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

[Todd Sawicki]

As someone who has worked in Hollywood before, I find it amusing to see
the cycles spent on this thread as it's gone in every entertainment
sector since the first performance many centuries ago.  Look at TV -
look at how reality tv show concepts get cloned from one network to the
next, or movies get cloned much in the same way popular game concepts
get cloned.  

Yes blatant ripoffs are already covered by anti-piracy and copyright
laws, but I tend to think that imitation is the sincerest form of
flattery.  And given the growth in the casual games space I would tend
to think imitation has helped the cause instead of hurting it.  Yes from
our own selfish perspectives it does make it harder to make a buck, but
competition also keeps us on our toes and pushes to create even better
products.

- Todd

Todd Sawicki
Sr. Director Content
GM Zango Games
Zango

-----Original Message-----
From: casual_games-bounces at igda.org
[mailto:casual_games-bounces at igda.org] On Behalf Of Christopher Natsuume
Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 9:16 AM
To: 'IGDA Casual Games SIG Mailing List'
Subject: RE: [casual_games] RE: Copycats -- What Can Be Done?

One thing I'd like to mention is that in my experience, 90% of the
challenge
in making casual games is in the details and implementation. The
"clones"
that do well are usually beautifully implemented and well balanced -
showing
a great deal of skill on the part of developers. 

There are some truly well made games that took their basic gameplay from
innovators like Bejeweled or Betty's Beer Bar, but added professional
work
and effort to make them something truly different and polished. For
those
people, I have nothing but respect. They did their jobs well, and earned
their success. And the people who just slapped something together to
copy a
game - look in the top 10 lists - they simply aren't there. The market
knows
and adjusts.

Game development is rarely about the single creative idea. Everyone I
meet
has a great idea for a video game (and a novel, and a movie...) What
makes
great authors, directors, and game developers is the ability to take
that
idea and make something with it.

Cn



-----Original Message-----
From: Adam Martin [mailto:adam at mindcandydesign.com] 
Sent: Friday, July 21, 2006 1:58 AM
To: IGDA Casual Games SIG Mailing List
Subject: Re: [casual_games] RE: Copycats -- What Can Be Done?

Daniel Kinney wrote:

> On 7/20/06, *johns at worldwinner.com <mailto:johns at worldwinner.com>* 
> <johns at worldwinner.com <mailto:johns at worldwinner.com>> wrote:
> 
>     i think the 'industry' is what makes money the primary
consideration.
or
>     maybe i am just hopelessly cynical [experienced] ... 
> 
> 
> Repeatedly farm without replenishing nourishment and it will become a 
> barren wasteland, profitable for no one.

Making money doesn't imply only chasing the lowest-risk buck - it's 
about balancing many things, and not being too precious about any of
them.

Separately, I don't think it's fair to characterise this as a debate 
between anti-artistic, selfish taking (making clones for money) and 
long-termist creatives (never cloning). If a clone is not creatively 
done, it's generally going to do poorly - it's not easy fighting an 
incumbent successful product with one that lacks USPs.

Unless, of course, the incumbent is not handling their business side 
particularly well - in which case, more power to the newcomers, if they 
do things better. That's how our society works at the moment, the 
stronger (albeit smaller, and building on what their predecessors 
already invented) businesses regularly supplanting the weaker (albeit 
dominant / original) ones.

-- 
Adam Martin
CTO, Mind Candy Ltd

tel: 0207 501 1904 - fax: 0207 501 1919
www.perplexcity.com - www.mindcandydesign.com
_______________________________________________
Casual_Games mailing list
Casual_Games at igda.org
http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/casual_games


_______________________________________________
Casual_Games mailing list
Casual_Games at igda.org
http://seven.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/casual_games