- Thread starter N7
- Start date
- Dec 12, 2020
- 1,333
- 2,472
May be, but doesn't change the facts. And the most famous Pokemon parody was discontinued for exactly that reason: under pressure from Nintendo
- Aug 23, 2018
- 1,080
- 2,053
Fair use and parody are fucking weird and inconsistent when it comes to what is allowed or not. Usually, from what I've seen, it tends to start with a cease and desist if an IP owner takes issue with a project. If it goes further it tends to depend on the size of the company or the amount of money they'll throw around. There are no hard rules or laws because the goalposts move. However, what could be an issue in regard to copyright is if a parody uses actual assets ripped from an official source such as directly out of a game. In that case, it becomes straight-up stealing.
In this case, I don't think there's direct stealing. The character models in this game appear to be of a higher polycount than the original game and there seems to be additional texture work at play too. Not to mention the nudity that was never a part of the original models.
Dontnod, Square Enix, Deck Nine or whoever would most likely issue a cease and desist first and then proceed to fighting IP infringement (with locjaw's defense being fair use parody) if they cared enough to go after this. And it could really go either way if locjaw wanted to fight. I think most people would just fold at the cease and desist though since legal costs can mount up and be crippling even if you end up winning, and you'd have to weigh up whether this could make enough money to justify the fight if you won.
I love parody games, specifically when they emulate the visual style of the original IP as perfectly as this project has, but I'm painfully aware of the fact that a parody project is likely dead the moment the IP owners get wind of it. Parody law or not. It's just too costly to defend.
But the death of a parody game doesn't necessarily mean they got shut down. Some devs just have to move on for other reasons. We see original works go down the toilet here all the time. I don't think this one actually got shut down because the Patreon page and social media haven't been scrubbed.
In this case, I don't think there's direct stealing. The character models in this game appear to be of a higher polycount than the original game and there seems to be additional texture work at play too. Not to mention the nudity that was never a part of the original models.
Dontnod, Square Enix, Deck Nine or whoever would most likely issue a cease and desist first and then proceed to fighting IP infringement (with locjaw's defense being fair use parody) if they cared enough to go after this. And it could really go either way if locjaw wanted to fight. I think most people would just fold at the cease and desist though since legal costs can mount up and be crippling even if you end up winning, and you'd have to weigh up whether this could make enough money to justify the fight if you won.
I love parody games, specifically when they emulate the visual style of the original IP as perfectly as this project has, but I'm painfully aware of the fact that a parody project is likely dead the moment the IP owners get wind of it. Parody law or not. It's just too costly to defend.
But the death of a parody game doesn't necessarily mean they got shut down. Some devs just have to move on for other reasons. We see original works go down the toilet here all the time. I don't think this one actually got shut down because the Patreon page and social media haven't been scrubbed.
- Dec 12, 2020
- 1,333
- 2,472
We don't know. But also for copyright reasons, parodies always run the risk of being set under pressure. In this case it is very unfortunate. I'm in love with the original game series. And this parody really felt like a prequel. Then there are the super good oral sex animations that you rarely see in games of this quality. If the cunnilingus scene between Rachel and Jefferson were standard in lesbian sex, some games wouldn't be able to save themselves from the fans. In the vast majority of games, lesbian sex is not animated at all, and when it is, it's often terrible.
Either way, it's a great pity that this game has been abandoned.
- Dec 12, 2020
- 1,333
- 2,472
Here is the relevant link. So everyone can form his/her own judgement.
https://f95zone.to/threads/leaf-on-fire-v0-2-02-thunder-one.4213/
We can twist and turn as we like. Facts are. the best Pokemon parody is dead, unfortunately so is Stranger Nights. we will probably never know the exact reasons. But it is what it is: parodies in particular often met this fate
Exazubi just admit you're wrong and stop moving the goalposts.
Porn parodies aren't illegal, they are protected under fair use. That is a fact.
There is a difference between something being stopped because it is against the law, versus a company intimidating someone via lawfare (as in abusing the legal system).
Lawfare is a common tactic of taking someone to court to hurt them regardless of validity of a case.
The purpose of lawfare is usually to achieve one if not all of three of these goals.
1. Intimidate them into submission, either through ignorance of the law or due to the unnecessary burden to time, mental, and financial resources. Some people just don't think it is worth the effort to fight a case due to how much of a hassle it is, or they just don't know their rights.
2. Via bad publicity. When you get involved into a legal case you undergo discovery, which basically means you have to turn over a ton of private info. Some people don't want other people to know they make adult content. Or have other information about them leaked.
3. The legal process in itself is the punishment. Lawyers and court fees cost a lot of money. Even if someone was guaranteed 100% to win on the merits of the case, as in asserting their fair use right, they can still go bankrupt in the process or never had enough money to even hire a lawyer.
Porn parodies aren't illegal, they are protected under fair use. That is a fact.
There is a difference between something being stopped because it is against the law, versus a company intimidating someone via lawfare (as in abusing the legal system).
