SEGA stamps on Streets of Rage fan reboot

By Fred Dutton Published 12 April, 2011

UPDATED: SEGA statement released.

UPDATE: A SEGA spokesperson has given Kotaku the following statement: "SEGA is committed to supporting any fans that take an interest in our games, and where possible we do so by involving them in Beta tests and other development, marketing or research opportunities.

"However we need to protect our intellectual property rights and this may result in us requesting that our fans remove online imagery, videos or games in some instances."

ORIGINAL STORY: SEGA has demanded that a hugely ambitious fan-made remake of its classic Streets of Rage beat 'em up be taken down from the web.

As reported by Gamasutra, developer Bomber Games unofficial effort had finally gone live last week following eight years in development. The free download boasted 103 stages, 19 playable characters, 64 enemies, 83 remixed songs, more than 40 cutscenes and eight different endings.

On top of all that, it had also shoehorned in a Survival Mode, Boss Rush Mode, Events Mode, Volleyball Mode, Allied CPU Mode, Profile Editor, Image Gallery, and a fistful of customisation options.

SEGA's lawyers clearly weren't as impressed as the internet at large was, however, asking the developer to take the game down.

"SEGA have contacted regarding the download hosted on this site," wrote a moderator on the Bomber Games forum. "While this issue is being resolved, please do not upload the game for others to download. Any links posted on this site will be removed. Thank you."

1
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About Fred Dutton

Fred Dutton is Eurogamer's US news editor, based in Washington DC.

Read more articles from Fred by visiting the Fred Dutton archive page.

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Comments (91) Latest comment 1 year ago

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  • Optyk #1 1 year ago

    Please don't upload for others to download. Who are they trying to kid.

  • IMD1_Pk #2 1 year ago

    SEGA should have done something about this before when the game was being made. After years of work and support from the SEGA fan community they shouldn't just pull the plug. At least if they pulled it earlier they wouldn't have seemed like such assholes

  • tossum #3 1 year ago

    That's bad darts, Sega

  • YoungPayters #4 1 year ago

    poor boys. i say there are a serious amount of angry developers because of this because over 8 years im sure a lot of people have there own personal mark on the finished version

  • Collymilad #5 1 year ago

    I suppose it's pretty embarrassing for sega considering they don't have the ability to create a good game anymore.
    Edited by Collymilad at 13/04/11 @ 00:09

  • carrotcake #6 1 year ago

    Sega are never gonna use their own IPs anyway, short of re-releasing the original MD/Genesis games in emulator wrapping. They just sit on their properties now because they can't make games. Sonic Team still do well enough with Sonic and Phantasy Star, although Sonic 4 was handed over to outsiders Dimps. Don't know what the other internal Sega teams do. AM2 proved they are still golden with Virtua Fighter 5 but that hasn't seen a console update since 2007.

  • comedyjack #7 1 year ago

    Perhaps Sega should pull their fingers out there arses and support this kinda thing rather than pouring all their 'efforts' into releasing products like Dreamcast Collection.

  • RobTheBuilder #8 1 year ago

    Unless Sega are planning to take this and release it on Steam then this is a bad bad move.

  • richarddavies #9 1 year ago

    Sega really need to do the right thing and go in with the guys that made this to port it over to XBLA/PSN and steam. It'd be the first genuinely terrific game Sega have released in years.

  • Sanxo #10 1 year ago

    Honestly, if you're going to do this sort of thing then the only effective way is to distribute through bittorrent and put out the messages anonymously. Because most (but not all) companies will simply stamp on you and you will be sad.

    It's a pretty sad state of affairs but that's the way things are and will continue to be.

  • dirtysteve #11 1 year ago

    Did SEGA know about this beforehand? If not, then it was the developers' responsibility to clear it with them. Atill, maybe Sega will snap it up and pump 3 or more marketplace games out of it.

  • Lexx87 #12 1 year ago

    It's still available if you just Google and search a bit.

  • JoeGBallad #13 1 year ago

    Hmm. So sega are fine with a million shitty sonic fan games being made every month, but as soon as a bunch of people's eight years of hard work comes out, they get it pulled?

  • handsonhips101 #14 1 year ago

    Sega need to get a grip. They never release the games we want and when fans do they throw a wobbler.

