BEWARE

[Hakuryu]

All is solved, we are keeping the domain, thanks to everyone involved

Kudos to Activision and SD for not being EA’ish. Isn’t a caring publisher one of the signs of the Apocalypse?

[EB1]

…brilliant.

Somehow I think SuperWils had something to do with this.

[unblind]

Hi Albert , we are very happy for you to keep the domain name and wholeheartedly support communities that have helped develop the ongoing awareness and success of id titles. As such the request you received is based on upon Activision’s concerted marketing effort to promote ids newest title, Enemy Territory Quake Wars. Its certainly not an attempt to the thwart your amazing work too date , take over your site nor pose a legal threat to your community. It would be great if you would provide a link from your domain to http://www.enemyterritory.com,and as a side note we are in the process of localizing that site in both French and German languages to support those territories and active gaming communities with information in their local language.

I did notice your posting on http://www.splashdamage.com/index.php?name=pnPHPbb2&file=viewtopic&t=15096 it is a little misleading to what our intentions are, and we are not interested in taking over your site . I think it would have been better to have sent me the email below to clarify our request rather than publicly air a misunderstanding.

Thanks

Jh
thanks activision + wils

[EB1]

…I don’t think there was a misunderstanding…

A “blatent threat with an ultimatum” evolved into “sorry, keep it the way it’s been” ::just add a link::.

[JBRAA]

… and you make no effort to tell people that it isn’t the official site. It may be there somewhere, but I don’t even see a link to id, SD, ATVI, or the official enemyterritory site anywhere on the first page. Nor is there anything that stands out saying it is a fan site. Regardless of whether you are legally in the right, you have certainly failed to show common courtesy.

By registering a site that is so blatantly close to the official name, you set your self up for conflict. You should have realized this when you registered it.

The site is also full of invasive adds, which gives a bad impression of the product to anyone who thought it was the official site.

I agree!

Though, if Activision had expressed them selves this way, like normal people, and not like ‘pitt-bull dogs on steroids’, my guess is that Nail would understand, and not get deeply offended, and react more like “Wops! Sorry will fix some official links to the official site right away, and put in “fan site” somewhere! Cant wait for ET:QW btw”

I cant talk for you though Nail, even if it may seem I just did. But what SCDS_reyalP said really sounds fair and good to me. Sorry if I offended you by saying this.

[Nail]

Our old site had links to Activision, id, and Splash Damage, after the last huge hacking of the site, some things were lost with the introduction of the new software, but we’ve never claimed to be anything but a fan site and have corrected many sites that thought we were the “official site”. I don’t see any other fan sites with banners saying “We aren’t the official site”
I see absolutely no reason to apologize for our site, it is what it is, a resource site for people who like the game

[SCDS_reyalP]

but we’ve never claimed to be anything but a fan site and have corrected many sites that thought we were the “official site”

I never said that you were claiming to be the official site, only that there was the potential for confusion. The fact you have had to correct that impression should make it obvious that this does happen.

I don’t see any other fan sites with banners saying “We aren’t the official site”

Most of the other sites aren’t using a domain that is likely to be confused with the official site.

If you go to planetwolfenstein, et-center, xfire.be, you know right away it isn’t the official site, without being told. If you go to enemy-territory.com, you are left guessing. Since this potential for confusion exists, it would be common courtesy to make it as clear as possible that you are not, and provide a link for anyone who stumbled on your site looking for the official ones.

[jjpron]

Wills,
I suspect that the starter on my 83 Monte Carlo is broken.
I don’t suppose I could get you to take a look at that too?

[Joe999]

I think it would have been better to have sent me the email below to clarify our request rather than publicly air a misunderstanding.

as i’m the evil one here and having read the activision reply i allow myself a question to understand this correctly because i’m curious by nature: all this fuzz derives from one single mail from activision to the owner of the domain www.enemy-territory.com, and there was absolutely no other communication between the domain owner and someone who has something to say from the other party before this thread was started out of i dunno what? :rolleyes:

anyway i’m glad this is over with a solution that fits both sides

[JamieL]

I’m certain the swift response in changing this scenario saved Splash Damage, id, and Activision from the worst PR blunder imaginable. I really had to come here and post my disgust when I read the Activision letter.

How can a publisher be so clueless as to attack their own supporters in this way, made even worse by their pitiful $250 compensation. Absolutely pitiful.

Activision and other publishers, please let me clue you in. Fans and large companies have been making fansites and supporting your games for years. They’re an incredible asset to you. They freely advertise, garner anticipation, and build community support for your product.

Had this attempt by Activision been successful, I wonder what would happen to these sites.

Planet AvP
Planet Battlefield
Planet CallofDuty
Planet DOOM
Planet Duke
Planet Far Cry
Planet GTA
Planet HalfLife
Planet MedalOfHonor
Planet Quake
Planet Rainbow6
Planet Unreal
Planet Wolfenstein
Planet X-Men
Halo Planet

… and the list goes on.

[YourFather_CZ]

Fans and large companies have been making fansites and supporting your games for years.

It’s true but Wolf:ET do not make any money for Activision. And ET:QW will be.

[Joe999]

How can a publisher be so clueless as to attack their own supporters in this way, made even worse by their pitiful $250 compensation. Absolutely pitiful.

attack? which words in the mail were an attack? this is getting funny now as the news has spread and the imagineering starts :nag:

[Nail]

I already apologized for abusing the forum, there is no “official” resource site, we filled a need, simple as that

[JamieL]

Companies should really understand how important PR is. I’m sure all the good work that Splash Damage has done in promoting this game (and believe me, the entire industry (press and game developers themselves) are eager for Quake Wars), and all that hard work could go undone by a bad PR move like this. I don’t think I need to remind anyone what bad PR can do for other companies cough EA and the real effects they have on actual sales.

[JamieL]

[quote=JamieL]How can a publisher be so clueless as to attack their own supporters in this way, made even worse by their pitiful $250 compensation. Absolutely pitiful.

attack? which words in the mail were an attack? this is getting funny now as the news has spread and the imagineering starts :nag:[/quote]

Some would say that demanding the domain name from a fansite with little compensation as an attack. What would you call it? A nice gesture?

[Joe999]

they didn’t demand it, they asked for it and offered a trade. i’d call it beginning of negotiations. but don’t distract, just point at the exact words which were an attack in the mail, i’m eager to see them.

[Nail]

Activision, id Software, and Splash Damage have proved they truly care about the community by allowing us to keep our domain name, can we leave it at that for now ?

[JamieL]

Maybe you should read the letter again, carefully. Don’t let the kind wording detract you from the message. This letter is just as blatant as any cease and desist demand that lawyers generally send out which offer no alternative but to give in.

"Of course, you would be free to continue to operate your site, but would have to use another URL.

In view of the fact that your domain name includes id Software trademarks and thus could be transferred without charge, I believe that this is a very fair offer."

[Nail]

Activision, id Software, and Splash Damage have proved they truly care about the community by allowing us to keep our domain name, can we leave it at that for now ?

[leifhv]

I think some of you are beeing a bit unfair to Activistion/Id now…the initial letter did not look wildly unreasonable to me. Certainly not bad enough to warrent some of the postings in this thread.

Activision/Id has given us some great games through the years including the free ET we all love so much. In addition Id has released the source to lots of their older games which is an enourmous gift to the the gaming and development community.

Now, just because of one slightly misguided letter they’re the target of some kind of hate and boycot campaign? I know that bashing publishers is all the rage now but really people, think things through before you hit that reply button!

At least now that the case is resolved in a good manner you should be mature enough to stop your bickering.