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Square Enix shuts down Chrono fan game Crimson Echoes photo

Square Enix dropped a Cease and Desist on a fan made game modification called Chrono Trigger: Crimson Echoes. Almost complete, this was a new story set in the Chrono Trigger universe, tying Trigger and Cross together. Before the party was crashed by Square Enix, the game had over 35 hours of game play, with ten endings.

Crimson Echoes was set to release on May 31st for free, but Square Enix called off all ROM modification activity with this letter (PDF file). In it they say that "ROM altering and modification is illegal," and that "statutory damages for willful copyright infringement are up to $150,000 per work." 

We hereby request and demand that you immediately remove, take down, delete and destroy all work on CT:CE, as well as all other Square-Enix related ROM hacks currently on your sites.

Some of the wrist slapping extends to popular fansite Chrono Compendium for their research on ROM modification and listing of prior modifications.

Damn, tough break guys. Sorry to hear for your loss on years worth of work. Crimson Echoes (trailer below the jump) looked very interesting.

[Via Ripten]


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120 comments | showing # 1 to 50

Monodi's Avatar
Monodi at 05/11/2009 12:03
How fucking bullshit! These games are more of free propaganda to the series rather than ripoffs.

I REALLY, REALLY doubt they were going to sell this anyway.

Two strikes, SquareEnix.
Sharpless's Avatar
Sharpless at 05/11/2009 12:04
This is why I don't shed a tear when people pirate the big companies' games.
SephirothX's Avatar
SephirothX at 05/11/2009 12:05
God fucking damnit! What the fuck is up with Squeenix shutting down stuff linked to Chrono Trigger? I mean seriously guys, you see all of the fan shit about Chrono Trigger and yet you somehow arent getting the hint that the fans want a fucking Chrono Trigger sequel (Cross wasn't a sequel).

This almost pisses me off as much as when the shut down the Chrono Ressurection project.
Black Uroborus's Avatar
Black Uroborus at 05/11/2009 12:07
What pisses me off the most is that it was 98% complete and looks pretty damn good... Way to suck, Squenix.
Zoel's Avatar
Zoel at 05/11/2009 12:07
Doesn't surpise me when they shut down Chrono Ressurection. Of course I don't feel bad when they don't make much profit from their games either.
Black Nexus's Avatar
Black Nexus at 05/11/2009 12:09
They were probably afraid these guys would give people what they wanted, can't have that happen now can we.
Shadowiii's Avatar
Shadowiii at 05/11/2009 12:09
Thats funny, considering that game looks about 100x better than any of the shitstorm Square-Enix has produced over the past several years (Last Remnant, Infinite Undiscoviery, Final Fantasy XII, need I go on?).
Seriously, what the hell.
Phantom Spaceman's Avatar
Phantom Spaceman at 05/11/2009 12:10
fucking shitcock balls motherfuckers want to protect their IP WTF like they have any shitting right to
Monodi's Avatar
Monodi at 05/11/2009 12:10
DERP DERP U GOYZ WUNT FINULFUNTAZYSEVAN INSTEAD I KNOW IT LOOOL
Gyrael's Avatar
Gyrael at 05/11/2009 12:11
What the fuck.
ParaParaKing's Avatar
ParaParaKing at 05/11/2009 12:12
Although I think, that continueing the story of the original Chrono Trigger is somewhat stupid, this is sad news.
Naim Master's Avatar
Naim Master at 05/11/2009 12:14
First the 3D Chrono Trigger then this :'(
atastysammich's Avatar
atastysammich at 05/11/2009 12:14
randombullseye's Avatar
randombullseye at 05/11/2009 12:15
Did Atlus shutdown the guy who translated Persona 2? Did Nintendo shutdown Earthbound 2? Did Arron Linde shutdown Bonerquest?

See a pattern here Square?

If you're going to keep shutting down fan projects, please make Chrono Trigger 2 already. Chrono Break or whatever Chrono Crap you want. I hate to tell anyone here about the 3D remake that square shut down a few years ago.

