KQIX Project shuts down

[Ryno]

Yeah...making sure he gets them might not be a bad idea. How many have you sent out so far?

[J-Rod]

I got the same generic response Ryno. Here is my letter verbatim:

November 10, 2005

Dear *****,

Thank you for your interest in Vivendi Universal Games. We're glad to hear you love our games!

Thank you for sending us your feed back regarding the kings quest series project that was shut down; I will take your comment into consideration for future reference.

At this time we do not have enough inquiries from the public at large for us to pass on this information to the Producers of the kings quest game to reconsider this decision to reopen the project.

Thank you for understanding and continuing support with our games!

Sincerly,
Daniel Oksun

Vivendi Universal Games

----

Apparently the people we want to show our concern to isn't even aware of our plight. So everyone do there part and send a letter, and maybe we'll playing KQIX one day!

[Oreldwin]

Hi y'all

Well, it seems, you have got their attention, anyhow


And I sincerely doubt, their "producers" are unaware of what is going on....

My two cents...


Dean

[franzrogar]

Maybe because I was one of the first ones that sent e-mails to Vivendi, I haven't received any mail from them... (Beeing ignored  )

Seriously: How many people they think are "enough"?. 

[Skeptikal]

My letter to Vivendi Universal...
email sent this morning
snail mail will be sent this afternoon... :

___________________________
To whom it may concern;

I am very disappointed with many decisions you take around adventure games, obviously the “KQIX â€" Every Cloak Has A Silver Lining” situation (that you already know better than anyone) made me think twice about Vivendi Universal Games. I, as a Sierra Online fan used to play every  ** Quest game they’d ever release; my personal favorites being King’s Quest and Space Quest, although I enjoyed playing Police Quest, Leisure Suite Larry and Quest For Glory sagas. Summing up what I’d like to say is that there is no more adventure games hanging around there and, since you bought Sierra I truly think you have this ongoing duty to continue this genre or AT LEAST not shut it down…

I am very concerned about some replies you gave to some other fans… You say that there are not enough fans/concerns ‘out there’; if that is truly what you think, you shouldn’t care about a fan-fiction project; it won’t stele anything from you since “there is not enough interest”.
On the other hand it is NOT hard to see that the KQIX’s website gained more that 7 000 000 visitors since you shut down the project; a simple research on web analyses shows impressive results about KQIX.com . If 7 millions visitors is not ‘enough interest’ I wonder what is.  I guess that if we were talking in USD instead of visitors, it would be ’enough interest’, wouldn’t it ?

You all, corporate and associates should consider Roberta and Ken William’s voices sometimes… Aren’t they the engineers behind computer gaming after all? I think the time of adventure games is coming again… Is it too much for you, can’t you handle it ?

I hope that anyone receiving this mail will pass it to the ‘authorities’ concerned.
I’d really appreciate receiving a reply from Vivendi Universal Games; not a pre-made one though.

Sincerely,

**********
******* International S.A.
*****@s******e.net
___________________

What do you think... ?

[koko_99_2001]

Might want to spell check a couple things, but looks pretty good.

[Flubly]

Seriously: How many people they think are "enough"?. 

It's hard to say.  They think there's at least some kind of market out there, which is evident because they are selling the new compilations.  But of course VU is used to huge sales, millions of copies.  But I wouldn't say that they necessarily need 1 million responses or signatures in order to get the game released.  They know that all the sales would majorly  outweigh the number of activists.  I'm tempted to say 10,000 as a absolute base number but I really don't know how they view King's Quest.

[threej_lc]

Soon and very soon we are going to see the king (KING GRAHAM!)
Soon and very soon we are going to see the king (KING GRAHAM!)
Soon and very soon we are going to see the king (KING GRAHAM!)
Alleluia Alleluia! We're going to see the king (KING GRAHAM!)
No more violence yeah!  we are going to see the king (KING GRAHAM!)
In adventure games!  we are going to see the king (KING GRAHAM!)
POS they rock!  we are going to see the king (KING GRAHAM!)
Alleluia Alleluia! We're going to see the king (KING GRAHAM!)

Wow possum.  I never thought I'd see a Charismatic Christian Worship song used in the context of King's Quest.

3j

[Skeptikal]

Might want to spell check a couple things, but looks pretty good.

Yeup... Sorry for spell mistake... I'm not american nor english... I did spell checked before sending (feeww)... Thanks !!

[dark-daventry]

I got the same generic response Ryno. Here is my letter verbatim:

November 10, 2005

Dear *****,

Thank you for your interest in Vivendi Universal Games. We're glad to hear you love our games!

Thank you for sending us your feed back regarding the kings quest series project that was shut down; I will take your comment into consideration for future reference.

At this time we do not have enough inquiries from the public at large for us to pass on this information to the Producers of the kings quest game to reconsider this decision to reopen the project.

Thank you for understanding and continuing support with our games!

Sincerly,
Daniel Oksun

Vivendi Universal Games

----


Apparently the people we want to show our concern to isn't even aware of our plight. So everyone do there part and send a letter, and maybe we'll playing KQIX one day!

I saw in the response that it said something about the King's Quest producers... That I think is a hint of a new KQ game. They said: At this time we do not have enough inquiries from the public at large for us to pass on this information to the Producers of the kings quest game to reconsider this decision to reopen the project.

Does that mean that they are producing another game, or are they simply referring to POS, which I doubt highly... Just my carefull eyes spotting that... I'll start a letter right now...

[Flubly]

Hmm... he lives in North Hollywood.  Only Daniel Oksun in the whole U.S. too.

