Search Unity

  1. Megacity Metro Demo now available. Download now.
    Dismiss Notice
  2. Unity support for visionOS is now available. Learn more in our blog post.
    Dismiss Notice

Mentioning other games as inspiration in your game's store description.

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by DungeonBrickStudios, Jan 22, 2019.

  1. DungeonBrickStudios

    DungeonBrickStudios

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2015
    Posts:
    69
    If you say "Inspired by the modern classic, Super Awesome Game" or something to that effect in order to give credit and acknowledge your source of inspiration, is it possible for the other developer to maybe object? I kind of doubt they would, but I'm a big fan of them so I would think best of them in any case. I also don't want to do them bad in any way.

    I just sort of wonder if there is any touchiness about merely using the name of another product in yours, especially if that use is not at all negative and in fact aims to be very positive. I also recognize that it can be seen as advertisement using their game, but if someone liked my humble efforts, then it could also be advertisement for their game since it's the better original.

    PS: I did not at all copy their game, it is merely in the same genre with gameplay elements that differ significantly.
     
  2. chingwa

    chingwa

    Joined:
    Dec 4, 2009
    Posts:
    3,789
    It isn't advertisement for their game. You are using their name for your own product, so it's a kind of mild parasitic relationship :D

    I wouldn't do it for a variety of reasons, the above being one, but the main reason is why would you want to evoke anything other than your game when you're trying to sell your game?
     
  3. Ryiah

    Ryiah

    Joined:
    Oct 11, 2012
    Posts:
    20,965
    The recent incident involving Improbable is a good example of why you want to be wary of using a third party's program to promote your product. Improbable was using Unity's name and logos in their promotional material in a way that Unity didn't approve of and they temporarily lost their licenses to the editor for it.

    I highly recommend contacting the company behind the game and asking for permission before you try to do it yourself.
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2019
  4. Joe-Censored

    Joe-Censored

    Joined:
    Mar 26, 2013
    Posts:
    11,847
    Epic said Fortnite was inspired by PubG on social media and got sued for it, with that comment cited. Yes it was eventually dropped, but not before a lot of money got spent on the case. I'd avoid mentioning inspirations other than in a dev blog.
     
  5. tiggus

    tiggus

    Joined:
    Sep 2, 2010
    Posts:
    1,240
    The Rimworld creator mentioned FTL/Dwarf Fortress as major inspirations in one of their store descriptions(or maybe it was kickstarter) and saw a sales bump according to him directly related to that. Doesn't seem like a terrible idea..

    Actually I might be confusing this title with someone else. Either way he does have a "Major Inspirations" section that is quite detailed.
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2019
    DungeonBrickStudios likes this.
  6. Kiwasi

    Kiwasi

    Joined:
    Dec 5, 2013
    Posts:
    16,860
    Using another companies trade mark to sell your own game is a risky idea.
     
    xVergilx and DungeonBrickStudios like this.
  7. BIGTIMEMASTER

    BIGTIMEMASTER

    Joined:
    Jun 1, 2017
    Posts:
    5,181
    IMO, it seems kind of "hack-ish". Not the programming connotation, more like a "hack" writer.

    That's the impression it gives me when I see descriptions like that on steam. Right or wrong, that's just the perception. If I have this perception, no doubt some other people may as well. I tend to think, "ok, so it's a copy of another game, which most likely was a copy of another game. Most likely some diluted junk, which has likely missed key principles which the original possessed."

    Not an attack on your work at all! I know nothing about it. It's just the perception I have developed from experience.

    Kind of like when Nioh came along. I had already put probably more than a thousand hours into the Soul's games. Nioh looked really cool -- new setting -- but I couldn't put more than 20 hours into before quitting for good. It just felt the same without offering enough of a change to really hook me. And this is a major budget Namco Bandai game we are talking about here. Not small timer indie stuff. So, nevermind the surface level details like graphics and variations on the basic gameplay loop, fact is the core gameplay was just the same thing as I was already well accustomed to, so there's nothing new to experience. Same game, a little less salt, a little more pepper. Yawn.

    Even if the new amount of seasoning is actually excellent, I am still left feeling uninspired. I mean, if a game is good it's good. But you can only eat so much steak before you get a hankering for some fresh fruit, you know.

    So that's an example of what I kind of expect when I see a game that is "inspired" by another game. Simple solution to trick potential buyers like me is just don't mention the inspiration at all. People in the know may say it, but you don't need to box yourself in with narrow constraints. Let the customer define your product, beyond giving them the genre and some juicy trailers/gameplay footage.

