No High Elves because of copyright reasons?

[blobbydan]

Do you think the reason Blizz won't release High Elves is because they aren't a copyrightable property?
We've seen this problem happen to Games Workshop with their generically named properties having to be renamed to copyrightable names. Such as Eldar becoming "Aeldari", Dark Eldar becoming "Drukhari". Even their High Elves becoming "Idoneth Deepkin" and Dark Elves becoming "Sisters of Khaine".
It seems to me that Blizz calling their High Elves "Void Elves" is the same sort of problem solving... Just a thought.

[Sentynel]

Do you think the reason Blizz won't release High Elves is because they aren't a copyrightable property?
We've seen this problem happen to Games Workshop with their generically named properties having to be renamed to copyrightable names. Such as Eldar becoming "Aeldari", Dark Eldar becoming "Drukhari". Even their High Elves becoming "Idoneth Deepkin" and Dark Elves becoming "Sisters of Khaine".
It seems to me that Blizz calling their High Elves "Void Elves" is the same sort of problem solving... Just a thought.

There are High Elves in the game as NPCs.

[Utigarde]

High Elves arent copyrighted.

[united]

High Elves arent copyrighted.

That's what he's saying. That Blizzard won't release them because the name "high elf" can't be copyrighted.

Of course it makes no sense. Look at the most popular race in the game, human.

[Utigarde]

That's what he's saying. That Blizzard won't release them because the name "high elf" can't be copyrighted.

Of course it makes no sense. Look at the most popular race in the game, human.

No race is copyrighted. Why would they copywrite a race name?

[Nikkaszal]

This is why we also don't have the "Human" race, or the "Orc" race, or the "Dwarf" race, or...

Oh wait

[plz delete account]

Even if this was a copyright issue, Quel'dorei literally means high elf. Just rename them to that.

[Merryck]

Yes, because dwarves and humans have totally been copyrighted.

[Maljinwo]

No race is copyrighted. Why would they copywrite a race name?

Quick question tho
Are races created by Blizzard such as Draenei copyrighted? I mean, I dont think another game could get away with naming a race like that

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Honestly the "reason" if you ask me is that they are literally just Blood Elves with blue eyes and maybe some new hairstyles.

You can tell all the Allied Races from a distance, despite the 4 we have so far being offshoots. Different faces, different horns, different skin colors, a literal rune floating over their head.

A different eye color not so much. Hence why they became "void," to give them unique skin colors and their fancy tentacle hair.

[plz delete account]

Quick question tho
Are races created by Blizzard such as Draenei copyrighted? I mean, I dont think another game could get away with naming a race like that

AFAIK Draenei, Tauren, etc are copyrighted.

[Lucreta]

Quick question tho
Are races created by Blizzard such as Draenei copyrighted? I mean, I dont think another game could get away with naming a race like that

I would assume if it's something uniquely created for this game they could argue it in court if they wanted or they have some sort of copyright on it. That said I doubt anything as generic as High Elf or even Elf in general could be an issue since it's used in all sorts of generic fantasy properties.

[Lahis]

Generic fantasy races are too, well, generic concepts to be copyrighted.

[Mad_Murdock]

High elves might have required them to offer out different animations. Instead, copy and paste Blood elves with new skin colors was the quick and cheap answer. Same for Night elves...errr Nightborne elves.

[Combatbutler]

High elves might have required them to offer out different animations.

High elves are literally a copy paste of blood elves, they are the exact same race after all, only have a different name.

[Powerogue]

I'd say "but then just call them quel'dorei" "we already have factions of high elves in game that are called high elves" and "humans/orcs/dwarves/gnomes/etc haven't been a problem thus far" are already the nail in the coffin of this argument.

At the end of the day: They would just be blue-eyed blood elves. That's why we got void elves instead.

You might say "oh but they could just follow fanfiction and write in an entire new faction of high elves with a completely different aesthetic we haven't seen since WC1" but it's already a joke how many darn elves we have.

void elf male /silly: Oh goody, another elf.

[Gado]

At the end of the day: They would just be blue-eyed blood elves. That's why we got void elves instead.[/I]

Hell, lorewise the Fel taint on the Blood Elves has almost worn off completely. Within maybe 10 WoW years there won't be even the slightest difference between the two

[Deleted]

High elves are literally a copy paste of blood elves, they are the exact same race after all, only have a different name.

And Kul'Tirans are just humans. And Thrall is just an orc. They have wildly different models and animations to the standard versions of their race. Because player races in WoW can't be taken to realistically represent an entire species. The customization is extremely limited. To say High Elves would have to lazily copy paste the belfs with an eye color swap is extremely lacking in imagination.

The real problem is its too late now, Blizz is sadly going with the lazier option. Belfs with new textures and hairstyles. Dwarves with dark skin and glowing eyes. Rather than making them truly individuals.


(also this thread really is dumb)

[Obelisk Kai]

We don't need another topic on this. It is going to derail into the same back and forth with the same usual suspects.

The reason High Elves aren't playable is the one given by Ion in December, they are playable as a Horde race called Blood Elves.

That is the why. We don't need to argue about the why here. There are two or three other threads doing that.

[Dhrizzle]

Do you think the reason Blizz won't release High Elves is because they aren't a copyrightable property?
We've seen this problem happen to Games Workshop with their generically named properties having to be renamed to copyrightable names. Such as Eldar becoming "Aeldari", Dark Eldar becoming "Drukhari". Even their High Elves becoming "Idoneth Deepkin" and Dark Elves becoming "Sisters of Khaine".
It seems to me that Blizz calling their High Elves "Void Elves" is the same sort of problem solving... Just a thought.

Void Elves are still elves, GW renamed theirs "Aelves" to get the copyright.