    Mind you sega today is not the same sega of the early 90's its really just a brand now. I used to get excited when I heard am2 or sonic team.

    *sigh*

  • el_pollo_diablo #15 1 year ago

    I'd have checked first if I was them. Sega aren't Valve, and they weren't 12 years ago either.

    That said, it's a huge huge compliment to the original and by extension to Sega. So Sega, stop being dicks.

  • the_dudefather #16 1 year ago

    SEGA...
    I AM...
    DISAPPOINT.

  • radioactive_bumfluff #17 1 year ago

    I haven't played a decent Sega game since the Saturn, and that well over 10 yrs ago!!

  • Powerstreak #18 1 year ago

    This'll stop people sharing it... nooooo

  • bad09 #19 1 year ago

    It's a fan made remake of a 20 year old game how much real money would SEGA lose with this out there? Is it really worth looking like total dicks to everyone?

    Why not use the money you pay lawyers to make some decent games? You're a good publisher but your own games are shite, christ you can't even do decent, worthwhile compilations of the great games you've already made!

    Bad SEGA!

  • Machetazo #20 1 year ago

    sega, oh yeah, i know them. Didn't they used to make games, or something. Maybe they'll take up teaching, next! ;) Apparently, internet reports have it that sega were informed about the project early on by Bomber, and didn't bat an eyelid.

    Now that it's lauded and released, sega get sour grapes. End up looking like (word of preference here).
    Really low. The makers are not profiting, most of the assets they recreated themselves, including all-new stages (its "inspired by", then, but that should be obvious, right), must just be the name that's got sega all afluster?

    edit: seeing as how sega has various regional arms, it may be worth noting that it was a sega Europe rep that responded to Kotaku with a statement. Which is unusual, because we're basically, out-of-hours for EU business; unlike for the Americans. Is it sega Europe that took umbrage?
    Edited by Machetazo at 12/04/11 @ 23:06

  • Eraysor #21 1 year ago

    Downloaded it before it got canned, oooooooooooh yeah

  • PlugMonkey #22 1 year ago

    "OMG! My horse! Quick! The door!"

  • RobTheBuilder #23 1 year ago

    Sigh. When Sega start to sound like Activision you know the industry is fucked.

  • dudefella #24 1 year ago

    This has to be because they want to hire these guys and/or release this commercially right? Right? They can't possibly be such dicks as to take it down after 8 years, RIGHT?

  • dewington #25 1 year ago

    SEGA's statement doesn't seem to explain muchr. What exactly did the game do that was so damaging to the Streets of Rage name?

    Hopefully it does mean they're either enlisting these guys to do it properly, or have their own remake in the oven. I'm not holding my breath though...

  • kupocake #26 1 year ago

    Why this surprises people... SEGA have only seemed to tolerate the fan-remake community because that lot are all mouth and no trousers. A decade of half-finished tech demos and ROM hacks does not a precedent make. Virtually every company under the sun would make this 'dick move' regardless of how shitty their recent releases are.

    And to those asking 'Didn't SEGA know about this project' ... did you? It was hardly a high profile piece of software.

  • Ryze #27 1 year ago

    THE MODERN SEGA ARE FULL OF SHIT.

    SEGA MUST DIE.

  • George-Roper #28 1 year ago

    Like anybody should be surprised, LOL!

    This is the very same SEGA who are busy eking (scraping) out a living by charging £1.99 for SoR and SoR2 (each) on Steam. Why on earth would they condone or support a far superior, free version of them?

    SEGA are the fucking clown shoes of the games industry, who are almost totally reliant upon their 'back catalogue' to get them through, showing zero innovation or creativity on the way.

    Fuck SEGA. Fuck them in their stupid asses.

  • sega #29 1 year ago

    How does one change their username on here?

  • Shikasama #30 1 year ago

    It's got nothing to do with how much money SEGA lose or whatever.

    You have to aggresively defend your IP rights or you lose them. If Sega let this fly without an official agreement it weakens their claim to the IP. This is the main reason you see stories like this so often. It would be irresponsible for Sega not to respond and the people involved with making it should have realised this would happen.

