What games can be published

G

Guest User

Guest
How are clone games and other taking on other people's ideas generally welcomed? For example, I want to create a warhammer project, but with completely invented races and all units. I am a fan of this game in the past and came up with my heroes.
Or is it better to create something completely invented by yourself?
 
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kburkhart84

Firehammer Games
At this point, unique games are basically non-existent. Pretty much everything is a clone or combination of things already done. That doesn't mean you can't make a clone but do things better or differently of course.

It is generally frowned upon to make a clone and just change graphics. That is technically legal if you are coding it yourself, but it won't sell much as people will recognize it for what it is.

The trick these days as I see it isn't to worry about not copying other games, rather to do things your own way. For example, take classic Tetris..simple, falling blocks making lines. As it is it won't sell these days. But if you add different things, like special blocks and powerups, maybe enemies in the stage to smash, a competitive multiplayer where you try to trap the other players avatar with your blocks or something...you see what I'm getting at. Just because at its core it is a "Tetris Clone" doesn't mean it isn't a viable idea.
 
G

Guest User

Guest
For example, I will modify the game by inventing my own races and heroes. What do you say to that?
And I still can't get out of my head the idea that only you and one more user are answering me, the others seem to be ignoring it, I wonder what the matter is.
 

kburkhart84

Firehammer Games
For example, I will modify the game by inventing my own races and heroes. What do you say to that?
Assuming you are making your own and not just modding the original game, you are fine technically, but probably won't sell much since your versions would basically be the same. If you expect to actually sell a good amount, you would be better off making more than just cosmetic changes. Make the races unique, different, not just different graphics. Add different actual gameplay instead of just copying it.

And I still can't get out of my head the idea that only you and one more user are answering me, the others seem to be ignoring it, I wonder what the matter is.
Weekends are generally slower on this forum for whatever reason. And this specific section is generally much slower than Community and the Tech Support sections so it is even worse. Don't be surprised by lack of responses. Give it more time and you may get more.
 

Rayek

Member
Agree with @kburkhart84 : the way you describe it sounds more like a reskin of the original Warhammer than anything else. What would the point be except for working around the Warhammer brand / IP of your game?

At the very least invent your own rules and (expanded upon) mechanics.
 
G

Guest User

Guest
it's probably better to ask the warhammer developers themselves
 

kburkhart84

Firehammer Games
it's probably better to ask the warhammer developers themselves
Why would you ask them? If you make your own thing you don't need their permission since you wouldn't be using any of their assets, IPs, or anything. Gameplay can't be copyrighted or trademarked(so far anyway :) ), but of course the actual names, races, places, etc... CAN be so as long as you make everything your own it is fine.

My point is simply that if you do everything the same and just change graphics and names, it likely won't sell since it will look like a simple reskin if you don't actually add anything to it.
 
G

Guest User

Guest
Then forward to the glory of the Empire of Spirits!!! (I hope no one has come up with such a name yet...)

I'm just wondering what they'll answer, I've already written.


They will answer within 5 working days (...Xd..)


And for me there are no working days, I do not work, so they will never answer)
 
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G

Guest User

Guest
To be honest, I doubt that anyone will even know about my project and will hardly want to play, the graphics are at the level of the 90s. Not to mention buying such a "gorgeous" game
 
if you use warhammer as your example, even using their name let alone their unit names, etc, isnt a breach of their copyright?
don't we need a written permission to use it?
 

kburkhart84

Firehammer Games
if you use warhammer as your example, even using their name let alone their unit names, etc, isnt a breach of their copyright?
don't we need a written permission to use it?
Yup, that's why I mentioned changing all the names, races, places, etc... But if that is the only thing they do, it will end up being a "reskin" and likely not sell very well because of that, in my opinion anyway.
 

TsukaYuriko

☄️
Forum Staff
Moderator
Gameplay can't be copyrighted or trademarked(so far anyway :) )
Tell that to active time battle. ;)

Its patent has expired, but it's certainly not the only example of its kind. Technically your statement is correct, as that is not related to copyright or trademarks, but to patents... but a "thing that doesn't allow me to make something similar to a certain gameplay feature" does exist and developers do need to be wary of such pitfalls if they intend to publish their work. Accidentally stepping on one of those landmines can be rather costly.
 

Yal

🐧 *penguin noises*
GMC Elder
Re reception of clones: it varies.
A bad clone will be seen as a ripoff and hated more than a bad original game; a good clone will be praised as a spiritual successor and improvement of whatever it's ripping off. Generally they'll be more forgettable than the original, regardless of quality level, so they fade to obscurity faster.
If this is what you want to deal with, I guess there's no stopping you.


Re patents:
For a more recent example, recently the Nemesis System was patented, so you're not allowed to have procedurally generated characters that evolve based on your interactions with them. (The patent probably is more specific than that, which would make it possible to make similar-but-different-enough things, but it's more about who can afford the best lawyers and not who's technically right). There was a patent that made it impossible for others to have minigames during loading times, which expired at about the point where games loaded too quickly to need the additional distraction.

If you want to rip stuff off, you should ideally pick mechanics that are so old and commonly used that they're generic (which means they're unpatentable, untrademarkable and uncopyrightable). Jumping, for instance, has been around since the dawn of bipedal creatures, and even if it was patented on the inception of the first platform game, it's expired now (and it can't be patented now, because it's public knowledge).

For a slightly less safe option, copy other mainstream indie games - if they got away with it, it's probably safe. Or games that are older than the effective time of a US patent.
 
G

Guest User

Guest
Well, if I'm not going to use not the name of the game, I will have my own, not the name of the races, I invented them myself, I will not repeat a single unit, I will write again, I invented all the heroes and units myself, completely invented map locations, in principle I have nothing to be afraid of?
 

kburkhart84

Firehammer Games
Well, if I'm not going to use not the name of the game, I will have my own, not the name of the races, I invented them myself, I will not repeat a single unit, I will write again, I invented all the heroes and units myself, completely invented map locations, in principle I have nothing to be afraid of?
In principle you don't have anything to be afraid of. The bigger issue is whether you can pull it off at all in the first place. The other issue is if you can do it good enough to be viable as far as selling. If you literally copy the mechanics from the original, I don't think so. If you have some unique bits, you could likely succeed with some marketing assuming the production was of quality.
 
G

Guest User

Guest
I do not think that my game will be competitive in the 3D market, most likely for personal use. But I don't know what to do if I complete the project to the final.
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