Comments on: Massively Multiplayer Mulling http://www.bigkid.com.au/2003/11/15/massively-multiplayer-mulling/ Games news & reviews, Australian game developers Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:07:15 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5 by: bruce http://www.bigkid.com.au/2003/11/15/massively-multiplayer-mulling/#comment-2555 Sat, 15 Nov 2003 23:08:07 +1000 http://www.bigkid.com.au/2003/11/15/massively-multiplayer-mulling/#comment-2555 Interesting development in this genre... &quot;Changes to Second Life's Terms of Service now recognize the ownership of in-world content by the subscribers who make it.&quot; <a href="http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/031114/sff013_1.html" rel="nofollow">http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews...</a> What I don't understand is... if they recognise property rights for these in-game objects then they must necessarily compensate the owners if/when the game is ultimately shut down. Seems like they're opening up a world of legal and financial hurt.. if the move isn't just a stunt. Interesting development in this genre…

"Changes to Second Life’s Terms of Service now recognize the ownership of in-world content by the subscribers who make it."

http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews…

What I don’t understand is… if they recognise property rights for these in-game objects then they must necessarily compensate the owners if/when the game is ultimately shut down. Seems like they’re opening up a world of legal and financial hurt.. if the move isn’t just a stunt.

]]> by: monty http://www.bigkid.com.au/2003/11/15/massively-multiplayer-mulling/#comment-2556 Sun, 16 Nov 2003 10:57:07 +1000 http://www.bigkid.com.au/2003/11/15/massively-multiplayer-mulling/#comment-2556 Yeah, that stuff is all a little bizarre and I don't quite understand where they are heading. I also don't necessarily think that is what is going to make better online games. IMO, the best thing they can do is make it so the &quot;terms of ownership&quot; extend over the IP (Intellectual Property), not the actual ingame assets. So the player owns the idea, not the model(s). That way when the game shuts down, noone loses. Yeah, that stuff is all a little bizarre and I don’t quite understand where they are heading. I also don’t necessarily think that is what is going to make better online games. IMO, the best thing they can do is make it so the "terms of ownership" extend over the IP (Intellectual Property), not the actual ingame assets. So the player owns the idea, not the model(s). That way when the game shuts down, noone loses.

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