  • The-Bodybuilder #31 1 year ago

    Sega. Screw up their current games. Screw up porting their old games.
    Now even screw up when a bunch of indies do what they are incapable of doing.

  • Machetazo #32 1 year ago

    "I would like to say that we did actually contact Sega last year through an e-mail message regarding the use of copyrighted material, to which they answered asking us to send a formal letter to their legal department, so that's what we did.
    We accepted the ESA policies regarding the DMCA as well, otherwise this website would not exist anymore." bombergames, 2008

  • SimonM7 #33 1 year ago

    Okay I think it's time we shut down use of the word "reboot", it's thrown about completely willy nilly to the point where it's lost all meaning.

  • Gojiratron #34 1 year ago

    8 years in development and now they kick up a shit-storm?

    Could it be that they recognise that it embarrasses the majority of their output over the past 8 years?



    Doesn't bode well for Sonic 2 HD. :(

  • BigDannyH #35 1 year ago

    That's just not cricket, Sega.

    Although I have to side with them defending their IP. It's just a shame their IP is a 20 year old, far inferior version of the indie game recently released.

  • Ryze #36 1 year ago

    They really need to do the right thing here and get this thing released legitimately, with proceeds being put towards a game that the fans or developers choose.

    As things stand, I understand copyright law, but SEGA are an incompetent, impotent mess of a company in 2011.

    Needs a takeover.

  • jambii267 #37 1 year ago

    Give these guys jobs and release it properly, Don't be Assholes.

  • George-Roper #38 1 year ago

    It's got nothing to do with how much money SEGA lose or whatever.

    You have to aggresively defend your IP rights or you lose them. If Sega let this fly without an official agreement it weakens their claim to the IP. This is the main reason you see stories like this so often. It would be irresponsible for Sega not to respond and the people involved with making it should have realised this would happen.

    Oh yeah, absolutely! All the news we've been hearing lately about Super Streets Of Rage HD really puts the pressure on them to protect their IP...

    Like SEGA would ever put the SoR name to use again. It's absolutely about money because it shames them on the platform where this has appeared, when compared to what they charge for SoR and SoR2 on Steam. Nothing but bog-standard, emulated ports.

    Tossers.

  • the_dudefather #39 1 year ago

    just so you know, it's a really good remake

    it's got the Tomato mart from Shenmue \o/

  • Stomp224 #40 1 year ago

    "Mind you sega today is not the same sega of the early 90's its really just a brand now. I used to get excited when I heard am2 or sonic team. " QFT

    Sega used to mean something. Now it means my childhood allegiance was incorrectly chosen -_-

  • Ryze #41 1 year ago

    ^+1

  • Ryze #42 1 year ago

    ^+1

  • nobodysprince #43 1 year ago

    I can understand SEGA's response if this is as similar to the original as it sounds. However, whatever the case, such an effort should not go to waste. It would be mean-spirited but also foolish, as such an ambitious and extensive remake could bring in a decent amount of profit for the company.

  • Jimmy__Fury #44 1 year ago

    Damn. I've been following development of this for years and years, and Sega only stamps on it *now*? That's ridiculous. Also more irritating on a personal level was that I intended to download this today, and now it's been blocked!

    I completely agree with the comments that Sega treats its IPs terribly (especially Streets of Rage - witness the story where the president of Sega of America didn't even know what the franchise was and shot down a remake idea). Look at how Sonic's been run into the ground - "Sonic the Hedgehog 4" is lacklustre at best. To take another recent example, the recent Dreamcast compilation is so shoddy and workmanlike it's astounding. Glory days of that company are well and truly behind it. Such a shame.

  • Shakey_Jake33 #45 1 year ago

    IP issues aside, if Sega want bad publicity and a fan backlash, they're going the right way about it. This team have done more for the series than Sega have in 15 years.

  • RobotRocker #46 1 year ago

    It is weird, because Sega don't really care about Rom Hacking of Sonic and other Megadrive stuff. They let the PSO Private servers slide and they are actually very good with their fans (As creepy as some could be) regarding their IP.

    But at the same time, even with the considerable effort Bombergames went to, I guess they cant have a product that shows up their own plans and especially since Bombergames made their own assets in places. For all we know, with the rebooting thats going on lately, Sega could have plans to give Streets Of Rage another whirl. So they have to protect their IP somewhat.

