Crysis Remastered: Crytek has requested the removal of a mod for the photo mode
Crysis Remastered
Crytek has officially requested the removal of a mod developed by Frans Bouma, which introduces a new photographic mode in Crysis Remastered, which evidently has not been well received by the company's management.The modder has received an official notice by the Crytek PR Manager in which it is explained that the mod in question does not fall within the terms of the EULA relating to Crysis Remastered, therefore its removal is requested in order not to continue a legal area.
The scope of mods is often found in a gray area with regards to the regulations and terms of use of software products, but in this case, as reported by Crytek, the position of the modder would be exacerbated by the the fact that the software processing is distributed for profit, since it requires the payment of a Patreon in order to be downloaded.
However, the position expressed by Crytek in the notice sent to Bouma seems to refer generically to the creation of mods in general, which are reportedly not covered by the standard EULA for game use by players. users. However, a second message sent by the software house specified that "the main problem is that the software is monetized, for this reason we request the removal of the paywall".
This latest update on the matter would seem to bring back the request of removal in the event that the modder decides to remove the connected Patreon, which he does not seem willing to do, since it is a rather complex job to distribute for free. However, Bouma noted that the request had somewhat surprised him: "I have created custom photo modes for so many games," he wrote, "And I have always received enthusiastic responses from developers and publishers because they appreciate these systems as further promotional pushes." However "Crytek makes Crytek and they wanted to damage themselves. I have to remove my mods on Photo Mode for Crytek 2 Remastered and Crytek 3 Remastered".
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Crytek apologises for shutting down ‘Crysis’ photo mod, shuts it down anyway
Crytek has forced the takedown of a photo mode mod for Crysis Remastered Trilogy because it apparently breaches the End User License Agreement.
Frans “Otis_Inf” Bouma created Universal Unreal Unlocker, a mod that enables a powerful photo mode in a variety of Unreal Engine 4 games, and last year he released separate mods for Crysis Remastered 2 and 3 that did the same.
However, following the release, a takedown request was submitted by Crytek PR manager Adam Grinsell who asked Bouma to “remove the mods from your Patreon page, and anywhere else they appear for availability.” He was warned that if they weren’t taken down within seven days, the matter would be referred to Crytek’s legal department.
Bouma replied, saying that the mod is built entirely on his own code and makes no use of Crytek-owned assets. Grinsell went on to say that “the main issue with the software is that it is monetises, therefore we request that you remove the paywall,” a reference to the fact that the Crysis Remastered photo mode mods are only available to Patreon subscribers, at prices ranging from $6.50 (£4.73) to $63.50 (£46) per month.
Once the story was picked up by Reddit, Crytek PR manager Utku Çakır apologised for the situation. “The initial message led to a misunderstanding, and we have apologised to the modder for this. We truly appreciate all the support we receive from the community, but we also have to balance this with protecting our copyright. It can be a tricky balance to strike, and in hindsight we should have approached the situation differently.”
However, Crytek’s position remain unchanged. Bouma could either remove the mods for Crysis Remastered or make them free for everyone.
He said on Patreon: “As I don’t have the time nor the energy to fight them over this, plus having the tools up would only benefit them as people would post shots of their game on social media and other sites, I’ve decided to pull the tools and not make them public again.”
“I worked more than a week on these tools and I’d love to keep them up but it’s only benefiting Crytek if I do, and therefore they’re gone.”
On Twitter, he added: “I always heard enthusiastic responses from game publishers and devs because they love the free advertising. But Crytek being Crytek, they can’t help themselves and have to shoot themselves in their own feet. If I have to pull my mods, I will but I’ll never create a custom photomode for any Crytek game ever again.”
In other news, Activision‘s Bobby Kotick has been named the second highest paid CEO in the gaming industry – despite repeated claims of workplace misconduct.
