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[BattleMonkey]

I think it's pretty clear that there are designs from gamesworkshop that have gradually become much more inspired by Blizzards own designs (that were heavily inspired by games workshops own designs) When you do a 'before and after' comparison it really is telling.

They have had the same design ideology for 25 years now. Since 2nd edition which came out before Starcraft, there hasn't been any major differences in design aesthetic. They have also been pushing heavier on the gothic aspects in newer material which is nothing like SC.

And Fantasy hasn't changed at all in decades

 

[Zen]

Not inspired by a Zergling at all. There's nothing wrong with it being so, though.

 

[BattleMonkey]

And the Tyranid designs were already going in that direction before even 3rd edition came out, which was before 1998 and SC's release. The more menacing bug design revamp of tyranid line was completely done before 1998.

 

[Zen]

So the Ravener coincidentally looked familiar to a Hydralisk? It's not like StarCraft was in a bubble before release, there's nothing wrong with admitting that they've taken inspiration from one another.

 

[BattleMonkey]

So the Ravener coincidentally looked familiar to a Hydralisk? It's not like StarCraft was in a bubble before release, there's nothing wrong with admitting that they've taken inspiration from one another.

It's hard to say about very particular design of solitary units, but even GW admitted long ago that their revamp of nid design was influences largely by the movie Aliens. Space Hulk was also admittedly based on the movie as well. The original idea being the nids was also heavily influenced by Starship troopers, though they tried to make things unique with stuff like bugs with weapons in hands and some odd designs. The redesign of the nids came years before starcraft.

I highly doubt either is bothering to copy each other, they have created their own things for the most part for a long time, and with SC2 for the most part we are seeing mostly newer direction for that particular universe. Blizzard though loves to rip (homage) galore their games, though its obviously for fun.

 

[DangerousDave]

Yes, obviously Warcraft-Starcraft universes take a lot of the concepts of Warhammer - Warhammer 4000.

About Gameloft, yes, their games are very similar to well-known games from bigger consoles. But their games are not a cheap ripoff. Their games are always 4'5 or 5 stars in the appstore, and are probably the best 3d games (First or Third Person Shooters) of iphone.

If the game is good, who cares if NOVA design is similar to Halo ones? It's still very difficult to find any better fps in iPhone. We're not talking about shitty chinese Polystation 3 consoles.

 

[Shai-Tan]

If the game is good, who cares if NOVA design is similar to Halo ones? It's still very difficult to find any better fps in iPhone. We're not talking about shitty chinese Polystation 3 consoles.

I care. I don't like copycats and I think there are good reasons to think negatively about it. There's a difference between being inspired and taking someone elses style, voice, and game design which required talent and effort to develop. Their success is parasitic upon others who have original ideas.

 

[Zen]

It's hard to say about very particular design of solitary units, but even GW admitted long ago that their revamp of nid design was influences largely by the movie Aliens. Space Hulk was also admittedly based on the movie as well. The original idea being the nids was also heavily influenced by Starship troopers, though they tried to make things unique with stuff like bugs with weapons in hands and some odd designs. The redesign of the nids came years before starcraft.

I highly doubt either is bothering to copy each other, they have created their own things for the most part for a long time, and with SC2 for the most part we are seeing mostly newer direction for that particular universe. Blizzard though loves to rip (homage) galore their games, though its obviously for fun.

Hrm, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that their real influence was Zerg or that the overall direction that gamesworkshop decided to go was because of StarCraft, in fact it's very easy to see the bad ass Aliens influence in most of the designs re third edition. Still, when we're talking about things like the Ravener or Heirodule, a design that came out after StarCraft (Also keeping in mind that the Hydralisk wasn't really kept secret in the run up to the release of StarCart) I think it's impossible to say that either company hasn't been influenced by one another to some degree, and it's not like that's an offensive thing for GW to do. Originality is hiding your sources after all.

At the end of the day though, I think I should stop derailing the thread. You certainly know your stuff about GW, kudos.

 

[dream]

And here's their FF clone in action...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n53bFsZuwM&feature=player_embedded#!

