Civ V stock image Scavenger hunt

This thread was not created to specifically stir anything up. I actually began the thread also with a bit of amusement. I'm a fan of the game myself and this has little to do with decrying the game or Firaxis. I feel the how and why is now more important than just putting out more and more pictures.

I would really like to know why is this type of, well, mediocrity seen on a game we all love like Civilization, a triple A game at that. Up to this point I've been supportive of the game, but seeing that this one hits too close to home (from what I do for a living), I just can't stand apathetic to it.

I don't think anyone can really justify or celebrate this, not for a game that already has so much originality in it, I at least wouldn't, I feel it cheapens the game a bit, even if the entire thing is solid legally.

And I still have no idea why they keep flipping the stock images.

Quite frankly the reference to legal issue in this thread is really excessive and not constructive.
For me they made an awesome job with icons, and if they used existent photos as models to recreate, it doesn't make their job any cheaper.
 
frivolous lawsuits don't help anyone.

Nobody is likely suing anyone, it can all be settled amicably without turning sour, it all depends on Firaxis to make this right. These cases rarely go to court since they can be settled out of court for the convenience of both parties.

This is hardly a frivolous issue either. People like mr. Ochester are artists that have worked hundreds of hours polishing his character. Photographers also have to spend countless hours mastering their trade (not to mention breaking into the industry). Why would it be right to just take them for granted?... We all paid handsomely for the game, we should all expect honesty and integrity in the entire package we purchased.

There's already so much that is original in the game, the Diplo screens are beautiful, what if another company just takes them, flips them, changes the colours and puts mustaches on all of them?, would Firaxis complain?, I sure hope for my amusement someone would tell Firaxis "you are taking this too seriously".


Super Nations V also features octogons and One Troop per Space

If so is the case, if copyright can just be dodged by the visionary "Firaxis method", then I'll start working on Super Nations V, I think 99% of the work is already done ("now that's efficiency"), I'm gonna need some help flipping all the assets and adding all the necesary mustaches though.

I'm also naming my company Phiraxis games, or Sixarif.

They (* we *) should be careful, they're (* we're *) walking into a minefield here.
I am not OrsonM... I'm his evil twin brother, BruceM, who's also been flipped accordingly to avoid liabilities.
 
Super Nations V also features octogons and One Troop per Space

Hyperbole is still hyperbole. If you think the level of change was the same between your pic and Civ5's logos (given the overall context to make it so every image has a cohesive style, regardless of origin), fine, there's no point having this discussion. Obviously, not everyone agrees with you. Just what point are images "too similar" and at what point is it considered changed enough to be its own work?

BTW, where was the origin for the Colossus you posted two pages ago? I assume that's public domain? I'm curious because I'm wondering if the really amazing Civ2 videos essentially used the same method (only without changing things) or if all the images were legitimately obtained (no google searches back then, so I'm guessing the latter).
 
I'm curious because I'm wondering if the really amazing Civ2 videos essentially used the same method (only without changing things) or if all the images were legitimately obtained (no google searches back then, so I'm guessing the latter).
If you look five posts above, you'll find the answer to this question. :) (I'm don't remember which organization the images were licensed from, but I know they named it in an interview, so someone would have to dig up the interview for the details ...)
 
BTW, where was the origin for the Colossus you posted two pages ago? I assume that's public domain? I'm curious because I'm wondering if the really amazing Civ2 videos essentially used the same method (only without changing things) or if all the images were legitimately obtained (no google searches back then, so I'm guessing the latter).

No, the Colosus apparently was made ethically: by interpreting several images into a single original illustration (only the Dali image is not public domain, it seems, but no harm done). Also, public domain images, for what I know, do not require permission.

This thread in the somethingawful forums, despite being humorous, sheds a bit of light on the Issue. In a nutshell: Artist Todd Goldman went through the internet and found and image that belonged to the Somethingawful forums. Goldman, asuming that it was public domain, went ahead and used it without asking for permision, effectively making it plagiarism. Todd Goldman, an extremely successful artist, kept it "classy" through out the entire ordeal by first denying it, by calling the somethingawful names and finnally by decrying that he was a victim (the way I understood it at least):

http://www.somethingawful.com/d/news/todd-goliath-goldman.php
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Todd_Goldman#Accusations_of_plagiarism

To be fair here, I should probably try to locate public domain pictures as well as images that were not public domain, but this takes a lot of effort... anyone wants to help me here?
 
oh, i had posted an image that i thought was comparable... here's a different link to it that may work:



i compared both this and the one you posted via overlaying in photoshop. not surprisingly (since they're the same subject and nearly the same angle) either could have been used as the base. either way, the image has been distorted, but there are enough clear similarities like the folds and shadows in the shirt of the front marine that it seems one was used as a base.

also, you can find other sizes (sources) via google's image search, highlight the photo, go to more sizes
 
If so is the case, if copyright can just be dodged by the visionary "Firaxis method", then I'll start working on Super Nations V, I think 99% of the work is already done ("now that's efficiency"), I'm gonna need some help flipping all the assets and adding all the necesary mustaches though.

Someone should tell Mid Seier and 3L Games about this!
 
Someone should tell Mid Seier and 3L Games about this!

Too late, I'm working on the sequel now, Super Nations V Two!


I think we can all agree it's a superior sequel



Comming this Summer as soon as I find a way to rip the CSI Miami theme song.
 
Comming this Summer as soon as I find a way to rip the CSI Miami theme song.

he-he - not so fast -- you opened the Pandora box you're gonna have to put the lid on it. In a 4th or 5th pure Moddy manners.

Skipjack.CDR... yep from vector based Libraries of the mid 90's.
 

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I absolutely love this thread! Keep up the good investigatory work OrsonM. I'm sure Super Nations V 2 won't have nearly the amount of problems Super Nations 1 had ;)
 
I never thought of this, but if we look at the Civilization IV and V boxart we could have known a bit of this issue before:



It would be much harder to find every single picture (and a lot of them seem to be public domain), although it's weird their angles differ greatly throughout the landscape (would it had been harder just to draw them?).

Oddly enough I think this one is protected by Fair Use.
 
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