Thread

What reversing, modernising old games tells us about the economic impact of AI

135 points · 90 comments · keeda

georgeecollins · 1790640824 · focus · HN ↗
I don’t think reverse engineering a commercial game is legal. I don’t know if it is right or wrong, or if anyone can stop it.
1. AdeptusAquinas · 1790647965 · focus · HN ↗
  If they can argue its copyright infringement, then you can be sued for it. Sometimes you can get away with just a rebuild of the engine without the assets (do not try to copy the assets!) but even then its up to the company's lawyers if they want to push it. Certainly if you try to sell your remake things get spiky. Can look at all the legal disclaimers on things like OpenSAGE as an example. But plenty of companies are cool, as long as they see no competition to their own copyright: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_game_engine_recreations" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_game_engine_recreation...
  1. georgeecollins · 1790652843 · focus · HN ↗
    There is also trademark law to consider.
  2. gmerc · 1790667428 · focus · HN ↗
    OpenAI and anthropic make the case that if the model decided to reverse engineer the game itself after getting prompt injected, I mean inspired, “GPU did it” is a perfectly valid defense and we should invite the owner of the GPU to write future regulation
    AdeptusAquinas · 1790670195 · focus · HN ↗
    Seems fair. If you have a thousand dollars and try to clone a million dollar game, you're sued so hard your grandchildren need lawyers. If you have a billion dollars and try to clone a million dollar game, they call you a genius and invite you to the white house (for what that's even worth any more).
    owebmaster · 1790683456 · focus · HN ↗
    Don't delude yourself thinking you can use their same argument.

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