New Zealand's premier games developer, Sidhe Interactive, got in a bit of a shock today when a lawyer representing the one and only, William Shatner, requested that the studio ceased working on a "mod" that contains William Shatner's image for their recently released casual game, Shatter.
Unfortunately for the Shatner estate, it seems that the mod was not actually real but a satirical mock up for one. It appeared over a week ago at Gameconsole.co.nz, written by "Krog".
Probably most amusing is the response from Sidhe Interactive's Mario Wynands (Managing Director) to the legal letter from Shatner's lawyers.
See below!!
Hi Mr **************,
Thank you for your email. The GameConsole "report" you reference is what is commonly referred to on the internet as a "joke". The article is a parody of our game, and has no basis in reality in that it does not in any way reflect our intentions for further development of the Shatter IP or relate to any official statement we have made relating to the game.
We have the upmost respect for Mr William Shatner and the licensing process, and if we had any intent of using rights related to either Mr Shatner, Star Trek, or Tambourine Man (which we do not) we would do so using the appropriate channels. Please respond acknowledging your receipt and understanding of this message, and confirming you have notified both Paramount and Bob Dylan's representatives of your misunderstanding.
Regards Mario Wynands Managing Director Sidhe
For the entire story, head on over to where it all started, Gameconsole.co.nz.