Noraf Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 (edited) Bohemia Interactive made the following press release today: For immediate release. The name game: Codemasters’ marketing of new “Operation Flashpoint†creates confusion, provokes protest. Is the upcoming Codemasters game really “the much anticipated return of the genre-defining military conflict simulator†Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis? Is it really “the official sequel to the multi-award winning Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis� Bohemia Interactive says: “No! What matters is the game, not the name.†Prague, Czech Republic, February 26, 2009 - In a letter from its attorneys to the English company The Codemasters Software Company Ltd, Bohemia Interactive Studio s.r.o., the leading Czech-based independent games developer, is protesting Codemasters’ marketing tactics which tout Codemasters’ upcoming game Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising as the “return of†or “official sequel to†the genre-defining game Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis. The award-winning Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis was created by Bohemia Interactive in 1997-2001. Bohemia Interactive licensed its creation to Codemasters to publish and distribute. Although Codemasters owns the “Operation Flashpoint†trade mark and plans to release its new game under that title, Bohemia Interactive has always owned 100% of the original OFP game. Bohemia also provided gaming community complete set of editing tools and on-going support that turned the original OFP into one of the most modded PC games ever. Codemasters owns only the name – and Bohemia Interactive wants fans to understand that Codemasters’ new game is not from the same development team that brought them the classic original. “In the license agreement, Bohemia Interactive expressly reserved the exclusive right to develop sequels to the original OFP game,†says Leora Herrmann of Kluger, Peretz, Kaplan & Berlin, PL in Miami, attorneys for Bohemia Interactive. “Codemasters also acknowledged that Bohemia owns all the intellectual property in the game – except the words ‘Operation Flashpoint’,†adds Herrmann. “Since Codemasters has no right to use the Bohemia Interactive game engine or any other component of the Bohemia-developed game, how can it rightfully claim to produce a ‘sequel’?†asks Bohemia Interactive CEO Marek Spanel. Because Codemasters owns the trade mark “Operation Flashpoint,†Bohemia Interactive cannot use the name for its own sequels. Instead, ArmA, released in 2007 and already adopted by the modding community, is powered by the second generation of the Bohemia game engine. Bohemia Interactive is currently working on its latest revolutionary re-creation of modern military conflict – ArmA II, due out later this year– which will be powered by the third generation of its engine and is based on the same original design concepts and artistic style of Bohemia Interactive’s legendary releases OFP: Cold War Crisis and OFP: Resistance. In fact, the ground-breaking game engine that Bohemia Interactive launched initially in OFP: Cold War Crisis has spawned not only ArmA and the upcoming state-of-the-art ArmA II, but in its most sophisticated incarnation to date also powers Bohemia Interactive’s VBS combat training simulators used by armed forces around the world, including the recently announced Game After Ambush training program for the US Army. “We can’t stop Codemasters from releasing a game using the words ‘Operation Flashpoint,’†acknowledged Spanel. “But it is not right to promote this game as the ‘official sequel to the multi-award winning Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis’ or the ‘return’ of Bohemia Interactive’s ‘genre-defining military conflict simulator.’ The awards were given for the game created by Bohemia Interactive - not to a name.†About Bohemia Interactive. Bohemia Interactive is an independent game development company. The company focuses on developing state of the art computer software and researching advanced real time 3D graphics, artificial intelligence and other state-of-the-art technologies for interactive environments in computer games and simulators. For more information about the company visit http://www.bistudio.com it's going to be interesting to follow this though [Post split & Moved to the Operation Flashpoint: Dragon Rising forum] Edited February 27, 2009 by Pave Low Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viiiper Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 eheh , love a real War ! now thing s will get warm thx. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
viiiper Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Now I'm replying in two threads , so like I said in the other thread !! Getting warmer ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pave Low Posted February 27, 2009 Share Posted February 27, 2009 Hmm... good bet this is part of the reason they dropped the 2 from the title the other day while I can see BI's point over anything referring to it as "the sequel" or giving an impression that it's from the same designers I just really hope this doesn't descend into "mudslinging" Each game should be able to be judged solely on it merits and how well or poorly it plays by the gamers who buy them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twcrash Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 I can see them both saying they are the sequel and both would be correct. One is name and one in developer. Truth be told nether game will be anything like OFP was. I still play OFP and love it. I think the true sequel is actually VBS1. Tho it will cost you 1500 to find out lol. I cant believe I paid that much for a game. I cant believe my wife let me back then lmao. Gotta love her she takes care of me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pave Low Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 Truth be told nether game will be anything like OFP was. I still play OFP and love it. Word Same here The closest sequel to OFP has been ..... OFP with some of the later mods I think the true sequel is actually VBS1. Tho it will cost you 1500 to find out lol. I cant believe I paid that much for a game. Got it and VBS 2 and if you haven't already seen them we have forums for all of them and more First-Person Tactical games Subforums Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krise madsen Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 It's inherently confusing: One is a sequel only in name, another is sequel in all but name, and both are basically the same type of game. I've seen quite a few people confused over this on various forums. Respectfully krise madsen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NoQuarter Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 (edited) I hope that this is just an indicator of the competition between the two groups pre-release, and that the same level of competition was present during production with the two studios actually going neck and neck for the title of true successor -whatever that means. My bet is on BIS...but hope CM gives them a run for the money. Edited February 28, 2009 by NoQuarter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2nd Ranger Posted February 28, 2009 Share Posted February 28, 2009 They'll probably end up like most other war games that come out at the same time. They'll both have features you wish were present in the other. Until we see some uninterrupted gameplay videos, it's not fair to judge. I'm just glad this legal stuff didn't actually impede development or release of either game. Lesser (bigger) companies would be suing each other and delaying release dates left and right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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