(no subject)
Over Christmas vacation, I had the pleasure of discovering a fan project called "Crimson Echoes" (http://crimsonechoes.com/). Basically, its an unofficial sequel to Square Enix's SNES game "Chrono Trigger". The developers used a technique called "ROM hacking" to create the game. In other words, they took a digital copy of the original Chrono Trigger and reverse engineered it in order to create an entirely new game using existing sprites, backgrounds and music.
Chrono Trigger was released in 1995. In 1999 Square Enix delivered a sub-par sequel called "Chrono Cross" for the PSOne. "Crimson Echoes" attempts to better tie together the storylines of Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross. From what I've learned so far, the folks who worked on the project have done an excellent job.
The discovery was bitter-sweet, however since in May 2009, when the project was 98% complete, Square Enix issued a cease and desist letter demanding that the project and all materials related to it be destroyed. Here is a scan of the actual letter:
http://crimsonechoes.com/letter.pdf
While I understand that Square Enix has the right to protect their intellectual property, the way they handled the situation was extremely cold and served to further alienate their long-time fans. I doubt that the release of Crimson Echoes would have dampened sales of the recent re-release of Chrono Trigger on the DS. Plus, anyone can find a ROM of Chrono Trigger (whether it be a hack or the unaltered original) within 5 minutes of searching the Internet. In my estimation, if anything, "Crimson Echoes" may have served to reinvigorate interest in the Chrono franchise, a definite boon for Square Enix.
My guess is that the wrong asshole executive at Square Enix caught wind of the project and ordered the legal team to stamp it out. It's really a shame. I'm positive that the project developers would have been happy to sell their work to Square Enix for practically nothing & perhaps a mention in the end credits.
And so, the world moves on, and today, Square Enix tries to shove junk like the "FF:Crystal Chronicals" series down our throats. I hope someday, they'll find that they've turned all of their fans against them.
Chrono Trigger was released in 1995. In 1999 Square Enix delivered a sub-par sequel called "Chrono Cross" for the PSOne. "Crimson Echoes" attempts to better tie together the storylines of Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross. From what I've learned so far, the folks who worked on the project have done an excellent job.
The discovery was bitter-sweet, however since in May 2009, when the project was 98% complete, Square Enix issued a cease and desist letter demanding that the project and all materials related to it be destroyed. Here is a scan of the actual letter:
http://crimsonechoes.com/letter.pdf
While I understand that Square Enix has the right to protect their intellectual property, the way they handled the situation was extremely cold and served to further alienate their long-time fans. I doubt that the release of Crimson Echoes would have dampened sales of the recent re-release of Chrono Trigger on the DS. Plus, anyone can find a ROM of Chrono Trigger (whether it be a hack or the unaltered original) within 5 minutes of searching the Internet. In my estimation, if anything, "Crimson Echoes" may have served to reinvigorate interest in the Chrono franchise, a definite boon for Square Enix.
My guess is that the wrong asshole executive at Square Enix caught wind of the project and ordered the legal team to stamp it out. It's really a shame. I'm positive that the project developers would have been happy to sell their work to Square Enix for practically nothing & perhaps a mention in the end credits.
And so, the world moves on, and today, Square Enix tries to shove junk like the "FF:Crystal Chronicals" series down our throats. I hope someday, they'll find that they've turned all of their fans against them.