Activision shuts down The Silver Lining

King's Quest fan project The Silver Lining is being wiped from the face of the internet at the insistence of Activision's lawyers.

Years ago, King's Quest rights owner Vivendi/Sierra granted a non-commercial licence to the project following a brief legal spat. Vivendi/Sierra is now Activision Blizzard, however, and the new owner apparently won't extend the favour.

"After talks and negotiations in the last few months between ourselves and Activision, they have reached the decision that they are not interested in granting a non-commercial license to The Silver Lining, and have asked that we cease production and take down all related materials on our website," read a statement on The Silver Lining website.

"As before, we must and will comply with this decision, as much as we may wish we could do otherwise."

The Silver Lining team had been on track to release the first of five episodes in spring this year.

"We cannot say enough how much we appreciate the support we have had over these years from our fans. Without you, we would never have gotten this far. There would be no game to develop, and no one to develop it for. You have been amazing and steadfast, and we will always remember that and appreciate it more than we can say," continued the post.

"Sadly, after eight years of dedicated work and even more dedicated fans, The Silver Lining project is closing down."

The game's forums have been closed, as were Activision's wishes, but a new area has been created for TSL friends to keep in touch and chat in.