Didn't Namco already make this game?

by James Ransom-Wiley { Jan 4th 2007 at 1:25PM }

If Shanda's Rolling Ball isn't a trademark violation then we don't know what is. Slap a green Martian suit on this kid and the image is indistinguishable from Katamari Damacy. How long before Namco's lawyers make the call to Shanda headquarters?

FYI: Shanda is a Shanghai-based publisher that specializes in online games.

[Thanks chen]

Tags: Katamari Damacy, KatamariDamacy, Namco, Namco Bandai, NamcoBandai, Rolling Ball, RollingBall, Shanda, SNDA

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Ignatius @ Jan 4th 2007 1:34PM

Either they'll be hearing knocking or Namco won't care. Thing is, most companies who start lawsuits are for monetary gain, or to take the company out completely.

To draw a comparison, most of these unknown companies are opening up lawsuits to major companies now for patent violations, that's the monetary gain there.

A second example would be what Sony did to suffocate Lik-Sang by opening up dozens of lawsuits in every country of Europe to financially cripple the company as it tried to defend itself against so many lawsuits.

I doubt Namco will do anything unless Shanda has a high reserve of cash or if Shanda has been a thorn in their side for awhile. Namco doesn't seem the type of company that wants merciless control over gaming.

Flute Suit @ Jan 4th 2007 1:48PM

If Namco could sue people for making games similar to theirs, I think they'd first go after the thousands of Pac-Man clones out there.

epobirs @ Jan 4th 2007 2:02PM

good luck trying to get IP respect from a Shanghai outfit.

The same region shamelessly produces sequels to other people's products. Chow Yun Fat had a hit with 'God of Gamblers.' Within two years there were no fewer than five films touting themselves as 'God of Gamblers 2.' There was an official sequel with the same star but only after the market had been flooded with ripoff versions. (The Gambler is an iconic figure in Asian storytelling, so it wasn't a terribly original concept but still...)

HardScores @ Jan 4th 2007 2:14PM

Precedents have been set long ago that video game copying is too hard to prove. You can thank SNK and Capcom for ripping each other off in their fighting games. Unless you have the rights to the type of gameplay, ie "rolling things up into a ball," you can't sue. If they use the same story, however, then you can.

Snowman @ Jan 4th 2007 2:17PM

you beat me to it epobirs. let's see if namco can get anything done with on this or any other copyright infringement from china

p-diddy @ Jan 4th 2007 2:20PM

trademarks != copyrights.

Josh @ Jan 4th 2007 2:20PM

Rolling Ball? They couldn't think of anything better?

epobirs @ Jan 4th 2007 2:21PM

#5

That can depend heavily on the perceptions of a judge and jury. Data East lost badly on a suit brought by Capcom over a blatant Street Fighter II clone.

Most people realize a rudimentary game mechanic cannot be locked up by a single publisher but those same people recognize there is a threshold at which a thing is merely a copy rather than a game with similar play.

mietha CAG @ Jan 4th 2007 2:31PM

Intellectial copyrights more or less don't exist in southeast asia. Look at all the Macross/Gundum/Robotech/etc. BS. If they release it in the US, however, that's a whole different ballgame.

Burnt Meatloaf @ Jan 4th 2007 2:46PM

That market is probably too small to matter, anyway. Best not give it any free publicity by trying to sue.

ackmondual @ Jan 4th 2007 5:39PM

Someone once said if artwork is different, then it isn't blatantly copying someone else's game. Would explain the gazillion Minesweeper, Solitaire, Freecell, Pacman, Frogger, tetris, Bejeweled, battleship, Cannons clones out there for Palm OS alone.

GameCryBaby @ Jan 4th 2007 8:16PM

That market is HUGE, Meatloaf.

Peter S. @ Jan 4th 2007 8:17PM

I'm digging the Puffy song during the site intro movie.

chris @ Jan 4th 2007 8:18PM

I read the headline and thought "Whoa, someone is busted! Bad developers! BOO!" and then I read it happened in China and thought "Tch, whatever." If Microsoft can't stop the Chinese from buying 2 dollar copies of Windows XP, Namco can't enforce intellectual property rights.