This stuff shouldn't get advertised, people should just make it, anonymously release it, and everyone love it.
Los255's Avatar
Los255 at 05/11/2009 12:19
Wow, and I was planning to download this after reading the article, first time I heard about it.. What a shame, cause I wouldve liked to hear the story.
13thDragon's Avatar
13thDragon at 05/11/2009 12:20
GAY. Looks like I'm going to pirate FF13 now.
pixelheresy's Avatar
pixelheresy at 05/11/2009 12:23
It is indeed quite stupid, and I wished SquareEnix would have looked the other way, but it (whether or not we agree with it) is infringement to create ROMs that use Chrono Trigger code. A patch (like with fan translations) don't distribute the original ROM so that slips by more readily, but this use is technically illegal.

I think it is a dick move and I hope to get a copy, even if it is not through official channels (whether patch or full ROM), but SquareEnix is doing right by current law.
Diverse's Avatar
Diverse at 05/11/2009 12:24
You just know Squeenix waited until they were almost finished with this game to send the C&D letter.
DaedHead8's Avatar
DaedHead8 at 05/11/2009 12:25
I understand why Squenix did it, but it's still a dick move. Unless of course the creators were poised to make money off of it. Which I suppose they were, via site hits.
Dan CiTi's Avatar
Dan CiTi at 05/11/2009 12:27
They should just take down the site, keep working on it and release it when it is done.

This doesn't make sense though. The canon ending of Chrono Trigger is when they all die in a war when Porre invades. I might pirate FF13 is it is not huge like Lost Odyssey. If it is I'll just get the PS3 version.
Seta Soujiro's Avatar
Seta Soujiro at 05/11/2009 12:27
don't you get it S-E!?? we want a f*cking sequel already!
falinter's Avatar
falinter at 05/11/2009 12:28
Fuck em, do it in secret and torrent that shit out anon
Hale's Avatar
Hale at 05/11/2009 12:28
I can't think of a stupider thing for Square to have done.
killias2's Avatar
killias2 at 05/11/2009 12:31
Thank God they finally posted this story. Jim said he'd post it yesterday, :-/

Honestly, we should be complaining to S-E about this. When Bethesda, Blizzard, and Steam are releasing modification tools for their newest games, S-E is going out of its way to shut down a group of hardcore fans who MADE THEIR OWN TOOLS to modify a game that is FIFTEEN YEARS OLD and hasn't seen a sequel IN TEN YEARS! S-E wants to reform, become Western, and appeal to the U.S. again? Don't screw over your fans for a start!

Anyone interested in this?
Chocobo Knight's Avatar
Chocobo Knight at 05/11/2009 12:32
ARGH! NO! Not again!! I was really looking forward to this! D:<

Squeenix could've easily brought this under their wing to see if it was something they could release. Oh no, they have to kill it before even looking at what they're destroying this time. It would've been hundred times better than that bullshit attached to the DS Chrono Trigger port. Ooh, I'm pretty angry.

Frankly, Squeenix hasn't released anything good besides The World Ends With You since their god-damn merger. Flame me for all I care, but the quality simply isn't there anymore.
Dan CiTi's Avatar
Dan CiTi at 05/11/2009 12:33
also, in before it gets uploaded to /rs/ like 100 times.
Seta Soujiro's Avatar
Seta Soujiro at 05/11/2009 12:34
all the final fantasy remakes crap and all those ffxiii versions have me sick already! why not employ some resources to make a much needed sequel for the great chrono trigger and cross? :(
ZODD THE IMMORTAL's Avatar
ZODD THE IMMORTAL at 05/11/2009 12:40
Why doesn't Square-Enix pay those guys off and acquire the rights to everything and release the game to retail and make a ton of money!? Instead they keep churning out crappy generic games and are alienating their once loyal fanbase...
Monodi's Avatar
Monodi at 05/11/2009 12:41
What is /rs/?
Noah's Avatar
Noah at 05/11/2009 12:43
Sucks...but why invest years into something that's has copyright infringement all over it...it was risky to do to begin with....especially if Squenix apparently already shut down a previous Crono Trigger project.
Solgrim's Avatar
Solgrim at 05/11/2009 12:44
fuck.
SephirothX's Avatar
SephirothX at 05/11/2009 12:45
@Dan CiTi
Um... that isnt the canon ending, sir.
falinter's Avatar
falinter at 05/11/2009 12:45
@Monodi

