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Video games are big line of work . It ’s a multi - billion dollar industry that includes themost profitable entertainment product of all timeinGrand Theft Auto 5 , and it continues to maturate with each and every gambling generation . WithGoogle considering entering the television game console table mart , there ’s every chance that things could get even hotter .
With this success , of course , come the complicatedness of big business . There ’s a destiny at stake within gaming , and as such there have been a wide variety of lawsuits and legal disputes over matter such as intellectual property rightfield and compensation . Over clip , some of these have become more important - or acquire more tilt - than others .
Related:15 Video Games That Were Changed Due To Controversy
Because of this , Screen Rant has dug deep to find the most controversial video recording biz lawsuits of all clock time . The follow lawsuits not only get a stir when first announce , but also in some cases left a long - lasting impression on the video game industry as a whole . interpret on to find out more .
10. Manuel Noriega vs. Activision Blizzard
When Treyarch was developingCall of Duty : Black Ops II , the studio was probably not expecting to be on the receiving end of the ire of a former dictator . yet , the second game in theBlack Opssubseries ofCall of Dutycaught the attention of Manuel Noriega , the former potentate of Panama . Noriega , who was in prison house at the metre for the criminal offense dedicate during his six year rule of the country , sued publisher Activision Blizzard for the use of goods and services of his likeness .
Noriega ’s case was certainly a eccentric one , peculiarly when he suggested that the game depicted him as " the perpetrator of legion fictional flagitious criminal offence " include murder . Perhaps unsurprisingly , the lawsuit was switch out in October 2014 , think that a potential freedom of speech legal minefield over the depiction of historic figure in games was avoided . That said , do n’t look to see Noriega returning inCall of responsibility : Black Ops 4 ’s Blackout Mode .
9. Bethesda vs. Warner Bros. Interactive
Although an extremely recent lawsuit , this one has the voltage to be one of the most controversial of all clip , in part due to the cobwebby visibility of those involved . Back in the summertime of 2015 , Bethesda off amber with its mobile gameFallout Shelter , successfully win over the world ofFalloutinto a mobile biz format . However , when the company saw a similar game base onWestworldfrom Warner Bros. and developer Behaviour Interactive , who co - developedFallout Shelter , the company was not proud of , andpromptly sued Warner Bros.with a powerfully - word courting .
The suit went beyond just implying that the similarities between the games were too close for comfort , however . or else , Bethesda suggest that theWestworldgame was reusing codification fromFallout Shelter , call the game a " vociferous rip - off . " Since then , Warner Bros. has hit backwith a rebutter of their own , so bear this one to grumble on for a while yet .
8. Bethesda vs. Mojang
Bethesda is no stranger to a lawsuit , however , as shown by a premature legal battle from the company . In March 2011,Minecraftdeveloper Mojang denote its 2d plot , a collectible add-in game calledScrolls . However , obviously the name of the secret plan put Bethesda on bound , thanks to their own seriesThe Elder Scrolls , and the ship’s company sued Mojang over how end the name of the games were .
This caught the ire of some of the gaming community of interests , with some seeing the lawsuit as an unnecessary flexing of muscles from Bethesda to try and stop an issue that was never there in the first spot . However , the two companies did come to an accord - Mojang did not trademark the nameScrolls , with Bethesda allowing the name to be held as long as the plot never became a competitor toThe Elder Scrollsin general .
7. Atari vs. Philips
Pac - Manis undoubtedly one of the most important picture game of all time , becoming a standout winner in arcades and leading possible gamers into the hobby in droves . Unsurprisingly , this lead to a act of emulator , some of which straying very skinny to thePac - Manformula . One of these game wasKC Munchkin!from Phillips , a game that hit the Odyssey home console in 1981 .
At the time , Pac - Manhad yet to make its prescribed release on home console table , but Atari nonetheless had the exclusive rights to the game on home base devices . Although Phillips survived the first ruling on the lawsuit , an solicitation then visit the court of justice find in Atari ’s favor . This particular lawsuit set up a major case law for copyright cases within video games as a whole , but in this instance led to the remotion ofKC Munchkin!from store shelves .
6. Epic Games vs. Silicon Knights
The legal struggle between Epic Games andToo Humandeveloper Silicon Knights was prospicient and complex . ab initio , Silicon Knights take Epic to court over the licensing of Unreal Engine 3 , with the developer claiming that Epic was in break of contract by withholding information about the engine itself , leading to the studio needing to build its own engine . However , before too long the tables were turn , and a countersuit lead the motor lodge to discover that Silicon Knights ' own engine was using grand of lines of computer code from the Unreal Engine .
