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After seeing all the buzz online and wanting one myself, I have decided to create a Harry Potter MMORPG. It is being created using the Eclipse engine. Here are some screenshots I took. Screen 1 Screen 2 As you can see by the screenshots, it is a 2D game. The question is, would any of you guys play it?
If you would like to help just send me a message of what you are good at. There is Programmer, Map creator, and Idea person. If you would like to become the programmer check out this link.
Thank you!
-Drakiac
Comments
I Doubt you'll be able to keep it HP for long.
But I clicked yes anyways, because the world would be a better place with a Harry Potter MMO.
calling Eclipse a "game engine" is like calling a bike with training wheels a nascar race car.
if you are really and I mean really interested in making a MMO that someone would consider spending 1 second of his life playing, do yourself a favour and study C++, C# and/or objective-C for several years, then dive into real engines. Torque 3D and Unity would be the most basic you should aim for.
oh and please come up with your own setting, unless you want a cease and desist coming your way followed by a nice lawsuit and forcing your parents to spend their whole life savings in lawyers to get their lil sonny out of the real mess he just got in.
I dont know why everybody thinks that IP infringment is such a good idea, it doesnt make you too cool for school...more like the contrary
You should add lawyer to your list. You're going to need one.
It would be a shame if you did lots of work just to get shut down for copyright infringement O.p. If you insist on doing it just be careful where you advertise.
I sense a cease letter from Warner Brothers in your near future...
Honestly if you have a good idea like this maybe do the legal thing and get the proper paperwork done., or if you can not afford that read up on how you need to change your vision to be able to create your game without breaking the law.
This have been a good conversation
The idea of a Harry Potter game is moot, becaue JK Rowling owns the IP, and she ain't letting you make no MMORPG unless you pay her.
But, you do NOT have to study C++ or C# or objective C for several years.
The Hero Engine (used for TOR) is now available for a 5K indie license.
The Big World Tech Engine is now available for a 300 dollar license.
You need to learn to script (not program) in Python.
These engines have EVERYTHING you'd ever need to make a killer Harry Potter game without EVER programming in any form of C.
Your info is WAY outdated.
http://mmorpgmaker.com/phpBB3/index.php
Hero Engine and Big World are made from the ground up to hosst thousands of players. Torque is not, and you'll spend forever figuring it out.
Unity has no massive networking solution built in. My understanding is it has multi player capability, but not "Massive" multiplayer.
If the MMORPG is free to play is there still copyright infringment? Think of it as a fanfiction. I am doing it for fun and not getting any money from it.
-Drakiac
Do you plan to have ads on your website for it? Are you going to eat the server costs yourself? At some point you'll have to see some money from it and then you're done. Also, I'm not entirely sure if its not still considered copyright infringement if you don't make anything off it. To be safe, I'd make it a parody of HP before you risk getting yourself in trouble. Just change the names around a little and your good. Pigwarts School of Magic and so forth. Better yet, create your own universe with similar themes. You can reference Harry Potter all you like, just don't say it takes place in the same universe.
change it to harry pothead and use stoner references to get around the legal mumbo jumbo. not 100 percent certain about all the copyright laws but generally if you dont make money off a ip or name that is copyrighted then no it is not illegal but as soon as you charge one penny for something then you can be sued for millions. good luck with it though, hope you get it finished. cant say if id play it or not due to my lack of time but i still like it when people take the initiative to do somethign they want to do though.
turbine is actually gonna be making the harry potter mmo if they can get jkrowling to get off her butt and actually work on it, since she has to approve everything put into the game.
I think it varies from country to country, but I know several cases where fan work (even without profit in mind) was copyright infringement...
It's still copyright infringement. Some companies won't care if you have an ad-supported game (there is a Pokemon MMO that is free and isn't official, but is still operating) but JK Rowling has been known to be very protective of her IP. Like the above poster said, make it a parody of Harry Potter, or a generic wizard MMO, and you're protected.
