Limbo of the Lost is the best game ever.

[CrossLOPER]

Seriously. (http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/theelderscrollsivoblivion/news.html?sid=6192456)

[Martok]

Yeah, I read that. Tri Synergy has got to be mortified by all this. Granted that they probably should've known better, but I still feel kind of sorry for them. 'Twill be interesting to see what Majestic's response to all this will be....

[Geoffrey S]

And it's not just Oblivion. A quick search has provided comparison shots with Thief 3, Silent Hill games, UT, Painkiller, and even movies such as Spawn. It's incredible.

And a little gem of a quote from the developers...

Gordon: So have any more recent games influenced your current project?

Steve: The project is more influenced by film and literature rather than other games, we want the experience to be as original as possible and as such we have made a calculated effort to keep away from other games in the genre. Limbo of the Lost is an experience first and foremost, secondly wrapped up in a game media and genre.
Edit: good grief. I've just spent at least an hour when I should have been sleeping browsing this stuff. It's utterly, utterly bizarre. Absolutely everything comes from somewhere. I'm almost hoping it's one big joke, it's too good to be true!

[Kongamato]

There are so many gamer-types on the internet that have their own ideas on what they want to see in games. Nearly every gamer out there has thought of something original and new that nobody's done before. What possible reason could the designers have had to make a game almost completely by cut-and-paste? It confuses me. Didn't anyone there want to actually create something?

[Fragony]

That is a haunt from Thief you hear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFVcqDfJKZo&feature=related

The exact same sound.

owwwwwwww Thief, join us join us NOW brrrrrrrrr

[Crazed Rabbit]

This (http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=310683) thread is a good place for links that document the full, astonishing extent of this insanity. Thank Geoffrey S for the link from the NotW thread.

CR

[Crandaeolon]

WTF? Seriously.

The more I think about LotL, the less I understand. And somehow this whole debacle is oddly compelling, maybe because of the very reason that understanding is so hard to achieve. :laugh4:

At first it sounded like a hoax, then like a bunch of naive sods with little common sense trying to realise their pipe dream of making a computer game without enough talent or resources. Nothing new there, except these guys are older than usual. Difference is, they actually got it published as an original game, instead of putting it out as some obscure freeware hobbyist tribute to adventure games and gaming in general as it should have been. How in heck?

How did LotL get through a publisher's screening? Was there any? What's with the bald-faced lies to the press - are they even lies? Is it possible that the whole thing was made in good faith? I mean, there's interviews and even mug shots around. How did it get a 'B' from Just Adventure - apparently it was based on merit alone, since the reviewer (as insane as it sounds) did not know about all the ripped assets? Maybe it's a piece of "performance art?"


What possible reason could the designers have had to make a game almost completely by cut-and-paste? It confuses me. Didn't anyone there want to actually create something?

Maybe it's the other way around - they wanted to create their little game so desperately that they had to resort to stealing. Or perhaps the writer guys didn't even know, doubtful as it is, and the head honcho/"art director" just wanted to see the project through even without the necessary talent or resources to do it, possibly even out of a sense of camaraderie.

Perhaps the "devs" see other parts than art as their main creative work, and in a way are even proud of what they've done. Oh well. I'm sure some harsh reality checks are about to follow.

[Geoffrey S]

How did LotL get through a publisher's screening? Was there any? What's with the bald-faced lies to the press - are they even lies? Is it possible that the whole thing was made in good faith? I mean, there's interviews and even mug shots around. How did it get a 'B' from Just Adventure - apparently it was based on merit alone, since the reviewer (as insane as it sounds) did not know about all the ripped assets? Maybe it's a piece of "performance art?"
That's what I find hardest to believe. Some sites I've now (dated before this all broke out) in all seriousness enjoyed the game, gave it decent ratings, and in general now come across as very, very sad people who wouldn't know a terrible game if it hit them over the head. I mean, even aside from the asset ripping, everything I've seen of this reeks of awfulness. A quick glance at gameplay on Youtube illustrates this quite clearly.

[Antagonist]

What's especially bizarre is that it appears that the game has been "in development" (or at least completely recycled several times) for about 15 years. See at the bottom here (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?p=1903) for a preview of the upcoming game (or at least an identically-titled and premised game by the same people) from 1995. It has apparently been tentatively "released" at least twice, and then withdrawn due to lack of sales.

Antagonist

EDIT: And the developers website, apparently, was at GeoCities. Geocities.
EDIT2: And this (http://www.kentmessenger.co.uk/paper/default.asp?article_id=9644&slide_id=1&newspage=2&searchkeyword=&searchpage=1)! "We're going to be minted, boys. Minted!"

