Rights: Difference between revisions

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This is a list of all known companies involved with owning, distributing, or developing [[Oni]]. Some of these rights may have lapsed since the time period of Oni's release (Jan. 2001), so in one column we list the rights as of that time, then, to the best of our knowledge, we give the current status of those rights.<br><br>
{{Hatnote|For a list of people who worked on Oni, see [[Credits]].}}
Many people erroneously believe that Bungie still owns the [[wp:Intellectual property#Rights|IP rights]] to [[Oni]], or that it's a Rockstar-developed game because they saw their logo on the PS2 version, or that Microsoft owns the title since they bought Bungie before Oni's release.


{{Table}}
The reality is that Take-Two Interactive came to own Oni through a series of events explained in {{SectionLink|Oni|Buyout}}. The rights to Oni aren't complicated at the IP level, but many other companies had a hand in the sales, distribution and localization of the game around the world. There was even continued development of the Mac version post-release.
 
Below is an attempt to list all the companies involved with Oni. This information comes from the manuals, the box art, lots of research, and community knowledge. Some companies' rights have lapsed since Oni's release in 2001, so in one column we list the rights that were held at first, and then we give the current status of those rights to the best of our knowledge.
 
For pictures of the manuals see [[:Category:Manuals]]. For the game boxes and discs, see [[:Category:Packaging images]]. Note that the logos on the boxes can be very misleading with regards to which companies were involved with a release; the [[Logos]] page documents the choices that were made, illogical though they may be.
 
