In December 1998, after I had finished my 10 months of service in the Danish army, I started digging into level design again. Something I hadn’t been able to find any time for during most of ’98. This led to me joining up with a group of guys in the early winter months of ’99. The project: to do a Total Conversion for Half-Life, based on the Aliens franchise.
My experience was limited, but then again that’s the way it is with 99.5% of the people doing Total Conversions.
In February – I think – the then current lead of the project (KiddieGrinder), who had taken over from when the project was being made for the Unreal engine, decided that enough was enough and took his departure. Eager to show what I was capable of, I lobbied for the position of lead, and I guess no one else wanted it…
In an effort to pick up the loose ends and give people a center of information to turn to, I went about creating an internal site. To my knowledge, no one but the core developers (which almost makes us sound cool and in command, which I’m afraid most of us weren’t) have ever seen this little nostalgic gem.
Interesting to note, is Chris Ashton’s work. He did textures mostly (mostly), and they remain to this day some of the best textures I have ever had the pleasure of working with, including my own. I’m finally now reaching the level that Chris was at 5 years ago. Chris – in case you were wondering – went on to do work on Counterstrike (Which is why you will find some of the textures for Infestation recognizable. It’s because they were originally made for Infestation!), got hired by Valve and then worked as the only artist on their excellent Quake TC.
He doesn’t know it, but I’ve learned more from his textures than pretty much anywhere else. Incidentally, he also spent a little time freelancing for Crytek, way back before Far Cry, but like me didn’t take it anywhere due to their absolute lack of organization.
Anyway. The reason I’m mentioning all of this, is because I was reading Eric’s entry about Project: Otazuno, and got to thinking that maybe I still had the old USCM files lying around somewhere. Lo and behold, I did. Even though the odds of any file surviving for more than a year, up to me purchasing this Powerbook and finally getting my shit together with backups, were slim to none.
So as a taster of the soon-to-open USCM: Infestation nostalgia archive, I semi-proudly present theThe USCM Internal Development Website. It has to my knowledge never been viewed by anyone outside the team, and it has been left largely untouched for 5 years. I have removed a piece of browser-detecting code that refused you access if you were using IE, that’s it.
And as a bonus, you also get to have a look at the external Infestation site! Unfortunately this version does not include the kind cease and desist from 20th Century Foxed.
There’s more to come.
Wow. It’s just too bad this was cancelled and abandoned. It would have been good fun!
This is one of those areas where I have a really hard time forming an opinion. On one hand of course 20 Century Snot has the rights, but on the other hand it just seems ridicules to me. First of the whole H.G. Giger story…in my opinion he was fucked in a certain place, when it comes to Alien, and sequels. The design was his…but he did’nt get a say in the sequels…and according to rumour he did’nt get any royalites for 2,3 and 4(don’t know if this is true, and don’t get upset). So should’nt it be him sending “seize and desist” letters to Fox?…Well all beside the point.
The real VS. fight is between Fox’s rights and common “fun” with their movies. Allright Michael/Karma and the other guys wanted to make a simple mod, for a game. Was’nt commercial, but a lot could have had a lot of fun with the product – of course the words which causes the trouble is “a lot”. But where’s the line??? If a 10 year old, watches one of the movies, and draws a picture of one of the Aliens, shows it to her class, should Fox then come into the classroom and threaten with a lawsuit.
Since I started with this I’ll also end it with it: I have a hard time forming an opinion in this area, cause I can see both sides. Both on the other hand, the line between protecting your rights and destroying free speech, is very slim.
Oh, Michael: if I have’nt mentioned this before: I the type who hates, when my posts are full of errors/spellingbee’s…is it possible at sometime could implement some sort of, possibility to modify one owns posts…after reading the above post, I really feel a sudden urge to go back to “Helen Hauberg”…if you know what I mean. Christ “BOTH on the other hand”…suddenly I don’t feel very leech….errrmmmm…l33t
I have a shitload of USCM stuff here too laying around, and I think I still have most USCM related E-mails, including the cease-and-desist mail from Fox.
I also have the stuff the team (what was left of it) made for “Deep Sea IV” from the old USCM stuff.
I think I still have the Poseidon Incident level that Michael made. It was supposed to be part of the first level, or something. I think.
Henrik: Well the thing is, and I actually have full understanding of this now (though I didn’t feel it was particularly fair back then), that IP is the most precious commodity that an entertainment company can have. And as soon as someone like me or you sits down and creates something, which by the immense amounts of stupid people in the world can be conscrued as being ‘official’, then there’s a good chance (seen from Fox’s perspective) that said IP becomes diluted.
It can be discussed whether threatning with legal action and demanding a complete hand-over from small hobby teams consisting primarily of teenagers, is a particularly good business method, but hey…
Regarding spelling, you should really spell-check before you press submit… :)
Sean: I’ve also got it available for download.
#6 I know, and to some degree agree with you, but like I stated in the above post, I have a real problem forming an solid opinion in the area. If somebody tries to make money out of others products, it’s wrong with 100% percent certainty – well exept if it’s spoofing, like Scary Movie. Let’s say I make a Darth Vader suit to the new Star Wars premiere, and gets filmed for E-news…and in that way be known around the world officially as a nut. Is that so much worse than making a mod/conversion for a game – which of course is to be completely free to use? But like I said: I really have a hard time forming a opinion in this area, because I can see from both sides.
I think that the difference between dressing up as something at the local Star Wars marathon (good times) and creating a competing product based on something and then releasing it for everyone in the world to use, isn’t an entirely fair comparison.
Perhaps your right, thats it’s not the best comparion, but here’s another example. Namely fan-fics or flash movies. They too are intruding on someone else’s IP, but are more common to be accepted/tolerated. To be honest the only thing i’m sure of, if the guy who moves in on someone elses IP, the only way i’m sure it’s wrong if he is trying to make money out of it. In the no-profit area it’s one big gray area to me…and at the same time it sometimes makes me wonder why the studios does’nt see it as free promotion of their official product.
i like the banner saying “get internet explorer”.. eheh
nostalgia is always cool (a year on the inet is like 5 years on rlife;)
eheh
J