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Mojang wins interim injunction battle, can keep using 'Scrolls' name for now
As ZeniMax and Mojang begin their back alley knife fight, it seems that Notch and Co. has drawn first blood. The indie studio won the right to continue to use the "Scrolls" name -- which Bethesda claims infringes on its Elder Scrolls copyright -- until the case goes to trial. The decision, as Notch pointed out in his Twitter feed, can still be appealed by Bethesda parent company ZeniMax. Should that go badly, we've prepared some less contentious names that will still really irritate Bethesda. Gloom FRUSTRATION Tectonic Event Arena Live Remaining Radioactive Material 3 Edge Slippery Rogue Warrior (note: Bethesda will probably let this one slide) Breeders Cup World Thoroughbred Championships (note: ditto) Remaining Radioactive Material: New Atlantic City
Bethesda: Nobody enjoys being 'forced' to sue Mojang
Bethesda VP of marketing Pete Hines is providing some context for its case against Minecraft-dev Mojang's coming title, Scrolls, saying Mojang hasn't fairly presented Bethesda's side of the fight (probably because it's on the side against Bethesda). "Mojang's public comments have not given a complete picture as it relates to their filings, our trademarks, or events that have taken place," Hines said. Bethesda has an obligation to protect its trademark -- Elder Scrolls -- at the risk of diluting or losing it entirely. In that regard, this isn't something Bethesda wants to do, but it is something it has to do: "Nobody here enjoys being forced into this," Hines said. "Hopefully it will all be resolved soon." I bet that Quake 3 duel is looking pretty good to both sides right now.
Bethesda tells Mojang to lay down its virtual guns, lawyer up for a trademark battle
Time was, men could settle their disputes with glinting swords at the ready and their honor on the line. Nowadays, only the cosplaying and Comic Con attending folk alike are likely to burnish (elvish) blades, although they're rather inapt to sully them with enemy blood. Well, unsurprisingly, Mojang head Markus "Notch" Persson's modern day offer of a Quake 3 Arena simulated duel -- his proposed method of extralegal recourse -- was shot down by Bethesda, the company suing the Minecraft creator for use of the word "Scrolls" in its unreleased card game. As these are apparently sue-happy times, both parties are headed to court to battle it out, with Mojang facing the terrible repercussion of a forced product name change. From the looks of the defendant's Twitter feed, however, it doesn't appear the impending litigation's breaking this Swede's stride.
Bethesda vs. Mojang: 'Scrolls' case going to court
So ... no Quake 3 then? Despite Notch's offer to engage in deathmatch against a team of Bethesda's choosing over the matter, it seems that the battle for use of the "Scrolls" name will take place in court instead. As the Mojang boss tweeted, "The Scrolls case is going to court! Weee! :D" If you remember, Bethesda claimed that Mojang's upcoming collectible card game, Scrolls, was too close in (trademarked) title to the publisher's Elder Scrolls series of games. Mojang business developer Daniel Kaplan called the suit "really silly" while speaking with Gamasutra, but said that, in the worst case scenario, Mojang would be forced to change the title. Since a name change would be the toxic leftovers from this legal wrangling, we'd suggest changing the name to "Fallout." You can thank us later.
MineCon attendees get alpha codes for Cobalt, Scrolls
Mojang Specifications is making a pretty big assumption about the character of the folks who are attending the first MineCon expo: That they enjoy playing Mojang's games. Frankly, we think this disposition seems a little presumptuous, but nevertheless, the successful indie studio has announced that it will hand out vouchers to download alpha code for Scrolls (its next first-party title) and Cobalt (its first third-party title) to all of the event's attendees. Now that we think about it, Mojang's missing out on some pretty great contest opportunities by just giving those things away. Why not hide them inside of cuboid trees, and give attendees axes, and just tell them to go crazy? Or bury them far, far below the earth, perching them precariously over a pit of awaiting lava? Or hide them in Notch's hat!
Scrolls teaser trailer leaps from the page into your eyeballs
Straight outta PAX comes this teaser for Markus "Notch" Perrson's newest Mojang joint, Scrolls. It's chock full of hand-drawn art, magical stuff and concludes with some sort of golem punching robot thing. Now that's something we can get behind! (You're safe from its punches there).
