Bungie appears to have extensively plagiarized an artist's work in their extraction shooter "Marathon" according to this Bluesky post (bsky.app)
from KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml to games@lemmy.world on 16 May 02:22
https://lemmy.ml/post/30176571

Bungie has issued an official statement, they are throwing an artist under the bus and pledging to make it right with the original artist.

This is a developing story.

#games

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Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world on 16 May 02:32 next collapse

Why did they have to copy anything?!

BUNGIE LITERALLY ALREADY MADE MARATHON

KoboldCoterie@pawb.social on 16 May 02:47 next collapse

This new game has essentially no relation besides name and logo to the old Marathon games. Sadly, because the old ones were the shit.

Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world on 16 May 02:50 next collapse

Well now I’m not buying it.

Geetnerd@lemmy.world on 16 May 03:09 next collapse

How dare you.

I loved the Marathon games. They were better than Doom!

Edit; My bad, I thought you said they “Were shit,” instead of “The shit.”

My bad. Carry on.

KoboldCoterie@pawb.social on 16 May 04:01 collapse

It’s okay, ‘the shit’ is a weird phrase anyway. And as a Marathon trilogy connoisseur, you’re clearly alright.

Geetnerd@lemmy.world on 16 May 04:04 next collapse

Yeah, it’s a weird phrase, today. It was popular 20 years ago.

It meant “The best” back then.

But thanks for the positive vibe, and comment.

mosiacmango@lemm.ee on 16 May 15:09 collapse

No cap fr fr

JordanZ@lemmy.world on 16 May 04:59 next collapse

This just reminds me of this guy…who also has one about the word ‘ass’.

youtu.be/igh9iO5BxBo

Jessica@discuss.tchncs.de on 16 May 05:12 next collapse

I’m so glad you linked this because it was my first thought as well and I was like damn I am going to struggle to find that haha

KoboldCoterie@pawb.social on 16 May 06:38 collapse

This is brilliant, thanks for the link!

doxxx@lemmy.ca on 16 May 15:24 collapse

I’m a little late to this party but this can be easily avoided by using the phrase “the shiz”. Just gotta train autocorrect to accept it.

Anti_Iridium@lemmy.world on 16 May 04:01 next collapse
KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml on 16 May 04:31 next collapse

Its worse than that: this game is somehow CANON with the original Marathon

Jesus_666@lemmy.world on 16 May 06:44 collapse

My vent core feels retroactively unblasted by this revelation. You really can’t expect anything good from any of the major studios anymore these days.

tuckerm@feddit.online on 16 May 05:07 collapse

Calling this a Marathon game makes no sense, and I don't just mean aesthetically. The business case can't possibly be there, either.

Anyone who has a nostalgic attachment to Marathon (👋) won't be interested in this new game, and anyone interested in this new game probably doesn't care about the name "Marathon."

On top of that, there's the fact that Marathon kind of looked like Halo. When Bungie made Halo, they were clearly taking after their own art style from their previous games. Which means Bungie could have announced that they're making a singleplayer first person shooter that kind of looks like Halo. Everyone would have lost their minds. Instead, they announced yet another live service game, and no one is interested.

Geetnerd@lemmy.world on 16 May 03:08 next collapse

I played the original games, on a Performa 6100 Mac, back in the day!

MelodiousFunk@slrpnk.net on 16 May 07:00 collapse

Look at you with your fancy PowerPC model. We had to make do with a 68040 and we liked it!

goes outside to yell at the clouds to get off of his lawn

audaxdreik@pawb.social on 16 May 04:45 next collapse

It’s hilariously awful because, as a fan of the original Marathon trilogy, the aesthetic of the new game is the only thing that appealed to me; and it was stolen.

I have no interest in an extraction shooter. You can make an extraction shooter if you want, but you gotta make something that players can get emotionally invested in first. Original Marathon players won’t recognize this and new players won’t care so what was the fucking point of any of this, I’m going crazy. This industry has lost all direction

Malix@sopuli.xyz on 16 May 09:21 next collapse

I’m just spitballing, but the ip owner needs to do something with the ip so they can keep it? IIRC similar things have been mentioned here and there when some long forgotten ip suddenly gets a new loweffort installment.

So, could be that they were making the extraction shooty anyway, so they slapped Marathon on it “just to refresh the timer”? I dunno if that’s how it works, not a lawyer.

Wrufieotnak@feddit.org on 16 May 15:05 collapse

I don’t think so, because If I remember correctly:

When Bungie was bought by Sony, they specifically included in the contract that they get to make a Marathon game if Destiny 2 reaches certain goals. So they aimed for a marathon game for a long time and specifically included that in the negotiations. Beats me why they would do such a poor multiplayer take on the SINGLEPLAYER franchise that is fondly remembered by fans.

Malix@sopuli.xyz on 16 May 15:40 collapse

“something something monkey paw curls” - maybe the contract didn’t specifically mention it would be a game of their liking, and so sony dictated it has to be a online-pvp-shooty

But then again, destiny was already an online-shooty so… dunno.

