So... if you guys don't own the rights to the SNES game, have you thought about actually BUYING the rights to the SNES game? Or at least getting the rights to use the license? If it isn't worth the investment because the source code is lost, surely you could do what Blizzard and XBLA devs have done and just use the source code to an emulator. Blizzard recently released Rock n Roll Racing as a ZSNES executable and several XBLA devs have used MAME to release games on the Xbox 360.

Comment by Brad Silvia, added Tue, 06 May 2014 10:43:01 GMT

Also, if it is difficult to find out who currently owns the rights to the game due to closures and buy-outs, contact Night Dive Studios. Those guys are the best in the biz when it comes to finding out who currently holds rights to abandonware and have managed to re-release System Shock 2 and are currently working on No One Lives Forever. Both of those titles were thought to be lost forever due to similar situations that poor Plok has here.

Comment by Brad Silvia, added Tue, 06 May 2014 10:58:46 GMT

Wait a gosh-darn minute. I just went back and took a look at the retail boxes and intro screen to Plok and it says you guys own both the copyrights and trademarks to the game. Now I may be missing something here, but unless you sold the copyright to the game some time after it was released, you should not have any problems getting this re-released outside of finding the source code.

EXPLANATION NEEDED.

Comment by Brad Silvia, added Tue, 06 May 2014 12:05:20 GMT

We own the trademark and the IP. Not the actual game.

I don't think we'll expend any energy trying to regain the (c) to a SNES game. If we do anything with Plok beyond the comic it'll be an all new game.

Comment by JPickford, added Tue, 06 May 2014 12:10:07 GMT

But you still haven't explained the copyright ownership.

Comment by Brad Silvia, added Tue, 06 May 2014 12:11:00 GMT

Okay, I should have read your post a little better. So what you are saying is that you did own the copyright but sold it some time after release and still retained trademark and IP rights. And since the game is so old, it wouldn't be worth the investment to re-release since it won't garner that many sales.

Sorry for being snappy.

Comment by Brad Silvia, added Tue, 06 May 2014 12:16:57 GMT

No we never owned the (c) to the game. We retained ownership of the IP and trademark.

Comment by JPickford, added Tue, 06 May 2014 12:18:36 GMT

So this screen at the beginning of the game is a lie?

http://img.gamefaqs.net/screens/3/c/a/gfs_40338_1_2.jpg

Comment by Brad Silvia, added Tue, 06 May 2014 12:20:48 GMT

Or even the back of the box?

http://img.gamefaqs.net/box/0/2/4/51024_back.jpg

They both say TM and (C) JOHN & STE PICKFORD

Comment by Brad Silvia, added Tue, 06 May 2014 12:22:42 GMT

Dude, he's saying that the Name Plok and the intellectual property for Plok have always been owned by them and still are, however, the rights to the PHYSICAL GAME are owned by Nintendo still, as well as the source code, meaning they can't do anything with it. Even so, as awesome as the game is, spending resources to acquire a game's copyright that is well over 20 years old is a waste.

Comment by Guest The Otaku Nerd, added Tue, 06 May 2014 14:59:25 GMT

I see why buying the rights to a game that is 20 years old isn't a great financial move for anyone, I guess if you just wanted to re-sell the game just make a HD remake with a 2.5D perspective, I'd buy that straight away...But this weekly-ish comic is good enough for me for now. And I still own the SNES cartridge so It's not like I'm not able to play it.

Comment by Guest DemoBPB, added Tue, 06 May 2014 17:58:51 GMT

I still own the cart too. Funny story: the game was one of the only reasons I became friends with this one dude. My family used to babysit him, and I couldn't stand him... until he brought over Plok. Then we spent the whole night just trying to find fleas. Now that man is going to be the best man in my wedding.

Comment by Guest The Otaku Nerd, added Tue, 06 May 2014 18:26:51 GMT

PS3 has no games.

XBOX One has no friends.

Comment by Guest Yanna, added Tue, 06 May 2014 19:53:27 GMT

@The Otaku Nerd:

I think you need to actually read the copyright information because Nintendo's not on it at all.