Notch: challenging Bethesda to Quake 3 duel 'might have been a poor choice'
Minecraft maker Markus "Notch" Persson has admitted a strategic miscalculation in challenging Bethesda to a Quake 3 tournament to settle their legal dispute over Notch's Scrolls, whose title Bethesda says conflicts with its Elder Scrolls franchise. Considering Bethesda owns Quake 3 and employs a handful of professional players, Notch admitted his choice of game might have been a poor one. "If it came to a Quake 3 tournament, I have a feeling we just might have to change the name," Notch told Wired. Notch isn't giving up his fight with Bethesda, saying the entire lawsuit is a "bogus claim," but attorney and game industry analyst Mark Methenitis says Bethesda has a "reasonable argument" based on established US trademark-law tests. Perhaps Notch should challenge Bethesda to a Twitter duel, because at 303,000 followers, Notch could trounce Bethesda's 50,000 roughly six times over and still have enough people left over to play the Scrolls alpha when it launches later this year, and that's ridiculous.
Minecraft creator challenges Bethesda to deathmatch for the word 'scrolls'
While Samsung, Apple, HTC and others battle it out in court with lawyers and expansive patent portfolios, one man seems to know how real geeks settle disputes -- with a deathmatch. Markus "Notch" Persson, the man behind Minecraft and head of Mojang, has decided the best way to put the trademark squabble with Bethesda to rest is two rounds of three-on-three Quake 3 Arena action. The Elder Scrolls developer is sticking with the same tactics that have made smartphone companies our new least-favorite corporate citizens, but Notch thinks ownership of the word "scrolls" can best be determined with BFGs and railguns. With any luck this will catch on and, when Steve Jobs and Larry Page lead their forces into battle in Team Fortress, we're gonna have to put on our money on the Mountain View crew.
Notch challenges Bethesda to Quake 3 deathmatch for 'Scrolls' trademark
Look, sometimes the traditional justice systems of the world just can't get it done. Some kerfuffles require alternative forms of arbitration -- like, for instance, the recent trademark dispute between Mojang and Bethesda over the former's upcoming game, Scrolls. Notch from Mojang has an interesting suggestion for solving the dispute once and for all: "I challenge Bethesda to a game of Quake 3," he said in his blog earlier today. "Three of our best warriors against three of your best warriors," Notch added. "We select one level, you select the other, we randomize the order. 20 minute matches, highest total frag count per team across both levels wins." The stakes for this contest would be fairly high, as Notch added, "If we win, you drop the lawsuit. If you win, we will change the name of Scrolls to something you're fine with." In related news, we've been sitting here for like, an hour, trying to turn this whole scenario into a parody song of Charlie Daniels' "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." Our two hang-ups are that we're not comfortable characterizing either party as Satan, and also that we're just not Weird Al-clever.
Minecraft studio threatened with suit by Bethesda over 'Scrolls' title
Not exactly unexpectedly, about four hours ago Markus "Notch" Persson -- creator of Minecraft and head of Mojang Specifications -- received a letter from a Swedish law firm representing Bethesda Softworks. It claimed that his company's trademark of the word "Scrolls" for use with a currently-in-development game was infringing on Bethesda's own trademark, "The Elder Scrolls," and requested "a pile of money up front" before things could proceed. But Notch could've guessed it was coming. Writing on his Tumblr page, Notch explains that "about half a year ago," his company's legal team suggested registering "Minecraft" as a trademark. In the process, Mojang also filed to register "Scrolls," killing two birds with one stone. Notch writes that "A while later, out of the blue, we got contacted by Bethesda's lawyers. They wanted to know more about the 'Scrolls' trademark we were applying for, and claimed it conflicted with their existing trademark 'The Elder Scrolls.'" At the time, Mojang responded by offering what Notch calls a compromise: "We'd agree to never put any words in front of 'Scrolls,' and instead call sequels and other things something along the lines of 'Scrolls - The Banana Expansion.'" In his piece, he says that he's not sure if Mojang ever heard back. Fast-forward to this afternoon, and a "15-page letter" from a Swedish law firm, on behalf of Bethesda, arrives for Notch (pictured above). He says it's threatening a lawsuit if Mojang refuses "to stop using the name 'Scrolls,'" and that Bethesda will sue should that be necessary. Regardless of the current situation, Notch notes at the top of his piece, "I love Bethesda. I assume this nonsense is partly just their lawyers being lawyers, and a result of trademark law being the way it is." Here's hoping that compromise works out, and Notch is somehow legally bound to name the first Scrolls DLC "The Banana Expansion." Update: This piece was originally headlined "Minecraft studio being sued by Bethesda over 'Scrolls' title," and has since been amended to more accurately reflect the situation.
