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TIGSource ForumsCommunityTownhallForum IssuesArchived subforums (read only)CreativeFEAR OF POSTING IDEAS :(((
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Peltast
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« Reply #20 on: September 23, 2015, 05:11:46 PM »

Vlambeer's opinion on cloning is pretty well articulated here: http://vlambeerclonetycoon.com/
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Ninety
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« Reply #21 on: September 24, 2015, 12:28:56 AM »

I posted a rant about this on another forum.

“I would post a devlog/screenshots/videos of my game, but I’m worried someone’s going to steal my idea!”
 
I see this all the time on the GMC, usually from newer users who haven’t released a game yet. And it irks me, because it assumes two things:
 
1. Your game idea is somehow completely unique and will make tons of money or earn you fame and respect.
2. If you post your game idea, it will be stolen.
 
I hate to break this to you, but most games don’t make money. 99% of indie games never turn a decent profit, and there are only a handful of devs who make enough to make games full time without belonging to a preexisting studio.  Too many people fall into the trap of looking at Gunpoint or Minecraft and thinking, hey, I could do that! Making money from indie games is easy! The reality that, like most creative industries, indie game development is a lottery. Moreover, if you can’t make the game good with all the drive and passion you’re putting into it, someone who’s just looking to make a quick buck likely can’t either.
 
Now, there are some damn good indie game ideas out there. Lots of them make me slap my forehead and think why didn’t I think of that? But if I put out, say, a mystery adventure game set on an 1800s merchant ship using a time-rewinding mechanic, everyone’s going to say, well, this looks exactly like Lucas Pope’s Obra Dinn, except his has been in development longer and looks better. If I try to market a third-person four-dimensional platformer, everyone says, but Meigakure did it first, and better. Ripoffs are easy to spot.
 
There is one market where endless clones and ripoffs can actually do decently: the mobile market. And clones in the mobile market are generally made of games that are already incredibly successful. If you’re not making money already, no one is looking to clone your game. Most clones are make as cash grabs, and if you’re not making money - I hate to break this to you, but you’re not a prime target for clones. Ripoffs are rarely made before the original game is actually making money.
 
Finally, it shows an astounding lack of trust in your fellow developers to assume that everyone is out to get you and steal your work.
 
Showing your work to others is a key part of the creative process and in today’s game development industry it is nearly impossible to gain a following for your game prior to release without keeping people updated on development, showing screenshots or video, and explaining how the game plays. These days an active Twitter presence and some kind of development blog is par for the course.
 
You do not owe anyone screenshots, but you’re deluding yourself if you think that everyone's out to get you — and moreover, it comes across as mighty full of yourself that you think your vertical shooter engine with an extra gimmick or two is somehow going to make its creator instantly rich.
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