S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Using Unlicensed Assets From Doom 3?

segafreak writes "ShackNews reports that S.T.A.L.K.E.R.:Shadow of Chernobyl may contain unlicensed assets from other commercial games such as Doom 3 and Half Life 2. Though this has yet to be confirmed by any of the developers involved, if true this would be somewhat worrying. 'Responding to inquiries made by Shacknews, id Software CEO Todd Hollshead stated: I've seen a post on a web forum that claims DOOM3 assets are used in another game, but we've been working hard on Enemy Territory: Quake Wars as well as our own internal project and have not had the time to fully investigate or otherwise verify that the claim is true. Only from what I've seen on the Web, it's concerning. However, it may turn out to be nothing.'"

Possibly not stolen

[vr0p]

From the linked screenshots, the alleged borrowed assets appear to be shaders or bumpmaps and such. That is, tools for the map developer that the gamer doesn't "see" per se. Perhaps, like sound effects, companies license the use of such "tools"? I know I've heard the same gunshot noise in 500 movies and video games, and that crazy death scream...

Re:troubling if true

[CogDissident]

Remember this is a Zonk story.
It is a allegation that stalker may possibly use the same assets as are used in HL2 or D3, and an assumption that they did not pay for the rights to use these (through purchasing the same developer tools, or simply paying eachother off).

Good ol Zonk, posting a story that is not just an assumption, but an assumption of an assumption.

"Worrying Development"?

[RexRhino]

I know I haven't been able to sleep since I heard this story! S.T.A.L.K.E.R., might have (may have, even), used some highly generic normal-mapping textures that the user doesn't really see, from other games!!! God damn that is worrying!

Think of enourmous damage that has been done to the Half Life and Doom franchise by such a thing! I was looking forward to the next Doom game, but it is all ruined for me now.

The next thing you know, people will be sampling a half second loop from other people's songs, adding other musical elements over it, and turning it into a new piece of music! And children will be encouraged to cut pictures out from magazines, and glue them on another piece of paper to create a new piece of artwork... IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS EVEN!!

Won't someone think of the childre... er, the big multinational corporations!!!

Absolutely true

[UncleRage]

With the small exception that it actually came out a few weeks back and, with some exceptions, is a relatively polished game. True that MP isn't nearly what many had hoped (8+ coop anyone?), but that doesn't detract that despite the long development cycle... it's a real game, not vapor.

And, IMHO, it's a pretty good game at that. So, yer post is absolutely true... with the exceptions of comparisons to Daikatana and DNF. Oh and the bit about the boards... they're pretty jumping, actually.

So other than the inaccurate reference to those other two games, and the comment about the dead forums... man, you're right on!