Never played a Marathon game, but as they are free on steam (bundled with some source port with AFAIK modern controls), I need to gather my pals and play them.

Wrufieotnak@feddit.org on 16 May 15:43 collapse

To be honest, the games are too old gameplay wise for me to enjoy as games, but the story? Its great

chuymatt@startrek.website on 17 May 03:55 collapse

I just wish they would revamp it with a modern engine and smooth out the story a little. I’d pay for that again. I bought the original as a freaking preorder back in the 90s (loved that box) and just adored it.

M137@lemmy.world on 16 May 11:08 next collapse

They did steal artwork, but the whole aesthetic wasn’t stolen… the stuff they stole is a very small part of the game (I’m pretty sure, haven’t and won’t play it). I’m in no way defending them, but saying the whole aesthetic was stolen just because they used some text and icons from someone istället just dumb.

KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml on 16 May 13:04 collapse

Much of the aesthetic was clearly inspired by The Designers Republic

Cethin@lemmy.zip on 16 May 22:26 collapse

Every game’s style is inspired by something else. For example, Sable has a great style, but it’s largely inspired by Moebius (the artist), and that’s OK, and actually encouraged.

There is nothing in this world that is not inspired by previous experiences.

pno2nr@lemmy.world on 17 May 18:12 collapse

This stuff is directly lifted. youtu.be/F9Ute6uvpQg

Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world on 16 May 16:11 collapse

I was hoping it was gonna be a clever, fun story shooter like the original. But it just sounds like a reskinned Helldivers with no connection to the original besides the name.

Luckily classic Marathon is available on Steam for free.

Cethin@lemmy.zip on 16 May 22:30 collapse

OK, criticism is fine, but reskined Helldivers? It’s nothing like Helldivers. It’s an extraction shooter, with a focus on PvP.

I guess Helldivers is a shooter where you extract, but it isn’t an extraction shooter. Extraction shooters are like Escape from Tarkov, Gray Zone, and the upcoming ARC Raiders. They’re about entering a game with items, collecting loot, and leaving. If you die you lose everything you brought. Nothing like Helldivers.

Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world on 17 May 00:24 collapse

That makes even less sense to me. Nothing in the original game is about collecting resources or leaving the ship

Cethin@lemmy.zip on 17 May 06:45 collapse

Nope. I don’t really know why they decided to do this, but it does use the existing lore. The Phor are going to be involved, and a bunch of other Marathon stuff is going to be used. It’s almost the exact opposite game mode of what Marathon was though.

Semi_Hemi_Demigod@lemmy.world on 18 May 00:30 collapse

I think it’s because a game with challenging puzzles and compelling story takes work and talent and a game that says “collect 20 widgets and get back to the extraction point” can be churned out like cheap hot dogs by overworked devs.

Taleya@aussie.zone on 16 May 09:03 next collapse

Legit, i only clicked this because i was “wait wtf? system 7 marathon??”

pno2nr@lemmy.world on 17 May 18:10 collapse

Yeah but that Marathon was innovative, looked good, and was fun to play. That would never work in this day and age. Also I think the only thing that same about the two is the name.

Samdell@lemmy.eco.br on 16 May 02:54 next collapse

I wasn’t expecting quality from modern Bungie but this is definitely an unexpected low

peanuts4life@lemmy.blahaj.zone on 16 May 03:19 next collapse

The lead art director of marathon has followed her since before the game began development and he still stole her shit wholesale. Disgusting.

Endymion_Mallorn@kbin.melroy.org on 16 May 03:38 next collapse

Is anyone actually shocked about modern Bungie?

ms_lane@lemmy.world on 16 May 06:03 collapse

I just assume any art coming out of Bungie is stolen now.

Joseph Cross has probably never made any original artwork, it’s all just stolen from other people.

circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org on 16 May 04:06 next collapse

Should have just used AI, at least then people could debate whether or not it was plagiarism

CorneliusTalmadge@lemmy.world on 16 May 04:13 next collapse

They just trained their employees using other people’s copyrighted works. What’s the problem?

KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml on 16 May 13:03 next collapse

There’s nothing wrong with inspiration (attribution is nice), but what’s evident is they straight up LIFTED parts of antireal’s art into in-game assets.

mishielda1234@lemmy.world on 16 May 16:30 next collapse

This is something Sam Altman would say

RightHandOfIkaros@lemmy.world on 16 May 19:10 collapse

The implication that generative AI would spit out pixel-for-pixel copies from its training data is flat out wrong. Even generative AI would have made more original assets than what Bungie put in Marathon. The worst part is that this is like the 4th time they’ve been caught doing this.

Being inspired by an art style and using that style is fine, and completely normal. Thats how art works. But copying and pasting 1 for 1 is not fine.

theblips@lemm.ee on 16 May 21:47 collapse

I agree but it can get pretty close. Try asking gpt-4o to generate a realistic picture of an adventure who wears a hat and wields a whip to find lost treasure. It returns basically a picture of Harrison Ford

[deleted] on 16 May 21:58 collapse

.

paraphrand@lemmy.world on 16 May 04:32 next collapse

Bungie had similar problems with Destiny 2, if I remember correctly.

