Epic Facepalm: Sega Sues Level-5

[Koh]

http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/sega-s...ma-eleven/

Seriously.....just wow. I have nothing else to say that everyone else below me won't.

[puggsoy]

Phew, I was afraid it was about a Professor Layton game, luckily that isn't the case. A gentleman never infringes copyrights
I mean this still sucks for Level-5, but I mean I haven't played any Inazuma Eleven games nor has the anime intrigued me enough to watch it, so this isn't a big deal for me in terms of how the franchise will be affected.

But so far the charge looks pretty stupid; "the in-game mechanic that allows players to move characters via their finger or touch pen"? Seriously, more than 50% of DS games have a mechanic that fits that description. I hope Sega gives a more specific accusation than that.

[Maxpphire]

Sega should also sue Nintendo. LoZ: Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks seem to infringe on this as well.

What a bunch of fucktards.

[Kitsu]

I seriously doubt the actual lawsuit centers on such a broad terminology, since that sort of wording is far too general to really be reasonably enforced.

Instead of that, since Sega apparently has their own soccer game, it could be specifically related to such movement styles contained in soccer games.

Still a dumb lawsuit either way, I just don't think it's quite like how it looks at first glance.

[TomGuycott]

Either Sega is just really totally insane, or, somewhat possibly, there is something on the actual PROGRAMMING level that Sega is claiming Level-5 ripped off. Its obvious that MANY games have used the touch screen for movement purposes, but its not like it's a drag and drop process. Stuff needs to be programed to make it do that, and perhaps that could be copied.

But I really like believing its the former, and it probably is.

[Dazz]

Well then SEGA should tell us if it is the latter. That way people don't, you know, think ridiculously less about their company?

[Koopaul]

When companies start sueing over trivial things, it shows signs of being desperate.

[Ngamer01]

SEGA officially started shark jumping when they yanked old Shining Force videos off YouTube last month presumingly either:
1) To game Google's SEO to put their new Shining game first when people go to search for Shining Force.
2) The more believable one: Someone from SEGA of Japan is butthurt people like old Shining Force over modern Shining Force and is out for revenge.