David Jaffe and SCEA sued: God of War story was stolen?

It seems God of War may have looked to more than just Greek Mythology for inspiration. Sony and game designer David Jaffe have been sued for copyright infringement. The suit claims that story elements of God of War were stolen from pre-existing works of fiction. Nitty-gritty details in the full article.

It seems God of War may have looked to more than just Greek Mythology for inspiration. Sony and game designer David Jaffe have been sued for copyright infringement.

The suit claims that story elements of God of War were stolen from a pre-existing works of fiction submitted to Sony in 2002. Now here’s how it goes:

• The works of fiction were submitted to Sony in 2002
• The first game was released in 2005
• Jaffe once said that the game took three years to develop

Coinkidink? Well, the plaintiffs don’t seem to think so. The plaintiffs, Jonathan Bissoon-Dath and Jennifer Barrette-Herzog, cited several examples to how the game stole from their work. Examples of these are:

• Plaintiff’s works tell the original story of how a champion saves Athens from destruction by the invading Spartan army that has been sent by Ares… [GoW]… is the story of how a champion chosen by Zeus and Athens saves Athen from destruction by an invading army sent by Ares…
• In plaintiff’s original work and God of War, the Champion’s family is hacked to death in a one-room building in a small peaceful village. In both stories the Champion feels partially responsible even though he is not really to blame…
• In exchange for Kratos‘ pledge, Ares gives him… the Blades of Chaos… two massive, glowing, sword-like blades fastened to chains fused to Kratos’s wrists… These Blade of Chaos are taken directly from a scene in Bissoon-Dath’s work… “As Zeus strides forward… his hands MORPH into two massive swords that glow like light sabers…”
• …Owen must cross the Bottomless Valley over a long, sagging suspension bridge, shown on Barrette-Herzog’s map… in God of War Kratos must cross the Bottomless Chasm on a long, sagging suspension bridge…

SCEA and Jaffe both deny copyright infringement (of course), pointing out that Greek mythology is public domain. They claim that the accusations made by the plaintiffs were “inaccurate, incomplete, abstracted, and/or misleading.”

So did they, or didn’t they? Personally, I just hope it doesn’t get in the way of God of War III.

• AGDC 2008: God of War III script details emerge
• E3 2008: God of War 3 trailer revealed, March 2009 release possible

Via GamePolitics