[dark-daventry]

I have just written my letter to Vivendi. I hope you all like it, and please, feel free to correct me or advise me put in or exclude things from my letter. Infact, I encourage it. Here it is:

Dear Vivendi Universal Games,
   I am writing to you to express my sympathy for the decision you have made about the King’s Quest IX fan project. Phoenix Online Studios was a company that had a goal. A goal to bring to the world the realms of Daventry and the many places and events in the King’s Quest universe to people once again. They wanted people to enjoy a much-needed final chapter in the series.
   Since you bought out Sierra Entertainment, you have not used the rights to the King’s Quest or other Quest games in any way. You have let the rights rot in their places, never to be used with the exception of the upcoming compilations that were, for some unknown reason, delayed.
   POS had the intention of bringing to the world a game that would complete the King’s Quest world. A final chapter was definitely in order, especially since Mask of Eternity is not considered a true King’s Quest game to many fans. They had absolutely no intention of sullying the rights and the owners of the rights in any way. They simply wanted to world to see a King’s Quest game once more.
   Although you were within your rights to shut them down, I believe they should be allowed to continue with their project so that the world can see what they’ve done. Even if it means they team up with you, I wouldn’t really mind paying fifty-dollars for the game. I have enough money to do so, and would be more than willing to pay a hefty amount of money if need be.
   I just wish that you could somehow, let them continue with their noble cause, even if you are producing your own King’s Quest IX. The amount of fans they have built up is just amazing, and by shutting them down, you compromise your own customers that are so very loyal to a company that no longer exists. Some fans are sad that they might have to start being loyal to your company simply because you don’t use the license for the King’s Quest games in any way. Instead they pledge their allegiance to POS, and even solemnly swore to never buy a product you produced ever again.
   I was apart of those few, and would end my pledge if you would just let them release KQIX, or make your own KQ, and if possible, even do both, and just have the POS team members put in their game that if they liked the KQIX game, then they should buy the other King’s Quest games, and that would promote your company. They could also state at the beginning of the game, that it is a work of Fan-fiction, and does not reflect the real events of an official release. If you teamed up with them, and made KQIX: Every Cloak has a Silver Lining an official release, then that would be even better.
   Please take my ideas into consideration, and just note that there are fans across the world disappointed by your decision. Some even as young as 14, like myself. I go to school every day and no one there has no idea what King’s Quest is, but when I go to the King’s Quest IX forums, every single person knows what it is. I sincerely hope that you are able to make the right decision regarding this project.

Should I write this to Daniel Oskun instead, and if so, where do I find his address?

[eagallowglass]

hey guys, i went ahead and registered to this website so i could leave this message: when i was a kid i played kings quest six at my friends house, and we loved every minute of it. Finding the different ways to kill alex, watching the story grow...ect...i just want to say that the guys that were making this game were doing the right thing by shutting it down at the request of sierra. I know you spent so much time, and worked so hard to get it done...i'm sure you may even feel angry because you put so much into it on a passions whim with no economic desire, just for sierra to flex her muscle and throw it out the window. There is light at the end of the tunnel, but be patient. Keep the information you have for the game stored somewhere safe. Keep building on it. Keep updating it. Finish it! In time you can release it, and all the fruits of your labor will be abundant...but now is not the time. My passion would have you release it anyway, as the series has been redone by several fan companies, but thats the path to the dark side of the adventure game company. I know i dont have alot of pull, and i'm very much on the outside of the mainstream fans of this site, but i just wanted to give you guys a word of encouragment.

I'm making a kings quest animated series, to be on the internet by december 2006.

[Flubly]

Yeah, I know you can't confirm or deny this because of the certain circumstances but I do hope you haven't quit working on the game.

[Ptyme]

Well it only took them about a month to respond, but I finally got a letter back from Vivendi.  Thought I'd also share mine:

Dear,

Thank you for your interest in Vivendi Universal Games.  We're glad to hear you love our games!  (ed. I'm not quite sure how they managed to interpret that in there, seeing as I told them I hadn't bought any games in years and hate the current game market)

Thank you for sending your feed back regarding the kings quest series project that was shut down; I will take your comment into consideration for future reference.

At this time we do not have enough inquiries from the public at large for us to pass on this information to the Producers of the king of quest game to reconsider this decision to reopen the project.

Thank you for your understanding and continuing support with our games! (ed. huh?  Last I saw neither existed here.)

Sincerely,
Daniel Oksun
Vivendi Universal Games

I'm not sure that they bothered to actually read my letter, but they kinda responded anyway.  King of quest--look, they can't even get the title of the game right!

[koko_99_2001]

Unfortunately, it's the same reply being sent to everyone.

BTW, did the guy actually SIGN the letter? If not, why did he not? Are there actually more letters they're receiving, or does he not consider us important enough to sign these letters to us?

[dahoov2]

Maybe besides changing the name of the game and the names of the characters and the places, you can email a few trusted fans bits and pieces to see if they spot any copyright infrigement.

I know that Roberta Roberts said she'll never do any more so there is no more KQ coming from the new owners of the game.

As far as I know, copyright infrigement should be only on names they copyrighted.  THe idea of the game is too common.  There's other games with similar themes and there are castles and princes and kings in books, other games, movies... so that idea is not theirs.

Don't give in.  See, Lawyers are always threatening and they really are after damages when they sue.  Since you are not making any money off it and they are not making more games of it, I don't see how they'd lose anything! 

Maybe email the company asking them which parts of the game are copyrighted because surely the idea is not! 

[Moodyblues]

Roberta Roberts?  Who on earth is that? 

[Say]

Even though Roberta is the creator, VU is the one with the ownership of the material, so, regardless of how Roberta and even Ken might feel about it, Vivendi is the one with the final word and option about whatever happens with us....

[Say]

Guys... all I can say is... you are being heard, even there are not enough letters or whatever, even if it's the same reply for everyone, I do believe it's nice you get ANY at all