Using Other's Work Part 3 of 3: Ripping Off the Gameplay

At last we come to the heart of the matter: the gameplay. As discussed many times, the gameplay is the most important thing in a game. So what happens when a game is a wild success? What happens in any industry? People try to copy it, with varying degrees of shame.

Before we wade too far into this, let me remind of something as it will help make an important distinction in the games I discuss here. Remember in part 1 of this series I mention archtype VS cliche? That will come back in this discussion. We must remember that just because a game falls into the same genre (archtype) as another, does not mean it is a copy (cliche). Every first person shooter is not automatically a ripoff of Doom.

I bring this up after the release of Dante's Inferno. It is considered a rip off of God of War. I mentioned the archtype bit, because some defend Dante's Inferno as being only game in the same genre. However, as I understand it, there is literally no difference between the games. The story is a laughable "adaptation" of Dante's original work, and the characters all look different. The terms have been changed, but in terms of gameplay, there seems to be absolutely no difference. Dante's Inferno is one among many bearing the "rip off" label for God of War lately, with Darksiders having come out just before it.

Darksiders also appears to have copied GoW quite rashly, but also comes under a bit of fire for its "liberal" use of things from the Legend of Zelda games. Now, here's a concept that could work just fine. Take the hack and slash gameplay from GoW(ignoring the ripping off for the moment), and throw in a boomerang that can hit multiple enemies. LoZ by no means has a patent, copyright, or any sort of stranglehold on the idea of a multi targeting boomerang. But then add in a grapple hook that can latch onto walls (hookshot/clawshot) and a mirrored light beam themed dungeon (Spirit Temple and Stone Tower), then the term homage fails to hold up anymore. Note also that the last dungeon reportedly grants an item that appears in no LoZ game to date: a gun which opens blue and orange portals.

Then, we hit an interesting idea: Ripping off your prequel. I've spoken many times about how a sequel should try and add something to the existing game, but too often the sequel is only a copy and paste of the previous game. The only thing that changes are some of the names, the story a little, and the scenery might be changed. Other than that, it is the same game. This is the crime we are pointing at and calling a rip off by other developers. Why should it be different if a developer rips itself off? I don't think it should.

The "proper" way to use other's gameplay in your own game is similar to the proper way to do this for references (see part 1). That is, small bits from multiple sources, not too many too close together, and only one or two from any one of the games. Old ideas that worked well can be fun when presented in new and interesting scenarios, but make sure that's what you are actually doing. And, of course, make sure you have some original (and as always, good) gameplay idea thrown in. My own personal bias is that every game should attempt to add something new to gaming as a whole. I havn't heard players clamoring for this, but I have heard people complain about games that clearly don't add any specific new ideas. They're not a particular rip off of any one game, but have clearly just frankensteined several good/well tested ideas together. Case in that I have heard this about, Uncharted: Drake's Fortune.

This concludes my first, and last, series of posts. If this post seems a little short or underthought, it's because it has been rotting in the back on my mind for three weeks. I have been over the excitment of this topic for some time now. I found just today a topic that I would much rather have spent the last half hour writing about. So, the moral of the story is that I do not recommend this idea to any of you who may run your own blog.

And next week, since I'm excited about it now, should be: Voice Acting.

Dante battles with Lust.

I can understand this as I am lusting too... for an original game.