Page 2:Another Epic Games Legal Battle and a Monster-Sized Court Case
5. PUBG Corp vs. Epic Games
The fight with Silicon Knights was not the only clip that Epic Games has been involved in a legal dispute , including a very recent battle regarding two of the biggest games of the moment . The similarities betweenPlayerUnknown ’s BattlegroundsandFortnitehave been well - documented , with even the announcement ofFortnitedrawing ire from PUBG ’s developer . Before too long , things came to a head andPUBG Corp undertake to sue Epic Games .
However , the cause itself did not quite go to plan for PUBG Corp , with the companydropping the suitjust a month after it launched it . The precise details of why this has happened are as - yet unknown , but the all-embracing industry has avoided having difficult query asked about games of a similar genre being subject to copyright claims . After all , although there are similarities betweenPUBGandFortnite , there would be every chance thatPUBGitself would then be dependent of a wooing from one who came before in the battle royale subgenre .
4. Digital Homicide vs. Jim Sterling
Theissue of Steam subject controlhas been one that has get debate for a farseeing time , and some critics have been ready to point out a deficiency of character restraint on the digital statistical distribution platform . One of the most high - visibility of these critic is Jim Sterling , who took the time to manoeuvre out the most poor quality games on Steam , including the Brobdingnagian library of game from Digital Homicide .
In spite of Sterling ’s employment coming under the bracket of criticism , Digital Homicide felt that Sterling ’s reviews were unjust , and eventually the developers launch a suit against Sterling suggesting that his work should be deal libel or denigration . Digital Homicide asked for an astronomical $ 10 million in harm in its frivolous - at - best suit , but thankfully the company ’s tactic failed , with Sterling coming out on top after Digital Homicide ’s casing was dismissed with prejudice .
3. Universal vs. Nintendo
Nintendo may be one of the biggest companies in video games , but there was a time where the troupe ’s billet in the industry could have been in jeopardy . 1981’sDonkey Kongwas Nintendo ’s strong foot into the arcade market up to that point , introduce gamers to two of the most iconic characters in gambling . Universal , though , sense thatDonkey Kongwas too alike to its ownKing Kong , and launched a case against the party .
Universal ’s own legal history led to their downfall , however , after Nintendo ’s lawyer John Kirby pointed out that Universal had argued thatKing Kongwas in public domain for its 1976 remake - a move that head to Kirby ’s name being honour with a Nintendo wedge of his own . The court found in Nintendo ’s favour , and it come along as though Universal and Nintendo have buried the hatchet , given that the pair aremaking aMariomovie togetherand building aNintendo radical park in Universal Studios .
2. Nintendo vs. Burt
AlthoughNintendowas on the justificatory overDonkey Kong , the troupe has been very persevering when it come to its own intellectual holding over the years , and has not been diffident of assume people to court . One particularly controversial object lesson was when Nintendo issued a suit of clothes against James Burt , a 24 - yr older from Australia who madeNew Super Mario Bros. Wiiavailable to pirate a calendar week before its Australian launch engagement .
The character was not a hard one , as Burt and Nintendo would resolve for a whopping $ 1.5 million . Of course , it ’s unlikely that Nintendo would be receiving all of that money , but it sent a very strong subject matter that the company would not stick out piracy of its games light . Weirdly enough , though , Nintendo would terminate up sending Burt a special editionThe Legend of ZeldaGanon statue a few class after , so the pair may have allow bygones be bygone .
1. Strickland vs. Sony
Violence in picture games has long been a source of ill fame , and nowhere is this more truthful than with theGrand Theft Autogames . The Rockstar series has beenno alien to controversyover the years , be it the Hot Coffee squabble or the more significant combat with Lindsey Lohan over the allege use of her likeness inGrand Theft Auto V. However , the most significant dispute amount during the height of the debate over video game furiousness .
Infamous lawyer Jack Thompson , who became a major player in the violent video game furore of the nineties and 2000s , took Sony to court over the shooting of police force officers Arnold Strickland and James Crump , and dispatcher Leslie Mealer . Thompson stated that the slayer , Devin Moore , was recreating scenes fromGrand Theft Auto : Vice City , and blamed Sony and Rockstar for the murder . The case was cast out , however , with the plot covered under the First Amendment according to Alabama ’s Supreme Court .
That conclude our summation of the most controversial television game suit of all meter . These legal dispute were not only major talking points , but also facilitate mould the history of gambling through the legacies left behind . As such , next video game lawsuits may count to these cases for a common law on what ’s to come .
More:The Most Controversial Video Games Ever