Since distributors are no longer selling Oni on their online stores, fans who wish to own the game should look for secondhand copies on sites where people re-sell items, such as Amazon and eBay.
 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
|-
!Company
!Company
!Rights (then)
!Rights (past)
!Status of rights
!Rights (now)
{{th}}
!Game page
!colspan="4"|Ownership
|-
!colspan="4"|Owners
|-
|[https://www.bungie.net/ Bungie, Inc.]
|IP rights (until around [https://tsdr.uspto.gov/caseviewer/assignments?caseId=75570211&docIndex=1&searchprefix=sn#docIndex=1 June 16, 2000])
|None
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20210126215213/http://halo.bungie.net/projects/oni/default.aspx]
|-
|[https://www.take2games.com/ Take-Two Interactive]
|IP rights (starting around June 16, 2000)
|IP rights
|
|-
!colspan="4"|Publishers/Distributors/Localizers
|-
|Gathering of Developers
|English Windows U.S. release
|None<ref>Gathering had been owned by Take-Two since May 2000, and was [[wp:Gathering of Developers|merged into Global Star Software]] (another subsidiary of Take-Two) in 2004. Global Star was then [[wp:List of Global Star Software games|merged into 2K Games]] in 2007.</ref>
|
|-
|[https://www.rockstargames.com/ Rockstar Games]
|English PlayStation 2 U.S. release<ref>Rockstar has been [[wp:Rockstar Games|owned by Take-Two]] since 1998 when T2 bought Rockstar's parent company BMG Interactive. Even though Rockstar is only listed as the PS2 publisher in many places, and Gathering was supposed to be the Windows publisher, most PC boxes only have the Rockstar logo on it and not Gathering's (with the exception of the [[:Image:Windows_%28US%29_box_art_-_back.jpg|US box]]).</ref>
|Current (but no longer sold on website)
|[https://www.rockstargames.com/games/oni][https://museum.rockstarnexus.com/websites/2011-05/games/oni/][https://web.archive.org/web/20160104200105/http://www.rockstarwarehouse.com/store/tk2rstar/en_US/pd/productID.304297400]
|-
|[http://macsoftgames.com MacSoft]
|English Mac version (North America)
|None (company has closed)<ref>MacSoft was owned by Destineer, which [[wp:MacSoft|seems to have closed in 2011]]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20110705050141/http://www.destineerstudios.com/macsoftgames/ This] is how their site looked before it was closed and replaced by the "''in memoriam''" page linked behind "MacSoft" above.</ref>
|
|-
|Jack of All Games
|English version (distribution)<ref>It doesn't look like JoAG had a storefront where they sold Oni; instead it seems that they were performing support on the distribution side in the U.S. and overseas. Although we haven't seen their logo on any product outside the U.S., [https://web.archive.org/web/20010628051538/http://www.anime.com.au/games/oni/oni_4.asp Australian] [https://web.archive.org/web/20010308191637/http://www.gameloft.com.au/jeux/reviews/pc/oni.html reviewers] regarded JoAG as the distributor of the Windows version.</ref>
|None (company has closed)<ref>Jack of All Games had been owned by Take-Two since 1998, then was [[wp:Jack of All Games|sold to IT company Synnex]] in 2010 and folded into their distribution operations.</ref>
|
|-
|[https://www.feralinteractive.com/en/ Feral Interactive]
|[[wikt:EFIGS|EFIGS]] Mac releases (Europe)
|Current? (no longer sold on website)
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20071031151305/http://www.feralinteractive.com/?game=oni&language=english][https://web.archive.org/web/20180212012441/http://support.feralinteractive.com/en/mac-linux-games/oni/]
|-
|[https://www.application-systems.de/ Application Systems Heidelberg]
|German Mac release
|Current? (no longer sold on website)
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20041025230531mp_/http://www.application-systems.de/oni/]
|-
|[[Quotes/Manual#Important Information|TalonSoft]]
|Distribution, tech support
|None (company has closed)<ref>TalonSoft had been owned by Take-Two since December 1998, but [[wp:TalonSoft|closed in 2002]].</ref>
|
|-
|Century Thor
|Chinese localization
|Unknown
|
|-
|-
|[http://www.take2games.com/ Take-Two Interactive]
|MediaQuest
|[[wikipedia:IP_rights|IP rights]], publishing
|Japanese localization, Mac/Windows
|Current
|Unknown<ref>The brand name MediaQuest was [https://www.mobygames.com/company/3820/mediaquest/ retired in 2005] in favor of the label Kids Station, but ownership of MediaQuest properties presumably stayed under the same parent company [[wp:Mitsui & Co.|Mitsui & Co.]] (though if MQ's properties were assigned to Kids Station, then it's worth noting that Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan has [[wp:Kids Station|co-ownership of Kids Station]] now).</ref>
|
|-
|-
{{th}}
|[https://buka.ru/ Buka Entertainment]
!colspan="4"|Distribution
|Russian localization
|Current? (no longer sold on website)
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20220314085345/http://www.buka.ru/cgi-bin/show.pl?id=92]
|-
|-
|[http://www.feralinteractive.com/?game=oni&language=english Feral Interactive]
|King's International Multimedia
|Mac distribution (outside North America)
|Taiwanese Windows release 1 (English Euro version)
|Current; still selling Oni on their website
|Unknown
|
|-
|-
|Gathering of Developers<sup>†</sup>
|Infogrames Taiwan
|PC distribution
|Taiwanese Windows release 2 (Chinese localization)
|GoD was bought by Take-Two; Oni is not on Take-Two's online store*
|Company was sold to Bandai Namco
|
|-
|-
|[http://www.destineerstudios.com/macsoftgames/ MacSoft]
|GreenLeaf
|Mac distribution (North America)
|Brazilian Portuguese Windows release (localized manual only)
|Unknown; not selling Oni on their website*
|Unknown
|
|-
|-
|[http://www.take2games.com/ Take-Two Interactive]
|[http://kontiki.sk/index.php/en/ Kon Tiki Multimedia]
|PS2 distribution
|Slovak Windows release (localized manual only)
|Current; PS2 version still being sold on website
|Unknown
|
|-
|Proein
|Spanish Windows, PS2 release
|Defunct
|[http://web.archive.org/web/20011224145800/http://www.proein.com/novedades.asp?pos=97][http://web.archive.org/web/20010715214014/http://www.proein.com/novedades.asp?pos=130]
|-
|-
{{th}}
!colspan="4"|Developers
!colspan="4"|Developers
|-
|-
|[http://www.bungie.net/projects/oni/default.aspx Bungie Software]
|Bungie, Inc.
|Original version (Windows & Mac (Carbon))
|Windows and Mac OS versions
|Bungie gave Take-Two the IP rights but may still have some ownership over the source
|None
|
|-
|Rockstar Canada<ref>Now known as Rockstar Toronto.</ref>
|PlayStation 2 port
|Rockstar is owned by Take-Two
|
|-
|[https://www.omnigroup.com/ The Omni Group]
|Maintaining [[History of Mac Oni|PPC Mac OS X build]] (2001-2003)
|Unknown
|[https://web.archive.org/web/20070307093831/https://www.omnigroup.com/games/oni/]
|-
|Feral Interactive
|Maintaining [[FERAL|Intel Mac OS X build]] (2009-2015)
|Unknown
|see above
|-
!colspan="4"|Localizers
|-
|Century Thor
|Chinese translation
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|Tarantula Studios UK
|French, Italian, German, Spanish translations
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|Elegant Chaos
|Technical assistance to Tarantula Studios
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|-
|[http://www.feralinteractive.com/ Feral Interactive]
|MediaQuest
|(none)
|Japanese localization
|Right to develop Mac OS X (Cocoa) port (Intel)
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|-
|[http://www.omnigroup.com/ The Omni Group]
|Buka Entertainment
|Mac OS X (Cocoa) port (PPC)
|Russian translation
|Likely still have right to maintain source
|N/A
|N/A
|-
|-
|[http://www.rockstargames.com/ Rockstar Games]
|Kon Tiki Multimedia
|PS2 port
|Slovak localization (manual only)
|Rockstar was bought by Take-Two
|N/A
|N/A
|}
|}


<nowiki>*</nowiki>Second-hand copies still on sale on sites such as Amazon and eBay.<br>
[[Category:Oni history]]
<sup>†</sup>Most sources give GoD as the Windows distributor, but the box itself has the Rockstar logo on it.

