Diego Maradona wants to “initiate legal actions” against Pro Evolution Soccer publishers Konami, who he says used his likeness in a video game without permission.
PES 2017, the latest game in the series, has a stable of retired players it calls “Legends” that are available for use in its myClub mode. This includes guys like Ronaldo (the Brazilian one), Ronaldinho, Thierry Henry, Gary Lineker and Ronald Koeman.
It also includes Maradona, who if you get him instantly becomes the best player in the game, with a rating of 97 beating even that of Lionel Messi, who is “only” a 94.
That’s his name there alright (older PES games had him in the game, but in true series style “hid” him behind fictional names like “Malgani”), and that’s definitely his likeness, down to the hair explosion.
Maradona issued a statement on his Facebook page earlier today, saying:
I heard yesterday that the Japanese company Konami uses my image for its game PES 2017. Unfortunately, my lawyer Matias Morla will initiate the corresponding legal actions. I hope this is not another scam…
The irony here being that Konami are usually so particular about their usage rights…
[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2015/09/check-out-these-dumbass-review-restrictions/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/1445296382867969454.jpg” title=”Check Out These Dumbass Review Restrictions” excerpt=”This is something we’ve looked at in detail before, but an email flew into my inbox last week that was so hilarious I thought it was worth sharing.”]
We’ve contacted Konami asking how the rights for retired players were handled.
Comments
5 responses to “Diego Maradona Wants To Sue Konami”
Must be desperate for cash. I’d be honored to be featured in anything as the best of the bunch.
Maradona is already considered to be one of the best players of all time by his peers… I’m sure he couldn’t care less about a video game company’s opinion on this.
Whether he’s short for cash or not is irrelevant. Konami are using his image without permission to make money.
If Konami wanted to, they could make a completely fictional football game, set on another planet with completely fictional players. But they don’t because people don’t want to play that and they know they’ll sell more if they try to simulate real life football and actual players.
it doesn’t look anything like him, the face is rounder and the eyes are a lot more of an Asian look, so just cause the character has an Afro, which, I’m sure he doesn’t own the exclusive rights to, the character looks like him, ok, good luck with that lawsuit, I think he might need to get some glasses. Case even the skin colour is different, I agree with the above, a cash grab for sure
We’re looking at the same screenshot, right? The one where it’s got the character “Maradona” highlighted in the player select screen? Because saying “I can see some minor differences, it must not be the same person” kinda goes out the window when THEY NAMED HIM RIGHT THERE NEXT TO THE SIMULATED PICTURE HIM.
There’s definitely a cash grab going on here, but it’s from Konami not Maradona.
There is still no official announcement from Konami, but as someone who is active in the PES community as it stands Konami this year announced partnerships with a few different clubs, Barcelona being one of them. Most of the Legends have been ex-Barcelona players, so the issue will most likely go back to Barcelona & not Konami