All throughout the corners regarding the internet, committed fans are maintaining their favourite online flash games afloat. Basically ever obtain a nostalgic pang to come back to Toontown—an MMO that’s been dead since 2013—there really are a numerous faithful and developed servers i could leap directly into. It is component and parcel of our pastime. Unfortuitously, it appears Atlus does not love these fan revivals quite as far as I do.
As spotted by MarshSMT on Twitter, the designer is suing two fans (running under Rekuiemu Games and COMP_Hack) for copyright infringement over its MMO Shin Megami Tensei envision on line. The overall game’s formal servers power down in-may 2016, because of the revived fan host cropping up at some point in belated 2020. An internet site that Atlus states actually “blatant content” regarding the initial Imagine site was additionally presumably operated by Rekuiemu. The internet site appears to be an important pushing point for Atlus, because of the suit claiming Reukuiemu “falsely included unique copyright information” alongside the people for Atlus, Sega and co-developer Cave Interactive.
The suit ended up being initially filed in December 2021, but has reached the point whereby both Rekuiemu and COMP_Hack are now being summoned to arise in court. The suit claims the fan host has “triggered and certainly will continue steadily to cause irreparable injury to Atlus unless restrained by this Court,” regardless of the servers being dead for over six years. The designer is looking for “statutory damages as high as $25,000 per breach regarding the DMCA,” plus “monetary relief including damages suffered by Atlus in a quantity perhaps not yet determined.”
It is actually a pretty big deal if Atlus wins, possibly starting the floodgates to more writers pursuing fans whom faithfully protect games that will otherwise never ever start to see the light of time once again. It’s really a worrying time for game conservation, additionally the suit alone currently seemingly have effectively spooked some individuals. ReImagine, another fan host focused on the MMO, released a statement on its Discord host announcing it too is shutting its doorways. “While ReImagine was not offered any kind of notice (we understand of), Atlus’s choice to outright sue as opposed to problem a C&D has made united states bother about the security regarding the users whom aided keep consitently the game alive.
“So by having a hefty heart, we regret to see everybody else your choice happens to be built to shut straight down the ReImagine host forever.”
