14 replies to this topic

[danny96]

anyone want to do this mod? It would be cool if yes!

[randomperson139]

A lot of people are already working on mods so there might not be many people who would be able to make it.
Would it just be the vehicles from GTA IV?

[danny96]

vehicles, persons... just whole mod

[Wkboy714]

I would want to.
But I have no idea how.

[Hoppah]

And, what do you think would be the purpose of this?

You can't just import models from that game, because they are high-polygon and you are going to need to make new textures for each model. You sure you are not going to complain when Emergency 4 can't handle the high-polygon models? The Emergency 4 engine is not build for high-polygon models. It's also not possible to import persons from that game. All vehicles in GTA 4 are not even real existing vehicles. They are based on real vehicles, but a little different.

[Wkboy714]

That's true. Plus all the police units are basically the same, and there's only one firetruck/ambulance. If you want to make it go ahead, but it'll get boring quickly. And there's no Engineer or Diver or things like that.

[LACityFFengineCo287]

It's a cool idea, but, just as Hoppah and everyone else said, you've got to make everything from scratch, and you've got to make your own maps, and find a way to make it all work. Good Luck!

[Fisk1]

Maybe there are some copyright-issues to consider here as well?

[jab16]

sounds pretty cool, hmmm but liberty city kind of reminds me of a real place, I cant put my finger on it though, hmmm  

[Newfoundking]

It's definitely not New York city at all, what're you talking about, that's impossible!

Spoiler

please not ethe sarcasm, it has been more and more like NY since GTA III, they had to tone it down a bit after 9/11.. but you can make a new topic to talk about that, lets stay on topic, okay ?

[Fisk1]

[SAP]Francis, on Nov 23 2009, 01:31 AM, said:

I don't think they put copyright on "Liberty City". It would seem to be kinda stupid, no?

You think, but you don't know?
They probably haven't put a copyright claim on the name of Liberty City itself, I was thinking more along the lines of the other content of the GTA IV game.
Character names, vehicle designs, map textures, etc. can be copyrighted, and probably is by Rockstar Games.
Depending on how much of the actual game is going to be included in the (eventual) EM4-mod, copyright liabilities may occur.

[Voodoo_Operator]

Fisk1, on Nov 23 2009, 09:17 AM, said:

You think, but you don't know?
They probably haven't put a copyright claim on the name of Liberty City itself, I was thinking more along the lines of the other content of the GTA IV game.
Character names, vehicle designs, map textures, etc. can be copyrighted, and probably is by Rockstar Games.
Depending on how much of the actual game is going to be included in the (eventual) EM4-mod, copyright liabilities may occur.

But they probably wouldn't occur, seeing as a mod wouldn't act against the commercial interests or the corporate image of Rockstar Games.

Pretty much everything that ends up in mods for any game is probably copyrighted or patented anyway. Look at all the car models out there... don't you think each company has copyrights and/or patents on its brand, logo, model names, model designs, etc? Yet I have never heard of a single company suing (or threatening to sue) a modder over the use of their brand.

Even some cities and their rescue/law enforcement agencies have a copyright on their branding. I think it's the case for the LAPD, and probably for the NYPD as well.

But as long as no money is made off the use of copyrighted material and that there is no interference with the image or commercial interests of the company, they probably won't mind unless they're complete a**holes. It's some kind of free publicity for them, after all.

I have heard ONCE of a mod getting canceled because they had received a cease and desist. It was a Halo-themed Command & Conquer mod, and Bungie contacted the modders asking them to cease the mod, probably because they were (secretly back then) working on the upcoming Halo Wars. And then again, those things don't immediately end up in a lawsuit, as companies know better than to bring something to court and get bad rep in the process by being the "evil corporation that tries to eliminate benevolent modders". They just send a threatening letter signed by their lawyers to let you know it's in your best interest to stop what you're doing. No harm done but to your own ego.

With that said... I do not see at all the relevance of a Liberty City mod. There are already so few real-life locations that have their mod, I see absolutely no reason to make a fictional one.

[Fisk1]

Voodoo_Operator, on Nov 23 2009, 04:06 PM, said:

Pretty much everything that ends up in mods for any game is probably copyrighted or patented anyway. Look at all the car models out there... don't you think each company has copyrights and/or patents on its brand, logo, model names, model designs, etc? Yet I have never heard of a single company suing (or threatening to sue) a modder over the use of their brand.

They probably have, but this begs the question of recognizabilty. If (for example) Ford was trying to take legal action against a mod that incorporated a Mondeo, they would have to find a violating use of their logo, or other copyrighted elements. If they can find something to base a complaint-case around, action can be taken by them.
Let's say that a billboard with advertisement from the GTA IV-game was included in the mod, and that the image itself was copyrighted by RockStar. If the quality of the image is good enough, so that it becomes easily recognizable, Rockstar might feel that this is copyright infringement (and they would be in full right too).

Quote

But as long as no money is made off the use of copyrighted material and that there is no interference with the image or commercial interests of the company, they probably won't mind unless they're complete a**holes. It's some kind of free publicity for them, after all.

There is a lot of probability in your post...
Anyway; A**holes or not, there is no guarantee that a company will see beneficial publicity in a copyright infringement.
This depends on what the new mod portrays from the original game.

Quote

And then again, those things don't immediately end up in a lawsuit, as companies know better than to bring something to court and get bad rep in the process by being the "evil corporation that tries to eliminate benevolent modders". They just send a threatening letter signed by their lawyers to let you know it's in your best interest to stop what you're doing. No harm done but to your own ego.

This again depends on what is infringed upon. If a brand or company feels that it's name is being portrayed in a unlawful or unwanted fashion, and that this portrayal is performed for a large group of people (there is undeniably a large base of people that play various EM3/4-mods in the world), they may feel forced to take legal action (this includes cease & decist-letters) as not to have their good/mediocre/bad reputation slandered.
About the EM-scene not having heard of a large amount of these legal actions against modders might be caused by the fact that most companies etc. don't know too much about the Emergency-games, or the large community of mods and modmakers. This makes it difficult for them to keep track over if and where their copyrighted material is being used without previous agreement.

I agree with you in the unprobability of a "big firm" taking action against a small mod, but I only want to bring up the point that the possibilty is there.
Depending on what country one resides in, what form of distribution is used for the mod, what actually is incorporated from the original game that the mod is based on, etc.
This is not as to say that making mods is necessarily a bad idea or violation of the law, quite the opposite, I merely find this an interesting point of matter to share.