EA sues Zynga over copyright infringment : Othor Games

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 10:30 am

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/08/03/ea-suing-zynga-over-the-ville-to-take-a-stand/#more-118754

This could be very interesting. EA have made publicly available a memo saying they're going to sue Zynga for copyright infringment over their recently released The Ville, which EA claim is a clone of their The Sims Social. And they look to have a strong case.

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:09 am

At what point does something stop being a "Clone" and start being a "Genre" I wonder.

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:17 pm

Hmm. I actually don't mind EA doing this.

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 8:16 pm

Hmm. I actually don't mind EA doing this.

Because you like EA (Unlikely) or simply dislike Zynga (More likely)?

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:45 pm

Because you like EA (Unlikely) or simply dislike Zynga (More likely)?

I do not like either company. The level of dislike is about the same.

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:42 pm

Sweet. Maybe I can stop getting game requests and such.

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 11:56 am

At what point does something stop being a "Clone" and start being a "Genre" I wonder.

At the point when hell freezes over and Disney stops copyrighting everything out there known to mankind....

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 8:39 am

At the point when hell freezes over and Disney stops copyrighting everything out there known to mankind....

I think the first one has a greater chance of happening than the second.

(And I don't even believe in a hell. :teehee:

)

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 8:24 am

I think the first one has a greater chance of happening than the second.

(And I don't even believe in a hell. :teehee:

)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hell,_Michigan, http://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/gallery/files/4/4/3/7/hell-michigan.jpg

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 3:22 pm

http://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/gallery/files/4/4/3/7/hell-michigan.jpg

Touché SimpsonFly. Touché.

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:38 am

Touché SimpsonFly. Touché.

I must confess, I've been waiting years to use that picture for something.

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 7:29 am

"...it builds on every major innovation from our existing invest-and-express games dating back to YoVille and continuing through CityVille and CastleVille..."

Ooh err, ixnay on the SimCity clone, EA own that too... :tongue:

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:55 am

I hate both companies so let them go at it like a couple of piranhas.

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:24 am

How do you copyright a game mechanic? This sounds pretty ridiculous to me, unless they stole actual game assets.

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 6:41 pm

I understand that a lot of games look and play the same, but these two games.. They compare so close to eachother

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 12:58 pm

How do you copyright a game mechanic? This sounds pretty ridiculous to me, unless they stole actual game assets.

It does look like a texture hack of The Sims Social, to be honest. It's like copying a car then repainting it and changing the badges, telling everyone you made it. Everything under the hood is the same, but it look a little different.

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 8:01 am

There's only so many ways to make a game in this genre, ultimately a bathroom is going to look like a bathroom. People are going to look like people. No case.

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 2:51 pm

I hate both companies so let them go at it like a couple of piranhas.

I feel that you mixed up two different expressions.

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 5:41 pm

I understand that a lot of games look and play the same, but these two games.. They compare so close to eachother

So do a lot of games that share a genre.

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 1:30 pm

So do a lot of games that share a genre.

Yeah, but the bubbles and such that appear when they get into bathing suits to bathe?

And why do both games need to use the same exact showers?

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 8:56 am

At what point does something stop being a "Clone" and start being a "Genre" I wonder.

Clones simply copy the concept directly, while genres strive to take the concept and improve upon it. Take a look at http://cache.g4tv.com/ImageDb3/307164_S/ea-sues-zynga-does-the-ville-infringe-on-the-sims-social.jpg comparison. It's almost an exact copy. This isn't the first time Zynga has done this. They should have known they'd end up in a lawsuit when they decided to cash in on EA.

Hopefully it'll put Zynga on a better path.

» Sat Aug 04, 2012 9:10 am

~~So when is Blizzard going to sue all those other MMORPGs~~

Nevermind, I see the difference between gameplay copying and straight up game copying.

“This is a case of principle. Maxis isn’t the first studio to claim that Zynga copied its creative product. But we are the studio that has the financial and corporate resources to stand up and do something about it. Infringing a developer’s copyright is not an acceptable practice in game development. By calling Zynga out on this illegal practice, we hope to have a secondary effect of protecting the rights of other creative studios who don’t have the resources to protect themselves.”

Wow, that is some brilliant political speaking. They make a brilliant argument for having enough money to sue the pants off anyone being a good thing.