[Husar]

Oh noes, they look like they had no clue what they were doing.
I know it's not scientific to judge them by how they look but comon, they probably just used all that because they never knew there was a copyright on it. If that's true it has to be really bad for them to work 10 years on something(yes they copied, but I assume not every line of code) only to find out it was illegal and bad and everyone hates them for it now. It doesn't look like their company has a legal department either.

Or maybe they're evil plagiarists who thought noone will noticed because they professionally hid the similarities....oh wait they didn't... :sweatdrop:

[Timsup2nothin]

Or maybe they slid it past the publisher, got their advance check, and will never be seen again. How many times have you seen people talking about how publishers (with draconic copy protection, deadlines that put buggy games on the market, etc) just don't understand the game biz? So a couple enterprising guys become a 'software development company' using some fairly simple identity isolation techniques, throw a game together using cut and paste, and defraud a publisher. It's almost poetic justice.

[The_Doctor]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/?page_id=1909
LOL.:2thumbsup:

[naut]

Limbo is the best game ever made. This has to be my favourite level:

https://img229.imageshack.us/img229/9990/limboinvadersif4.jpg

[Crandaeolon]

they probably just used all that because they never knew there was a copyright on it.

Entire scenes from Oblivion, Thief 3, UT, Painkiller, RTCW? Entire music pieces from Hexen and probably others? Misc art and sfx from a zillion other games (Diablo 2, WoW, Morrowind, Bioshock etc...) and full-motion video from various movies?

Any conventionally thinking adult person would know. So nope, it's something else.


a couple enterprising guys become a 'software development company' using some fairly simple identity isolation techniques, throw a game together using cut and paste, and defraud a publisher.

Again, nope. Too much history - 15+ years with the same thing. 400+ posts on a game engine forum, most asking for advice. Obscure genre - little money involved in even top quality adventure titles. It also appears that they did quite a bit of original work on the "project." This kind of "fraud" just doesn't make any sense. Pretty much the only money-gaining opportunity out of this is selling copies of the game on eBay to collectors.

Still, there's some purposeful (albeit naive) deception, and (also somewhat naive) attempts to drum up interest and support. I'm still gonna go with the "harmless guys with a pipe dream" -theory, even though all of it doesn't quite add up.

One thing is clear though. I need to get my hands on that game if only to see what this is all about! :laugh4:

[naut]

Personally I think it sounds like your average con. Make something on the cheap, market it and distribute it, rake in the cash and run for the hills.

[Crazed Rabbit]

The funny thing is, in that link I posted, on page 11, it looks like even the Amiga version from 1995 ripped off a different game.

CR

[Abokasee]

Found this in crazedrabbits link thread

http://www.designplastik.com/b/blog/myndir/beetle1.jpg
http://www.designplastik.com/b/blog/myndir/beetle2.jpg

Epic... just epic fail.

[The_Doctor]

There is now a wiki about it:
http://lotl.wikia.com/wiki/Limbo_of_the_Lost_Wiki

[woad&fangs]

End-User License Agreement (EULA)

This original software is protected by copyright law.
It may only be sold by authorized dealers and only be used for
private purposes. Please read the license carefully before using
the software. By installing or using this software product you
agree to be bound by the provisions of this EULA.

Software Product License
This End-User License Agreement will grant you the following
rights:

This End-User License Agreement is a legally valid agreement
between you and Majestic Studios.

By purchasing this original software you are granted the right to
install and use the software on a single computer.

Majestic Studios does not grant you any right of ownership
to the Software. Unauthorised leasing, public display, copying,
multiple installation or transfer, and any other process by which
this software or parts of it may be made available to the general
public, electronically or otherwise, without written consent is
prohibited.


Thank you for your co-operation.

:laugh4::laugh4::laugh4:

[Geoffrey S]

The plot thickens...
https://img397.imageshack.us/img397/2222/limbo1we8.jpg

https://img378.imageshack.us/img378/2189/limbo2ua9.jpg

[The_Doctor]

OMG!!!
The ending:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=URcvdDtnM_0
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=O1cRUEjpQbI

[Abokasee]

The plot thickens...
https://img397.imageshack.us/img397/2222/limbo1we8.jpg

https://img378.imageshack.us/img378/2189/limbo2ua9.jpg

:laugh4: He almost fits it perfectly, maybe they'll use his face for a europeon rebel general in ETW?


Strange, is the first time plagerism has happened in PC games? (I know the Duke Nukem had some references to other games, like: "I don't fear no Quake", and the DoomGuy in one level)

[CrossLOPER]

Strange, is the first time plagerism has happened in PC games? (I know the Duke Nukem had some references to other games, like: "I don't fear no Quake", and the DoomGuy in one level)

That's not the same thing. At all. :no:

[Abokasee]

That's not the same thing. At all. :no:

I know the Duke Nukem things more of a Easter Egg and A joke so its perfectly fine, however whats happened here (Limbo of the Lost property bin) is stealing other things completely!