Comment by Brad Silvia, added Tue, 06 May 2014 22:34:39 GMT

Thank you very much for clearing that up. It answers most of the questions that are constantly asked.

Comment by Brad Silvia, added Wed, 07 May 2014 00:38:43 GMT

However, I do just want to leave this here-

http://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=1&ti=1,1&Search_Arg=Plok&Search_Code=TALL&CNT=25&PID=ZsHoI61ixYnX3HJlPykue0VGCDe&SEQ=20140506200242&SID=1

Comment by Brad Silvia, added Wed, 07 May 2014 01:05:27 GMT

If I may I'd like to say something about the comic here. I can't wait for rockeyfella to shoot stuff out of his head, though I have no idea what it is. Also, if you are considering making a new game, which you should, you should check out Dan Deacons music for inspiration(for music or even gameplay). He has Go Home Cavern written all over his electronic getup. That is the best level by the way.

Comment by Guest Nick, added Wed, 07 May 2014 07:05:17 GMT

Speaking of music whats the standing with the Plok OST? A. Who owns that copyright, and B. Where can I get it? Also Some part of me wonders if you just asked the companies that absorbed Creations & Tradewest for the licence, they'd give it to you...But thats me living in make belief land again...

Comment by Guest DemoBPB, added Wed, 07 May 2014 22:01:19 GMT

@DemoBPB:

The United States government sees the Pickford Brothers as the sole copyright owners to the game. They must have forgotten that they actually own it in its entirety and can self-publish if they wanted to, at least in the U.S. of A. Not sure about the copyright status in Europe or Japan.

Comment by Brad Silvia, added Thu, 08 May 2014 04:28:46 GMT

Even if it turned out the Pickford Brothers owned all the rights to the game, I do believe it would be a pretty shady move to re-release the game and make money off of it without compensating the other creative forces behind the game.

But like DemoBPB said, a remake from the ground-up shouldn't pose any legal difficulties. However as I rarely think that remakes eclipse the original, I would be far more content with an all-new game.

Comment by NameThatNobodyTakes, added Fri, 09 May 2014 10:06:59 GMT

Forever Alone. Sorry XBox one.

Comment by Mr. Polygon, added Fri, 09 May 2014 12:17:53 GMT

@ Brad Silvia

Yo I like Plok just as much as you do but I suppose that the Pickford bros don't want to go through the trouble of trying to own something they never did. I mean they still own Plok but I guess the code and the game was made or modified by Tradewest. Therefore Tradewest owns the game but does not have any rights to Plok. Now that the Bros are Indy if they were to make a new game including Plok, then they would technically own the rights to the game and the code. The copyright message in the intro means that all the game characters and graphics belong to the Pickford bros. However I believe the game was made by an unknowned company and was distributed by Tradewest.

Oh yhea Plok for smash bros 5 any one?????

Comment by Mr. Polygon, added Fri, 09 May 2014 12:31:09 GMT

@Mr. Polygon:

As far as I'm aware, copyright notices include the game code as well. And Software Creations isn't an "unknowned company", seeing how the information is readily available.

Also from further research, Software Creations became a subsidiary of Acclaim then was renamed to 'Acclaim Studios Manchester'. Acclaim eventually went belly-up and their assets were sold to Throwback Entertainment.

Comment by Brad Silvia, added Fri, 09 May 2014 16:34:55 GMT

Oh, and Throwback Entertainment says that they do not hold the rights to Plok-

https://www.facebook.com/throwbackentertainmentinc/posts/646516972080824?comment_id=5417378&offset=0&total_comments=1

Comment by Brad Silvia, added Fri, 09 May 2014 16:39:01 GMT

@ Brad Silvia

Best of luck on your little adventure to resurect Plok from the dead. And find the company who owns Plok currently. :)

Comment by Mr. Polygon, added Fri, 09 May 2014 23:49:25 GMT

@ Mr. Polygon, I agree with you. I wanted Plok for the Smash Bros and I even posted about him in the Miiverse. Sadly, I can't draw so he doesn't look right and nobody seem to know him... I think. Maybe in the next game they will use Plok (assist trophy or playable). He has a chance as he is the main character of his game which is on the Super Nintendo (and a cameo in another game... can't remember which one).

