Temtem, a Pokemon-like RPG for PC, has hit Kickstarter

[WYP]

Temtem, a Pokemon-like RPG for PC, has hit Kickstarter. We all know where the inspiration for this RPG came from.



Read more about Temtem, the Pokemon-like RPG for PC.

 

[SPS]

Looks really well done but holy crap it's so similar to Pokemon I don't know if it will last. Nintendo are pretty precious over their IP.

 

[Peace Ð]

Looks really well done but holy crap it's so similar to Pokemon I don't know if it will last. Nintendo are pretty precious over their IP.

Plus, if PUBG Corp has any success against Epic, then temtem will have no chance. I also think, Nintendo won't allow a Switch version, simply because temtem is way too similar. But it still looks very nice, I loved Pokémon back in the days, but it became VERY boring for me, with the newer versions. I played Blue, Gold and Silver, but after that, everything was pretty much the same :/
One could argue that this also applies to Call of Duty, but hey

 

[ET3D]

I doubt PUBG can win. Copyright just doesn't work that way. You can't copyright ideas (such as gameplay), just the execution of them, and Fortnite looks nothing like PUBG, and Fortnite doesn't use code from PUBG. You really can't mistake Fortnite for PUBG, so I doubt any intellectual property law except patents (which I don't think PUBG has) would apply.



I think that Temtem is closer to a Pokemon game than Fortnite is to PUBG, so there may still be a potential for legal problem.

 

[SPS]

Fortnite doesn't use code from PUBG.

Technically it does, same engine.

Also you have to think, would Fortnite BR exist if PUBG did not.

 

[grec]

Also important not to forget that "PlayerUnknown" had been contracted to develop the BR modes for other games(H1Z1 for instance) prior to this and given the genre exists primarily because of his original ArmA/DayZ mods I'm sure he feels some entitlement to recognition or small license fees(Esp given he'd almost certainly already been paying a healthy sum to Epic Games to use their engine in such a capacity). In many ways Fortnite does seem abit like a parody of PUBG that has been heavily commercialised as it gained popularity, with many unique gameplay elements used quite directly.

 

[ET3D]

Technically it does, same engine.

Also you have to think, would Fortnite BR exist if PUBG did not.

That's not the way copyright works. id can't sue all 3D shooters because they wouldn't exist without Wolfenstien.

As I said, you can't copyright ideas. If you go on and create a game of any genre, and it doesn't use graphical assets or code from another game (engines naturally don't count, unless they're property of the other game's company and used without license), and doesn't specifically reference things which aren't yours (character names, lore, etc.), then you won't be in trouble. Considering that Fortnite doesn't look anything like PUBG, graphically, and even has some different game mechanics, it obviously doesn't break PUBG copyright.

Edit (after a few edits): I see that PUBG is suing for copying the interface and in-game items. So minor things. Not sure how that would pan out. I'm not that familiar with the games to tell if the items look the same, though I doubt it. Interface, if it's exactly the same, may be an issue, but if it's similar and PUGB doesn't have a design patent (or whatever the Korean equivalent) then it might not wash. Anyway, PUBG isn't suing Fortnite for making a Battle Royale. So there's that at least.

 

[SPS]

Anyway, PUBG isn't suing Fortnite for making a Battle Royale. So there's that at least.

They are, but they are legally suing the parts they can sue.

I'm not talking about games building on what other games first pioneered. I'm just saying that the time-frame and engine licensing makes this dodgy af. There's a conflict of interest IMO. PUBG devs pay loads in royalties to Epic. Epic have almost certainly taken some of PUBG's playerbase away. It may be fully legal, but I don't agree with it. It might make other developers think twice about using UE4.

 

[ET3D]

There's a conflict of interest IMO. PUBG devs pay loads in royalties to Epic. Epic have almost certainly taken some of PUBG's playerbase away.

Which is kind of the opposite of conflict of interest. I mean, they're losing royalties by taking customers away from PUBG.


Anyway, I understand that you think what Epic has done isn't nice. But my point was that legally it's okay. That's why PUBG can't sue Epic for much, and even what they've sued for can easily be fixed (okay, we'll change the UI a bit).