism, just wonder if the developer got an advance from its publisher in some form? Because it's clear little to no work has been done on this game, and they've done a runner. Vocals are terrible, character models look poor. Only good thing about it was the surprisingly excellent cut scenes involving the ship. Unless they were stolen as well.
Maybe that's what the problem's been; took too long over the cut scenes and forgot to make a game to go with them!
I don't know if it was a joke actually, saw this thread that he's made: WME SCRIPT PROGRAMMER NEEDED on: July 15, 2004, 10:58:39 AM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Is there anyone who would like to join my small team and be the lead programmer for my WME commercial adventure??
Dreamcatcher / Adventure company are really interested in the project.
My guess? Him and a few mates got together and convinced some dumb f**k publisher they were capable of creating a great game. A fat cheque landed on their doorstep, which they duly spent (on fags and booze no doubt), they then dossed about for a couple years. Then panic set in. So they slapped together some shoddy mess in the hopes that noone would notice and that would appease the publisher.
Really though, if you're going to rip something off, pick something that had relatively little exposure. Picking one of the best selling RPGs of all time was kinda silly...
Edit: In fact, they seemed to rip off FAR more than just Oblivion and Thief... According to wikipedia: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Further screenshots and video have suggested that environments and features have also been stolen from Diablo II, Painkiller, Unreal Tournament 2003, Unreal Tournament 2004, Thief: Deadly Shadows, The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines, Silent Hill 4: The Room, Crysis, Return to Castle Wolfenstein, World of Warcraft, scenes from the 1997 film Spawn, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End, and other games and movies.
*shakes head* I really want to laugh, but I feel actions like this will have a seriously adverse affect on genuine, above board, independant developers.
If they really have stolen stuff from all those games and movies, I am really curious to see more screenshots comparing to them. Would be fun just picking them all out
I don't think this will be the end of the story either. I look forward to the next chapter
wow, just noticed something really interesting (well to me anyway)
Steve Bovis' email is from Amethyst Group, Amethyst Group are based in Tunbridge Wells, a quick search for Steve Bovis UK gives results for an Estate Agent called Steve Bovis in Tunbridge Wells! Lol... Busted
oh I found the following earlier and linked it above too but thought i'd just post it for fun
2D 3D background artist wanted on: June 03, 2008, 05:34:01 PM
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi, I am on the look out for a 2D/3D background artist for the sequel to LIMBO OF THE LOST. This is a % of royalty position for the right person. The backgrounds need to be in 1024x768 resolution and the end result is a static 2D image.
Other parts of the job will be for alpha masks and layers within the scenes. Approx 80 backgrounds will be needed, if you can construct in 3D using an editor like Unreal 3 etc all the better.
Logged
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- kind Regards Steve Bovis MAJESTIC STUDIOS
Read this Interview with Steve Bovis - http://www.quandaryland.com/jsp/dispArticle.jsp?index=795
And this quote made me p**s my pants.
Gordon: So have any more recent games influenced your current project?
Steve: The project is more influenced by film and literature rather than other games, we want the experience to be as original as possible and as such we have made a calculated effort to keep away from other games in the genre.
If you've seen the trailer here's some exclusive behind the scenes footage from steve bovis himself! Wow he's really made a fantastic impression for this game now hasn't he?
Notice that the site banner has create your own oblivion/teaf/etc. I suppose that this news has definitely helped those forums but I'm sure the lawyers for Limbo of the Lost publishers are preparing to jump ship, I know I would.
"The three put their heads together and after three more years of hard work" Yup - must take a lot of hard graft to cut and paste all that code...
"Our hope, if everything goes well with the sales, is that within a year we will all be stopping the day jobs and doing this full time." Hah, wouldn't count your chickens on this one. I strongly suspect that Steve Bovis, Tim Croucher and Laurence Francis are names that will NEVER see the light of day with regards to computer games again.
Maybe in the 'Most Recently Bankrupted List' perhaps...
Edit: Oooo, this is interesting... Steve Bovis, 2005 UK poker winner vs Steve Bovis, 2008 UK video game developer Same person? According to this, Steve Bovis won $260,000 from poker... Enough cash to flash around and finance an amatuer game me thinks.
"The three put their heads together and after three more years of hard work" Yup - must take a lot of hard graft to cut and paste all that code...
"Our hope, if everything goes well with the sales, is that within a year we will all be stopping the day jobs and doing this full time." Hah, wouldn't count your chickens on this one. I strongly suspect that Steve Bovis, Tim Croucher and Laurence Francis are names that will NEVER see the light of day with regards to computer games again.
Maybe in the 'Most Recently Bankrupted List' perhaps...
Edit: Oooo, this is interesting... Steve Bovis, 2005 UK poker winner vs Steve Bovis, 2008 UK video game developer Same person? According to this, Steve Bovis won $260,000 from poker... Enough cash to flash around and finance an amatuer game me thinks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFVcqDfJKZo&feature=related This games looks so unbelievably bad, how can they talk about it with a straight face?
That trailer is appalling, no doubt. However, the game itself actually does sound quite good, and I read a fairly indepth review of it which made it sound quite cool, and they scored it 'B' - around 75-85%* If they'd have released this as freeware instead of charging 30 quid for it, they may well have had a massive hit on their hands, which would have set them up nicely for a professional (and all made with their own assets) sequel.
*They have since revised the score to an 'F' because of the stolen assets 'issue', but that doesn't detract from the content of the game IMO. Speaks volumes about the developers though.
The 'Behind the Scenes' bragged about the Characters Lip Sync being a mjor point but I've seen better dubbing in Anime to be fair (yes I watch Anime dubbed)
I still want to play this game though, purely for the experience
The 'Behind the Scenes' bragged about the Characters Lip Sync being a mjor point but I've seen better dubbing in Anime to be fair (yes I watch Anime dubbed)
I still want to play this game though, purely for the experience
Good luck - I predict this game will be more sought after than Wii Fit
And yes it did
Worth reading, if only for the blurb at the beginning *chortle*
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Looks like someone grabbed the money and ran. 
