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[skaven]

I'm working on a side scroller shooter. The key feature is a 2D fluids computation and rendering. The player moves in the level, trying to reach the level end trigger. He'll find some enemies, bonuses, and will have some puzzles to resolve.
Here are some WIP Tech videos:








This looks a lot like Pixel Junk Shooter in the principles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpIeHCEETwU

I'm a bit disapointed. After working on the game design, I've found that a lot of my ideas were similar to PixelJunk's.

My game may look as much as PJS as Medal Of Honor looks like Call of Duty.
Do you think I may have troubles with QGames ( maker of Pixel Junk Shooter) or Sony ?
Once finished, will indie community dislike it because of the resemblance?
Can I make money with it?
Thanks for your advice  

[Zaratustra]

Game concepts can't be copyrighted (yet). So you're in the clear with that.

Some people might hate it, but don't worry, developers have willingly copied much more than you did and still made it big. Go forth and dev.

For more discussion on this, refer to the recent http://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=15100.0

[Hangedman]

In case copyright etc. is not the only issue...
If you're afraid that people will just assume it's more of the same, change up the style. The gameplay can be the exact same as long as it's fun (though I don't advise it to be identical), and having your own style can make the difference to a potential audience.

[brog]

Second video really does remind me a lot of PJS, especially with the gun that picks things up.  It does surprise me that you made that without being aware of the similarity.  But I guess some of the ideas are kind of implicit in the tech.

Don't worry about it.  Maybe try to find some design space that they haven't, and take the idea in a different direction - I liked the first video where the player ship was spraying water around, and I don't think PJS has anything like that (though I have only played one level).  Just make a different game from them.  Nobody cares that all FPS games or all platform games have pretty much the same basic system to them; many of them still manage to be different to each other as well.

[floatstarpx]

I think it'll come down to whether its fun or not... "2D fluids computation" on its own doesn't scream fun at me - so I guess it's how you use that feature in terms of your level design, and gameplay which will be important.

And as brog has said - there are certain mechanics which many many games use, and they don't all get accused of being rip-offs of each other..
Actually - I always think it's kinda funny, this.. back in the mid-90s we'd call a game a "Doom Clone", nowadays we call it an "FPS"...so I think that shows how the attitudes to these things can change!

[snowyowl]

Strangely enough, my reaction on seeing the first video was "That's obviously a clone of the Flash game Spewer, but with side scrolling instead of platforming!"

...so yeah, no need to panic. As long as you don't actually try to make it similar to PJS, it'll diverge on its own. If you make your game in a different style (more emphasis on strategy? timing? accuracy? puzzle-solving?), few people will seriously accuse you of making a clone.

(I had someone accidentally make a game with similar mechanics to mine. It was obvious to all that it was completely unintentional, since mine was about solving puzzles and his was about dodging spikes. Don't worry.)

[st33d]

If you come up with a similar game mechanic, the important thing is that you do something new with it.

Clone games have the shortcoming of making you want to play the original. If your game does something the other game doesn't or does it much better, then your audience isn't going to think, "I wish I was playing that other game that this reminds me of."

[shadowdim]

Picasso said: Good artists copy, great artists steal.

I'd say COPY, OH YEAH, TOTALLY DUPLICATE PIXELJUNK'S GAMEPLAY!
As long as you're not stealing it.

[The Monster King]

dude do you know how many platformers there are and how much we like nearly all of them

seriously just do what feels right and if youre not sure ask for feedback

both medal of honor and call of duty sell well right?

[skaven]

things are more clear now.
Thanks for your advices

[Player 3]

As I've heard people say before "Every video game is a copy another one."
There is no exception. Not by a long shot. I'd compare this to the platformers of the '90s and the FPS games of the 21st century, but I think that's close enough to an analogy.

[RichMakeGame!]

what platform are you releasing on by the way?

because I don't have a ps3, but I always thought damn, PJS looks fun I'd like to play that..

but I can't because I'm PC only. SO, if you're releasing on PC you might have a whole bunch of people who feel that way, and making it close to PJS is a GOOD thing, because we can't stratch that itch unless they port it to PC