Stardock has announced that Star Control has been removed from Steam due to a DMCA take down notice. According to the developers, and even though there is a legal dispute between Stardock and Reiche and Ford regarding the trademarks and copyrights pertaining to Star Control, the creators of Star Control have issued a DMCA and have successfully removed Stardock’s title from Steam.
In case you weren’t aware of, Steam and GOG have a policy of taking down content that receive DMCA notices regardless of the merits of the claims. Surprisingly enough, Paul Reiche III and Fred Ford have decided to bypass the legal system and issued the DMCA notice in order to hurt the game’s sales (and obviously Stardock itself).
As the developers claimed, Star Control: Origins does not contain any copyrighted work of Reiche or Ford. The team spent 5 years working on it making it its own game and while it plays like you would expect a Star Control game, it’s not really breaking any copyright laws.
This feels similar to Bethesda suing Mojang for using the word “Scrolls” in its title and PUBG suing Fortnite for copyright infringement.
The good news for gamers is that those who have already purchased the game will be able to continue playing it, and from what we can see the game is still available for purchase on GOG.
Still, Stardock stated that it will have to lay off some of the men and women who are assigned to the game as it’s been already removed from Steam (something that obviously has an impact on the team’s revenue).
UPDATE:
Stardock has informed us that Star Control: Origins is available for purchase on its website. The team is also knocking 50% off of its retail price, making it $19.99 for a limited time.
UPDATE 2:
Stardock got in touch with us and confirmed that the game is once again available on Steam. Here is what Stardock’s CEO Brad Wardell had to say.
“Stardock is happy to report that Star Control: Origins has been restored for sale on Steam.”
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What a bullshit.
Stardock hired some “right-wing” dude for voiceover and refused to replace him by demand of mentally ill sjws. So they decided to take down the game in this way (by paying to creators).
Kind of a shame the original developers didn’t want to work with Stardock, because they did made a good game at the end of the day
Yeah the ceo of stardock was there during gamergate and he was smeared by the media, he refused to back down. They hired the actor Adam Baldwin who coined the term “Gamergate”. I dont see whats the problem,codename steam had both Adam Baldwin and Wil Wheaton, no issue there. But apparently hiring Baldwin who is a as$hole to play a as$hole character in the game is bad.
I hate SJWS but you right wing kids are becoming paranoid.
what is even “right wing” at this point, even the dude above puts it on “right wing” Latest case being Louis CK, mocking sjws and sjws on twitter “he is right wing now, he is like Milo” anyone who is not far left is “right wing” apparently.
Pretty much.
According to the
gamingactivist journalists who’ve infiltrated the shill media (Kotaku, Polygon, Gamespot, Eurogamer, etc) anybody who doesn’t march in lock-step with their neo-Marxist take on post-modernism, i.e. SJWs, is either “alt-right” and/or a “Nazi”.One simpleton here at DSOG with the username TenmillionDead made the same dimwitted accusation only yesterday.
Lol… you say anything not far left is considered right wing…. yet the way you act isn’t simply “not far left.” You exclusively act etremely racist, sexist, and vile – and have views that perfectly align with whatever you want to call extreme conservatives. You are not just right of “far left”, you’re further right than most conservatives. That’s why I call you alt-right, because you fit the definition to a T. You’re literally unable to provide any argument on any topic other than name calling and acting like an ahole. It’s unbelievable nobody calls out your BS on a daily basis, when you’re so readily admitting through your actions that the sole reason you’re here is to flaunt what a sick person you are.
There’s literally no reasoning with you guys.. if I’m not also racist and sexist and all around horrible, you consider me a sjw. I thought sjw meant liberal, but you clearly think it means anybody who doesn’t share you’re views.
EDIT: What’s the point. I should take my own advice and stop engaging the trolls.
Well done you for having further underlined just what a dimwitted simpleton (and stalker) you really are. gg
If stalking is simply replying after you literally call me out by name.. then I guess I’m a stalker?
“You exclusively act etremely racist, sexist, and vile – and have views that perfectly align with whatever you want to call extreme conservatives.”
Him:
“They call everyone racist sexist etc”
You “I am gona do it right now”
Also what is the “Extreme conservative” can you even define it? Because i doubt you even know what group you talking about or what they believe in.
“Whatever you wanna call it”, doesnt cut it
” you’re further right than most conservatives. That’s why I call you alt-right, because you fit the definition to a T.”
Its like i am a prophet or something, the alt right are literally white supremacists, that is the definition of the alt right and if you ask conservatives on what they think about the alt right and richard spencer, they will respond with “these people are not on the right, their views are the same as socialist lefties, they are just racist” alt right are not conservatives, they are national socialists.
Men you dont even know the definitions
” you consider me a sjw. I thought sjw meant liberal, but you clearly think it means anybody who doesn’t share you’re views.”
