There is little to no original idea in the video game industry in the year 2023 which results in imitating games. Of course, there will always be a unique idea, but some concepts are inspired. These forms of unoriginal things are a long-time occurrence in human history. When we look at all the games ever made, we can pinpoint a reference or a callback in many. But there are some examples where the reference is so uncanny that it is a carbon copy. This is where we have problems and community stirring.
Valve is a small indie company that manages to create memorable titles with ease. Before their MOBA setpiece, it was a WC3 mod played worldwide. Then, League of Legends was made by its former developers, and suddenly the mod became less popular. But with Valve stepping in, Dota 2 came to be the savior of a sterling videogame. Now competing with a copy of a copy, let’s look at cases of imitation that are flattering and insulting.
Imitating Games is Flattering!
Dota 2 and League of Legends are at each other’s throats since their inception. Competition isn’t tight, because the latter has a catch on more players. The former is quite content with its position in the market, and how much of a reputation it commands. While both games are different in game design, Dota is more dynamic in its game flow. Without any clear comeback mechanics, League cannot create the type of hype Dota 2 can.
But while the MOBA competition is lax and centered around toxic fans, another menace is here. ML: BB is the most popular MOBA on mobile devices. It spawned plenty of copies trying to recreate ML’s formula. But for a mobile game, ML: BB is arguably the gold standard, despite my inability to maintain Mythic. Dota and Valve do not care about this title, but Riot and League do. To this day, Riot made Wild Rift and has made continuous legal battles against Moonton.
But Also Quite Insulting
Let me be honest with you, there are a few developers out there that are nitpicky about their IP. This comes as no surprise because it is an asset from which they generate their income. Consider the idea of Counter-Strike, which has little to no IP other than Underpass, I suppose. Even their guns are licensed by the manufacturers to increase immersion. But the most iconic ones are the skins and CS heads like their skins.
Valorant released a skin bundle that looks similar to some default CS: GO skins. Of course, this did not fly undetected by diehard CS: GO players. The initial reaction went back to “buying default CS skins when you can get them for free.” What made this even spicier is the fact that the knives have a chance to be sapphire and fade design. The skins were one thing, but this sealed the deal for the CS: GO community: Riot doesn’t give a damn.