    I would definitely think there will be people in Sega US and Europe who are unhappy with this however and its not exactly pleasant for them that they have to do this. Maybe they could figure out something amicable.

    Sonic 2 HD will probably be fine though. Remaking it is a clusterfuck and a half for Sega due to the licencing rights for the music and their policy always seems to be that if something is untouchable to them, they leave it be.

  • SpaceMonkey77 #47 1 year ago

    Stupid Sega, a shadow of their former selves. Eight years in development, and now they flinch

    Frankly, I have no sympathy for Sega on this one. If Sega listened to what fans wanted from them, they wouldn't be in the poor house. A SoR4 would be a no brainer, but instead all they can think of is SONIC, BECAUSE WE ALL LOVE SONIC< DON't WE?

    And dont come with that lame IP protection crap. If Sega gave a monkeys toss, they wouldn't have waited eight years to act. The gears of law turn slowly, so time matters a lot. There needs to be a clause that allows for fan based content, something the japanese, strangely turn a blind eye to in japan, in the form of dojinshi games.

    I say, go BomberGames. All they need do is rename it, and then push it out. If you don't use their name, half the battle is won. If its distributed for free, then surely fair use applies (though I'm no legal monkey). Sega, don't be dicks. Support this game and give these chaps their dues.

  • Raiko101 #48 1 year ago

    The best thing to do here is to try and get Sega to release the game themselves. Whether or not they could be convinced though...

  • Kami #49 1 year ago

    It's still available from dozens of file upload sites and torrents, SEGA waited way too long if they wanted this shut down. The genie is very much out of the bottle, as it were.

    It's dickish now anyway. IP protection? They've had eight freaking years and it's been available - and playable - for half that at least. This is just, in its simplest terms, a dickmove and SEGA should be ashamed, deeply, and apologise and offer the makers of this amazing game blowjobs from the most expensive hookers money can buy.

    And if an HD Remake comes along, I wouldn't buy it, much like why I wouldn't buy the Steam version - a direct port in this day and age? Fuck off. Touch it up, love it up, romance it, add more stages, add something to it. I'm not buying a port, and I wouldn't buy a straight HD remake either. Seriously - we should expect and DEMAND better from companies on this front.

    SEGA have usually been ones to keep fans on-side... this is going to sorely test that relationship.

  • Ryze #50 1 year ago

    Sega are incompetent anyway. If they tried to develop SOR4, it'd end up a complete mess.

    I wish they'd have folded back after Dreamcast died, and sold off their name and IP to companies who a have a clue how to use it properly.

    Pathetic.

  • 3william56 #51 1 year ago

    Hopefully this will be like that World of Starcraft mod. Call it Streets of Being Somewhat Ticked Off and all will be well (because if they did make all new assets, that's all Sega can object to). But still stupid on Sega's part. This is the best ad campaign they could hope for...

  • FuzzyDuck #52 1 year ago

    I suppose Sega have been protecting the SoR franchise for many a year but not touching it and pumping out poop with SoR emblazoned on it.

    A real shame this, i'd like to see Bombergames reap the rewards they deserve.

  • Kami #53 1 year ago

    Protecting? Really, I find all SEGA do now is port, port, port - and not very well either. The same thing happened on PS3 with Soul Reaver recently - didn't even bother to port the graphically slightly-better DC version, and went for the slower and graphically worse PS1 version. Porting is pointless unless you optimise now - porting 16-bit games onto systems many thousands of times more powerful than the original consoles is just pathetic.

    I don't get why SEGA are doing it though. I have the remake - downloaded it. It's amazing, it's been done with such love and care and polish that it's almost impossible to hate it - there are niggles but they are retro niggles, and part of the charm of the games as they were. It's by far and away one of the best indie/fan games I've played in years. It's a testament to love, dedication and passion. Usually this is enough for SEGA to keep things afloat... clearly, no more.

    I notice too they're also going after some Sonic fangames as well. SEGA is turning evil. It's that fanbase that has kept them even remotely floating for years now - I certainly would be amused to see what happens as soon as that safety net is removed... it'd be rather messy.