In the United States, copying copyrighted material is only permitted for Educational use. Copyright holders may give a lot of leeway with not bringing people to court over fansites and stuff like that, but copyright holders have a legal right to limit the usage of their copyrighted materials regardless of whether income is derived from the usage or not. Often, copyright holders will enforce their rights not because they care about what a person is doing with the materials, but because they have to show that they are enforcing their rights in regards to their copyright.
In this particular case, there are licensed Harry Potter video games. It is up to the rights holder to actually enforce their rights, but it seems likely that they would eventually get around to sending a cease and desist letter. It would be safest to get permission from the rights holder before putting a lot of work into a game. Or, alternatively, have a game that is similar, but not similar enough to be labeled as 'Harry Potter'. That seems kind of tricky, since you couldn't use any of the Harry Potter specific lore, like the staircases that moved around Hogwarts and got you lost.
Outside of the U.S., I have no idea.
I can not remember winning or losing a single debate on the internet.
I dunno...this looks like something SOE would snap up in a second. I'd say crack on OP....
This is the most misunderstood part of copyright infringement.
Let me clear this up for you.
YOu can be sued for copyright infringement, EVEN IF YUO NEVER MAKE A DIME!!!!!!!
The owner of the IP (intellectual property) has put effort in developing that property, and they CONTROL IT.
Just like you control your house or apartment. Can some one use your house, if they don't make money off of it?
They decide if anyone can use it EVER! Money doesn't MATTER!
Let's say you make a shitty game. Then people think Harry Potter franchise is shitty, because it's used for shitty game.s
YOu have DAMAGED the Intellectual Property, adn you can be sued for MILLIONS.
George Lucas decided along time ago, that he would LET fans make fan films.
But you should understand this. It's HIS CHOICE as the OWNER of the IP.
He could have said, stop making the fan film, and don't ever post it or I will sue you because I OWN Star Wars.
EVEN IF YOU NEVER MAKE A DIME.
There is ONLY one exception, and that is FAIR USE.
People misunderstand that too.
FAIR USE doesn't mean, I didn't make money so it's "fair".
Fair USE means I used the material for education purposes, like an example in a school book, or I wrote an entertainment article about it, and used a small piece for my article.
Copyright is not for the purpose of stopping discussion, so you can discuss it, use it for examples. Use it to make your own game?
No! NOT EVER< NOT EVEN FOR FREE!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_copyright_law
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use
JK Rowling has gone after those that tried to meddle with her IP in the past.
And George Lucas has let fans make fan films. It's up to the owner of the IP, and has nothing to do with making money or not.
When you make an intellectual property, you own it, you control it, you say who can use it, and who cant. Money has nothing to do with it.
Think of it like your bicycle. Can anyone use it if the feel like it, without your permission?
When would it be ok for someone to use it without your permission? As long as they don't make money from it? As long as uyou're not using it?
If you answered never, you'd be correct. Same thing applies to digital property.
Except for "fair use" which is eductaional, or for discussion only.
This game would draw from two crowds I do not want to spend any time around.
1) little girls
2) perverts who want to sleep with little girls.
I will pass.
--John Ruskin
Not to mention that Warner Brothers most likley hold the current licens to make any adaptation of Harry Potter in electronic form considering they own the movie rights and have made several games based of the movies.
So he will most likley recive two cease letters.
Also there is a game called Wizard 101 that does what the OP is trying to do.. only legal.. and it is fun in a kids game kinda way
This have been a good conversation
Harry Potter MMO where you can wave your wand and say rediculus at all those nasty boggarts - no
Hairy Pothead MMO where you try and conceal your cash crop from the police and wave your magic pipe - maybe
All of my posts are either intelligent, thought provoking, funny, satirical, sarcastic or intentionally disrespectful. Take your pick.
I get banned in the forums for games I love, so lets see if I do better in the forums for games I hate.
I enjoy the serenity of not caring what your opinion is.
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