Comments on: EarthBound & Legal Issues

By: fergzilla

fergzilla — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 13:51:16 +0000

Man, that Sonic 3/Michael Jackson thing would’ve made a very persuasive argument had I pointed it out before December 2009…..

Hmmm…

!!!

Nintendo is STILL hypocritical about not releasing a classic game due to sampling! You know why?

City Connection was already released on the Virtual Console……..TWO YEARS AGO!!! Whenever I play the first stage, the opening to Johnny B Goode is heard whenever I start it (coincidentally (and ironically), the Johnny B Goode theme in one of EarthBound’s songs is one of the reasons why EB isn’t released on VC). Also, in the tenth stage, the 1960s Batman theme is heard (also coincidentally and ironically, said theme in one of EB’s songs is one of the reasons why EB isn’t on VC). So, yeah, NoA’s the biggest hypocrite ever!!!

Don’t believe me? See for yourself by watching a video of City Connection. However, I don’t highly reccomend downloading the game from the VC, as that game was recieved very poorly.

By: Darien

Darien — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:15:23 +0000

You seem to be thinking sort of backwards here. It doesn’t create any sort of rights issue if Michael Jackson did uncredited work for the game. Nintendo doesn’t need to know that he was involved with the game before they can release it; they just need an assurance from Sega that, yes, Sega owns all the relevant rights. So it doesn’t matter whether or not Nintendo is familiar with every composer involved.

This is different from Earthbound because Earthbound is a Nintendo property, and, yes, Nintendo is in fact the party responsible for checking out all the rights to every sample used in its own games. Just as Sega was responsible for checking the samples in Sonic 3, with which there was no problem, since it does not in fact sample the song you claim it samples. Really, the fact that the game came out two years earlier than the song should pretty much end the argument, don’t you think?

By: Poe

Poe — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 04:13:53 +0000

The point still stands that Mike gave permission for his music to be used in Sonic 3, so no copyrights were ever infringed upon in the first place. That’s not the case with EB.

By: fergzilla

fergzilla — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:04:02 +0000

PS: Sonic 3 was released on the VC in 2007, and Michael Jackson’s involvement wasn’t indeed confirmed until 2 years later. Just something to point out.

By: fergzilla

fergzilla — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 03:00:03 +0000

To the people saying MJ was indeed involved with Sonic 3: that’s very true, but Michael Jackson wasn’t credited in the FIRST PLACE!!! Plus, some interviews stated that if there was involvement that MJ had with Sonic 3, it was done without the knowledge of their excecutives/marketing staff. And guess what…MJ WAS involved with the final product of Sonic 3’s soundtrack. Betcha Nintendo didn’t know MJ was involved either…….

By: Darien

Darien — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:46:00 +0000

You’re correct, Poe; Michael Jackson was involved with the development of Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (which he was not credited for for various reasons). Also, Fergzilla, you might want to check your data before you get your panties in such a twist — Sonic 3 came out fully two years before Stranger in Moscow. Jackson was actually “ripping off” the game, if you wish to phrase it like that; he took the earlier work that he had done for the Sonic 3 soundtrack and fleshed it out into Strangers in Moscow.

By: Poe

Poe — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:31:14 +0000

fergzilla – The samples used in EB were used without permission. I’m not going to claim to be a Sonic expert, but I’m assuming MJ gave his permission to the Sonic team and allowed them to use samples from his songs. I’ve even heard a rumor that MJ composed those songs himself, but I don’t know if it’s true.

By: neonix

neonix — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:16:53 +0000

@Mr. Nosy, I downloaded that song where the Moonside music was cut from. I’m sure people here and there have picked up a few of the ‘original’ songs as well.

By: fergzilla

fergzilla — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:12:24 +0000

If this rumor with legal issues is really true, then Nintendo must be the biggest hypocrites ever, considering that Sonic the Hedgehog 3 was already released for the Virtual Console………THREE YEARS AGO!!!! That game contains samples from Michael Jackson’s songs in its soundtrack (especially the credits song, which is an exact copy of Stranger in Moscow), and I am 100% positive that the entire soundtrack of Sonic 3 was left intact in the VC rerelease.

In a nutshell, consider Nintendo of America hypocrites, since they refuse to rerelease EarthBound due to sampling, and Sonic 3 contains sampling.

By: Mr. Nosy

Mr. Nosy — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 20:07:40 +0000

I wonder if people actually downloaded, favourited (in other sites) or otherwise obtained the original sources after seeing the similarities with Mother 2? (I did that with Tequila.)