    Anyway. It's too late for this game - SEGA will never surpress it. It's out there, it's being downloaded, it's too late unless you aim to criminalise hundreds of download hosting sites, hundreds of thousands of potential customers (who, if they're downloading the remake, are going to be the ones who read up on games on the internet and form an opinion!) and basically anyone who even comes within ten feet of it.

    If they had a problem with it, they had eight years - half of that, as I said, we've been able to download beta versions. This isn't like a surprise that was thrust upon them. This has had the support of me and lots of others - and I'm firmly on the side of BG here... they did a stonking job for nothing but the love of it.

    If all games were made with an ounce of that ethic and passion, we'd never read reviews again - because every game would be amazing.

    Anyway, I digress. It's sad, and I hope SEGA come to their senses. This is very bad publicity - and with their output in recent years, they can ill afford to piss off their dedicated fanbase...
    Edited by Kami at 13/04/11 @ 02:32

  • Loghorn #54 1 year ago

    @IMD1_Pk & @comedyjack:

    Exactly. If they were so offended by this, then they should just get up out of their arses, do this remake of what Bombergames have done themselves (& make it very similar to how they done it), & put it on both retail & through downloads for Wii, PS3, & 360!

    @Ryze:

    IMO, I think that Sega should just die & let their IP's go to other companies, such as Capcom, etc. Same with SNK Playmore, in which they're IP's can go on over to Arc System Works.

  • ruddiger7 #55 1 year ago

    how can this hurt their business? its a free to download game. the only way it could hurt them cause they cant make a game as good as them

  • ruddiger7 #56 1 year ago

    how can this hurt their business? its a free to download game. the only way it could hurt them cause they cant make a game as good as them

  • kaya08 #57 1 year ago

    Funny, didn't know about this until they got the download blocked and it took me about 2 mins to find a different source.

    Possibly done to publicise it?

  • Dizzy #58 1 year ago

    Glad I got it when it released.

    Oh... will they try to get my IP now? :)

  • Der_tolle_Emil #59 1 year ago

    I didn't know this was already done.

    The ironic part is that taking it down is probably the best publicity for the remake. I knew about the remake but I wasn't following it at all because I never had a SEGA console and thus never played Streets of Rage. After 8 years in the making I simply have to know how it turned out though and I will definitely download it when I get home. Thanks for letting me know SEGA!

  • Kami #60 1 year ago

    Indeed, perfect publicity...

    And if you Google sensibly, really not hard to find still... there're an awful lot of people who are sticking their middle finger up to SEGA on this one...

  • PlugMonkey #61 1 year ago

    "And to those asking 'Didn't SEGA know about this project' ... did you? It was hardly a high profile piece of software."

    Not until about 2 weeks ago, when it went final. But then, the developers didn't write to me to tell me about it, and it's not my 9 to 5 job to monitor potential infringements of my employer's IP rights, so that's not exactly a fair comparison.

    Incidentally, to all the people complaining about Sega choosing to squash it now: would you rather they squashed it before it was finished? Which would you prefer: 7 years effort and then being told to stop when you still had stuff you wanted to do, or 8 years effort and being told to "stop" once the thing is finished and on a hundred download sites?

    At least this way, we all get to play the finished, final version. Hurrah for incompetence, I say.

  • Der_tolle_Emil #62 1 year ago

    @PlugMonkey: For us consumers it is better that the plug was pulled after it was done. As you say, we still get to play it.

    However, I am sure that the developers would have preferred that SEGA told them a lot earlier. I'm sure they have enough talent to re-brand it as something different and just mention "Streets of Rage inspired" in the description of the game, making everyone happy.

  • menage #63 1 year ago

    Sorry, but they could have seen this coming from a mile away. And Sega can do whatever the fuck they want cause it's their ip.

  • hiddenranbir #64 1 year ago

    Damn you bombergames, for undermining our attempt to cheaply cash in on Streets of Rage with the pitiful emulated versions on Steam. Damn you for potentially reintroducing a great IP of ours to a new market which would possibly give reason enough for us to develop something new.

    Can't you see we're solely reliant on Football Manager and Total War now!

