Plagiarism in the Gaming Industry: Why It is Such a Big Problem
Have you ever played a video game and felt it being eerily familiar? The script may be like another game, or the experience is one you have been through before. Well, an emerging problem in games is plagiarism. In a gist, plagiarism is taking another individual’s work and assuming it as your own. This happens if you do not give credit to the people who inspired you.
While amplified in mobile applications, this is a persistent problem across all video games. There is a distinction between duplication and inspiration; the latter does not entail utilizing actual material or resources from an individual. For example, you might want to author a book inspired by a podcast you listen to. However, plagiarism occurs if you use exact sentences from the podcast and pass them off as your work. This article discusses the various complications associated with plagiarism in the gaming industry.
How to Avoid Plagiarism When Creating a Game
Duplications within the gaming industry can revolve around various aspects. It could be the script, lines of code, or graphics. You might subconsciously use a script from another playthrough. A script is a set of all details regarding the user’s experience. That includes the plot, events, communicated words, and actions. To avoid any complications with your script, you can use the Fixgerald plagiarism detector to ensure a unique outline. With no word limit, utilizing this tool allows you to check online for your script uniqueness. This prevents you from running into legal issues with other companies.
But how can you avoid duplication of graphics? While it is challenging to execute, you should hold a demo and allow others to play the game before a proper release. Such exposure will enable others to provide their opinions and review your material. You should play it multiple times and ensure you have not copied from other resources. Remember, using inspiration from other video games is acceptable. However, ripping some material from the company using the same characters or script will get you in trouble.
The Problems of Plagiarism in the Gaming Industry
Many similar games circle the internet and the market all the time. At some point, novel companies recycle older games. While it is challenging to pinpoint exact duplication, such complications lead to the original company losing money. More people might want to try the new game, disregarding the older version. Many issues surface when the gaming industry suffers from plagiarism issues. Below are a few of them thoroughly discussed.
Decreased Creativity Within the Industry
A notable fact is that copyrighting mechanisms are almost impossible. Innumerable games have similar tools, such as combat games that utilize the same buttons to move around. The Guardian has an extensive piece on various stories from game developers. Through the data provided, one can witness a decrease in overall creativity. Individuals creating games are excessively relying on inspiration from others. This might accidentally mold into plagiarism.
Large Amounts of Money Lost
As a game developer, you spend months developing one game. Imagine someone else snatches it from under you and produces a similar one. While it might not be as successful, it cuts your profit. For instance, A company initially launched a mobile game called Global Offensive in Thailand. It had an uncanny resemblance to a PC called Counterstrike: Global Offensive. Many fans were expectedly excited about having a similar game on their phones. However, this leads to more individuals resorting to the mobile game rather than spending time on the PC. This creates direct losses for the original developers.
Blurred Line Between Ethical and Legal
Since legal ambiguities regarding the development aspect are blurred, it is not easy to draw the line. If someone copyrights elements of their game, then legal action can follow if someone copies those elements. However, some aspects, such as general mechanisms, plot stories, and playthroughs, are difficult to copyright. That leads to an ethical dilemma, where one cannot file a lawsuit against the developer. Still, someone with a clean conscious would not purposely rip off another company.
A clear example is “League of Legends,” which has over 117 Million active players. This game is allegedly based on “Defense of the Ancients.” This led to an extensive legal battle between the two companies. As one of the many examples, it is not easy to pinpoint which aspects of the games were copied. Characters, designs, names, gameplay mechanics, and storylines are often difficult to categorize as plagiarism.
Bottom Line
The conflicts associated with video game plagiarism will persist for a while. More laws have been set, and developers are growing weary of copyright obligations. Moreover, the market is easy to get into. That pushes a multitude of novel creators to attempt to excel within the industry. Hence, many disregard both law and ethics.
Regardless, the industry might aim to utilize a more efficient screening process. Much help will stem from the court, especially as more lawsuits surface. That said, developers need to obtain copyright on any elements of their work before official release.
Author’s Bio
Cory Shilling
While not a developer himself, Cory is a gaming fanatic. He seizes any potential opportunity to try a brand-new game and review it. His experience revolves around writing articles about his perspective and thoroughly analyzing the emerging technologies he tries. In a nutshell, you won’t find more transparent and thorough reviews than his.