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.

Poor baby

[seebs]

http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/copyright/cases /allen_vs_academicgames.html [darkshire.net]

"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.

Time Out

[AKAImBatman]

Ok, I was about to jump in here with a frothing at the mouth reply of, "After all the millions of dollars you've made on a stupid flash game that's been ported to nearly every platform in existence, you have the gall to complain about cheap ripoffs? Make something new!"

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.

Puzzle quest

[zstlaw]

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.

copying game rules is legal

[trolltalk.com]

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 [copyright.gov]:

The idea for a game is not protected by copyright. The same is true of the name or title given to the game and of the method or methods for playing it.

Copyright protects only the particular manner of an author's expression in literary, artistic, or musical form. Copyright protection does not extend to any idea, system, method, device, or trademark material involved in the development, merchandising, or playing of a game. Once a game has been made public, nothing in the copyright law prevents others from developing another game based on similar principles.

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.