  • LHH #65 1 year ago

    Easily found, SEGA can kiss my arse.

  • castertroy #66 1 year ago

    This looks amazing. Bad on sega for taking this down. A franchise that all they have ever done is re release poor versions, someone comes along and does a better job than them.

  • SeesThroughAll #67 1 year ago

    @Kami:
    Protecting? Really, I find all SEGA do now is port, port, port - and not very well either. The same thing happened on PS3 with Soul Reaver recently - didn't even bother to port the graphically slightly-better DC version, and went for the slower and graphically worse PS1 version.

    Soul Reaver isn't even a port, it's the same PS1 game, emulated. And the "PSOne Classics" collection is not a replacement for ports or sequels, it's just a way to sell old PS1 games that were once popular. I don't think this warrants comparison. A valid comparison would have been if they started selling the PS1 Soul Reaver on DVD and BD for the 360 and PS3 all over again, with barely any adjustments (maybe trophies/achievements?)

    SEGA is turning evil.

    I think we might as well accept it: Nintendo, SEGA, Atari, Microsoft, Sony, Apple, etc... are all evil. Out for profit.

  • bell_801 #68 1 year ago

    You can Keep your sub-par mediocre Yakuza crap, and shitty friends Sonic "Insert Crap Sequel XX" Games, never again.

  • DwarfyP #69 1 year ago

    While it sucks for those guys that made it, they shouldn't have thought no response from SEGA meant they were entering into any kind of agreement official or not.

    Streets of Rage is SEGA's IP and have a right to do what they want with it even if that is just to sit on it.

    Who knows SEGA might look at what they have done and do an official release of it and that is what they stopped it going out.

  • SlackMaster #70 1 year ago

    How about actually releasing another Streets of Rage game Sega, rather than stamping on fans who make them because you don't!!!

  • Kami #71 1 year ago

    @SeesThroughAll - Quite, the PC versions are "emulated" to a point. However, the point remains that in this modern day and age we're not as interested unless some work has gone into the new version - I have my old Mega Drive, and Game Gear, both with Streets of Rage games. I love them - but the Steam version is terrible and like much of their "Classics Collection", cheap and dirty 'ports' of classic games. We should expect better now, really.

    SEGA aren't usually 'evil' either - they have cultivated over the years a very good, thriving fanbase - many of which also make their own fangames. This is something they've spent over a decade encouraging and nurturing, and that they're suddenly getting pissy about numerous projects is quite scary. Sure, they own the IP and all, but you reap what you sow - and many fangames I've had the pleasure of downloading have been of considerably higher quality than the majority of SEGAs output the last ten years or so. It throws this community they themselves have built into turmoil. That's just generally speaking dickish really.

    But what annoys me somewhat is this idea they want to shut down a project that has been going - and publically available for download for ages. And still is, unless they feel the need to criminalise hundreds of thousands of knowledgeable people. The genie is out of the bottle, and SEGA will find it very hard if not impossible to stick it back in.

    Which then begs the question - why are they trying? Square peg, round hole...

    edit; Apparantly word is this is because Streets of Rage is "still on sale". Which as defences go is correct I suppose - but by god, if SEGA are trying to justify it based on that shitty thing they call a re-release, then they are dramatically out of touch with the gaming market of today...

    The mind. It has boggled.
    Edited by Kami at 13/04/11 @ 09:18

  • SG #72 1 year ago

    Sega take note: this is how to make games in the 21st century.

  • seanyboycorben #73 1 year ago

    SEGA are a joke outfit and this only serves to further illustrate what we already knew.

    Pennies in the bank and they're bullying people who know how to use SEGA IP better than they do.

  • WiZZyWiGG #74 1 year ago

    Wouldn't like to be a SEGA employee these days, would be embarrassed to admit it.

    Its a shame such a great company has gone so downhill over the years :-(

  • SpaceMonkey77 #75 1 year ago

    Well, I own both the MD version and the XBLA version of SoR, and after checking out SoRR, I really am shocked to say that this new cut is miles better. Its breathed new life into an awesome game, and kudos to the Bomber Games team.

    Lets hope Sega see sense, because getting this baby onto iOS or Steam would be cool, where both Bomber and Sega could get something for it. If not, free works well too.

