In case you aren’t privy, recently Bethesda, maker of the Elder Scrolls series, decided to open a law suit against Mojang, the creators of Minecraft, over the word ‘Scrolls’. Mojang had chosen to use the word ‘Scrolls’ in an upcoming game and it didn’t occur to them that it could even be considered as close to a trademark as it’s a single word. While Mojang is convinced that Bethesda doesn’t have a leg to stand on, it’s a thorn in the newly married Notch’s side that he would rather not have to deal with. So, in homage to the television program Game of Thrones, Notch has requested a ‘trial by battle’. He assures us he is quite serious, but the battle won’t leave anything maimed but someone’s ego.
A Quake 3 battle. 3 of each company’s strongest warriors would battle for a total of 40 minutes across two levels (each company would choose one) with the highest frag count being the winner.

If Mojang wins, Bethesda leaves them alone. If Bethesda wins, Mojang will change the game name to something Bethesda wouldn’t object to. Notch adds, “Regardless of the outcome, we could still have a small text somewhere saying our game is not related to your game series in any way, if you wish.”

While the Bethesda lawyers might not like this idea, it would be an easily spun promotional piece for either company. If it helps, here’s my vote to make this happen!

To see Notch’s announcement or to follow the saga, visit http://notch.tumblr.com>