Gold Capped: How to generate Celestial Essences
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Gold Capped, in which Basil "Euripides" Berntsen aims to show you how to make money on the auction house. Email Basil with your questions, comments, or hate mail! Enchanting Cataclysm gear takes Hypnotic Dust, Celestial Essences, Heavenly Shards, and Maelstrom Crystals. I've spent the last week making and selling scrolls, and this has led to the discovery that these materials are not currently being used in the ratio they're being made. Celestial Essences are, by far, the bottleneck. This is not a scientific fact, but I sell a lot of scrolls, and that means that my materials use is probably a representative sample of my market's actual materials use. If you simply look at all the enchants at ilvl 300 and up, the ratio of materials used will be different than if you look at a sample of actual market data. Actual market data will include the fact that some enchants sell better than others. One could, however, take a look at Wowpopular.com's enchant list and weigh each recipe by the number of stars they give it to get a general idea. That said, let's look at the best and cheapest ways to make Celestials.
Mojang's Scrolls to follow Minecraft's piecemeal release strategy
Mojang Specifications' Daniel Kaplan confirmed that the studios' next game, Scrolls, will follow the same procedural release plan as its current mega-hit, Minecraft. Kaplan explained to attendees at the Barcelona-based event Gamelab 2011 that the game will be released "very early," and will be continually patched and updated until finished. Hey, if there's anything we love more than magic-infused parchment, it's instant gratification. Kaplan also outlined the future of the development studio, explaining that Scrolls is being developed by a five-person team -- a sizable increase over Minecraft, which was "by and large created by one developer, Markus Persson." He also revealed the studio is considering becoming a publisher for other, smaller indie developers, which of course means that Mojang is totally selling out, or something.
Scrolls newsletter sign up includes alpha tester option
We've got good news for you newsletter collectors: Minecraft dev Mojang isn't just offering an email publication about its second game, Scrolls, but also potential alpha testing access. As Tumblr user Buddyp450 points out, signing up for the newsletter at the bottom of the Scrolls game site includes the choice to "opt-in to become alpha tester." Of course, if you're all anti-newsletter or something, but you're one of the hundreds of thousands who purchased a Minecraft license when that (still unfinished) game was in alpha, you're also guaranteed access to the initial Scrolls preview. Of course, if you miss out on the alpha test, there's always the free public beta after that. And, we imagine, eventually you'll even be able to purchase the full, complete game at some point.
Wings Over Atreia: Anticipation, part deux
A bonding experience. Love ya man, really. Last week's article seems to have struck a nerve. I feel like I know more of you now on a more personal level. And that's not just because I skulk around Atreia spying! The thoughts and comments you have shared have reaffirmed how universal our experiences are; what we think is a slightly unique situation is really just like so many others (OK, maybe not the legionmate who walks around in a duck suit, but others). You know the saying "You are unique dear, just like everyone else." Whether we have Black wings or white, whether we're a PvPer or even a carebear, many of our hopes for Aion are really quite similar. But I digress. As promised, this week I continue with my happy rave (it's better than a rant, yes?) about some of the treats promised us in the upcoming 2.5 patch. And just like I would with a proper dessert, I saved the best for last. Or at least my favorite! This week, we look more in-depth at additional pets, additional instances, and additions to legions. Relive that yearning experienced when anticipating Christmas mornings of yore and join me past the cut to sneak a peek at our hopefully-soon-to-be unwrapped update goodies for Aion.
Minecraft developer Mojang announces new game 'Scrolls'
Mojang hasn't technically finished its first game, Minecraft, but it's gone ahead and revealed another one. Scrolls is a digital collectible card game/board game designed by Markus "Notch" Persson and Jakob Porser -- with story help from Penny-Arcade's Jerry Holkins, and art by famous "demaker" Jnkboy. According to the newly launched website, Scrolls "offers a new and unique game play where you fight to outmaneuver your opponent on the battlefield [a chess-style game board] using the destructive powers in your collection of magical scrolls [cards]." Scrolls will become weathered with use, giving visual indication of your preferred tactics. Of course, you'll be able to augment your deck with new packs. A limited free alpha will be available later this year, offered initially to some Minecraft alpha purchasers; a public beta willfollow. Both will be free and used to balance the game.
