IGN Steals GameBanshee's Titan Quest Content?

Post by **BuckGB** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 8:07 am

I wouldn't normally point something like this out, but I thought it might make a good topic of conversation. For all I know, it may have even happened before with some of our other content, but I just haven't been made aware of it. Thanks to an anonymous tip, we've noticed that IGN's Titan Quest Vault has decided to steal our content. If you check their new skill mastery, skill, and class databases, you'll see exactly what I mean.

If you compare the skill masteries, skills, and classes we listed a couple of weeks ago on GameBanshee to the ones that were posted yesterday on the TQ Vault, you'll find that the skill statistics are identical, even though many of them are not how they appear in the game. We intentionally dropped some of the decimals, rearranged the way the statistics were listed, and changed certain text (such as using "/second" instead of "per second"). We even capitalized certain words that aren't capitalized in-game. But no matter what changes we made, IGN's Titan Quest Vault now has the exact same text as we do.

You'll also notice that the skill mastery images and icons they've used just happen to be resized the EXACT same size (170x170 for mastery images, for example) and use our same background color - #12110d. If you look closely, you can even see the tan outline that I personally added to our mastery images on IGN's images.

Additionally, the class combinations they have listed are in the same mastery order as we listed them. They're not alphabetical or anything - they just happen to be listed in the same non-order we used.

I already posted a similar reply to this one under their comments section, so it will be interesting to see if anyone responds. Like I said earlier, this sort of thing might happen all the time, and I've just never noticed it. Should we even care that they've taken our content?

UPDATE: IGN management has removed all of the questionable content within hours of it being brought to their attention.

mr_sir · Post by **mr_sir** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 8:36 am

Is there not a way to copyright your content or something so they can't legally just go and steal it?

moltovir · Post by **moltovir** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 8:37 am

I think you should care, yes. How low can they go? It's a succesful site, whoever copied all the information probably had another hundred sources to get it. I'd send them a polite but to-the-point mail if I were you. They might think you're naive and not care, but at least they'll know that you know, so they won't enjoy the "har har we stole this but no-one noticed we're so smart"-feeling.

Post by **BuckGB** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 8:53 am

[QUOTE=mr_sir]Is there not a way to copyright your content or something so they can't legally just go and steal it?[/QUOTE]
All of our original content is copyrighted, yes, but I'm not sure that there's anything that can be done about in-game statistics or cropped images since we don't actually "own" that sort of content. Even if it isn't illegal, though, I don't think anyone would disagree that it's unethical. I certainly didn't expect to see our images and text on an IGN site.

Post by **BuckGB** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 8:56 am

[QUOTE=moltovir]I think you should care, yes. How low can they go? It's a succesful site, whoever copied all the information probably had another hundred sources to get it.[/QUOTE]
As far as I know, we were the only site that had all of the skill images and statistics. It took me four hours a day for well over a week to get all the information keyed in, which is a lot more work than a lot of sites are probably willing to do for such a small amount of content. The game isn't even out yet and I'm working off a gold master that was sent to us by THQ, so there would be very few people who could even get this information anyway.

[QUOTE=moltovir]I'd send them a polite but to-the-point mail if I were you. They might think you're naive and not care, but at least they'll know that you know, so they won't enjoy the "har har we stole this but no-one noticed we're so smart"-feeling.[/QUOTE]
I'll see what happens with my comment under their newsbit first. If that gets deleted, I have a few contacts within IGN management that I'll shoot an email to.

moltovir · Post by **moltovir** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 9:43 am

[QUOTE=Buck Satan]As far as I know, we were the only site that had all of the skill images and statistics. It took me four hours a day for well over a week to get all the information keyed in, which is a lot more work than a lot of sites are probably willing to do for such a small amount of content. The game isn't even out yet and I'm working off a gold master that was sent to us by THQ, so there would be very few people who could even get this information anyway.

[/QUOTE]

What I meant was, if any site out there has a way of getting that kind of info, it's IGN. Not to be impolite, but it'd surprise me if Gamebanshee had a pre-release copy of a game that IGN didn't have. It's indeed very unethical to steal info that they could've simply acquired themselves (well, not that simply, seeing the effort you put in it. Kudos for that btw

)

Edit: 1000th post, wow. Took me only two years

Post by **BuckGB** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 10:00 am

IGN definitely received the same gold master copy as us, which makes it even more surprising that they would resort to copy/pasting all our content. They didn't even have enough ambition to go in the game and crop their own images of the skill icons or mastery logos. Sad.

DesR85 · Post by **DesR85** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 10:13 am

I thought that IGN is a pretty big organisation if you ask me. Furthermore, they could have just extracted the information from their preview version of Titan Quest on their own for less time due to their size. Sounds surprising that they would resort to copy and pasting information from this site into theirs.