Lawfare is a common tactic of taking someone to court to hurt them regardless of validity of a case.
The purpose of lawfare is usually to achieve one if not all of three of these goals.
1. Intimidate them into submission, either through ignorance of the law or due to the unnecessary burden to time, mental, and financial resources. Some people just don't think it is worth the effort to fight a case due to how much of a hassle it is, or they just don't know their rights.
2. Via bad publicity. When you get involved into a legal case you undergo discovery, which basically means you have to turn over a ton of private info. Some people don't want other people to know they make adult content. Or have other information about them leaked.
3. The legal process in itself is the punishment. Lawyers and court fees cost a lot of money. Even if someone was guaranteed 100% to win on the merits of the case, as in asserting their fair use right, they can still go bankrupt in the process or never had enough money to even hire a lawyer.
Last edited:
- Jul 21, 2018
- 4,144
- 3,028
Got to this one abandoned for years already - found out about it through the other one in fact - but still, feels like a real shame indeed. Great art and soundtrack, seeing the story through the eyes of Jefferson was fun plus his powers, whose nature seems to be quite different from Max's in the original game, rise all kinds of questions.
Makes for a great adult parody/spin-off that unfortunately we will not see any conclusion for.
Makes for a great adult parody/spin-off that unfortunately we will not see any conclusion for.
I know right, honestly the other one isn't bad at all, but this was hot as hell. And the age difference, plus more direct/rapey aspect was really hot in the game.
- Jul 21, 2018
- 4,144
- 3,028
True, the age and status differences play a significant role in how each of them behave towards the ladies in the respective games that adds some spice. As an aside, i'd guess it's also something of a bitter irony that, imho, could more easily be turned in its own thing without ties to the original game series, would get discontinued.
I think there should just be a law where if you're suing someone that can't afford the legal fees you get extra scruitiny from the court.
I'd really like to see this one come back. It's better than the other Life is strange parody done on this site.
Interesting, I like the other game better
But this one was really cool too, It had a much darker tone, esp with Victoria acting like an evil slut. Which is such a good look for her honestly.
I *LOVE* Victoria in this version far more than her char Lust in stranger or the original game.
This game gave me a new appreciation for her, shame it'll never get updated now
This might've been said in another of the 72 pages here, but I must say it myself. LocJaw is GREAT at composing dialogue. Rachel and Chloe especially. They compliment each other way better even than the original game LIS:Before the Storm. It's like LocJaw got in each characters' heads and knew exactly what they would be thinking at any moment. The shame that this has been abandoned is immeasurable!
This game is fucking amazing. Too bad it's been abandoned...
Also, LocJaw didn't post anything anywhere for 2 years now. So no, he didn't stop making this game because of a cease and desist.
Hopefully he didn't get the shirakami treatment (jail - fuck the CCP) or PANGXXX fate (serious illness).
Also, LocJaw didn't post anything anywhere for 2 years now. So no, he didn't stop making this game because of a cease and desist.
Hopefully he didn't get the shirakami treatment (jail - fuck the CCP) or PANGXXX fate (serious illness).
- Jul 27, 2019
- 80
- 230
- Dec 12, 2020
- 1,333
- 2,472
Like you, I don't know why the game stopped. And I never claimed to know it exactly. The game was stopped long before I expressed my opinion here. So it's not up to me.
What I know is that almost never a porn parody is actually completed into a full version in the end. I have followed several of these games with great interest and enthusiasm. And so far everyone I've ever been interested in has been abandoned. And there must be reasons for that.
Its because making porn parodies doesn't pay well, especially how often long it takes for a game to gain popularity and how much effort it takes. Even if it gains popularity most people pirate the game anyways.
You have to realize that Patreon takes a flat 12% cut, then they also charge you a bunch of other fee like currency conversion fees and transaction fees which is like another 7%, then when you include taxes which is like 20%-30%. That means you're losing about 38%-50% of your revenue before you even get to see any of it. A game making $2,000 a month means its makes a total of $24,000 a year which isn't even enough to pay rent for a tiny studio apartment in most US cities. Then when you factor losing at least 38%, thats only $14,880 a year. Basically no one can survive on that.
Then you have also factor in websites like Patreon constantly screw over their content creators by making dumb censorship rules. Which makes basically job that doesn't even pay enough to even cover rent an even bigger liability. Then add in the potential of someone threatening to sue you is simply enough to sap the motivation out of anyone.
Even without the threat of a lawsuit where you were to make your completely own new intellectual property porn game, the amount of time it takes to develop the game is staggering, and in most cases the skills you learn has no benefit. Because most people don't want put on their resume oh I have lots of experience using Renpy to make porn games, or my only experience in sound and video editing comes from my crowdfunded porn game.
In most cases people simply either learn technical skills from making their porn games then use it as a gateway to learn how to make other stuff that can actually get them hired a normal job, or they simply get burned out, or realize that making self published indie porn games is simply just not a stable or reliable method of income.