Earlier this year, a game called OpenSC2K was released on GitHub, claiming to be a free, open source version of Maxis’ classic. Turns out it wasn’t as open source as it could have been, though, because EA have had the game removed from the platform.
As TorrentFreak report, the art assets used in OpenSC2K were lifted straight from the 1993 original, so EA have filed a DMCA request against the project that led to its removal (remember that SimCity 2000 is still commercially available on Origin).
The full DMCA notice has been posted on GitHub, and says, “The current audio visual output of the repository creates content that infringes on Electronic Arts copyright. As long as that continues to happen, no other changes other than removal is sufficient to address the infringement.”
So basically it needs new coat of paint before it’s allowed back.
The game’s creator, Nicholas Ochoa, told TorrentFreak, “I was never contacted by EA or GitHub prior to the takedown – I received notification after the fact from GitHub. Nobody from EA has reached out since and I’m still waiting for GitHub to review my request.”
“I just wish they’d have reached out first, I would’ve gladly removed the content quickly and without issue.”
Ochoa now plans to post instructions on how to remove the copyrighted assets from the rest of the code.
Comments
5 responses to “EA Kills ‘Open Source’ Version Of SimCity 2000”
RETICULATING SPLINES
“You will regret this!” (Or rather they in this case).
https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/you-can-t-cut-back-on-funding-you-will-regret-this
Fair enough really, you can’t just take the art assets and stick them into an open source implementation.
So rather than telling users to get the art and sound assets from some other source, this game engine recreation project decided to host those copyrighted assets in the git repository along with the source code.
EA’s response seems utterly reasonable, given that they are actively selling SimCity 2000 on Origin and GOG. Hopefully the OpenSC2K guys can rebuild their git history without EA’s material (maybe with “git subtree split”?).
That’s fair enough if copyright has essentially been breached.
But, screw em anyhow, go play Cities Skylines. It’s SO much better than the last few Sim Cities.