You’re running a Game Development company. What else would they have called it?
Of course, I am exaggerating slightly, but I hold my point, even when one game is very obviously inspired by another, if original ideas and gameplay are added to the mix, then it’s not a ripoff or clone.
How is it a ripoff? So many people in this comment section are claiming it is, without having played the game.
It’s of the same genre/theme. It has a different art style and audio style. The gameplay is both different and deeper, with more genuine decisions. It has a higher difficulty curve.
There is a difference between a ‘clone’ / ‘ripoff’ and a ‘successor’. Or are we only allowed 1 game of each genre/theme? No more space shooters, they’re all a ripoff of Unreal. No more modern fighting games with an eastern influence, all ripoffs of Street Fighter. No more soccer sports-sims, all ripoffs of FIFA. ‘Injustice: Gods Among Us’? Ripoff of Marvel vs Capcom.
Orion, the numbers they have (200 legit sales, 3000+ pirated) come from data the game sends to them about an hour or so after it is run. This isn’t just people who’ve DL’d the game, they’ve opened and played with it for a significant amount of time. Clearly, they are enjoying it.
Your concept makes some sense for games that don’t have demos. This game offers a free demo that covers nearly all aspects of the game, except for some lategame stuff.
People pirated the full version because they didn’t want to pay for it, ever.
Dude, this game has been on the front page of the windows store games section for weeks. This version, which came out only a day or two ago, was voted for heavily on Steam Greenlight. It was a known entity.
Hell, if it wasn’t, it wouldn’t have gotten thousands of downloads in the first 24 hours
Well, if we take this game as an example, 95% of all users pirated it. So, in this game, of the target audience for one of your studio’s games, up to 95% might not purchase it if they otherwise would, and it could still be considered ‘accurate’ to real world.
So, despite having different art style, different audio style, different atmosphere, deeper gameplay with more genuine decisions, and a higher difficulty curve, it’s a clone because its also a game development rpg?
They took an concept, and improved upon existing elements while adding in ideas and elements of their own.
If someone releases a platform/fighting game now, is it automatically a clone of Smash Bros?
If someone releases a household simulation game, is it automatically a clone of The Sims?