Latest revision as of 19:27, 28 October 2024

For a list of people who worked on Oni, see Credits.

Many people erroneously believe that Bungie still owns the IP rights to Oni, or that it's a Rockstar-developed game because they saw their logo on the PS2 version, or that Microsoft owns the title since they bought Bungie before Oni's release.

The reality is that Take-Two Interactive came to own Oni through a series of events explained in Oni § Buyout. The rights to Oni aren't complicated at the IP level, but many other companies had a hand in the sales, distribution and localization of the game around the world. There was even continued development of the Mac version post-release.

Below is an attempt to list all the companies involved with Oni. This information comes from the manuals, the box art, lots of research, and community knowledge. Some companies' rights have lapsed since Oni's release in 2001, so in one column we list the rights that were held at first, and then we give the current status of those rights to the best of our knowledge.

For pictures of the manuals see Category:Manuals. For the game boxes and discs, see Category:Packaging images. Note that the logos on the boxes can be very misleading with regards to which companies were involved with a release; the Logos page documents the choices that were made, illogical though they may be.

Since distributors are no longer selling Oni on their online stores, fans who wish to own the game should look for secondhand copies on sites where people re-sell items, such as Amazon and eBay.

Company Rights (past) Rights (now) Game page
Owners
Bungie, Inc. IP rights (until around June 16, 2000) None [1]
Take-Two Interactive IP rights (starting around June 16, 2000) IP rights
Publishers/Distributors/Localizers
Gathering of Developers English Windows U.S. release None[1]
Rockstar Games English PlayStation 2 U.S. release[2] Current (but no longer sold on website) [2][3][4]
MacSoft English Mac version (North America) None (company has closed)[3]
Jack of All Games English version (distribution)[4] None (company has closed)[5]
Feral Interactive EFIGS Mac releases (Europe) Current? (no longer sold on website) [5][6]
Application Systems Heidelberg German Mac release Current? (no longer sold on website) [7]
TalonSoft Distribution, tech support None (company has closed)[6]
Century Thor Chinese localization Unknown
MediaQuest Japanese localization, Mac/Windows Unknown[7]
Buka Entertainment Russian localization Current? (no longer sold on website) [8]
King's International Multimedia Taiwanese Windows release 1 (English Euro version) Unknown
Infogrames Taiwan Taiwanese Windows release 2 (Chinese localization) Company was sold to Bandai Namco
GreenLeaf Brazilian Portuguese Windows release (localized manual only) Unknown
Kon Tiki Multimedia Slovak Windows release (localized manual only) Unknown
Proein Spanish Windows, PS2 release Defunct [9][10]
Developers
Bungie, Inc. Windows and Mac OS versions None
Rockstar Canada[8] PlayStation 2 port Rockstar is owned by Take-Two
The Omni Group Maintaining PPC Mac OS X build (2001-2003) Unknown [11]
Feral Interactive Maintaining Intel Mac OS X build (2009-2015) Unknown see above
Localizers
Century Thor Chinese translation N/A N/A
Tarantula Studios UK French, Italian, German, Spanish translations N/A N/A
Elegant Chaos Technical assistance to Tarantula Studios N/A N/A
MediaQuest Japanese localization N/A N/A
Buka Entertainment Russian translation N/A N/A
Kon Tiki Multimedia Slovak localization (manual only) N/A N/A
  1. ↑ Gathering had been owned by Take-Two since May 2000, and was merged into Global Star Software (another subsidiary of Take-Two) in 2004. Global Star was then merged into 2K Games in 2007.
  2. ↑ Rockstar has been owned by Take-Two since 1998 when T2 bought Rockstar's parent company BMG Interactive. Even though Rockstar is only listed as the PS2 publisher in many places, and Gathering was supposed to be the Windows publisher, most PC boxes only have the Rockstar logo on it and not Gathering's (with the exception of the US box).
  3. ↑ MacSoft was owned by Destineer, which seems to have closed in 2011. This is how their site looked before it was closed and replaced by the "in memoriam" page linked behind "MacSoft" above.
  4. ↑ It doesn't look like JoAG had a storefront where they sold Oni; instead it seems that they were performing support on the distribution side in the U.S. and overseas. Although we haven't seen their logo on any product outside the U.S., Australian reviewers regarded JoAG as the distributor of the Windows version.
  5. ↑ Jack of All Games had been owned by Take-Two since 1998, then was sold to IT company Synnex in 2010 and folded into their distribution operations.
  6. ↑ TalonSoft had been owned by Take-Two since December 1998, but closed in 2002.
  7. ↑ The brand name MediaQuest was retired in 2005 in favor of the label Kids Station, but ownership of MediaQuest properties presumably stayed under the same parent company Mitsui & Co. (though if MQ's properties were assigned to Kids Station, then it's worth noting that Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan has co-ownership of Kids Station now).
  8. ↑ Now known as Rockstar Toronto.
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