RazorKitten - Slashdot User

Treading the Fuzzy Line Between Game Cloning and Theft 235

Posted by Soulskill on Thursday December 10, 2009 @07:24AM from the welcome-to-the-world-of-policeactioncraft dept.

eldavojohn writes "Ars analyzes some knockoffs and near-knockoffs in the gaming world that led to problems with the original developers. Jenova Chen, creator of Flower and flOw, discusses how he feels about the clones made of his games. Chen reveals his true feelings about the takedown of Aquatica (a flOw knockoff): 'What bothers me the most is that because of my own overreaction, I might have created a lot of inconvenience to the creator of Aquatica and interrupted his game-making. He is clearly talented, and certainly a fan of flOw. I hope he can continue creating video games, but with his own design.' The article also notes the apparent similarities between Zynga's Cafe World and Playfish's Restaurant City (the two most popular Facebook games). Is that cloning or theft? Should clones be welcomed or abhorred?"

Comment When will they figure it out... (Score 1) 188

by RazorKitten on Saturday October 13, 2007 @01:57AM (#20963767) Attached to: EA Denies DRM Problems With Sims 2

I can only wonder what it'll take, when will companies like EA actually get a clue, and realize that they are completely ruining many loyal customers experience. It's not even just the customers they will loose, or the increased support costs they face, but the simple fact that they don't care in the least bit about their customers actually having a positive experience with their programs.

Why is it okay for them to expect their customers to completely tweak their systems to run their one program? How is this even remotely an okay concept?

Why is it okay for them to install something that thrashes a customers computer and not be expected to pay the bill when it comes to them having to get it repaired?

What the hell has the software industry turned into? Worse than that, why are they still making enough money off this garbage such that they still think it's a good idea, or consider it more cost effective?

It's terribly sad when the people they are trying to protect these programs from, come out with versions that are way more consumer friendly.

Just a sad sad state of affairs anymore.

~RK

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