Bungie commented on the current issue an hour ago.

fmstrat@lemmy.nowsci.com on 16 May 10:11 collapse

Love the response. Very CYA and they’re called out on it by multiple people:

‪hi, tell legal to reply to my email from months ago.

i simply can’t believe you’re thanking anyone “for bringing this to our attention” just because it went viral.

what about all the times i’ve directly contacted you privately about using my work? why should i have to hurt your brand to be heard?

So, we had some unknown outsource companies at fault for plagiarizing previously and now unknown former empleyee? How convenient! Surely the fact that art director and other marathon artists follow her means nothing.

I really wish i could buy that this was actually just an overeager artist who got laid off to pay for pete parsons’ 80th classic car but not only is this the 4th time this has happened, joseph cross was following and clearly aware of antireal. yall knew and fully intended on getting away with it

haui_lemmy@lemmy.giftedmc.com on 16 May 11:13 collapse

Honestly, at this point the company should be dismantled and the leadership thrown in prison. These corporate edgelords wont learn. They will just overstep, inch by inch and the courts will understate their deeds over and over until there is only one company that rules the world and sell you your fucking liver by the minute.

Dismantle this pile of shit.

zipzoopaboop@lemmynsfw.com on 17 May 17:38 collapse

So approx 850 people working at the studio should lose their livelihood because a few shitty leads and artists plagiarized?

haui_lemmy@lemmy.giftedmc.com on 17 May 19:20 collapse

Listen, I want to dismantle a LOT of companies that are a thousand times bigger than this.

so if your concern for workplaces is so much higher than for people getting systematically fucked and not that rarely lose everything - even their lives - you’re gonna get real unhappy.

This system is fucked, stop defending it.

ms_lane@lemmy.world on 16 May 05:42 next collapse

🎶 Oops I did it again! 🎶

🎶 I stole your art, added it to my game, ooh baby 🎶

altima_neo@lemmy.zip on 16 May 05:45 next collapse

What art did they steal?

TheSambassador@lemmy.world on 16 May 14:12 next collapse

Turns out you can click the link and find out! It links to a very short Bluesky post! Try it out! Lemmy has more than just headlines!

KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml on 16 May 18:49 collapse

I hear there’s this thing called a ‘hyperlink’ you can click to find out

secret300@lemmy.sdf.org on 16 May 20:05 next collapse

How is Bungie still in business? I loved destiny but after a while of them being so hostile and anti-consumer I just left. Fuck Bungie and fuck whoever works for those ass hats

DaedalousIlios@pawb.social on 16 May 20:35 next collapse

Man, as somebody who grew up with Halo, it’s really depressing to see how they seem to just be utterly incapable of an original thought anymore.

slaneesh_is_right@lemmy.org on 16 May 20:36 collapse

I mean is there even a simgle person still working on bungie that was somehow related to the good halos?

DaedalousIlios@pawb.social on 16 May 20:40 collapse

I don’t think that matters. This is likely a decision handed down by upper management. And that’s what makes it depressing; what could’ve continued to be some of the greatest creators of Sci-Fi video games instead have mismanaged their talent and shot both their feet off.

Pnut@lemm.ee on 16 May 22:57 collapse

The blind leading the eagle-eyed.

JakenVeina@lemm.ee on 17 May 02:47 next collapse

Is the BlueSky OP here not a native English speaker? Cause, BOY that was tough to follow.

Redecco@lemmy.world on 17 May 03:17 next collapse

It’s definitely a really bad look, but I can imagine how it could have happened.

A former artist or even an outsourced artist probably delivered them a texture sheet of graphics, nobody caught that several of the graphics were plaigerized, the artist never mentioned it, assumed it was purely for a blockout or temporary, maybe they used it during a mood boarding/visual development stage and it got pushed along the pipeline.

Trying to reverse search graphics your artists make for you would probably not be done in the good faith sense, if there wasn’t suspicion that it wasn’t original anyways? But happening four times seems like a reason to really crack down on that kind of thing for the future … Bungies management has also constantly had issues too.

Artists use photobashing all the time to develop concepts since timelines push design work faster and faster. Photobashing other artists work is usually an issue but taking images or conepts within creative liberties through sufficient alteration or “transformative” use is typically the move if it was ever done.

I’d call it a management issue. Probably bad oversight of outsourcing, or maybe internally disorganized production. Also text and graphics seems like they’d probably have vetted the designs and someone really tried to pass it off without raising attention somehow … So I’m guessing outsourced and not an internal employee? Idk.

DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social on 18 May 05:58 collapse

It’s wild that you dorks will up vote preemptive excuse making just because someone took a pleasant tone.

collapse_already@lemmy.ml on 17 May 03:28 collapse

This will be entertaining in their ongoing Red War plagiarism lawsuit.