 

[Not a Jellyfish]

So....don't know how I feel about this but I am a Game Design major and beginning a Design Tools class right now, my professor for the class list his credentials...he has worked for Gameloft.

 

[CamHostage]

Not inspired by a Zergling at all. There's nothing wrong with it being so, though.

Heh, for a second I thought they had announced a Gameloft Monster Hunter clone. I take it Gameloft doesn't have a big presence in Asia yet?

 

[Haunted]

If the game is good, who cares if NOVA design is similar to Halo ones? It's still very difficult to find any better fps in iPhone. We're not talking about shitty chinese Polystation 3 consoles.

I care. They're parasites making money off of the ideas of other people with minimum effort behind their own. The Asylum movies are laughed at by any self-respecting movie enthusiast, so as a game enthusiast, don't defend their gaming equivalent.

This mindset of "who cares if it's a direct clone/rip-off" is downright offensive to all the truly creative people working in the industry.

 

[Einbroch]

If you care, don't buy their game. I don't understand where all this hate is coming from.

If the games sucked, then it's a shame, but the games are good. If these big companies want to make some money, they should release their games on these platforms.

 

[Haunted]

If you care, don't buy their game. I don't understand where all this hate is coming from.

If the games sucked, then it's a shame, but the games are good. If these big companies want to make some money, they should release their games on these platforms.

I'm free to voice my opinion.

Take note that I've never said that I expect them to stop taking advantage of other people's work like this, just that I think it is shameless and unethical and I personally wish that other consumers would not support their practices.

 

[Jinfash]

There are many, many, appstore developers who strive on churning off cheap ripoffs on the platform, but I think the reason why Gameloft's games are extremely popular has more to do with their newfound reputation for creating surprisingly polished and very playable shameless ripoffs of console games on mobile platforms. I hope this encourages the IP holders to take mobile platforms more seriously and beat Gameloft into releasing high quality products.

 

[Minsc]

It doesn't bother me as much as other people, because I feel almost all games are borrowing ideas from other games anyway, just to lesser extent (or not). Sometimes I even wish a game would have copied another game a bit closer, because somewhere else it was done better.

I really only draw the line when it's directly stealing assets, taking someone's work and not even bothering to recreate it yourself, literally using it directly in their games as it was in the original.

They aren't doing that, so no problems. A game's a game. Now let's see them try and make a shameless ripoff of Planescape Torment or Baldur's Gate 2. Some games are just too big even for them

 

[wwm0nkey]

Zelda ripoff

 

[aktham]

You all realize that almost nothing is original anymore right? Just about everything has ripoff/knock off.

Designer clothes
Perfumes/colognes
Food
Drinks
Music
Cars
Movies
Videogames
etc etc etc

 

[wwm0nkey]

You all realize that almost nothing is original anymore right? Just about everything has ripoff/knock off.

Designer clothes
Perfumes/colognes
Food
Drinks
Music
Cars
Movies
Videogames
etc etc etc

Yes but this is just shameless, like they are not even trying to hide it at all.

 

[Jay Sosa]

It doesn't bother me as much as other people, because I feel almost all games are borrowing ideas from other games anyway, just to lesser extent (or not). Sometimes I even wish a game would have copied another game a bit closer, because somewhere else it was done better.

They're not only borrowing ideas they basically just copy games, steal characters, settings, weapons, that's a huge difference imo. But as long as the original developers don't care and the end result is good, I'm not mad at them. It's not like some big company (Capcom) is ripping of some smaller independent programmers (Twisted Pixel)

 

[Minsc]

They're not only borrowing ideas they basically just copy games, steal characters, settings, weapons, that's a huge difference imo. But as long as the original developers don't care and the end result is good, I'm not mad at them. It's not like some big company (Capcom) is ripping of some smaller independent programmers (Twisted Pixel)

That's the biggest point right there probably. What you or I see in their stuff personally doesn't matter. If Naughty Dog felt Gameloft was ripping them off, they have every right challenge them. I personally think Naughty Dog would lose.

 

[Imperial Hot]

These are so fucking shameless. It's fucking ridiculous. That Uncharted rip-off is nearly a carbon copy.