  • Gearskin #76 1 year ago

    Should have just thanked Bomber Games and employed them to port it to XBLA

  • DAN.E.B #77 1 year ago

    Maybe the guys that made it could change the name and characters a bit to not infringe on any trademarks
    then release it
    beats throwing eight years of work down the pan.

  • RobotRocker #78 1 year ago

    People criticizing them for this (rare) instance should shut up and see what the likes of the "great" Square Enix or the "revolutionary" Nintendo usually do.

    Nintendo have calmed down on this somewhat in the last few years regarding C&D's and let the romhacking and fan translation scene let be (though they will clamp on entirely new game projects involving their IP). Squeenix are still trigger happy though.

    I can see why Sega did do a take down. I certainly remember Bernie Stolar (or was it Peter Moore?) saying "What the hell is Streets Of Rage" for the Dreamcast pre-Vis they did. But the newer staff they have is tons more savy and aware of the past. I mean, they let Sumo Digital have Ryo Hazuki and Opa Opa for Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing. They would certainly know of Streets Of Rage. And with the newer staff in Sega, theres a better chance of them making a new one. For all we know, there could be a new one that they are getting ready to show at E3. As good as this fan project is, they still need to protect their assets. Plus, Bombergames seem to have used some of their own assets in the game which is somewhat of a legal clusterfuck which does weaken the IP protection on it. It's unfortunate, but Sega had to act and I certainly think that Sega took no pleasure in issuing a takedown on it considering their policies.

    Somewhat of a similar example. Capcom pays no real attention to GGPO and Roms as they know they have no real plans for console versions and it helps them as it keeps the community going. But they asked Ponder to remove support for Third Strike due to the release of Third Strike Online on XBLA/PSN this summer and he complied (Though the rumour is that it will be using GGPO). Capcom still had to protect their products, even though they have been turning somewhat of a blind eye to some less than legal uses (Their official policy on MUGEN is to do the same. Blind eye it).

    Both Capcom and Sega have the right attitudes, but there is somewhat of a line and they do need to act if it is crossed. Unfortunate, but them's the breaks of the law.

    I notice too they're also going after some Sonic fangames as well. SEGA is turning evil. It's that fanbase that has kept them even remotely floating for years now - I certainly would be amused to see what happens as soon as that safety net is removed... it'd be rather messy.

    There is a noticeable pattern on this though. It's usually when they use their own assets instead of using Sega's assets which is making Sega somewhat apprehensive. Unfortunately, when people start sticking their own assets in, its a complete legal clusterfuck and the IP protection weakens. Rom hacks like Sonic Megamix that use Sega sprites and assets ripped from Sega games are things they dont mind because they own and control the assets anyway. There is no danger to the IP. When people start introducing their own music and designs to it, then they get somewhat antsy and start shutting them down.
    Edited by RobotRocker at 13/04/11 @ 11:13

  • hazelam #79 1 year ago

    it's still available, you just have to look for it, and not for long either.
    i found it, and i played it, and i have to say those guys have done a fantastic job.
    this isn't some basic port, they've taken the basic game and expanded it hugely, the gameplay is still basically the same but all the new stuff they've added, there's tons of it.
    new characters, new enemies, new levels, branching levels.
    sadly they couldn't get the online multiplayer working well enough so they had to leave it out, but a game of this quality, for free, it would be petty to complain about that.

    not cool on sega's part though, i mean i can understand where they're coming from, but just shutting it down like that, it's not like they're about to release a new SoR game, there is the md version coming to the psn in a couple of weeks, so that might be an issue, but that's console, this is pc.

    will the ill will from the fans be worth more than any possible increase in sales for the psn game?

    you know what the sad thing is, this game is better than a lot of the stuff sega have put out over the last few years.
    how out of touch are sega?
    they released a dreamcast collection, and what did they put on it?
    a fishing game, space channel 5, sonic adventure and crazy taxi.
    now, crazy taxi is a bloody good game, but have they got all that great music it originally had or will it be like the downloadable version and it be missing?

  • homerbert #80 1 year ago

    While this is a dick move on Sega's art, it may be the best thing to happen to this remake. Huge amounts of free publicity will just convince people to go and download something that would have slipped under their radar. Anybody who downloads a fan remake of a game has usually bought the original several times over.

