Did S.T.A.L.K.E.R. rip off Doom 3 and Half-Life 2?

[Don Maddox]

Shacknews has a story up that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. may include unauthorized materials from Doom 3 (id Software) and Half-Life 2 (Valve Software). The folks at MapCore have posted comparative images which suggest art assets may have been ripped off. Some files even have the same file name. Uh-oh.

Half-Life 2, Doom 3 Assets in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.? - Shacknews (http://www.shacknews.com/onearticle.x/46449)

MapCore :: View topic - S.T.A.L.K.E.R uses Doom3 assets (http://www.mapcore.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8034)

According to Shacknews, id Software's CEO Tom Hollshead had this to say:

I've seen a post on a web forum that claims DOOM3 assets are used in another game, but we've been working hard on Enemy Territory: Quake Wars as well as our own internal project and have not had the time to fully investigate or otherwise verify that the claim is true. Only from what I've seen on the Web, it's concerning. However, it may turn out to be nothing. Nevertheless, it would be improper to make any decision about a course of action until we find out whether the claim is true, and what assets from DOOM3, if any, have potentially been used.



Thanks Bluesnews/Shacknews.

[mr_clark]

Uhh Ohh, I better buy the game before it's taken off the market.

[Don Maddox]

A lot of people are speculating these images either do not appear in the game itself and are simply in the texture database, or they were used as placeholders during development and were accidentally left in there. Using textures from another game is not that uncommon among developers during early testing, but if that is what these are they should have been removed prior to retail.

If it turns out these textures are for real, I'm not sure id or Valve would profit much by filing a lawsuit over a couple of reused textures. My guess -- and I could be way off base -- is that the companies involved would come to a quiet agreement.

[mr_clark]

Hmm, the question is the (at least in Germany) economic success of STALKER.
If any lawyer thinks there is a possibility of money to be made from it (even if it IS just a mistake) then some "mud wrestling" will follow.

[Don Maddox]

At this point it is probably fair to point out that this is just a developing story. In the end it may turn out that the folks at GSC are innocent of any wrongdoing, so let's not try them in the court of public opinion just yet.

[Mantis]

In Id's case, if it could be proved that this is true, I would have to weigh the potential of STALKER. Is it likely to bomb? Come to a deal now. Is there a chance for a franchise-in-the-making, mega-hit game? Wait a while, and starting swinging the lawyer stick after they make it big.

Look at what happened to the Simpsons... :laugh: