Valve ok with this ?

[[=VF=]-Krieger]

Awesome game, but I am slightly concerned with how close the game content is to HL license.
Given, there seem to be ok with it since its published on Steam, their own platforme, but still ... I wanna play more and not see this awesome game turned off.
Any info on Valve side ?

[Necroscourge]

In the USA we have copyright and trademark laws. Things you can trademark include: The Specific way something looks and acts, the way a specific place looks, the way a specific name is written and applied, etc. There is and never has been any truth to the myth that you can own things that are vaguely similar to what you made.

"It kinda looks like Half Life" is not a legal argument, it's what a kid would say if they had to give a legal argument.

[Limdood]

game concepts can't really be copyrighted. There can be dozens of "scientist turns fighter as they fend off an alien/monster outbreak" games. As long as a game isn't stealing characters, assets, or direct, specific lore (which would likely have to be copyrighted separately on its own first), then there isn't much that the predecessor games can do.

The fans, on the other hand....those folks are rabid animals for anyone even remotely close to their special favorite games. Like "what?! your game ALSO features a male glasses-wearing protagonist?! RIPOFF!!! SUE THEM!!!"

[ULTRA]

Valve do not care and if they did, the only recourse they'd have is to remove the game from the storefront (and probably hand it to Epic)

Would the person who gave me 200 points like to explain their position with words or did they lose their communication board? Mad because can't cope with reality? Found the post funny for some reason? Currently writing an essay? What?

[Crochwhisle purple]

if this worked like you think it did all the games that have a crowbar with a half life reference would get nuked off the face of the earth

[AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA]

nintendo hire this man

[MechWarden]

I smell a Jester farm post.

Because he sounds too unnaturally stupid in a very specific way to be real. Everyone here knows that the game is more than different enough to be legally distinct from Half Life.

I think I heard that maybe the devs had to change the scientist faces because they were too close to what Half-Life 1 had, but that was pretty much it.

[ULTRA]

Originally posted by MechWarden:

I smell a Jester farm post.

Because he sounds too unnaturally stupid in a very specific way to be real. Everyone here knows that the game is more than different enough to be legally distinct from Half Life.

I think I heard that maybe the devs had to change the scientist faces because they were too close to what Half-Life 1 had, but that was pretty much it.

aka concern trolling, but I assure you large swaths of Steam users are actually this stupid

[Crochwhisle purple]

Originally posted by ULTRA:

Originally posted by MechWarden:

I smell a Jester farm post.

Because he sounds too unnaturally stupid in a very specific way to be real. Everyone here knows that the game is more than different enough to be legally distinct from Half Life.

I think I heard that maybe the devs had to change the scientist faces because they were too close to what Half-Life 1 had, but that was pretty much it.

aka concern trolling, but I assure you large swaths of Steam users are actually this stupid

most people have too many points to give a ♥♥♥♥ if they feed them to trolls

[Acierocolotl]

The specific concept you're looking for is "moron in a hurry". No, I'm not kidding. Here's a cite on Wikipedia that will get you where you need to go: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beck_v._Eiland-Hall (This is Steam, not a legal discussion forum, so you're not going to get real legal research unless you want to pay for my time.)

Here's the deal: Would a moron, in a hurry, confuse one product for another? If so, you have a legal problem.

Would a moron, in a hurry, confuse Abiotic Factor for Halflife? I think, and Valve appears to think, that the answer is no. Any case against Abiotic Factor would be really, really weak.

[MechWarden]

Originally posted by ULTRA:

Originally posted by MechWarden:

I smell a Jester farm post.

Because he sounds too unnaturally stupid in a very specific way to be real. Everyone here knows that the game is more than different enough to be legally distinct from Half Life.

I think I heard that maybe the devs had to change the scientist faces because they were too close to what Half-Life 1 had, but that was pretty much it.

aka concern trolling, but I assure you large swaths of Steam users are actually this stupid

Oh I know there are some stupid people on the forum (btw, hello fellow stupid person ), given how some have already handed out Steam Points to OP. But hardly anyone here has been that particularly stupid.

Stupid arguments are more about Leyak, in-game military weapons, the game being too hard, and whatnot. Not about weak "moron in a hurry" arguments. (btw, nice citing on that topic! )

[Andy Mil]

Tell you what, Palworld still out there and even Nintendo only Yeah we know about it.... and nothing happen. How come this will get nuke by Value in their own Store??

[Lucky_Star_Fan]

It's called an homage. Why would valve have a problem with a game referencing one of their most popular works which is over 20 years old(25? 30? not bothering to check). You can't copyright 'wacky '90s science facility that messed around with dimensions' anyway.

[MechWarden]

OP would have more of a case on the Black Mesa game forum where all of original Half-Life is pretty much copied over and used with relatively little being changes in the story.

Except that Valve gave Crowbar Collective the OK to copy and update the game.

OP is just trolling to see how people will react, and is being entertained by some of us being flustered over an obviously wrong take on things.

[[=VF=]-ZaRa]

I think everyone should relax before thinking it's a troll it's just a simple question. Crowbar Collective made a mod, it's a remake, it's different. AF is litterally an HL like, even the doors are the same, even the scientist guy on the presentation pic is the same.

Valve was always very open minded to tribute and stuff but in this case I think people have the right to ask why especially since copyright are not the same in some cases. Not meant to troll anyone or no need calling the guy OP.

The border between an hommage and a copycat is really thin. Games and others universes also got their own identity. Make a game with Marines in urban camo shooting aliens and weird stuff people will say Opposing Force like. Make a universe with zeppelins and weird aircraft people will say Crimson Skies. In this case for AF the border is thin. Not everyone got the infos about developpement and such. Of course if the game is on Steam Valve is okay with this, Sherlock. That wasn't the point of the topic.

[Limdood]

Originally posted by ZaRadino:

The border between an hommage and a copycat is really thin.

And that border is COMPLETELY IRRELEVANT. Copycats aren't illegal - same poses, same expressions, same monster movement, same CONCEPT....it's all perfectly legal. And if corporations have demonstrated anything over the years, it's that "if it isn't illegal, it's A-OK!"

so, just like palworld, IT DOESN'T MATTER how similar it is, as long as nothing is a DIRECT copy, it's fine. At least as far as the law is concerned (and really, since Steam can't legally shut down the game, there is NO WAY that they'd turn down the income of hosting it on their platform and let a competitor reap that benefit - so they'll just keep hosting AF and keep making money, they're a business, it's literally their job).