Today Disney's copyright on the earliest version of Mickey Mouse expired, and the developers of Infestation 88 were ready to pounce.
US law dictates that copyright can be held only for 95 years, which means that the early design of Disney's mascot that appeared in the 1928 film “Steamboat Willie" is now in the public domain.
On the same day this happened, developer Nightmare Forge Games announced its first game, the co-op horror game Infestation 88, which can already be wishlisted on Steam.
The game prominently features a horrifying mangled version of the earlier Mickey of “Steamboat Willie" as one if its enemies.
Treading the muddy waters of copyright law reveals the fact that only the early design of the character can be used, and can't be given any of the elements added in later versions of Mickey. On top of that, he needs to be used in a completely original way.
What we can see of Nightmare Forge Games' version of Mickey appears to satisfy these conditions, but it's hard to be completely positive.
The game will be released in early access in 2024 and comes with the following big disclaimer.
This game is inspired by works that are now in the public domain. This independent creation has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise endorsed by any original authors of said works.
All content in this game is used under appropriate public domain guidelines, and is not affiliated with, related to, or endorsed by any existing intellectual property or trademark holders.
We hear that it'll be an episodic co-op survival horror with Phasmophobia vibes for 1-4 players playing as exterminators fighting against a horrifying infestation.
Below you can find a trailer, courtesy of IGN.
We're promised private and public lobbies, proximity and global voice chat, and a variety of strategies to succeed.
Players are tasked with finding the source of the infestation, treating it by using a variety of extermination gear, and of course, surviving.
Every episode will feature "a distinct classic character or urban legend responsible for the infestation," so that means Mickey is the antagonist only in the first episode. The rest of the antagonists have not been announced.
