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EA Explains Copied Warhammer 40K Designs

In the age of the Internet, it's tough to steal design ideas and not get caught. Publisher Electronic Arts was recently accused of stealing tank designs from Games Workshop for its upcoming free-to-play game Command & Conquer Tiberium Alliances.

A thread published on Reddit compared some of the designs to those found in Warhammer 40,000, and they looking strikingly similar. EA contends the designs were only used internally, however, and there are no plans to use them in the actual game.

Below is the publisher's statement sent to Game Informer:

Games Workshop and EA are aware of the IP issues around the artwork in question, which have now been resolved. The artwork was internal EA concept art that was unintentionally released publicly.

No Warhammer 40,000 tanks have ever made an appearance in Command and Conquer Tiberium Alliances, and never will. Games Workshop and EA continue to have a strong relationship working together on Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning and the new free to play game Warhammer Online: Wrath of Heroes which just entered open beta.

Comments
  • I'd like to hear Game Workshop's statement on the situation.

    I also don't understand why they need a tank that looks like the Baneblade, they have the MAMMOTH TANK.
  • One of the artists was probably just inspired by Warhammer, then again, who knows if EA was going to actually use those designs in the finished game if they hadn't been caught
  • JAILL!!
  • Warhammer is so cool, I'd copy it too!

  • who wouldnt want a Baneblade on their side?
  • OK....

  • Another reason EA has won the "Golden Poo" award....
  • who cares. i mean really its a virtual take. get over it and make more tank thanks.
  • In this day and age it's hard to come up with something without people referencing it to something else.Games,films,books,people always have a complaint about how it's a copy of a copy of copy.Even if this was unintentional,companies should double check their reference material.
  • hmmm, still they were concept designs how do you get so close to something even if it's never going to appear in game? EA is in a lot of trouble lately and frankly I think they need to step back and reevaluate all the things they are getting flaked for instead of just whimsically brushing them off.
  • The Baneblade... how many times have my ranks of warriors been swallowed in their continuous large blast templates.

    Ordinance. To the first degree.

    But, when Games-Workshop brought forth such an amazing universe so many years ago, didn't they realize this would happen? It already has, and more than likely will again!.

  • What's next, we're going to see NOD-run Land Raiders? I know it's a good tank but come on...

  • Zynga pretty much copies entire games and it's not a huge deal.
  • I hope EA didn't steal someone else's ideas.

  • Do people freak out when Activision uses a "Generic American" model from "Generic Wars of Death Carnage Six"?

  • Not using original work of the C&C as inspiration and instead using another series as inspiration is more or less spiting in the fans faces both.

  • I would copy that design, too if I were them.  who wouldn't want that tank on their side?

  • Although the image and the observation actually originated on the video games board of 4chan, I'm assuming Reddit is a "safer" reference to use simply because it's a bit tamer than /v/. But still, at least this crap got out onto the major gaming news sites. EA shouldn't be allowed to get away with this stuff.
  • That is an exact replica! What the frick C&C!? I trusted you...

  • "EA in charge of original design"

    I laughed.

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