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PopCap Distressed Over 'CopyCat' Games
GamesIndustry.biz, in an interview with PopCap Games chief creative officer Jason Kapalka, reports that the company is apparently a bit miffed at 'imitation games'. Puzzle games being what they are, Kapalka finds the number of Bejewel-like titles on the market frustrating. "Very few games are developed without reference to past games. There's always going to be titles that build on a previous mechanic or game. But there's a fine line between that and very bold-faced rip-offs that aren't adding anything to the game and are just trying to make a quick buck." Over at 1up, editor Ray Barnholt points out that PopCap is a funny company to be making that claim. Several of that group's most popular games are in turn tweaks or imitations of little-known Japanese puzzle titles from the 90s.
This is like that time RedOctane sued the Ant Commandos for making guitar controllers for their games.
(RedOctane got their start making dance pads for Konami's games)
"When the atomic bomb goes off there's devastation...but when the atomic bong goes off there's celebraaaaation!"
FTFS:
Over at 1up, editor Ray Barnholt points out that PopCap is a funny company to be making that claim. Several of that group's most popular games are in turn tweaks or imitations of little-known Japanese puzzle titles from the 90s.That's hilarious. One of PopCap's best-known games, Dynomite, is a direct ripoff of Taito's Puzzle Bobble, one of the best-known (and -loved) puzzle games of all time. It's not a very good one, either. It's "cheap", in that if the timer runs out while the animation for removing eggs from lines that would save you is playing, you lose (among various similar failings.)
PopCap can stick their whining about ripoffs right up their hypocritical, untalented asses.
"You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
He's right that the indie clones are not a concern to PopCap, but I wonder if he knows -why-?
In my opinion, it's all in the presentation. A mediocre game with fluid, easy-to-use interface and pretty face interests me a LOT more than an amazingly-clever game with a crappy, ugly interface.
Simon Tatham's Portable Games are a great example of this. Those games are -awesome- ideas. But I would be much more inclined to play them more often if they were prettied up, and the interface made better. (Yes, I -have- considered doing this myself, but I'm not an artist, and not all that great at GUI design either.)
On the other hand, games from PopCap and such that are pretty always draw me in and at least get me to try them. Burger Rush is a good example here. It's -just- a Bejeweled clone with good graphics, and a little side-action. But my Sister has played through it at least 5 times, and my mother at least 7. They still enjoy it.
"If you make people think they're thinking, they'll love you; But if you really make them think, they'll hate you." - DM