Black Forest Games, the team behind Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams, have launched a new Kickstarter campaign for DieselStörmers, a high octane run and gun action game coming to Wii U amongst other current gen consoles and PC. The game was originally announced as Ravensdale, with a Kickstarter game in August last year but failed to reach the large base goal of $500,000. This time the game has been rebranded and with additional funding sought elsewhere, the new base goal is the much more achievable $50,000.
Gary Stott writes: "Remember when Black Forest Games got into a legal dispute with fashion label Diesel, forcing them to change the name of their upcoming game, Dieselstörmers? No? Well, it happened. Trust me, I reported on it. Long story short, the co-operative roguelike platform shooter will now be known as 'Rogue Stormers'."
I thought that Kevin Nash said he would put em in a Jackknife Powerbomb if they would not change the name
Should have just got Vin Diesel to pose for the box art, that would have severed ties with the clothing brand.
Gary Alexander Stott writes: "It's worth noting, however, that things were less smooth pre-campaign. Indeed, the game's messy and complex development history started back in 2007 under Spellbound Entertainment, who revealed the project in 2010 as 'Ravensdale'. After Spellbound went into administration in 2012 and Black Forest Games was born from the carnage, the team brought the game to Kickstarter in an effort to bring it to life, but this campaign was soon cancelled after the developer decided to rethink its funding strategy. The successful 2014 Dieselstörmers campaign was the realisation of Black Forest Games' new plan."
From GameWatcher: Today in breathtakingly stupid trademark disputes - indie developer Black Forest Games has lost a battle to name its "roguelike coop run’n’gun game" DieselStormers, after a complaint from fashion label Diesel. Who make jeans.
I'm admittedly no expert on trademark law, but this sort of things really gets on my nipples. The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market apparently decided that a game about people with gas tanks on their backs shooting each other was a serious infringement on the ridiculously wide-ranging trademark of a company that makes denim trousers. I don't get it.
So a "fashion label" that named itself after a type of fuel (and obviously doesn't sell actual diesel), wins a trademark battle against a company that makes a game about characters with gas tanks on their backs that run around shooting each other? Hmmm, I know a gas station nearby that they should definitely file a complaint at...
Well, this is interesting. With the track record of Black Forest Games, it should be a quality title. Hoping for the best for this new project.