Anyway, on a further note, I went to Gamespot to check out their [url="http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/titanquest/story.html?sid=6152224"]Titan Quest Updated Hands-On[/url] but they more likely just wrote the article explaining the skills masteries in the game (just general information) and its dated on the 2nd of June.

Rookierookie · Post by **Rookierookie** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 10:20 am

One in a while you might consider searching some of the contents in Google and see if anything turns out. I have had some things I wrote copied to other places as well.

Post by **BuckGB** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 3:37 pm

I just added another reply to their comments thread that helps illustrate the fact that they copied much of our content. I've also sent an email to IGN management requesting that their databases be taken offline. It's tough to say if they'll even show any interest.

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 3:55 pm

I'm surprised this happened. I've written reviews in the past for IGN--though not recently--and the editors were a reasonable bunch.

Ravager · Post by **Ravager** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 4:05 pm

At least they didn't appear to accredit the information to themselves, but I wouldn't be so happy that they're blatantly copying information without any sort of reference/consultation, either.
Don't IGN provide the advertisements etc for GB?

Post by **BuckGB** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 4:28 pm

IGN doesn't work with us on advertising, no. We go through UGO for everything.

It appears that I must have hit a nerve with someone, though. I just received a call from IGN's Senior Editor personally assuring me that the content will be investigated and removed if it's found to be copied. I'm sure the TQ Vault will just revise the wording and crop their own images before posting it again, but at least I got their attention.

ch85us2001 · Post by **ch85us2001** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 4:54 pm

[QUOTE=mr_sir]Is there not a way to copyright your content or something so they can't legally just go and steal it?[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=The Bottom Of The Page]© 2000-2006 GameBanshee.com[/QUOTE]

Well, at least there working with you to a certain extent. I can't believe (I mean, I believe you obviously, figure of Speech) that a big site would copy work like that. *shakes head*

fable · Post by **fable** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 4:59 pm

[QUOTE=ch85us2001]I can't believe (I mean, I believe you obviously, figure of Speech) that a big site would copy work like that. *shakes head*[/QUOTE]

Chu, the site didn't copy it. Someone working for the site clearly did, and almost certainly in violation of their own rules. I'm sure it's not standard IGN operational procedure to steal material like that--if only for their own survival.

ch85us2001 · Post by **ch85us2001** » Mon Jun 19, 2006 5:11 pm

[QUOTE=fable]Chu, the site didn't copy it. Someone working for the site clearly did, and almost certainly in violation of their own rules. I'm sure it's not standard IGN operational procedure to steal material like that--if only for their own survival.[/QUOTE]
I see, said the blind man.

Foss · Post by **Foss** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 1:20 am

Well, looking a the comments made, it does seem like they want to take it seriously.

I don't personally know what people normally would do in such a situation.

If they will just change the wordings of the text and let it remain, or somehow credit Gamebanshee.com for it.
But, atleast it seems they are working to find out what has happened.

dj_venom · Post by **dj_venom** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 7:04 am

Ensnare description on GameBanshee:
Casts a weighted net around the feet of an enmy holding them in place but not preventing them from attacking if you are within their range.

Ensnare description on TQ Vault:
Casts a weighted net around the feet of an enmy holding them in place but not preventing them from attacking if you are within their range.

Notice the "enmy" typo?

Or how about the Sylvan Nymph skill?

Sylvan Nymph description on GameBanshee:
Summons a powerful forst Nymph who can bring down enemies with her magical bow and cast enchantments to strengthen allies in battle.

Sylvan Nymph description on TQ Vault:
Summons a powerful forst Nymph who can bring down enemies with her magical bow and cast enchantments to strengthen allies in battle.

Hmmmm... another identical typo with "forst".

I cracked up laughing at these things.:laugh:

But yeah, I'd have to agree with what Fable wrote, in that chances are someone else just stuck it up there, without IGN realising the source of it all. What shows even more of their class, is that instead of deleting it as Buck joked about, they have left it there, and replied to it acknowledging the possibility.

Well I hope it all gets sorted, and perhaps we should be more vigilant in the future.

Kipi · Post by **Kipi** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 8:43 am

Well, even though I too think it was unethical, you should at least feel a bit proud: your work was so good that someone really thought it as a worth of copying, even though the risks for getting caught was reasonable

But I don't think they are going to make big fuss about it, mostly change some text so that it's not direct copy, or add somewhere comment where GB is mentioned...

Athena · Post by **Athena** » Tue Jun 20, 2006 2:43 pm

perhaps one of us should inform ign of the matter.