[casual_games] Re: Copycats -- What Can Be Done?

[Michelle Bushneff]

Interesting discussion. Some thoughts...

In this world of wide-spread access to sampling products, open source,
user-generated content, and great communities like this where people are
incredibly generous about sharing information and insight, that openness
will manifest in ways that are not always good. That¹s reality.

But really, there are no new ideas. Can¹t count the number of times I¹ve had
developers pitch ideas for products already pitched internally, or already
in development. I¹ve seen employees threaten to quit because a producer
pitched something that was similar to a concept pitched by an outside
developer. Then some time later, that same developer came out with a game
very similar to one we had in development (and had showed to them).

Call it copying, call it coincidence, call it inspiration. There may be a
fine line there (at least legally), but there¹s a big difference between
inspired people and people who simply ³leverage² the inspired work of
others. A wise friend once told me -- it¹s not the ideas, it¹s the people
behind the ideas. 

If you worry about anything, worry about competitors stealing your inspired
people.

Cheers, Michelle


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