3D Realms is back into the legal spotlight once more following a dispute regarding the Duke Nukem series with Gearbox, though this time they are the source of ire when it comes to their Ion Maiden game. The Bombshell prequel looks incredible, unfortunately, heavy metal band Iron Maiden was less than thrilled.
It’s much more than just the name similarities, the band is also speaking out against the game’s marketing and use of their logo, citing that it’s confusing consumers and is negatively impacting their own business model. According to the band, the confusion surrounding Iron Maiden vs. Ion Maiden has been bountiful, with a few examples listed below:
- “…commenting that they were misled into believing that the Ion Maiden game was an Iron Maiden game.”
- “…clicking on an Ion Maiden online thread thinking that the thread was related to Iron Maiden.”
- “…reading an article about the Ion Maiden video game waiting for an explained connection to Iron Maiden.”
- “…wondering the whole time, while reading an article about the Ion Maiden video game, how they (Defendant) got the license to use the Ion Maiden name (from Iron Maiden).”
- “…expressing genuine excitement for an Iron Maiden video game.”
- “…and commenting that ‘all that’s missing is an … Iron Maiden soundtrack’ and that the Iron Maiden song ‘Can I Play with Madness’ would fit right in.”
As for the game itself, Ion Maiden is set to release in Q4 of 2019 and the studio took to their Twitter to share their thoughts on the legal pursuit saying:
… (2/4) Shelly Harrison, originally debuting in 2016’s Bombshell, is based on their musician Steve Harris; our skull bomb icon found in-game is based on their skeleton mascot Eddie; our logo in itself is based on theirs; and other frivolous claims anyone who has played…
— 3D Realms (@3DRealms) May 30, 2019
(4/4)… lawsuit and will make any necessary decisions at the appropriate time.
Regardless, everyone continues to work diligently on Ion Maiden to deliver the best possible experience later this year.
— 3D Realms (@3DRealms) May 30, 2019
For now, the studio has mentioned their plans to continue development as normal. Though they don’t seem too worried, Iron Maiden’s legal team has more than proven that they know how to win a case, as evident in a previous lawsuit with Naughty Dog founder Jason Rubin regarding his comic Iron and the Maiden.
Story developing …
H/T Kotaku
