My Little Pony producer resurrects fan-made fighting game, sans copyright infringement.
Fighting is Magic was a fun little fan project that put My Little Pony characters in a ring and let them beat the horse apples out of each other. The game was developed by a group called Mane6 for a number of years, until Hasbro hefted their scepter and issued a cease and desist last month. Now Lauren Faust, a former producer of the show, has stepped in to help out the indie devs. With her help, Mane6 will keep their game alive, but at the cost of using actual MLP characters.
While the Hasbro order has stopped them from working on or distributing their game as it stands, that only applies while it still contains Hasbro characters. Mane6 can keep developing Fighting is Magic as long as they make an original roster of fighters. That might seem contrary to the point of the project, but Mane6 and their fans have enough faith in the game that they’re plunging ahead with a whole new list of characters, with help from Faust.
As Mane6 explains it: “It will be all new characters in a new setting, while keeping the moves, mechanics, and style of the game we wanted to make from the start. This means a lot of work for us, and a bunch of new challenges, but we’re excited about the possibilities that come along with them.”
Meanwhile, Faust seems pretty excited to be involved: “I’m so super psyched to be a part of this! I hope I can do my little part to help Mane6 finish up this game in a way that stays true to the spirit of the original – but in a way that can freely be shared! I hope you like what we come up with.”
The news comes at a good time, as Fighting is Magic was picked to be featured in EVO2K13, a national fighting game championship in Las Vegas. It ranked 4th in voting, beating out AAA titles like Guilty Gear XX and Dead or Alive 5. While a compromise with Hasbro never came to fruition, obtaining the active participation of a the show’s staff is the next best thing.
Source: Mane6