Fuck Gameloft/Ubisoft trying to cash-in on the success of others.

 

[-Pyromaniac-]

I think a post on the first page was the most fair assessment of this situation. No one is stopping any of the companies that make the actual games from releasing their shit on the app store. People would obviously buy the actual versions but as there are none, Gameloft is doing well with their copies. I don't see a single reason to hate on it.

 

[Thunder Monkey]

I care. They're parasites making money off of the ideas of other people with minimum effort behind their own. The Asylum movies are laughed at by any self-respecting movie enthusiast, so as a game enthusiast, don't defend their gaming equivalent.

This mindset of "who cares if it's a direct clone/rip-off" is downright offensive to all the truly creative people working in the industry.

That's kind of what people do in this industry.

One developer comes up with a great idea, if it sells, every other developer begins work on a similarly designed idea, and one right after another until a new idea comes along, or the games stop selling.

In the interim we get great, but flawed knock offs. Without Mario 64 I'd never have had Tonic Trouble. Without GTA3, Just Cause wouldn't exist, and so on.

The truly creative in any industry can be counted on a few hands. Everyone else is copying those ideas and adding their own flair to them. Most of the time they at least try to come up with their own characters to toss into the Mario 64, or GTA framework.

That Vice City knock off though. That was very fucking blatant. I drove down that exact street in Vice City.

 

[Tylahedras]

Good, a little competition to keep publishers on their toes is always nice.

I'm planing on getting the next version of the iPad when it comes out and I'll probably pick up a lot of these titles to play on it.

 

[Ranger X]

I played their Soul of Darkness game on DSi and while it was looking exactly like a Castlevania, after having played it I feel it's pretty different. I just think Gameloft are often in the grey zone between "same genre" and "ripoff". There will always be subjectivity to this. I personally don't think their games are "ripoffs".

 

[Jay Sosa]

That Vice City knock off though. That was very fucking blatant. I drove down that exact street in Vice City.

Well blame Miami for that.

 

[Loxley]

I think a post on the first page was the most fair assessment of this situation. No one is stopping any of the companies that make the actual games from releasing their shit on the app store. People would obviously buy the actual versions but as there are none, Gameloft is doing well with their copies. I don't see a single reason to hate on it.

Exactly. I think what pisses people off is that half of the time Gameloft's games are good copies. NOVA 2? Excellent Halo copy. Dungeon Hunter 2? Amazing Diablo copy. If these were shitty knock-offs then people wouldn't care, but because some of Gameloft's titles are genuinely well executed on the iTouch, people hate the fact that they're making money.

I have to say, I'm starting to enjoy just how much fucking rage Gameloft produces on GAF :lol

Until I get a real Modern Warfare or a real Soul Caliber on the iTouch I could give two shits if Gameloft is ripping off big-name titles and putting them on a mobile device, because we sure as shit aren't getting any of the actual games on the platform any time soon from the real developers.

And since none of them have bothered to take legal action, they clearly could care less as well.

 

[metareferential]

I don't care how well those games are executed; they look cheap rip-offs, no matter what.

Why should I play them instead of playing the original games? The fact that many of the games they are "inspired by" are not available on portable devices doesn't change anything.

 

[FoneBone]

Exactly. I think what pisses people off is that half of the time Gameloft's games are good copies. NOVA 2? Excellent Halo copy. Dungeon Hunter 2? Amazing Diablo copy. If these were shitty knock-offs then people wouldn't care, but because some of Gameloft's titles are genuinely well executed on the iTouch, people hate the fact that they're making money.

Is this another "Apple haterz are jealous" bit of nonsense? I don't think whether or not they play well has anything to do with it.

 

[metareferential]

Is this another "Apple haterz are jealous" bit of nonsense? I don't think whether or not they play well has anything to do with it.

And they also lose much of what makes the original games so good: take Halo or Vice City. Nova doesn't have the great lore the Halo saga has; the Vice City rip-off looses all the irony and atmoshere Rockstar put much effort into.

What's left than? Mere gameplay-copies; which are just a footprint of the game itself.

