Duke Nukem 3D's composer brings lawsuit against Gearbox and Valve

[midian182]

In context: It’s been over 20 years since Duke Nukem 3D was released, but the composer of its music is launching a lawsuit against Gearbox Software, chief executive Randy Pitchford, and Valve. The suit isn’t regarding the original game, though; it’s related to the 2016 release of Duke Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary Edition World Tour.

Bobby Prince, who also wrote the music for Doom, Doom 2, and Wolfenstein 3D, composed16 songs for 1996’s Duke Nukem 3D under an agreement with the game’s original developer, Apogee. As noted in a document submitted to the US court (via PC Gamer), Apogee had a limited right to use Prince’s music in Duke Nukem 3D in exchange for a royalty equal to $1 per unit sold. Prince had also registered the copyrights for the songs.

The situation became complicated after Gearbox Software bought some of the rights to the Duke Nukem games in 2010. Prince claims that when Nukem 3D: 20th Anniversary World Tour released in 2016, Gearbox included his music without his permission or paying royalties.

"The electronic files for the music within Duke Nukem 3D World Tour include text specifically stating that Mr. Prince owns the copyright to the music and has reserved all rights to the music’s use," the court document states. "Yet Gearbox incorporated the music into the game without ever contacting Mr Prince and without clearing the rights expressly mentioned in the electronic files."

Prince said he did contact Gearbox’s Randy Pitchford to request royalties for the updated game, but despite being told he’d be “taken care of,” the composer never received any money. Furthermore, Pitchford "refused to remove the music from the game."

Valve has also been dragged into the suit. Prince says the company ignored a takedown notice and continued distributing copies of the game on Steam.

Gearbox Publishing, Randy Pitchford and Valve have been given 21 days to respond.

Permalink to story.

https://www.techspot.com/news/82120-duke-nukem-3d-composer-brings-lawsuit-against-gearbox.html

 

[QuantumPhysics]

#1. The best soundtrack for Duke Nukem 3D was Mark Knight’s soundtrack for Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown.

#2 It’s absolutely a shame the development Hell Duke Nukem’s gone through while the industry continued to churn out lame franchises that didn’t do as well.

 

[ForgottenLegion]

Randy B*tchford.

 

[Uncle Al]

#1. The best soundtrack for Duke Nukem 3D was Mark Knight’s soundtrack for Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown.

#2 It’s absolutely a shame the development Hell Duke Nukem’s gone through while the industry continued to churn out lame franchises that didn’t do as well.

Yeah, isn't is amazing how many titles that had the potential for a lot longer run get pushed aside for "the next best thing"? Some of they had tremendous potential and a huge following yet the self proclaimed "know it all's" running these companies just don't pay attention. Look at HalfLife .... they could have easily taken that to two, even six more editions and still made a bunch of money and kept their followers happy. Or the ones that suddenly decide to go totally team play and forget the happy single players .... obviously their marketing departments are asleep or they arn't paying attention to them! Shhheeeeezzzzeeeee

 

[QuantumPhysics]

Yeah, isn't is amazing how many titles that had the potential for a lot longer run get pushed aside for "the next best thing"? Some of they had tremendous potential and a huge following yet the self proclaimed "know it all's" running these companies just don't pay attention. Look at HalfLife .... they could have easily taken that to two, even six more editions and still made a bunch of money and kept their followers happy. Or the ones that suddenly decide to go totally team play and forget the happy single players .... obviously their marketing departments are asleep or they arn't paying attention to them! Shhheeeeezzzzeeeee

Exo Squad, Space Above & Beyond and Babylon 5 are franchises that would still be alive if they had video game representation.

 

[treetops]

#1. The best soundtrack for Duke Nukem 3D was Mark Knight’s soundtrack for Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown.

#2 It’s absolutely a shame the development Hell Duke Nukem’s gone through while the industry continued to churn out lame franchises that didn’t do as well.

Yeah, isn't is amazing how many titles that had the potential for a lot longer run get pushed aside for "the next best thing"? Some of they had tremendous potential and a huge following yet the self proclaimed "know it all's" running these companies just don't pay attention. Look at HalfLife .... they could have easily taken that to two, even six more editions and still made a bunch of money and kept their followers happy. Or the ones that suddenly decide to go totally team play and forget the happy single players .... obviously their marketing departments are asleep or they arn't paying attention to them! Shhheeeeezzzzeeeee

I'm still sad that Diablo 2 never got the sequel it deserved. RIP Blizzard North. WOW was all the rage, all other blizzard games got pushed aside for almost a decade. It took 7 years for Blizzard to make a new game after WOW. Fallout came through but that was another one people waited ages for. I'd say make Warcraft 4 but I fear what they'd do to it. Starcraft 2 is pretty much Starcraft. Left for dead stopped up because the devs wanted to do something new. I respect that.

 

[Xallisto]

#1. The best soundtrack for Duke Nukem 3D was Mark Knight’s soundtrack for Duke Nukem: Total Meltdown.

#2 It’s absolutely a shame the development Hell Duke Nukem’s gone through while the industry continued to churn out lame franchises that didn’t do as well.

Yeah, isn't is amazing how many titles that had the potential for a lot longer run get pushed aside for "the next best thing"? Some of they had tremendous potential and a huge following yet the self proclaimed "know it all's" running these companies just don't pay attention. Look at HalfLife .... they could have easily taken that to two, even six more editions and still made a bunch of money and kept their followers happy. Or the ones that suddenly decide to go totally team play and forget the happy single players .... obviously their marketing departments are asleep or they arn't paying attention to them! Shhheeeeezzzzeeeee

I'm still sad that Diablo 2 never got the sequel it deserved. RIP Blizzard North. WOW was all the rage, all other blizzard games got pushed aside for almost a decade. It took 7 years for Blizzard to make a new game after WOW. Fallout came through but that was another one people waited ages for. I'd say make Warcraft 4 but I fear what they'd do to it. Starcraft 2 is pretty much Starcraft. Left for dead stopped up because the devs wanted to do something new. I respect that.

At least the noises coming out of Blizzard about Diablo 4 is of a game closer to Diablo 2 than Diablo 3.

I loved Diablo2:LOD so much, massive part of my teenage years.

 

[psycros]

Yeah, isn't is amazing how many titles that had the potential for a lot longer run get pushed aside for "the next best thing"? Some of they had tremendous potential and a huge following yet the self proclaimed "know it all's" running these companies just don't pay attention. Look at HalfLife .... they could have easily taken that to two, even six more editions and still made a bunch of money and kept their followers happy. Or the ones that suddenly decide to go totally team play and forget the happy single players .... obviously their marketing departments are asleep or they arn't paying attention to them! Shhheeeeezzzzeeeee

Exo Squad, Space Above & Beyond and Babylon 5 are franchises that would still be alive if they had video game representation.

You probably know that Bab 5 had a space combat game practically finished when it got shelved. That franchise never really got its due, with insane time slots, repeated cancellation threats wrecking the storylines and other side effects of syndication hell. I also wasn't thrilled when JMS stole the plot for Space Battleship Yamato to use in Crusade, which actually had worse FX than the original series.

 

[Xallisto]

You probably know that Bab 5 had a space combat game practically finished when it got shelved. That franchise never really got its due, with insane time slots, repeated cancellation threats wrecking the storylines and other side effects of syndication hell. I also wasn't thrilled when JMS stole the plot for Space Battleship Yamato to use in Crusade, which actually had worse FX than the original series.

Not to mention Warner lost all the B5 VFX shots so it will probably never be remasterd again.