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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.
as long as they don't start dragging people into court - they are entitled to 'feel' however they want about it.
It's hard to believe that's how Micronians are made. Why don't we see it right now by having you both kiss one another?
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!"
I'm not sure if the copying their refering to is flat out copying, or say, the same game with a slightly tweaked look or rules to it, or if somebody is taking the base idea and improving off of it Personally, I don't see a problem with using an idea of something that works in your own product, using a sucessful idea and building off it encourages market competition, and helps to create a better product for the consumer, so i dont see why popcap is angry if somebody is using their base ideas (which it sounds like werent even theirs) to create something "new and improved" the only thing they'd be angry about is losing their market, and if that is so, they should quit complaining and work on developing something better
http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/copyright/cases /allen_vs_academicgames.html
"Here, Allen has not shown that it is possible to distinguish the
expression of the rules of his game manuals from the idea of
the rules themselves. Thus, the doctrine of merger applies and
although Allen may be entitled to copyright protection for the
physical form of his games, he is not afforded protection for
the premises or ideas underlying those games. To hold other-
wise would give Allen a monopoly on such commonplace
ideas as a simple rule on how youngsters should play their
games."
For what it's worth, Puzzle Quest (a Bejeweled-engine RPG) is absolutely brilliant, and definitely constitutes real innovation. It's a real upgrade, and very clever.
My blog: http://www.seebs.net/log/ --- My iPhone/iPad app: http://www.seebs.net/seebsfrac/
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.
So what? Microsoft has been making the same sort of statements for the get go (that people are stealing their works yada-yada) while at the same time copying/stealing/buying work from others, to the point that most of their product lines was never developped in-house. People are used to Microsoft, why not from other companies ? The old saying "you shouldn't criticize someone's body odor if you didn't shower yourself" somehow never seems to apply to companies...
"A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
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.'"
Then I RTFA. The original interview, not the one linked to.
The Popcap rep actually says this: "There are a couple of Bejeweled variants like Jewel Quest that have carved out there own niche but it hasn't caused a huge problem for us."
He then goes on to express a concern about indies copying each other. Not about it impacting PopCap's bottom line, but about the Indie industry as a whole. Specifically, he says this about other developers: They think they can do a quick knock-off to help pay the bills and then they can work on their big magnum opus but that rarely happens. Once they start down that road of making rip-off games you never make a huge fortune off it and you end up working hand to mouth. They don't have time to work on larger projects that take a risk. And that has a negative effect on the industry as a whole. It should be a really creative opportunity to have a small team that has the luxury of creating whatever it wants and getting to market without the usual cumbersome problems that come from publishers and other factors. The casual space should be encouraging a huge amount of creative design but there's a lot of imitation and that's a shame. Translation: If you make copies to make a quick buck, all you're ever going to make are quick copies. Try to improve upon formulas and show some originality in your games.
That's all he said. Really.
Javascript + Nintendo DSi = DSiCade
Popcap, I believe some of these may apply to you.
...
- What's good for the goose, is good for the gander.
- That's the pot calling the kettle black.
- What comes around goes around.
- You reap what you sow.
- A stitch in time, saves nine.
- Whoever smelt it, dealt it.
- Whoever made the rhyme, did the crime.
-
- Profit!!!
"Now I'm seriously serious!" - Serious Sam
I actually manage the opposite. I very frequently get 5 move combos based on watching how things are lining up and using the right abilities at the right time.
Early on in the game I was upset that the AI seemed to always get the right drops, but then I got better at predicting the likelyhood of particular drops and that helped a lot. Also if the enemy never gets a turn then they can't beat you. When the board is ready for a massive clear be sure to use stun, web, etc. Then take moves to set up the big combo while the enemy is incapacitated.
My biggest gripe is the random number generator seeds the same when you turn on the device. I have the first dozen moves memorized to maximize the number of combos I get. Then I have enough mana to win the board unless it is a really special enemy. Seeding the board based on the current time would make each one more distinct. As it is the first game is just a warm up for my fingers.
Heck I think the capture game is the most fun. I wish there were more "new variations" like that and less random bejeweled battles. The places they innovate they do so well.
Popcap doesn't have a lot of room to cry here. Talismania is certainly an imitation of or at least highly derivative of the old Atari 5200 game Zenji. And, Super Collapse 3 certainly seems a lot like Breakout. Maybe I just don't understand the finer points of corporate whining.
Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
Dear PopCap,
I own a couple of your games and can honestly state they do not seem very original. For instance, I have seen a multitude of games similar to Bejeweled for years. Take a look in family arcades and bar-top arcade systems, jewel + puzzle games of this style have been around for about 15 years longer than Pop-cap has been in business.
It is very tempting to go through my MAME screenshot repository and find games PopCap did that look like older arcade titles, then begin sending email to each of these companies to make their own determination if PopCap is, in fact, the real copy-catter.
Anyone else with a library of screens for MAME, feel free to join in. If we could get PC to drop one game over a lawsuit, we'll never hear such dribble out of them again!
While PopCap might be the wrong company to make statements about copying ideas, they make a valid point. Casual and Indie games have been touted as bringing innovation to a stale market, yet most seem to be using the same tactic as the major companies - copy what works. Where are the innovators of the 80's and 90's - it seems there were so many different genres and ideas then?
Copyright law doesn't extend to the rules of a game, just the artwork, etc. - the "tangibles."
For the disbelievers, here's what the U.S. Copyright oOfice has to say about games:
You can make your own version of Bejeweled, right down to the name. You can't copy the logo artwork (they can register the logo) or the game images - you're on your own there. Popcap ought to pop a few 'ludes before they pop a gasket.
Kevin Smith on Prince
the whole concept of intellectual property is such a farce
Hah... we are on SlashDot, aren't we.
Only here can somebody take an issue that doesn't involve intellectual property (a company angry about their ideas being ripped off, which isn't against the law), and use it to damn all intellectual property. . I swear we could have a story on walruses, and someone would twist it into a scathing attack on the RIAA.
Copyright, for example, is pretty easy to understand and distinguish. If you copy my song, my movie, my program, without my license you have violated my copyright. If you copy my idea, you have not.
Sure it can be more complicated than that, but 99% of copyright issues are just that simple.
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