go to 4chan and figure it out. its scary.
SephirothX's Avatar
SephirothX at 05/11/2009 12:47
I just dont get why these mods have to be heavily advertised up until their release. It's like hanging a big sign over your head that says "arrest me now please". Finish the hack/mod/game, release it, and THEN heavily advertise the hell out of it once distribution is guaranteed.
Ouendanation's Avatar
Ouendanation at 05/11/2009 12:50
Didn't they wait until Ressurection was almost done before they shut that down, too? I really don't understand what the point of closing fan projects down is. All they do is give fans a way to show they love the series, and it advertises Trigger for FREE, as opposed to normal advertising which actually costs money. I might be able to understand them closing this down since it was a mod of CT, but I don't see any good reason for them to C&D Ressurection. Maybe they're actually developing a new Chrono game and shutting down fan projects in case those have a similar plot or something? Another thing to look at is that they aren't shutting down any Final Fantasy fan projects... Hm...
Ouendanation's Avatar
Ouendanation at 05/11/2009 12:51
Didn't they wait until Ressurection was almost done before they shut that down, too? I really don't understand what the point of closing fan projects down is. All they do is give fans a way to show they love the series, and it advertises Trigger for FREE, as opposed to normal advertising which actually costs money. I might be able to understand them closing this down since it was a mod of CT, but I don't see any good reason for them to C&D Ressurection. Maybe they're actually developing a new Chrono game and shutting down fan projects in case those have a similar plot or something? Another thing to look at is that they aren't shutting down any Final Fantasy fan projects... Hm...
Monco Vega's Avatar
Monco Vega at 05/11/2009 12:51
Squenix, you dirty rotten bastards... how cruel, in just a couple of weeks we could've all had this... I hope it somehow gets "leaked" onto the intrawebz, so many years of dedication and hard work should be something that is rewarded, or at least acknowledged in a positive way.
Stoner's Avatar
Stoner at 05/11/2009 12:51
and why would they buy it? to release a game on an old system no one but the hardcore snes fans has anymore.
Zippyduda's Avatar
Zippyduda at 05/11/2009 12:57
Another blow for the free society of modders.
welkstar's Avatar
welkstar at 05/11/2009 12:57
D:
The Pat Man's Avatar
The Pat Man at 05/11/2009 12:58
That was so idiotic of them IMO. Thats a real kick in the balls to the fanbase. My only hope now is that whats left of this game somehow leaks onto the internet. I mean 98% is good enough, right? I think so. I mean the 3D remake of Chrono Trigger is one thing, but an actual sequel that ties the two Chrono games together? Well thats another. If Square Enix have any brains and want to get back on the good side of the consumer, they should buy the game off of them and sell it on PSN and XBL. Seeing as how its a rom and all, seems would be easier to make it a digital distribution. I would pay to play this game despite the fact it was originally going to be free.
Discarded Couch Sandwich's Avatar
Discarded Couch Sandwich at 05/11/2009 12:59
Well boo. There doesnt seem to be any sense in knocking down a project like this at all, unless Square are hoping to get that £150,000 in donations to the team behind Crimson Echoes, just so this thing can be releaased.
Monodi's Avatar
Monodi at 05/11/2009 13:00
@Stoner

... uhhh DS?
tigerfangred91's Avatar
tigerfangred91 at 05/11/2009 13:01
This is stupid. I'd understand shutting it down so harshly if they were selling it, but they're not. In fact, I would think fans of Chrono Trigger would be the only ones to have wanted to play this. And hell, they might even tell their friends to buy and play the original Chrono Trigger, then play this one.

These guys put a lot of work into it, and I respect them for attempting to release it for free.
Chronic Logic's Avatar
Chronic Logic at 05/11/2009 13:03
NEVAR FORGET!!!
R.I.P. CHRONO RESURRECTION!!!
rel123's Avatar
rel123 at 05/11/2009 13:04
Alrighty Squeenix, I don't make much money but you're never getting any of mine.
Pichu0102's Avatar
Pichu0102 at 05/11/2009 13:08
Is it just me, or do they always seem to crack down on projects that already have a ton of work put into them?

It seems more spiteful than just "oh hey, we just noticed this".
JT706's Avatar
JT706 at 05/11/2009 13:10
I'd pirate every game Squeenix has ever made out of spite, if they'd actually made something worthwhile this decade.
KamikazeCactuar's Avatar
KamikazeCactuar at 05/11/2009 13:10
They are just mad because they accomplished something in a timely fashion, unlike themselves who take fucking Duke-Nukem amounts of time to finish games.
MisterGrieves's Avatar
MisterGrieves at 05/11/2009 13:15
This makes me so, so sad.
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