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Thinking about it, that is true. There isn't a single thing that hasn't got influence, snatched ideas from, or swiped tactics away from something else. When teen pop temptress Britney exploded onto the scene, Christina wasn't far behind. Coca Cola becomes the biggest selling soft drink, then lo and behold we have Pepsi, different in its appe...no, its taste. Yeah, its taste...that'll do. Thats not the only example - the Walkman, DIY programs, etc. - I could go on forever. Unfortunately, this disease of 'copying' has spread to gaming.
Don't get me wrong, I know that all games can't be totally original and that there will be similarities in fighting games, driving games etc. I'm talking about the sort of copying thats indefensible. You know when your're in school and someone uses your brilliant idea for a project, and tells the teacher before you, thus making it look like you copied them (c'mon its happened to all of us hasn't it?) That sort of copying, the infuriating, annoying, blatant type.
So how has this painful disease spread to gaming? As gaming veterans you have probably seen more copycat concepts than most, and nowadays, an original idea is as rare as a good Army Men game. Obviously, some of the best ideas will be incorporated and (hopefully) advanced in other games. But its the shameless didn't-even-try-to-hide-it rip-offs that are the most annoying. Right through history there have been prime examples of plagiarism of the highest order, even as far back as 1978...
Space Invaders, a gaming milestone, was shamelessly ripped off by little known Galaxians, a game hoping to emulate Space Invaders massive success by meticulously copying the top down shooting aliens format. Thankfully, Nintendo intervened with arguably the single most important birth in videogames - Donkey Kong, the birth of platformers. This was followed by a classic, Mario Bros. But even Nintendo weren't immune to the curse. Mario was copyed by the laughable Great Giana Sisters, which was so close to the Mario formula Nintendo had the game removed from the shelves. It even had the slogan 'Move over Brothers, the Sisters are here'. The cheek of some people, eh?
And on to modern gaming, where we recently witnessed probably the single most blatant rip off in gaming
history - Simpsons Road Rage. Identical in all but name, the game involved picking up passengers on the streets and taking them to the destination in the quickest time, driving over everything to get there. Sound familiar?
Not only is the concept nicked, the graphics, coloured ring, even the taxis looked perfectly similar. Fortunately for them, the hilarious world of the Simpsons provides slight redemption. Only slight, mind.
They aren;t the only example - Metal Gear Solid found a strikingly similar partner in Headhunter, and Konami tried to bridge the wait with a noticeable clone of Mario Kart, Konami Krazy Races (don't forget Crash Team Racing). Ad of course you have Mario Party, Sega's clone Sonic Shuffle and the instantly forgettable Crash Bash. Tsk.
Its not all bad. When done properly, videogames can succesfully integrate old ideas. This is particularly noticeable when it comes to films. The Indiana Jones-style bouldrr chase in Tomb Raider, Lylat Wars/ Independence Day final battle and the ever so slightly obvious Living Dead/Resident Evil comparisons.
Nor is there anything to say about game developers ()sensibly) drawing inspiration from other games. If it wasn't for Mario, we wouldn't have Sonic. Likewise Tetris and Columns. Actually, scrap that. Unfortunately, we often hardly see developers striving to advance old ideas. Rather than try anything new, their comfortable just giving out the same old, same old for a tidy profit. And when new ideas, like Ecco the Dolphin or Vib Ribbon, do come out, they are disappointingly lost in the clamour to buy Fifa: March 2002.
Are we encouraging game developers do do this? Its certainly something to think about...
Thanks for reading
RM18
Thinking about it, that is true. There isn't a single thing that hasn't got influence, snatched ideas from, or swiped tactics away from something else. When teen pop temptress Britney exploded onto the scene, Christina wasn't far behind. Coca Cola becomes the biggest selling soft drink, then lo and behold we have Pepsi, different in its appe...no, its taste. Yeah, its taste...that'll do. Thats not the only example - the Walkman, DIY programs, etc. - I could go on forever. Unfortunately, this disease of 'copying' has spread to gaming.
Don't get me wrong, I know that all games can't be totally original and that there will be similarities in fighting games, driving games etc. I'm talking about the sort of copying thats indefensible. You know when your're in school and someone uses your brilliant idea for a project, and tells the teacher before you, thus making it look like you copied them (c'mon its happened to all of us hasn't it?) That sort of copying, the infuriating, annoying, blatant type.
So how has this painful disease spread to gaming? As gaming veterans you have probably seen more copycat concepts than most, and nowadays, an original idea is as rare as a good Army Men game. Obviously, some of the best ideas will be incorporated and (hopefully) advanced in other games. But its the shameless didn't-even-try-to-hide-it rip-offs that are the most annoying. Right through history there have been prime examples of plagiarism of the highest order, even as far back as 1978...
Space Invaders, a gaming milestone, was shamelessly ripped off by little known Galaxians, a game hoping to emulate Space Invaders massive success by meticulously copying the top down shooting aliens format. Thankfully, Nintendo intervened with arguably the single most important birth in videogames - Donkey Kong, the birth of platformers. This was followed by a classic, Mario Bros. But even Nintendo weren't immune to the curse. Mario was copyed by the laughable Great Giana Sisters, which was so close to the Mario formula Nintendo had the game removed from the shelves. It even had the slogan 'Move over Brothers, the Sisters are here'. The cheek of some people, eh?
And on to modern gaming, where we recently witnessed probably the single most blatant rip off in gaming
history - Simpsons Road Rage. Identical in all but name, the game involved picking up passengers on the streets and taking them to the destination in the quickest time, driving over everything to get there. Sound familiar?
Not only is the concept nicked, the graphics, coloured ring, even the taxis looked perfectly similar. Fortunately for them, the hilarious world of the Simpsons provides slight redemption. Only slight, mind.
They aren;t the only example - Metal Gear Solid found a strikingly similar partner in Headhunter, and Konami tried to bridge the wait with a noticeable clone of Mario Kart, Konami Krazy Races (don't forget Crash Team Racing). Ad of course you have Mario Party, Sega's clone Sonic Shuffle and the instantly forgettable Crash Bash. Tsk.
Its not all bad. When done properly, videogames can succesfully integrate old ideas. This is particularly noticeable when it comes to films. The Indiana Jones-style bouldrr chase in Tomb Raider, Lylat Wars/ Independence Day final battle and the ever so slightly obvious Living Dead/Resident Evil comparisons.
Nor is there anything to say about game developers ()sensibly) drawing inspiration from other games. If it wasn't for Mario, we wouldn't have Sonic. Likewise Tetris and Columns. Actually, scrap that. Unfortunately, we often hardly see developers striving to advance old ideas. Rather than try anything new, their comfortable just giving out the same old, same old for a tidy profit. And when new ideas, like Ecco the Dolphin or Vib Ribbon, do come out, they are disappointingly lost in the clamour to buy Fifa: March 2002.
Are we encouraging game developers do do this? Its certainly something to think about...
Thanks for reading
RM18