  • richyroo #81 1 year ago

    Took me 30 secs to find it on a torrent site. It really is THAT good!

  • 32768Colours #82 1 year ago

    103 stages?! 19 characters?! If Sega had any sense, they'd have bought this up before it was completed. Even taking the evil executive viewpoint this game would make commercial sense; imagine how much episodic and downloadable content all these features, characters and levels would provide!

    I'm sure its just a legal knee-jerk reaction, but the "cynical forum poster" side of me likes to imagine that they pulled it because it's a better SoR game than Sega could ever possibly hope of making.

  • kaya08 #83 1 year ago

    I really don't blame them for taking it down.
    As mentioned it creates legal 'issues' and its not like they've been thorough with stopping it being dstributed.
    (The only place its not available is Bombergames website)

    Its still easily available, they've just drawn a line to say 'we still own this'.
    Which is fair enough really.

  • RobotRocker #84 1 year ago

    If Sega had any sense, they'd have bought this up before it was completed. Even taking the evil executive viewpoint this game would make commercial sense; imagine how much episodic and downloadable content all these features, characters and levels would provide!

    Unfortunately, that is also a complete legal clusterfuck as well due to the rights of the assets and the fact that they developed it without licence. It would be pretty much impossible to do that if Sega wanted to, because the law would be against them regarding the legalities of the original product breaking copyright (I know its weird, but that is the law). As well, there was 8 years of work thrown into the project by multiple people and you would have to credit and pay them too. Even worse is if someone left the project in a huff and their assets got used anyway, they can legally claim for damages. Fangames are usually an absolute mess which is why they don't touch them for legal reasons.

    As much as people wish, "Just buy it and publish it legally" is not an option in these cases at all.
    Edited by RobotRocker at 13/04/11 @ 13:43

  • BlitzwingHaz #85 1 year ago

    I agree with the anti Sega stuff, the company is just a shadow of what it was.
    Loking forward to playing this fangame later on, the betas were excellent.

  • telboy007 #86 1 year ago

    They probably had a good look at this game, figured they'd never be able to re-engineer it and extract all those levels to make constant pieces of DLC to sell on afterwards. Oh well.

  • Abraxus #87 1 year ago

    Hm. Didn't even know this existed, and as a long time SoR fan from the Megadrive days I'd just like to say: Fuck you Sega, I'm torrenting this now and have sent the download link to 11 friends and posted it on three different websites.

  • RobotRocker #88 1 year ago

    Actually, I like the fact that people are still screaming "Fuck Sega" even though they just gave this the legal equivalent of slap on the wrist, were slow to act (Almost deliberately so, its been out nearly a week or two now) and aren't pursuing people who re-distribute.

    Ignorance is fun when you can rage against the machine!

  • chris5044 #89 1 year ago

    Well why dont sega get their arse together and make the game? jeeze ... or have the real SEGA creators moved on??

    It had to take other people to make the effort to get this out there .... !!!

    Sort it out or get left behind!!!

  • RobotRocker #90 1 year ago

    Well why dont sega get their arse together and make the game? jeeze ... or have the real SEGA creators moved on??

    Actually, yes. Most of the SoR original team moved on in the Dreamcast days and an attempt to get a sequel going during that time was met with stonewalling from Sega US management. As well, Sega Japan had moved onto and were concentrating on the "Spiritual" sequel, Spikeout, so there was no demand other than the internet peanut gallery.

    With XBLA/PSN showing that belt scrollers can be a viable genre again, Sega could have something in the works. So they do need to protect their property and if anything Sega have been rather polite about it. Considering Squeenix threats to ruin people's lives over fan remakes (the poor sod who did the excellent looking Chrono Trigger 3D remake was lawyered to hell and had to destroy everything he made of it).

    It's charmingly ignorant how people have been, thinking that Sega should just roll over though. If anything, this remake and the outcry might just have convinced them its time to bring Streets Of Rage back. There is an audience now, after all.

  • Alex_976 #91 1 year ago

    Sega died when they killed off the dreamcast. Simple as. The old sega boss must be turning in his grave at the state of the company today.