Hacienda Heights, CA
Well now we know what's going on with the Predator license:
I bet at the very least NRS has a window in their deal which wouls make it impossible for something like a predator pin to be released in the next ~18 months.
(Topic ID: 108377)
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Duck Hunt
Skit-B Pinball, 2013-
Experts of Dangerous
Skit-B Pinball, 2014
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Predator
Skit-B Pinball, 2013
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Sonic: The Hedgehog
Skit-B Pinball, 2013
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Starfox
Skit-B Pinball, 2013
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One point that I don't think has been touched on is that Kevin's "I don't really need a license" attitude can be partially traced back to his "I can make 250 pinball machines because I built some MAME cabinets and multicade cocktails" bio as described by pinball news. As we all know, MAME and 60in1 multicades are literally illegal and copyright infringement, and yet get bought and sold all the time by "legit" businesses.
What really irks me about Kevin's latest message is that he is essentially blaming the failure of Predator on "lack of faith" in the pinball ie he is blaming THE CUSTOMERS for creating a run-on-the-bank type situation, rather than being a man and taking responsibility for his own tremendous stupidity as it pertains to securing the license.
Quoted from Sjsilver:Depends on when he knew he didn't have the license. If he was lying about it from the beginning, then Day 1 fraudulent behavior was happening. I still can't believe in his latest email he is still claiming innocence, when EVERYONE, including his biggest cheerleaders, all agree he was lying.
One thing that is bugging me, though.
According to Pinballnews, Kevin stated that the license holders told him to remove their properties form the site when he scrubbed the site between Fall 2013 and Spring 2014, and Pinballnews says that is when the Original C&D came.
The anonymous group claims the C & D didn't come until late 2014, with subsequent requests in early 2015, all ignored.
It seems like a pretty big discrepancy. I sure would love to hear Martin clear that up. If what Martin says was true, even if you give Kevin the benefit of the doubt that he misunderstood "What he had", he had clarity before he demanded $3k from people. If what Mr. X says is true, then he only started lying definitively after late 2014, even if he had hunches that what he was doing wasn't right when he scrubbed everything and made up excuses.
I think it is possible Kevin got some notification in late 2013, and the right hand didn't know what the left hand was doing at Fox, with the licensing department only becoming aware in late 2014. Or Kevin knew he was lying all along and just started covering his tracks in late 2013. Like I said, clarity on this issue would be great, but it seems pretty clear that, despite what Fox told Mr. X, Kevin very clearly knew he couldn't legally do what he was doing at least by late 2013.
The problem with your reasoning is you don't need to get a C&D letter to know you don't have the license.
Quoted from flynnibus:There is no way any grown adult in this industry who has been around for more than 6 months and is interested in making things does not have any awareness of the idea of 'intellectual property'. FFS.. we deal in a market where 'licensed' vs 'unlicensed' titles is a weekly topic.
There is absolutely zero chance a person like Kevin goes 'wow, I want to make a game based on a movie..' and doesn't have any notion that licensing is needed. The guy repeatedly (even from the start) argued they had the legal standing to do the game - so he was aware of the topic. There isn't any chance at all this dawned on him later.
...and yet, that's exactly what seemed to happen. Obviously this was not some huge elaborate multi-year ruse to bilk people out of some money he would eventually have to refund in full.
The facts in front of us are that this guy a) was delusional enough to believe he could make 250 pinball machines on his own his garage, and b) was delusional enough to believe he didn't need a licensing agreement from FOX.
I can understand being delusional about (a) , especially since everyone who gave him money were just as delusional. But (b)? As you said, that takes an incredible, incredible lack of connection to reality.
Quoted from DeeGor:Maybe those and the virtuapin cabs can be auctioned off.
virtuapin-predator-cabs.jpg (Click image to enlarge)
Notice the back box art is another straight rip-off of dvd art. How did this stuff not bother you guys at the time??
Quoted from DeeGor:Virtuapin is probably the only vendor out there that would turn a blind eye to the copyright violations. Hell, look at vpforums.com (owned by virtuapin). Nothing but copyright violations there.
But what about pinsiders? How is it no pinsider went "Hmm, that backbox art is DIRECTLY taken from the Predators [2010] theatrical one-sheet. Does skit-b really have the license to ALL the Predator movies now?"
I mean it's bad enough that the art was just copies from these other sources even if he did have magical licenses to every Predator movie, comic, dvd, trading card, etc ever made. But to not be like "huh, that's weird..."
Quoted from Whysnow:I have been largely staying out of this, but wanted to say that the saddest part to me is the AG has struck the real divide in the community and now makes me question the trust of many (which is sad).
I can deal with the fact that I may appear as an ass for being an over passionate fanboy of the game (I previously appologized a couple thousand posts back to anyone I impacted with my over forceful positive thought on the project). I can deal with the loss of getting a game I wanted so long. I can deal with the potential loss of my money.
I really dislike the violated trust by AG staying annonymous and leaving the lingering question of whom they are and whom you can really talk to as a real person and build a real life relationship with.
I wish they would just come out with it and own up to it. I know some people that are much smarter than I are actively trying to detrmine whom they are and hope it all comes out at some point, just so I can better know whom, to invest in relationships and whom to avoid.
You are such a tosser. The saddest part to you of people getting bilked out of thousands of dollars is the whistleblowers who wouldn't let it drag out any longer? Unreal.
2 months later
Quoted from PismoArcade:Your assurances provided false hope to people who needed the truth.
You convinced at least 25 people that you were being truthful.
image.jpg
Very damning of Virtual Pin...Based on that comment alone any common sense inference would be that VP had seen and checked out the license documentation and found it on good legal ground.
Quoted from iceman44:You assume "common sense" is running rampant around here.
Keep seeking the facts and honesty. Too much secrecy, private clubs and BS for too long
I meant more the legal definition of any reasonable person being able to infer.
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