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Star Control
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==Aftermath== Fans continued to demand a new ''Star Control'' game well into the 2000s.<ref>{{Citation|title=Classics Reborn! Vol. 3 - IGN|newspaper=Ign |date=22 April 2004|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/04/22/classics-reborn-vol-3|language=en|access-date=2020-11-16}}</ref><ref>{{Citation|title=The Wednesday 10: Franchises We Want Resurrected - IGN|date=4 December 2008|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2008/12/04/the-wednesday-10-franchises-we-want-resurrected|language=en|access-date=2020-09-08}}</ref> Reiche and Ford expressed interest in creating either an updated ''Star Control II'' or an alternate ''Star Control 3'', particularly if they found the right [[Video game publisher|publisher]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Szczepaniak |first=John |title=Control & Conquer (Part 2) |publisher=Retro Gamer Volume 2 Issue 3 |year=2005 |pages=58–64 |quote=I believe that Fred, Ken and I will create either an updated version of SC2, a new SC3 or quite possibly a combo of both. I don't know when we'll do this. Maybe as our next project, or maybe for the 25th anniversary... The only piece of Star Control that Accolade (now Infogrames/Atari) own is the trademark 'Star Control', plus the original material in SC3. If Fred, Ken and I could find a publisher to put up a 2-4 million dollar advance for either a PC or Playstation 2 Star Control game, we'd do it. Currently we have no such offers.}}</ref> During this time, thousands of fans started a petition in hopes of inspiring a sequel.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Staff|date=January 2001|title=Ur-Quan Masters|magazine=PC Gamer UK|issue=92|page=31}}</ref> [[Toys for Bob]] producer Alex Ness responded in April 2006 with an article on the company website, stating that "if enough of you people out there send me emails requesting that Toys For Bob do a legitimate sequel to ''Star Control 2'', I'll be able to show them to [[Activision]], along with a loaded handgun, and they will finally be convinced to roll the dice on this thing".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sinclair|first=Brendan|date=April 14, 2006|title=GameSpot's Rumor Control: Star Control sequel in the works?|url=http://www.gamespot.com/pages/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=24521940|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060623102425/http://www.gamespot.com/pages/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=24521940|archive-date=June 23, 2006|access-date=December 2, 2020|website=GameSpot}}</ref> In the months that followed, Ness announced the petition's impact, reporting that "there did honestly seem to be some real live interest on [Activision's] part. At least on the prototype and concept-test level. This is something we may in fact get to do when we finish our current game".<ref>{{Cite web|last=Ness|first=Alex|date=June 14, 2007|title=Toys for Bob - News|url=https://www.toysforbob.com/news.xml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928020258/https://www.toysforbob.com/news.xml|archive-date=September 28, 2011|access-date=December 2, 2020|website=toysforbob.com|quote='''Alex Ness''': Star Control Sequel Update: Here comes that update. Well, we have talked to our parent company Activision about doing a ''Star Control'' sequel, quite seriously, and there did honestly seem to be some real live interest on their part. At least on the prototype and concept-test level. This is something we may in fact get to do when we finish our current game and clean our room. Again, I will continue to say that I really appreciate everybody's email and petition support. Believe me, it helps. Publishers are generally very scared to release original console games or in this case, a franchise game but the franchise is so old it might as well be original. ... So the more we show them that there is a sizeable, as well as wonderful and passionate, fan base out there, the less frightened they'll be.}}</ref> In a 2011 interview about their next game ''[[Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure]]'', Reiche declared that they will one day make the real sequel.<ref>{{Cite web|date=October 7, 2011|title=Interview: Paul Reiche Skylanders Spyro's Adventure|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/video/1205277521001/interview-paul-reiche-skylanders-spyros-adventure/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008233150/http://www.computerandvideogames.com/video/1205277521001/interview-paul-reiche-skylanders-spyros-adventure/|archive-date=October 8, 2011|access-date=December 2, 2020|website=ComputerAndVideogames.com|quote='''Paul Reiche III''': 22 years ago we founded Toys for Bob -- Fred Ford and myself -- making ''Star Control 1'' and ''II'', science fiction games which to this day have a bizarrely-dedicated fan following. And we promise someday we will make the real sequel.}} [https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xmuifw Alt URL]</ref> === Intellectual property split === {{main|Stardock Systems, Inc. v. Reiche#Separation of rights}} By the early 2000s, the ''Star Control'' trademark was held by [[Atari SA|Infogrames Entertainment]].<ref name=":2" /> ''Star Control'' publisher Accolade had sold their company to Infogrames in 1999,<ref>{{Cite news|date=April 20, 1999|title=Company News; Accolade is Bought by Infogrames Entertainment |work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/20/business/company-news-accolade-is-bought-by-infogrames-entertainment.html|access-date=October 21, 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> who merged with [[Atari]] and re-branded under the Atari name in 2003.