Sega Supports and Encourages Fan Games

Nintendo, as you know, has been getting quite the reputation for shutting down fan games. And it's only gotten worse as the years have gone by. It's inarguable they're in their right as a company to do whatever they want when people try to use their IP, but being right legally isn't the same as being in the right morally: and for a good example of how a company can not be a jerk about their IP, we have to turn to Sega, of all things.

As you know, there's been a heavy push by Sega to make more Sonic content to celebrate a recent anniversary. This might have proven to be a problem for Green Hill Paradise Act 2, an astonishing fan game that puts Sonic in a fully open 3D world, was played by the folks over at Game Grumps. This extra shot of publicity can be great for most games, but for fan games, who live in fear of their cease-and-desist order, it can be downright terrifying.

Fortunately, Sega proved to be the bigger man, in an exchange over the Game Grump YouTube comments.  It's the top-rated comment, but here it is again just in case:

"Brb, DMCA time.

Just kidding. Keep making great stuff, Sonic fans."

It seems, after 20+ years of rivalry, we've finally found something Sega does that Nintendon't: support its fan efforts and encourage more of it. Sure, part of that could be that Sega apparently doesn't know how to make a good Sonic game and letting their fans do the work for them might be enough to turn things around for the struggling company, but even if cynical hyperbolic was true, it doesn't make Sega's willingness to engage with its audience any less admirable.

Now if only the plumber in the red hat could follow suit.

...Also, I didn't steal the Nintendon't line from the YouTube comments, I wrote it, then saw it in the comments, but I'm too stubborn to get rid of it because I think it's really clever.