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Re:When a Video-Game World Ends by zhemao on Tuesday January 12, 2016 @11:54PM (#10892389)
In the US, copyright lasts 70 years after the death of the creator, even if the copyright holder doesn't actively do anything with the IP.

Those art assets probably just languish on some backup server. If they're not just completely lost.

Re:When a Video-Game World Ends by Steko on Wednesday January 13, 2016 @01:58AM (#10892719)
Likely works for hire so I guess that's 95 years. I assume for a lot of companies they go thru some liquidation and hopefully aren't just wasted.
Re:When a Video-Game World Ends by anon4 on Wednesday January 13, 2016 @02:07AM (#10892757)
Isn't it 95 years now?
Re:When a Video-Game World Ends by xenophonf on Wednesday January 13, 2016 @04:55PM (#10897864)
You're thinking of works made for hire or anonymous/pseudonymous works, which is the lesser of 95 years from first publication or 120 years from creation:

http://www.copyright.gov/circs/circ15a.pdf

Re:When a Video-Game World Ends by zhemao on Wednesday January 13, 2016 @12:32PM (#10895958)
WTF? And just when I thought it couldn't get any crazier.