Comment by Guest WJC, added Sat, 10 May 2014 21:27:12 GMT

And you never know, Plok might be back in a new game. Kid Icarus got a new game after... 20 years! Wow, that was long!

Comment by Guest WJC, added Sat, 10 May 2014 21:32:26 GMT

I'm beginning to think Brad might be right.

Comment by JPickford, added Sun, 11 May 2014 13:21:08 GMT

WJC

Uh I think it was some Danmaku game. Yes and also the Bobbins should be in the games too as Playable Characters. They would pound the fuck out of everybody however they may not be very fast or agile. Oh well.

Comment by Guest Mr Polygon, added Mon, 12 May 2014 13:49:15 GMT

Does this mean you can try to get it released on Wii U's Virtual Console, as well as Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network?

Comment by Guest Nathan, added Mon, 12 May 2014 17:34:42 GMT

So I think that

Comment by Guest DemoBPB, added Tue, 13 May 2014 10:11:50 GMT

Ahem before catching send, I think that even while the Pickfords might own the copyright to the game there might be some assets to it the still would have to ask for from the other people who worked on the game, I know that Tim Folin (or how ever it's spelt) who worked on the music possiby owns the rights the OST, he remembers working on it if anything as on his website he as 3 traks from it to listen to (although I get a 404 error when I try) and since the Pickford bros said they'd feel bad re-selling the game and not paying others it would be a lengthy prosses or finding contact infromation for the team...or I don't understand anything and this is a waste of everyones time. Now to ask Tim for permison to download the Plok OST.

Comment by Guest DemoBPB, added Tue, 13 May 2014 10:21:55 GMT

Also, who drew the (admittedly crappy) box art? Is it necessary for them to be paid as well?

Comment by Guest Nathan, added Tue, 13 May 2014 16:49:29 GMT

Y know why don't they just make a fresh start? I mean this whole reviving Plok thing just isn't gonna work. So why not start out fresh? Get some new abilities some new bosses even some new music for the game. Even though the Picks own The original Plok to some extent, it apparently seems that the SNES Plok is doomed. Unless someone finds the owner(which seems like a hard thing to figure out) even though they bought who ever has Plok I'm sure that A) (no offense) they don't care because it's an old and underrated game that it would do terrible on the market. ( I'm thinking in a buissness perception). And B) since the Picks own the character I'm sure that by law they can't do anything without the Picks permission. Now if the Pick make a new Plok game (which I hope they will eventually) then they can do what they please with it since they made it and nobody else was involved. So if the Picks make a new game then that means they will own the rights. But I'm afraid the SNES game is lost forever.

Comment by Guest Mr Polygon, added Wed, 14 May 2014 04:01:24 GMT

@Mr. Polygon:

I'm pretty sure The Pickfords own Plok in its entirety (and yes, that also means the SNES game's copyright), but what they do with it is entirely up to them. At least John is starting to believe they own the entirety of the game. I mean, a United States copyright filing is pretty hard to fight.

Honestly, if I was the owner to an interesting intellectual property, I'd bring it back for more people to enjoy rather than let it rot for eternity. I feel that video games should be treated as an art form like film and music and should be re-released.

But once again, up to The Pickfords. I seriously hope you guys decide on it one day. You have a really good IP on your hands and I wish you luck.

Comment by Brad Silvia, added Wed, 14 May 2014 04:41:53 GMT

@Mr Polygon, that would be interesting and they could use Rockyfella as a stage hazard. All the fighters would have to be careful of his fists coming from underground... and Rockyfella popping up and attacking them. It would be great if they use the boss music from the Plok game.

Comment by Guest WJC, added Wed, 14 May 2014 15:48:47 GMT