Again proving that you are clueless, sjws are not liberals, they are ILLIBERAL, they are authoritarians, thats the problem.
Your definition of things is utterly clueless. Please do some basic research of course dont listen to the msm they are full of crap, which is why no one trusts them.
You are the troll.
Well, if you know what trolling means, then you and I both know that’s not true. If you guys don’t want me to comment, maybe not bringing me up in a negative light out of the blue would be a good place to start.
see. you say you guys. you are already acting as if all the people on this site are part of a group, because that is what you are used to. We are not a leftie braindead cult where no one can think for themselves. Go wash your a*s.
I was obviously referring specifically to you and bub&bob when I said “you guys”, nobody else… not sure how you made that leap in logic.
have you seen tim pool’s video about that engineer who said that the alternative influence network hitpiece is bs and that the left calls everyone who is not part of this tiny progressive mindest “far right” or harmfull?
I’ve not seen that yet so thanks for the heads-up.
Props for having given the eternally challenged TenmillionDead the time of day. You evidently have greater patience than myself when it comes to dealing with imbeciles.
Yep, an imecbecile (EDIT: Imbecile, thanks bub&bob 😉 ) that has actual information to back up his arguments. One of these times maybe you’ll provide a source or do some research before you try to defend yourself, but so far you seem to shut down as soon as facts are mentioned.
“Yep, an imecbecile” (sic)
Indeed you are so at least we agree on something. Even though you failed to spell it correctly. gg
Nice one. Ever going to address what I’m saying rather than how I spell it?
Thanks Moron.
And this is another reason why you always buy your games at GOG(if you can), for once you pay and download X game you own it 4L|F3.
Brutal 🙁 , I have a friend that works at Stardock I hope everything is fine and this issue gets resolved asap.
You can still download it from Steam if you bought it. Useless GOG boasting again
Indeed. I just looked in to the percentage of game sales revenue taken by online stores,
Humble Bundle: 5%
Discord Store: 10%
Epic Store: 12% (Epic’s 5% levy on UE4 games sold on other stores waived)
Steam: 20% for >$50m, 25% for >$10m and 30% for <$10m
GOG: 30% (50% (!) for old games if policy from 2011 is unchanged)
(Couldn't find details for Uplay, EA Origin and Windows 10 Store)
So the 'saintly' CD Projekt have, in GOG, the most profiteering digital store leaving devs with the smallest percentage of sales revenue!
Cant see the point. Pretty sure if the legal issues continues the game could be removed from GOG too. Also as the post said, the game is still available for those who bought on Steam. You GOG fanboys cant even read properly.
Removed from the store does not mean removed from your library.
You mean as long as the Steam’s servers are online, you have an internet connection and Valve is around, right 🙂
There is a massive difference between Steam which is a DRM that you have to rely on all the time than downloading X games installer from GOG and then never having to do anything again with GOG for that game or the internet. Sure the chances of Steam going away in the next few years is like 0% but if it did then all your games you own are 100% gone. This will never happen to your GOG purchases as long as you downloaded the installers once from GOG.
It is really odd that most of you on DSO completely loose your sh|t over Denuvo DRM in any game yet when I mention GOG is better than Steam just look how many of you show up to White Knight Steam(and I don’t mean you specifically).
I have 768 games on Steam if you look up my user name valcan_s so it is not like I am some die hard GOG fan boy fighting some cause. It’s common sense that GOG is better than Steam if your game is on both plats. GOG = own 4L and Steam = rent till Steam or Valve is around and you have a internet connection.
LOL 🙂 , yeah this is true and why PC will always be #1.
Harsh, I think everyone has internet by now it’s more of a point that with GOG you can down load you installer once and never connect to the internet again.
GOG FTW ! *wink*
LOL.
Next time dont do a game based on a franchise you dont own unless you have a signed contract, giving you rights to use the franchise name and assets.
DMCA was a mistake.
@JOHN,
Time to update this article I think ? Star Control: Origins Returns to Steam Following DMCA Takedown
https://www.overclock3d.net/news/software/star_control_origins_returns_to_steam_following_dmca_takedown/1
https://twitter.com/TechRaptr/status/1086027398179483648
Yeap, Stardock sent us an email about it
Some update…..Stardock Reveals Siege of Centauri
Stardock has revealed Siege of Centauri, a new game that’s based in the Ashes of the Singularity Universe and uses the same game engine. That’s right, Seige of Centauri will utilise the Nitrous Engine, which supports all of the latest graphical APIs, including DirectX 12 and Vulkan, as well as hundreds on on-screen units and light sources, which is perfect
for the type of game that Siege of Centauri will become.
https://www.stardock.com/games/siegeofcentauri/article/493722
https://www.overclock3d.net/news/software/stardock_reveals_siege_of_centauri/1