Is this Tshirtbooth's published game, or Zombie Drop clone (by Saphannara Hang)?!
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zombie-drop/id580412252?mt=8&uo=4
Tshirtbooth has it published under his name, but there is an exact clone that's published without his name on it?
It was released 2 weeks ago, and is on sale for 0.99¢
@Tshirtbooth are you aware?
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zombie-drop/id580412252?mt=8&uo=4
Tshirtbooth has it published under his name, but there is an exact clone that's published without his name on it?
It was released 2 weeks ago, and is on sale for 0.99¢
@Tshirtbooth are you aware?
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/zombie-drop/id580412252?mt=8&uo=4
Answers
How did they get the file to begin with? I thought the template did not come with art, and only 5 levels?
Tis a shame, this is not fair. And the app was cheaper than Tshirtbooth's published one, so he must have lost a lot of sales
(changed his GS user name to DigitalArtStudio once he'd been exposed)
appillionaires@yahoo.com
PM me for his ISP and home address and mobile phone number.
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I'm also not so sure the private section in the Pro forum is relevant here, for a small time crook like this guy all he has to do is choose a successful game from the iTunes store and clone it so as to syphon off some of its revenue, you can do this without even knowing the private section exists - in fact for a more organised crook the Pro forum is a real opportunity, simply pay a (relatively) small sum of cash to have access to the ideas and plans of the more proficient GS users.
But as I've said elsewhere stealing other people's work is not only condoned, but even encouraged in the app world, including the GS forum, so this kind of thing shouldn't come as a suprise to anyone, you can spend a couple of years passionately working on a game, months and months of hard work, only to have someone release your complete game in kit form a few days after it becomes a hit on the iTunes store, literally selling a rip off kit so they (the template makers) can make a few dollars for themselves each time someone wants to steal your ideas.
People ripping of fellow community members for a quick buck is something that has become a common problem and will be close to impossible to stop as there is a lot of criminal motivation as soon as money can be made.
As far as the 'template makers' go I have a slightly different stand. I have been doing templates with Darren and Wayne from deepblueapps for a long time now. I don't think they are 'rip off kits'. The do explain to the beginner or intermediate user how to do certain game mechanics but they are not a game in itself. Sadly some of the templates have been published 'as is' but that's another topic altogether. I rather have someone help me to solve/ create/ further my game developing skills with tutorials and templates than ban all that because some idiot is out for the quick buck and makes a fool of himself by publishing a template of a game mechanic instead of using it to create a unique game.
As for this zombie drop it's a different situation altogether. The tutorials/ templates have been out for a while but now GS is allowing users to rip the art and music assets out of a game and recreate a close to identical copy. With no control by GS or Apple when it comes to submitting games, I would expect to see a lot more of this in the future.
What's the worst thing that can happen to the thieves? Apple will take the game down (and might keep the revenue if it's not been paid out yet) and GS might block their account. It's easy enough to get a new GS account and apple won't lock his account that easily (I tried to get a guy's account closed who had the balls to submit a game I had done the art for 4 times with little to no change. His account is still working and he's selling apps with 'stolen' music and sound effects from games and tv shows. I could have sued him - but the cost outweighs the gains by 100:1.) Unless there is a serious financial loss involved people will keep stealing game ideas, game art and publish 'half baked' templates to quickly earn a few dollars.
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In the end YOU are supplying GS with what you approved to be sold on the market place. YOU need to put your own security measures in place. Depending on anyone to just do something is an assumption of protection and foolish.
I'm sorry but blaming Apple and GS just goes to show that some folks are not thinking ahead. I'm sure the vast majority of folks here do not REGISTER. Copyright characters, trademark names or patent unique code. That little © you see next to your name on the Appstore does not mean it is registered unless you yourslef took those steps via copyright offices.
There is some protection via comon law copyrights, you can file a dmca, demand the offender license the work, or send a cease and desist, but you will not be suing anyone unless you have done any of the above mentioned (has to be registered for court action).
This is primarily for the U.S. and it is not so different internationaly. Creative works are not automatically protected internationaly, but there are international copyright treaties that do cover works as soon as they are published, however not all countries respect or utilize these treaties/laws AND vidoegames are one of the biggest grey areas in the ongoing legal soup storm of copywright, trademark and patent law making.
In summary, if you really want your stuff protected, go the proper route and have a reserve of money and a good legal representation if needed. Also if you want to protect your sample assets, make them a hindrance if used.
Yep, I agree with pretty much everything you've said here, but we will have to disagree on the issue of templates, I'm not saying the express goal the template makers is for people to rip other people off, but unfortunately that's the reality of what happens in providing the templates, yes they can be educational for beginners, but they are not an entirely benign enterprise, they will, without permission, copy your game into kit form and sell it (for cash) to anyone, enthusiastic learner and ripoff merchant alike, whether intended or not this encourages a slew of copycat and ripoff games.
I know the ZombieDrop clone was practically identical but I don't see too much difference with those games that buy a complete template and then just change the images (zombies become Santas or cats become dogs . . . etc) and audio and title, to me buying some new images and sound to place on a copy of someone else's game idea that you bought is still ripping off the original game makers efforts.