<ref name="Haywald"/> In September 2007, Atari released an online [[Adobe Flash|Flash]] game with the name ''Star Control'', created by [[independent game developer]] Iocaine Studios. Atari ordered the game to be delivered in just four days, which Iocaine produced in two days.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2008-05-11|title=Iocaine Studios Blog » Blog Archive » Life After Hyperbol|url=http://blogs.iocainestudios.com/?p=6|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511045235/http://blogs.iocainestudios.com/?p=6|archive-date=2008-05-11|access-date=2020-10-20}}</ref> Also in September, Atari applied to renew the ''Star Control'' trademark with the [[United States Patent and Trademark Office]], citing images of Iocaine's flash game to demonstrate their [[Allegation of use|declaration of use in commerce]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Atari, Inc.|date=September 18, 2007|title=Combined Declaration of Use In Commerce & Application For Renewal of Registration of A Mark Under Sections 8 & 9 - Star Control|url=https://tsdr.uspto.gov/documentviewer?caseId=sn75095591&docId=S8920070919144047#docIndex=9&page=1|access-date=December 2, 2020|website=[[United States Patent and Trademark Office]]}}</ref> Atari declared [[Bankruptcy in the United States|bankruptcy]] in 2013, and their assets were [[Liquidation|listed for auction]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=World of Tanks Dev Bids on Auctioned Atari Assets {{!}} The Escapist|url=https://v1.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/126181-World-of-Tanks-Dev-Bids-on-Auctioned-Atari-Assets|access-date=2020-11-15|website=v1.escapistmagazine.com|language=en|archive-date=2020-09-25|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925015102/https://v1.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/126181-World-of-Tanks-Dev-Bids-on-Auctioned-Atari-Assets|url-status=dead}}</ref> When [[Stardock]] became the top bidder for Atari's ''Star Control'' assets, Paul Reiche indicated that he still owned the copyrighted materials from the first two ''Star Control'' games, which implied that Stardock must have purchased the ''Star Control'' trademark and the copyright in any original elements of ''Star Control 3''. Stardock confirmed this [[intellectual property]] split soon after.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Vazquez|first=Suriel|title=Star Control: Origins Removed From GoG, Steam Amidst Legal Battle Between Stardock And Series Creators|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/2019/01/05/star-control-origins-removed-from-gog-steam-amidst-legal-battle-between-stardock-and|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190816035130/https://www.gameinformer.com/2019/01/05/star-control-origins-removed-from-gog-steam-amidst-legal-battle-between-stardock-and|url-status=live|archive-date=August 16, 2019|access-date=2021-03-08|magazine=Game Informer|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2013-07-23|title=Open source Star Control 2 team express doubts over Atari IP sale|url=https://www.pcinvasion.com/open-source-star-control-2-team-express-doubts-over-atari-ip-sale/|access-date=2020-11-15|website=PC Invasion}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=There's a new Star Control coming!|url=https://www.criticalhit.net/gaming/theres-a-new-star-control-coming/|access-date=2020-11-16|website=Critical Hit|date=24 July 2013|language=en-GB}}</ref> As Stardock began developing their [[Star Control: Origins|new ''Star Control'' game]], they re-iterated that they did not acquire the copyright to the first two games, and that they would need a license from Reiche and Ford to use their content and lore.<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|last=Bradley Wardell|date=September 3, 2015|title=Star Control: September 2015 update|url=http://forums.starcontrol.com/471109/page/3|access-date=January 2, 2019|website=Stardock|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160826230848/http://forums.starcontrol.com/471109/page/3|archive-date=2016-08-26|quote=... my position is that Stardock doesn't have the legal rights to the original lore either. Or, if we did, we have long since refuted those rights. The ''Star Control'' classic lore are the copyright of Paul Reiche and Fred Ford.}}</ref> Reiche and Ford echoed this understanding in their 2015 [[Game Developers Conference]] interview, stating that Stardock's game would use the ''Star Control'' trademark only.<ref name="GDC2015" /> After a lawsuit, the parties agreed on the same separation of rights, with Stardock using the ''Star Control'' name, and Reiche and Ford announcing a sequel to ''The Ur-Quan Masters'' after a [[Non-compete clause|mandated quiet period]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hutchinson|first=Lee|date=2019-06-11|title=Stardock and Star Control creators settle lawsuits—with mead and honey|url=https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2019/06/stardock-and-star-control-creators-settle-lawsuits-with-mead-and-honey/|access-date=2021-03-08|website=Ars Technica|language=en-us}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Oxford |first=Nadia |date=October 24, 2022 |editor-last=Parish |editor-first=Jeremy |title=Retronauts Episode 489: Inside Star Control with Pistol Shrimp |url=https://retronauts.com/article/1955/retronauts-episode-489-inside-star-control-with-pistol-shrimp |website=Retronauts}}</ref>
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