[Update 1/12/21 - 11:10 AM]
TechRaptor has been given a statement clarifying some errors that we made while researching the article. Here it is:
Hello, we would like to correct your article on the Devil Engine legal dispute. Tristan Chapman is in control of the legal entity "Protoculture Games LLC". The music and artwork is the legal property of the composer and artist, Joseph and Thomas Bailey respectively. Protoculture Games LLC has taken it upon themselves to sell our work without our permission on Steam and other platforms.
That appears to clear things up a bit. We'll have to see how it turns out from here.
We have corrected the original story below with these facts.
Developer Protoculture Games and now former publisher Dangen Entertainment has announced that they have found a "amicable solution" to the conflict between both parties regarding Devil Engine. This has been ongoing since 2019, and if you would like to discover or refresh your memory on why these two parties were at loggerheads, check out the exhaustive TechRaptor article. The full quote between the two parties is below:
We are very happy to announce that Protoculture and Dangen have resolved their differences to their mutual satisfaction. The parties have found an amicable solution to terminate the current Devil Engine contract and have the rights revert to Protoculture games. Upon extensive review, Protoculture's own legal counsel has concluded that Dangen's contracts, payments, and sales reports have been reasonable, fair and carried out in good faith throughout the publishing partnership.
Protoculture appreciates the effort Dangen made to reach a mutually agreeable result and the good faith it displayed in resolving these maters, and looks forward to moving Devil Engine and Devil Engine Ignition in new directions.
Dangen's COO Dan Stern had this to say: "Devil Engine is a fantastic game. I can't wait to see fans able to support the developer directly. We wish Protoculture Games nothing but the best in their future endeavors and look forward to Devil Engine Ignition's release.
Devil Engine legal issues continue
Protoculture Games then posted another tweet where it's clear that everything is not sunshine and roses. They posted the tweet in order to "fulfill legal obligations that Protoculture Games LLC has agreed to". However, Protoculture Games cannot use the art or music in Devil Engine because they are owned by Joseph and Thomas Bailey respectively. Tristan Chapman, the programmer and lead developer of Devil Engine, owns Protoculture Games LLC. He doesn't control the Twitter account (Joseph and Thomas Bailey do) and have stated that they did not condone the "majority of Tristan Chapman's behavior and statements to media in the past and we will no longer be working with him in the future." Chapman was the source of most of the comments the company made in regards to Dangen Entertainment in the past.
As such, the game is also not "safe" to purchase as of yet, as two-thirds of the development team are not benefiting from sales of Devil Engine on any platform. This also goes for sales of the title's OST, as it's currently being sold without Joseph Bailey (the composer's) permission. Protoculture is still under Tristan Chapman's control, outside of the Twitter account, including the Steam account for Protoculture, and thus Chapman is receiving the payments, while the Bailey's are not getting paid. All told, sounds like Protoculture Games still has a lot to unravel still.
For more information on Protoculture Games, Dangen Entertainment, and Devil Engine, stay tuned to TechRaptor. If you are curious about Devil Engine, check it out on Steam and the Nintendo Switch.
What do you think of this news? Have you ever played Devil Engine? Let us know in the comments!
