Topic: Did Flip Industries Really Create "Super Kid Icarus"?

[Will]

EDIT: I've located the sources of all the images he's used. Easy peasy with Google Image search. They have been taken from:

http://scubasquirrel.wordpress.com/
http://newscoma.com/2010/10/27/a-squirrel-in-a-fedora/

[JonLeung]

As much as I loathe to return to this situation, I feel I should comment.  You may have noticed that a Google search for "VGMaps" brings up a number of YouTube videos, painting a poor picture of VGMaps.  These videos also mention me by name including one using my photo from Facebook.

Though next to no one seems to be taking these videos seriously, and not many are even viewing them, just a cursory Google search for VGMaps would not help me if I wanted to promote my site or if I need good references.  I feel like I wouldn't be able to mention that I run VGMaps.com early on in a new job, or applying for one, for example, if employers Google it and see that I "admit to stealing" or other claims, even if they're "in the opinion" of this VGMaps hater who uses basic MS Paint skills and hides behind Microsoft Anna.

The timing of the release of the videos makes me suspect Flip Industries, as they certainly have the motive: in retaliation for my write-up calling them out on using images/graphics without permission for the "Super Kid Icarus" Flash game.  Though they could also be anyone else looking to stir up crap and using my already-formed suspicion towards Flip Industries against both of us, though I can't imagine why anyone else feels the need to go to the trouble.

In any case, these videos are not helping anything.  They cannot seem to be removed despite being obvious trolling attempts, because of freedom of speech.  Google owns YouTube, so it's no surprise that Google promotes YouTube videos highly, though a little ridiculous that they would do so even with these ones that no one even watches.  Whoever is responsible may not be actively causing more trouble lately with new videos, but if these videos remain, they don't really have to.

I don't want to have a VGMaps-vs-haters war, but there's got to be something that could be done.  Any suggestions?  Like, I don't know if making more YouTube videos about VGMaps - even if they're just as simply made - to "bury" the ridiculous videos would work.  As if I'm not busy enough right now...sheesh.  Well, what do you guys think?

[Peardian]

Whoever they are, they're clever about covering their behinds, what with putting a (crude) disclaimer at the start of every video saying  essentially "this is just parody, this is just an opinion, nobody says this is the truth, so you can't touch me" and ending every video title with "in our opinion".

That said, the account name itself is a pretty clear indicator that their only goal is defamatory/trollish in nature. Have you attempted contacting YouTube staff about the issue?


If the videos can't be taken down, another solution is to simply put up proper youtube videos about the site. You know, like a sort of slideshow or video review of certain map sets or something.

[TerraEsperZ]

They've been busy trying to slander VGMaps.com on its Wikipedia page using the name ArtimusSlayer, which was itself a "sock puppet" of PeterAmbrosia, as were  CharlesWhopper, Fattestalbert and DrLuigiMD. This PeterAmbrosia is also (or should I say *only*) notable for fighting on the Kid Icarus page to advertise their Super Kid Icarus game with stolen graphics. Surprise, surprise...

I suspect the same people to have asked that Yahoo! Answers question about whether VGMaps was violating copyright with their work. Seriously, can these guys just accept that they were caught red-handed with their art theft and just shut the hell up? I swear, some assholes would destroy the whole world if it meant it would cover up their crimes/misdeeds...

[Revned]

Well, that's annoying.

I think the reason that they show up so high in the results is that there aren't really other sites that talk much about VGMaps. The first result is vgmaps.com and the second is Wikipedia. What would you expect next? There have been various posts on social media sites, but Google's algorithms must not think they're good quality. They're also older than these videos, which I'm sure factors into it.

YouTube isn't going to take them down (which is, incidentally, what makes YouTube great). You can't get rid of these results, you can only hope that they get bumped down the list eventually.

[Peardian]

Looks like the owner of the YouTube account decided to accept the Google+ offer certain users have been getting. The account's name is now Musa Sharifa, but the channel's address is still VGMapsIsStealing.

[Will]

Exactly what do you make of this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1qse25YHtg ?

It's one of those fake or unfinished super nintendo roms. Could rom have been created by Flip Industries in an attempt to create false evidence the rom existed before the maps on this site were made? Just a suspicious speculation of mine.

ADDITIONAL

What is more on http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_330339&feature=iv&src_vid=fm_D3SO727A&v=nNOx6ZJqCcU it appears that game has been remade. You guessed it, nothing new, just graphics changed easily with graphic modifiers and of course the layout remains the same. If they think changing the game to seem original is to going to change their status, they've got all past evidence of their theft flashing before their eyes.

[JonLeung]

Those older videos may or may not have been made by Flip Industries.  They still come after the release of my maps, which the Wayback Machine has since long proved.  In any case, whoever it was, I still don't understand the audacity of people using things without asking and without credit.  Anyone's counter that they're not my graphics to begin with (disregarding the few tiles that are edited), to that I say, well then rip your own from wherever, don't use the same choices as mine so verbatim.  Is it really so hard for amateur gamemakers to make their own game which should be the point of making a game in the first place?  It's not like any amateur game that is clearly a fan work would ever attain real popularity so as to be more profitable or valuable than the learning experience of how to make one.  And then, for his web site, taking other people's artwork?  Sprites and tiles are one thing, but taking other fans' work is unexcusable.

But that horse has been beaten to a pulp, and it's not like I want to (or should need to) beat it anymore.

You may have noticed that Flip Industries is still actively going on its smear campaign to get VGMaps.com shut down with more recent efforts.  I don't understand how this guy feels so hard done by my article simply proving the earlier existence of my maps (and others' deviantART) that he has to keep going with this futility.  He did something that was questionable, but then takes the effort to take me down (efforts that aren't well-received by anyone else anyway) instead of putting a similar amount of effort to make an original game that he could use to somewhat salvage his reputation.  Maybe.  Or he could have discussed this with me the times I emailed him about it.  Instead he'd rather be immature.  Like, grow up, bud.  Last I saw his game is still up and same with all these YouTube videos and other comments, so he should just move on, seriously.

[NESAtlas]

After reading this, I've immediately tagged my videos with "VGMaps.com" to help with the quality of your YouTube search results. It will probably take a few days or so before it makes an impact though. They had already showed up after searching, but only because I put links in the description back to here. I'm hoping with the added tags now it should make them appear higher up than those troll videos.

[JonLeung]

Thanks for doing that, NESAtlas!  (Sorry about not responding earlier!)

Doing searches on Google for "VGMaps" or "VGMaps.com" still seems to prioritize that guy's troll videos, so I don't know if earlier videos can trump those if they only recently had their tags updated.  And he mentions VGMaps a lot, more than I would realistically expect you to.  Or perhaps it will take a little more time...

But I thank you for doing what you have.  Any bit of help is still appreciated.  While this guy's beef with me is far from an overbearing annoyance, and his pathetic smear campaign is so blatantly trollish that no one takes him seriously, it's still nice to know I have you guys on my side, and all he appears to have are alts and sockpuppets.

As I said before, it's kind of sad, really.  Hopefully, for his sake, he can one day move on, from this "wrong" he thinks I have done to him, for speaking out against his theft of work from deviantARTists.

[avalanch]

Seems that he's still at it, one of his more recent postings a few month's back.

well they haven't done anything about Jon Leung of VGMaps, he does copyright infringement all the time of Sega games!!! Hopefully Sega will shut VGMaps down and stop Jon Leung!

http://forums.sega.com/showthread.php?489801-youtube-copyright-help&p=8141855&viewfull=1#post8141855

[RT 55J]

This whole situation is like one of the most pathetic things ever.