A new Tempest for PC

[Hyper_Eye]

Check out Tempest on Steam early access: http://store.steampowered.com/app/418180

 

Huh? Did these guys take 30 seconds to look up that name? When I start working with a new band and consider band names I always look them up before settling on one. It's less trouble that way.

[Flojomojo]

That dude Bill Shakespeare should have checked with Atari's lawyers before writing a play of the same name. What a doofus!

 

http://m.william-shakespeare.info/shakespeare-play-the-tempest.htm

[Hyper_Eye]

Anything related to Shakespeare has long exceeded copyright limitations. That is not so for Atari's Tempest games. It also matters if a product is similar enough that confusion is probable. A book or play named Tempest is not likely to be confused with Atari's video game franchise but another video game could be. That's grounds for Atari to sue for copyright violation. It would not be the first time Atari filed a suit related to their copyright on Tempest.

[Flojomojo]

It doesn't look anything like the old vector game, and unless you work for Atari (I don't!), it's not our problem.

 

I can understand the mild frustration of seeing a name of a game you like on a list before finding out its something totally different. Sony shut down their Liverpool studios long ago, but I still get a little thrill when I see Wipeout on a list of game titles. Then a letdown when I realize it's based on the reality tv show, not the futuristic antigravity hovercar racing game I like so much.

[Hyper_Eye]

It doesn't look anything like the old vector game, and unless you work for Atari (I don't!), it's not our problem.

So what? This is an Atari forum. If we only discuss things that are our problem the forum is going to be a terribly lonely place. As far as what the game looks like it doesn't make a difference. It is a video game named Tempest. It is very likely that Atari would win a copyright case in this instance. Atari has released Tempest games and asserted their copyright within the last few years.

[Flojomojo]

I'd like to see them try. They overreached like crazy when going after Llamasoft's TxK on Vita. They go after Asteroids knockoffs from time to time, but there are so many of those, it's pure whack-a-mole.

 

Have they done anything new with Tempest lately? There are the emulated games on mobile and DS, which included Tempest. I don't think they did anything with Tempest on their web page (but did you see their odd, updated take on Yars' Revenge?) and the Xbox 360 arcade "remix" was almost ten years ago.

 

As Jeff Minter said, they should have HIRED him, not sent threatening letters.

 

You should ask the tall-ship Tempest people if they considered worrying about catching crap from Atari over the game name. It would be slightly cool if they considered it homage.

[Gabriel]

Looks pretty cool.

 

But Atari won't care about the name because Jeff Minter isn't involved. I don't think Atari has done anything with the name for 8 years, and even that was just a half assed port to XBLA.

 

[Jess Ragan]

I'm surprised they didn't call it "Tenpest" like in the legal documents.