
This week saw the launch of Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - Reunion, a remake of the 2007 PSP title from Square Enix.
We thought the game was pretty darn good, all told, awarding it a solid 8/10 in our review and praising the thrilling combat and solid visuals. It seems, however, that Reunion developer Tose left a rather unfortunate (albeit hilarious) development oversight in the final product.
As spotted by Kotaku, a painting seen in several locations of the game appears to have been ripped straight from the Getty Images website, as evidenced by the rather garish watermark left on the painting itself. See for yourself:
The original image has been sourced by Kotaku and can be viewed on the Getty Images website: Ludgate Circus, London, 1881. Artist: John Crowther. It's clear as day that this is the exact image used in Crisis Core - Final Fantasy VII - Reunion given that the watermark is in the exact same place.
While undoubtely quite funny, it's also troubling that a developer would leave this in, as it not only breaks immersion for anybody who happens to spot it, but it also indicates that the artist responsible likely took the image without actually paying for the relevant license. Regardless, it's likely that Square Enix will patch it out now that it's out in the wild.
Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.
What do you make of this little blunder? Getty yourself down to the comments and let us know.
[source kotaku.com]
Comments 33
I couldn't even see it until the third almost zoomed in image.
A funny goofup indeed, but if characters discussing the buttons to press don't break my immersion, this has no chance in hell to.
I wouldn't exactly call it "garish" when it's almost impossible to even see.
What "gets" me is that they put the image through a filter, so they processed it and checked it visually.
Might've been the work of an inattentive intern or junior hire.
It was likely used for visual testing but they forgot to follow through with licensing the image and/or putting in the licensed image.
Watermark removal techniques exist, but that would probably be an illegal use of the stock image.
Edit: They also could done a cursory image search and found an image without the watermark quite easily, since this doesn't really fall under stock image so much.
https://www.meisterdrucke.es/impresion-art%C3%ADstica/John-Crowther/1148691/Circo-de-Ludgate,-Londres,-1881.html
Square Enix of all companies did something cheap, lazy, and unethical? I am shocked!
This is the same company that shipped multiple Kingdom Hearts games with cutscenes with the watermarks for the free versions of video rendering programs visible.
Sorry but that is just lazy, they needed a picture so just imported something from the internet and didnt notice the watermark??? Sloppy
Also Amazon just delivered my game.....a PS4 version.....I dont own a PS4 and ordered the Switch version, well done.
There is a chance this was a placeholder until they paid the lincense, but after processing it looked so good they forgot they had to go back to it. It's one small patch away
@Lizuka wth lmao
Probably could've had an Easter egg of like FF7 images from one of the pre rendered towns or something, this just seems silly.
"Breaks immersion"?
You guys don't all have watermarked paintings on the wall?
.. Have I been scammed!?!?!
Okami Wii boxart flashback.
Oh, and Sonic & Sega Racing too with accidental fanart... of the wrong character.
Please stop linking to twitter.
Lawsuit coming soon, of course.
The Picture is over 100 Years old, isn't it public domain now?
@Azuris Yeah, that should be public domain in pretty much any part of the world. Getty likely offers a high quality print or scan as a service and doesn’t own the image. The watermark would be there just to dissuade people from downloading it and not buying the scan. Clearly that didn’t work this time!
Somebody at some random art outsourcing studio in Asia is about to get fired.
I can't find this talked about anywhere, but is the physical game all on one cartridge or is it a download code in box or partial online download?
For anyone paying attention, THIS is where you can legitimately use the term "lazy devs."
What's Sasuke doing in final fantasy
@Lizuka Dude, name a company that hasn't been lazy one way or another. Companies live to be cheap. Also, nice pfp, that was my best friends first anime.
Correct me of O'm wrong; I believe it's not necessarily illegal to use unlicensed images if you keep the watermark. I saw a TED Talk where the speaker specifically kept them in as a talking point on being frugal or something. The rules may change when it's in a product people pay for, however.
@AlexanderDaniels According to Nintendo's website, the game is 16.1GB, but unboxing videos do not show the any text on the box saying you need to download the rest of the game. Maybe there's a day 1 update though.
You know wh could have been a better idea? A picture of an anonymous location...
...that later turns out to be a landmark featured in FFXVI. Now that would be smart foreshadowing
@Chlocean The photographer has a right to be compensated for the use of their work, if the artwork is PD or not, and the picture agency is going to demand their share. Leaving the watermark in is basically an IOU inviting the lawyers to come collect.
Wow all of a sudden Tommy Tallarico doesn't seem so bad after all.
It's a goof-up, but not a huge deal. Besides you have to look real close to see. I am sure they will replace this or something. But like I said, not a huge deal.
@r0mer0
I second this!
NINTENDO LIFE, please stop linking to Twitter!
it adds nothing and if it's the crux of an article... maybe it's not a good article?
" ...it also indicates that the artist responsible likely took the image without actually paying for the relevant license."
does it, though? feels like conjecture.
Another embarrassment on SE's sad decline.
Plagiarism... Film at 11
@Bunkerneath the internet hates us, it’s normal
@r0mer0 Makes sense; I appreciate the correction.
@Serpenterror Oof, Tommy still sounds far more sinister than this, likely inexperienced, graphic designer.
Show Comments
Leave A Comment
Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...