I agree that we are likely to see a lot more more of this kind of thing, but I see people who backward engineer your finished game and sell the project for their own financial gain as part of the problem.
Hopefully the situation will get worse, the iTunes Store will be flooded with copycat games and Apple will be forced to put in place some kind of monitoring system that checks for copycats, if a game looks too similar to an existing game that takes chronological precedence and is not from the same developer then it's blocked pending an appeal.
I was just responding to what you said about watermarking assets, generally a good idea, especially for templates, but I was just noting that the guy who ripped off TSB likely bought the app and extracted the assets from there.
I was addressing assets found in GS templates. You were referring to a ripped published game. Obviously watermarking would not be applicable in that instance. What I have seen from some asset creators and artists here on the forums is total disregard of the security of their own works. Then when it gets abused they don't look to themselves as part of the cause. Then they keep letting it happen. That's all.
What good is the copyright or trademark when it comes to a small 'thieving' developer in e.g. China, Bangaldesh or the even the US. You really want to take them to court? I have contemplated doing it a few times just to make sure my intellectual property does not get stolen - the only one winning in this is the lawyer who is writing the letter to apple / the carrier and the developer. Talking to a specialist in game related copyright the initial payment was 3k to write a letter to the developer (a student somewhere in California with no income/ no financial means and no sense for the rights of other peoples creative works). Best case scenario I win and claim some loss and make him pay - pay what? 20 bucks a month for the rest of his live - most of which gets eaten by lawyer bills.
It's just not practical... you can just try and kept copies out of the apple or google store and stop the sales as soon as you are aware of it. Even this will take a lot of time, effort and heartache.
Not only was the game cheaper but he/she went around various review sites / game forums promoting the game with a link to his/her game on iTunes.
[Looks down at bill and spots £2,400 for translation fees !
; P
I appreciate all that, but you yourself are a victim of your own lack of security measures.
You did this time and again posting images, concepts and other works without watermarks etc. Zanda is a good example of asset content abuse and you yourself admitted that you should have watermarked. Lessons learned I presume.
I'm not going to get into a pissing match about experience or know how, but when someone is telling me how unjust it is without taking rational measures, I feel no sympathy. Even pre-exhisting templates should be revised to protect the contents therein. Not doing speaks to the levels of motivation of the content creators/owners.
Again, I am taking about the assets and template contents that folks are providing on the marketplace (or what they keep posting in forums). Ripped games obviously are what they are and it happens to everyone.
Yes, I know. I come off harsh and abrasive, but there are years of reasons to that wonderful personality of mine.
Actually that's not a bad response time, two days after being spotted it's taken down.
If nobody noticed, TSB would've lost a ton of sales since that person had priced it 1/2 cheaper than TSB's real version.
What I'm wondering is who get's the crook's money? Surely not the crook himself, I hope...
There is simply no way to protect your digital content in the age of the internet. People will steal it if they think there is a buck to be made, knowing perfectly well that the chances of prosecution are slim to non-existing - and even then the consequence are laughable.
So trademarking indie game character to me is a waste of money. Submit the game and you get a date of publishing your creation that can be stated if there is a dispute.
As for the templates... Yes... we stuffed up with Zenda and some of the more complex tutorials but these days I honestly don't care if they use my art. The art for the tutorials usually is quick to create, not too polished and serves the purpose of selling the template. Use it, multiply it or do whatever with it - I you don't someone else surely will.
We watermarked and put thick lines over the template (e.g. for the jetpack game mechanics). Did it stop some morron from publishing it like that? NO! There are some really thick people out there who don't even care about watermarking.
For me on the other hand watermarking the art means time and effort. What do I gain from it... a few less templates being submitted as games and a couple of nasty comments in the community not being written.
I give away art for free to help others, I write a blog about creating art for games with very simple tools and easy step-by-step instructions. Of course there will be heaps of images resembling those tutorials used in games for all sorts of platforms - but that was perfectly clear from the moment I started with the first blog post. It's about sharing skills, abilities and pleasure of achieving some nice game art.
Valid points as in refering to protection of art. But some of you may not know that a lot if GS users in the past, and of course now, copied from another game that aren't GS made. Some guy copied cut the rope bee image a while ago for the bug game. I doubt zeptolab is even going to notice because it's not a popular game.
Hence why watermarking your art in my experinces and based on watching others isn't going to help much. What I don't understand is that if I copied a zynga game exact I an sure they will have full attention in getting me shut down, pay damages and anyother fees they could. While zombie drop copy will just get removed and properly nothing will happen after that.
Protected graphics don't seem to mean too much to people and agreed measures can be taken to try avoid this but at the end of the day, what's the point of having legal rights if you can't do anything reasonable in regards to payment if someone steals your art or game. Or you should just look at it as a compliment that someone wants to copy your game, sit back and smile thinking how proud you are to inspire someone .......... And then get it taken down.
Or you could start a dispute, just like the Facebook guys, sue for a lot of money, have a movie made about you and live happily ever after.
http://marketplace.gamesalad.com/#query=Appillionaires
Perhaps not relevant but interesting