Ends and Odds

It would appear that the viral mock-Atari game of Waiting for Godot, which can currently be seen in a YouTube video here, has failed to amuse the author's estate.

In an interview with The Rumpus Mike Rosenthal, the game's designer, relates,

To quote one of the several cease and desist letters I received from the French lawyers representing the Beckett estate, “Unfortunately we do not share your sense of humor.”  They asked me to change the name “Waiting for Godot,” because they held the rights to it.  Under American law, my game is considered parody and is protected under fair use, but I complied since I’m just a college kid who can’t really afford a lawyer.  So I changed the name to “Samuel Becketttt’s Lawyers Present: Waiting for Grodoudou.”  I even explicitly stated on my website that my game is now referring to the Australian Samuel Becketttt, not to be confused with the Irish Samuel Beckett.  They didn’t appreciate that.  So now it’s just called “Game.”  Personally, I find it ironic that a publishing house established to surreptitiously print works censored by occupying Germans wants so strongly to censor my game.  But I think they would just get mad at me again if I brought this up.  We’re on good terms now, and I wouldn’t want to damage our friendship.  Needless to say, I’m expected Christmas cards.


The full interview can be read here.

An adapted version of the game is available here.