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BHVR is being sued. Should I return the game?

aperture
aperture Member Posts: 2
edited June 2018 in General Discussions

Serious question, but should I return this game? I bought it today and I’m worried about putting time into it if it’s just gonna get shut down as a result of the lawsuit. I haven’t opened it, so I’m still eligible for a refund.

More details about the lawsuit here:

http://www.ign.com/articles/2018/06/22/bethesda-suing-warner-bros-for-blatant-rip-off-of-fallout-shelter

[Bethesda is suing Westworld game developer Behaviour Interactive and publisher Warner Bros, claiming Behaviour stole its designs, artwork, and coding, and used them in the mobile app.

Bethesda accuses Behaviour of stealing assets from Fallout Shelter - which Behaviour helped to develop - and using them in the Westworld game. According to the suit filed, Bethesda is suing Behaviour for breach of contract, while Warner Bros. is being sued for inducement to breach of contract.

In addition, both parties are being sued "for their willful and intentional infringement of Bethesda’s copyrights, misappropriation of Bethesda’s trade secrets, and deceptive business practices and unfair competition through their development, marketing, and promotion of the Westworld mobile game."

In the suit, Bethesda argues it hired Behaviour to develop Fallout Shelter, and its assets, "solely for use by Bethesda." However Warner Bros, after seeing "Bethesda's significant success" with Fallout Shelter "engaged and collaborated with Behaviour to develop a mobile app for its own science-fiction property, Westworld."

The main crux of Bethesda's argument is that the two games have a "substantially similar gameplay experience". The company even goes as far as to say the Westworld game is a "blatant rip-off" of Fallout Shelter, with similar game design, art style, animations, and features.

Bethesda claims bugs appeared in the Westworld mobile game which were evident in the early development of Fallout Shelter. This bug appears when a player starts up a demonstration version of Westworld, and renders the view out-of-focus.

Other similarities noted as evidence in the suit include numerous reports from journalists who claim the games play similarly, the multi-room underground vault environment, character behaviour, shading, room placement, and more - all complete with side-by-side images.

One example given is that "the Westworld mobile game copies FALLOUT SHELTER’s bar room complete with characters sitting at tables drinking oversized mugs of beer" (see below).

So why is Bethesda suing both parties instead of just Behaviour? According to the suit, "Warner Bros. has a direct financial interest in Behaviour’s infringing activities through the resulting reduced costs and expedited development of the Westworld mobile game." Bethesda is requesting compensation for this to recover damages.]

Comments

  • Lowbei
    Lowbei Member Posts: 2,637
    wut
  • aperture
    aperture Member Posts: 2

    @Might_Oakk said:
    Bethesda sues everyone. It will be years before anything happens anyways.

    That's good to hear! Thank you. I want to be able to get at least a year or two on the game since it seems so fun.

  • EpicFailTryHard
    EpicFailTryHard Member Posts: 1,316
    it is the best mp videogame i have ever played.  
  • vampire_toothy
    vampire_toothy Member Posts: 381

    IMO I doubt this will have any major impact on DbD itself. Your biggest concern if anything should just be catching up with everyone else by leveling up and gaining some experience, which in the latest update they've made some changes to make that easier anyways (such as starting perks and basic tutorials with rewards). Basically, if you want to give the game a shot go for it, this shouldn't be a major discouragement for you.

  • popoles
    popoles Member Posts: 831
    Yes, BHVR made Fallout Shelter for Bethesda, but that's it. It should not affect DbD in any way.
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  • DocOctober
    DocOctober Member Posts: 2,230

    That lawsuit has nothing to do with Dead by Daylight and I have my doubts that it will even affect BHVR much. Bethesda is suing Warner Brothers. Yes, BHVR programmed the game for them, but as the publisher, WB are responsible for anything that might result in a lawsuit.

  • Dragonredking
    Dragonredking Member Posts: 874
    edited June 2018

    Where talking about bethesda here, like all of their law suit they most likely will end up finding an arrangment in a couple year to settle on.
    Also I didn't play Fallout Shelter nor WestWorld so I can't really say if Westworld is a rip-off of Fallout Shelter but if it isn't, that wouldn't be the first time Bethesda is doing a stupid lawsuit.
    If I remenber correctly they did a lawsuit to Mojang because they wanted to copyright the name of their next game "Scrolls" because they thought it infringed on "The Elder Scrolls" >_<

  • TheChanelOberlin
    TheChanelOberlin Member Posts: 80
    They have a solid case duet on the fact bugs present in their game are also present in WestWorld. That’s all the proof they need that the exact same code has been used for both games.
    it probably won’t impact BHVR much but if it does it’s deserved for their total disregard for any sort of decency, with this and the console update.
  • Lowbei
    Lowbei Member Posts: 2,637
    whaddup jail club!
  • TheChanelOberlin
    TheChanelOberlin Member Posts: 80
    Lowbei said:
    whaddup jail club!
    I don’t understand why we’re both behind bars but I’ll go with it and feel totally savage.
    members only bitches. 
  • DocOctober
    DocOctober Member Posts: 2,230

    @TheChanelOberlin said:
    Lowbei said:


    TheChanelOberlin said:

    whaddup jail club!

    I don’t understand why we’re both behind bars but I’ll go with it and feel totally savage.
    members only bitches. 

    Likely because you both got a lot of flags.

  • lay
    lay Member Posts: 25
    edited June 2018

    I don't understand what's the point of Bethesda if BHVR developed both games. Recycled code is very common in the field and if the game turns out to be a ripoff who cares? It's a mobile game, 99% of them are ripoffs anyway especially these games inspired in either tv shows or video games

  • Nos37
    Nos37 Member Posts: 4,142
    edited June 2018

    so the bar had a place to sit and drink a mug of beer in both games? Who does Bethesda think they are, the inventors of bars? Lol

  • Sarief
    Sarief Member Posts: 543

    Just FYI, no matter what bethesda states, gameplay CANNOT be lawsuited.
    Rip-offs are ok, since gameplay cannot ever be patented, hence it cannot taken to the court
    every RTS is rip-off of dune 2 by westwood studio but it cannot be ever patented.
    what can be: art, code pieces (which has to be published, but even then it's hard to prove), specific style that clearly points to work of art.
    That being said, it has to be distinct and clearly pointed
    the 2 games are different, each asset is created on it's own. They won't win
    Also, the bug that was in early developement (but not in current game) has yet to be proven. They don't have the bug, but the game that is sued does = code is different
    They won't win and only do it because somebody wrongly interpreted that if you don't sue somebody you may not be able to sue in the future. That is simply not true, but lawyers use that to make companies pay them paycheck. America is wierd AF

    tl;dr: they're suing cuz they're morons.

    ps: sorry for troublesome English, I'm no lawyer so some terms may be used inappropriately

  • Sarief
    Sarief Member Posts: 543

    double point: if you make anything that resembles the code of other people 90% it's going to look same. 50% it's going to even have same variables because doing code is not art. It's not going to be unique. It's a craft and when two blacksmiths do a metal knife they're probably going to use same techniques and without signature you won't see a difference.