Gold Capped: Selling enchanting scrolls in Cataclysm
Every week, WoW Insider brings you Gold Capped, in which Basil "Euripides" Berntsen aims to show you how to make money on the auction house, and Insider Trader, which is all about professions. Email Basil (new address is basil@wowinsider.com; old one no longer works) with your comments, questions or hate mail! Enchanting is a very straightforward business. You have a few steady sources of income; however, one of the reasons that its overall profitability is high is that Blizzard put it behind the level 84 phasing wall, making a huge chunk of the profession in Cataclysm only accessible to people who have access to the shard trader.
Gold Capped: Making money with enchanting scrolls
Want to get Gold Capped? This column shows you how. Join author Basil "Euripides" Berntsen, also of outdps.com, the Hunting Party podcast and the Call to Auction podcast. Enchanting is like the auctioneer's sonic screwdriver. Having a maxed-out enchanter is a major boost to many other professions, as their ability to disenchant is just amazing. It will help you recuperate money when leveling your professions, as well as open up business opportunities that may not have been profitable otherwise. So how else can you make money with enchanting? The wrong way to make money with enchanting
Are Bloodlust/Heroism drums incoming?
If you're a shaman you're familiar with the "grar grar grar grar" sound of Bloodlust or the "ktang!" of Heroism, its Alliance counterpart. For a long time one of the complaints has been that you absolutely had to have a shaman along in order to gain access to this buff. Even when leatherworking drums and inscription scrolls were created for lesser versions of buffs like Blessing of Kings and Prayer of Fortitude, Bloodlust/Heroism were still a unique buff to the shaman class. Is that going to change? A discussion on the forums leads to Ghostcrawler revealing that yes, they are considering allowing Bloodlust/Heroism be a buff one can gain through an item. Now, I'm torn. On the one hand, NO! Keep your filthy crafter fingers off of my precious! My precious! I'll kill you! I'll kill all of you! But on the other hand, it really isn't fair at this point that Bloodlust/Heroism is pretty much the only buff we can't get a lesser version of through crafted items. A 25% speed increase for 30 seconds (or even 35) would be weak enough in comparison to real Bloodlust that you wouldn't have to worry terribly about being replaced by a drum kit. I suppose. Man, I don't want you to have my Heroism. Like I said, I'm torn. So what do you think oh why am I even asking we all know you want my precious. My precious!
Insider Trader: Inscription from 200 to 305
Insider Trader is your inside line on making, selling, buying and using player-made products.For the past two weeks, Insider Trader has been helping you level your Inscription cheaply and efficiently. Beginners should read through the walkthrough up to skill point 100, as it not only shows you how to reach it, it discusses the basics of Inscription in detail and offers some helpful hints. Once you've reached 100, move on to the guide to hitting 200. You will need to be at least level 20 to complete this!This week, I am walking you from skill 200 to skill 305. At 225, you will need to be at least level 35, and by the time you hit 300, you will need to be level 50 in order to train from 301 to 375. Remember to click on any of the Wowhead herb links to view detailed maps of where to find each herb!
Inscription gets researching recipes in build 8970
In the small patch that was applied to the Beta servers last night, there were a few Inscription tweaks. Of course there were some minor tweaks to various class glyphs, but the most interesting change came in the form of 2 new recipes: Minor Inscription Research and Northrend Inscription Research. The former creates items that may teach you a new minor glyph, while the latter creates items that may teach you a new major glyph. Minor Inscription Research looks to be a very cheap spell, using the basic Moonglow Ink, while Northrend Inscription Research is a little more expensive, requiring Ink of the Sea and Snowfall Ink, both of which are created with pigments made from milling Northrend herbs. Both abilities also have a 20 hour cooldown, so no spamming them to collect all the glyphs even if you do lay in a massive stockpile of ink and parchment. It's sort of like the old spell research for casters from Everquest combined with the alchemy discovery system. Of course, you don't have to gather rare drops like with research, and in theory, you won't have to make hundreds of items hoping for a discovery like discovery. The type and caliber of the glyphs to be discovered this way is still unknown. If they turn out to be some of the better or more desirable recipes, though, it should certainly give Inscriptionists a good cash flow, as not everyone will know the glyph in question. The 20 hour cooldown and the uncommon pigments needed for the Northrend recipe should add to this is well. It's an intriguing new mechanic for the class, and we'll be interested to see how well it fares. As long as the discovery rate of unique glyphs is relatively high, it should do well enough.
