Disney’s main mascot, Mickey Mouse, becomes a public domain as his license runs out in 2024.
A new year can mean a lot of things, maybe setting new goals, making friends, or achieving something you dreamed of all the time. For companies or artists of old age, however, a new year means the loss of the copyright they own for those properties. This is nothing new by any means, but once it hits a huge company, then it starts becoming a meme around the internet. For 2024, there are a lot of properties that become public domain as they break their 60, 70, or 80-year rule, and the original Mickey Mouse is one of them.
Not to be confused with the Mickey Mouse that is in front of Disney all the time, this Mickey Mouse has a different appearance and only appeared in a few short animations back in the late 1920s. The original Mickey Mouse was featured in Steamboat Willie in 1928, and now his appearance is considered public domain, thus making it an easy cash-in for animators, content creators, and even game creators.
It is not a surprise that someone has to go down the line of creating a video game around Mickey Mouse, as it is now in people’s hands. Infestation: Origins, a horror game based on stalking creatures and pitch-black settings, is now up on Steam’s upcoming games list. One of the creatures that follows the main character around bears a very similar look to the original Mickey Mouse. The game also includes other stalking enemies, but obviously, Mickey Mouse is the most prominent, as it is the sign that people are allowed to use the character however they like.
In Infestation: Origins, players will have to find a radiated entity that is causing a lot of problems in the storage facilities, and as you can guess, the radiation is affecting the rats in the storage. The crew has to find the source of radiation and get rid of it while being chased down by an unearthly creature.
Since game-making is not an easy task, we are not expecting to see Infestation: Origins right away; however, the game page tells us that the game is aiming for a 2024 release. With its online co-op and PvE elements, it is no different than games like Left 4 Dead or Lethal Company. However, including a mascot from the 1920s as a creeping entity is going to be a nice twist, and surely will draw the attention of people who are seeking spooky experiences.