Of course it's better to have good gameplay and poor everything else than the opposite :lol

 

[Thunder Monkey]

Well blame Miami for that.

I blame you.

 

[water_wendi]

Gameloft if you are reading this please make a Wizardry 8/Baldurs Gate 2/Planescape Torment/Fallout/Might and Magic/Jagged Alliance 2/System Shock knock-off. Either separate games or all combined, i dont care.

 

[Minsc]

I wouldn't mind seeing their attempts at a TIE Fighter, Master of Orion, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Oblivion, Defense Grid, and Dungeon Keeper as well myself. Might as well through in Crusader:No Remorse and X-COM: UFO Defense too.

Yea, and an all-in-one pack as well please. $6.99 tops. Would totally be worth it.

 

[Diortem7]

Zelda ripoff

I'm kinda interested in this.

 

[neojubei]

Zelda ripoff

Definitely buying that game when it comes out.

 

[beelzebozo]

of course you would. what else are you gonna do with your sacred odyssey player?

maybe one day they'll switch up the sacred odyssey formula. do something creative with it. sacred odyssey in space, for example, would be great.

 

[MotorbreathX]

Zelda ripoff

Meh. Seems like a Darksiders copy.

 

[Dark Octave]

Anyone else have trouble downloading their required additional patches through wifi?

Such bullshit. It never works and for some reason it has to be through wifi. Money wasted.

 

[Trumpet909]

Zelda ripoff

The part in that trailer where it cuts to the text saying "Will the light protect your kingdom" and "Or will forces of darkness rise" remind me of the e3 2004 Twilight Princess trailer.

 

[Haunted]

That's kind of what people do in this industry.

One developer comes up with a great idea, if it sells, every other developer begins work on a similarly designed idea, and one right after another until a new idea comes along, or the games stop selling.

In the interim we get great, but flawed knock offs. Without Mario 64 I'd never have had Tonic Trouble. Without GTA3, Just Cause wouldn't exist, and so on.

The truly creative in any industry can be counted on a few hands. Everyone else is copying those ideas and adding their own flair to them. Most of the time they at least try to come up with their own characters to toss into the Mario 64, or GTA framework.

That Vice City knock off though. That was very fucking blatant. I drove down that exact street in Vice City.

I don't disagree with your general argument, but the bolded is the key point that differentiates Zynga, Gameloft et.al from the rest of them. It's the degree to which they rip off other people's work. All of their games are that blatant.

There's a difference between being creatively bankrupt and looking to others for ideas and inspiration... and ripping off everything wholesale, from gameplay, look and feel to recreating assets almost 1:1, just tweaking them to be differently enough to avoid getting slapped with a lawsuit.

 

[markot]

Hah, she even looks like Zelda >.<

Anyway, Gameloft actually get contracted by alot of the big pubs to make mobile versions of their franchises.... maybe when the deals fall through they just change it abit and voila, new game.

 

[derFeef]

Starfront trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0AsGfcJjuc

 

[Cheesyhobo]

It's interesting to think about where Gameloft's creativity went. Half a decade ago, I remember playing their mobile versions of Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia and Rainbow Six that did amazing jobs of translating the essence of those games into 2d.

 

[CozMick]

Modern Combat: Domination is amazing w/ PS Move, and for £4.79 I will never complain.

 

[NeonZ]

It's interesting to think about where Gameloft's creativity went. Half a decade ago, I remember playing their mobile versions of Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia and Rainbow Six that did amazing jobs of translating the essence of those games into 2d.

Huh... it sounds like they haven't changed at all then, just lost the licenses.

 

[Shao Kahn Brewing a Stew]

Starfront trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0AsGfcJjuc

Wow!!

 

[Shurs]

"Impressions Thread"

Ha.

 

[The Elite]

Starfront trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0AsGfcJjuc

DO WANT!

 

[spwolf]

It's interesting to think about where Gameloft's creativity went. Half a decade ago, I remember playing their mobile versions of Splinter Cell, Prince of Persia and Rainbow Six that did amazing jobs of translating the essence of those games into 2d.

into their pockets... and now they are rich company that is employing even more people and giving them good salaries .