    People might say, "hey, that looks like a copy of such and such game." All you got to say is, "fans of that game will no doubt enjoy this game, but this is a new IP unlike anything you've experienced so far, so get your lucky underwear on and prepare for the ultimate full-body 1000% soul-gasm you've been dreaming of....." well, you get the point.

    Old saying comes to mind, "Keep your mouth shut and people may wonder whether or not you're a fool; open it and remove all doubt."
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2019
    DungeonBrickStudios likes this.
  8. DungeonBrickStudios

    DungeonBrickStudios

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2015
    Posts:
    69
    Much appreciated for all the replies, some good advice there. I mainly considered doing it because the game in question was also indie and revived an entire genre imo, and it's what got me into that type of game. I felt it's more giving credit where credit is due, but at the same time was a little apprehensive because I do not feel that my humble efforts match that of their dev team, which did a really good job. Put plainly, I played my game, I played their game, theirs is the better game in my own opinion but I also found that mine was still acceptable to those who wanted more from that genre.

    But yeah, given it has potential risks and can look bad, I think I'll shy away from doing that. Again, really appreciate the detailed responses and opinions.
     
  9. Gladyon

    Gladyon

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2015
    Posts:
    389
    I think you should ask them.
    At worse they'll say no, at best you may start discussing with another Indie team and maybe exchange some tips.


    Also, I know that it's not specifically the topic of the OP, but I think that the same question may apply to the assets.
    Giving some credits to some assets may seem to be a good idea, but they may object.
    For example, if someone deeply against war create a grass asset, he may object f you provide credit to his asset in a FPS based on guerrilla.

    I'm pretty sure that it's not the average situation, and that most of the time people creating assets will agree to have their asset credited in a game, but I think that it's always best to ask before naming another product (or someone for instance, some people may not want to be seen in the 'Special thanks' part of the credits).
     
  10. DungeonBrickStudios

    DungeonBrickStudios

    Joined:
    Jun 9, 2015
    Posts:
    69
    Man I totally have the asset creators' studio names in my credits page. I figured since they did all the graphics and animation, and since I really like their work, I'd list them even if I did not feel like it was required (as I bought all the assets from the asset store and did not see anything about giving credit).

    Which is another thing, I kind of want to be really transparent about the asset use so as to perhaps lessen some of the stigma that some have towards devs who use ready made assets. I made a topic on that here before, and people here were all cool about it, but elsewhere I've seen others basically say that one can get flack for it, especially if another game is using the same assets.

    My game doesn't have anything really offensive about it though, like even what combat it does have does not feature serious images of violence.
     
  11. Gladyon

    Gladyon

    Joined:
    Sep 10, 2015
    Posts:
    389
    I already have the credit page done in my game, and I already have put a few assets in it as they are absolutely essential to me, and so well done that I think they deserve to be credited everywhere they are used.
    But I will (well, if I don't forget......) ask them if it's OK to them to be credited, and more importantly, what they want to be written in the credits, especially since I can add images in the credits.
    I am 99% sure that they will say it's OK, because I can't think about any reason not to, but you never know.

    I must admit that the example I took in my previous post was very stretched, but it can happen, I worked in a software company whose director refused any contracts linked to anything close to the military.


    As for using ready-made assets, I think they exist exactly for that, to be used by game creators (or anybody else who need them for instance).
    I am a dev, and I couldn't model a cube even to save my life, so I have to rely on artists creating assets.
    I simply do not have the money to hire an artist to create several scenes, dozens of ships, a complete set of UIs components, animations, SFX, VFX, musics, etc.

    I think that it's not really the assets which are important, it's what you do with them.
    So even if another game is using the same assets, it's not the same game, not the same audience, not the same entertainment.
     
  12. Player7

    Player7

    Joined:
    Oct 21, 2015
    Posts:
    1,533
    So basically if your game is a pacman clone don't mention pacman as inspiration :cool:
     
  13. Antypodish

    Antypodish

    Joined:
    Apr 29, 2014
    Posts:
    10,754
    Just to say, I got at least one asset, in which licence states, that the certain asset details should not be publically discussed. And that are not even scripts.

    So first, make sure , that asset licence is ok. Then as suggested by others, contact asset maker, for permission.
     
  14. bart_the_13th

    bart_the_13th

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2012
    Posts:
    498
    I think it could be classified as keyword spamming in playstore...