Comments on: Atari Releases Official 'Super Breakout'

By: Tim

Tim — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 07:10:31 +0000

@arn, thanks for the info, I may pick this one up then.

By: Nagromme

Nagromme — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 04:30:04 +0000

I support small indie developers protecting their product name/brand/identity, and/or their gameplay concept, from copying by larger companies or smaller copycats, using whatever means they legally can use to protect themselves.

Therefore, I must also support a BIG developer claiming those same protections.

(This is why I want to buy Puzzloop: it came from the original developers of that concept, supposedly.)

By: Rocketman919

Rocketman919 — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 23:15:06 +0000

thanks for the shout out arn.

By: Joel

Joel — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 22:21:24 +0000

Talking about Gameplay, this one is not as good as the other Breakout style games on the App Store.

If a name is copyrighted, then you can't use it, Period. The other games are still on the App Store, but with different names.

By: Skykomish

Skykomish — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 18:55:04 +0000

This is a REALLY GOOD version of Super Breakout -- it's challenging, fun, and looks cool. I can blow hours in an afternoon playing this thing

By: fluffy

fluffy — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:38:27 +0000

So I wonder if Jobs and Wozniak get direct royalties for this?

By: arn

arn — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:03:07 +0000

@Tim I played it briefly. it seems like a good game. Classic is classic. The super version of it plays well, good graphics. strangely seems like you are playing underwater. only played a few levels so far.

arn

By: Raphael Salgado

Raphael Salgado — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:16:50 +0000

Isn't everything a knock-off or "reimagination" of everything else nowadays? This seems shady in my opinion. I'm hard at work creating some unique titles, but it just seems that if someone wanted to fill in a void that only the iPhone doesn't have at this very moment, such as a game already on the PSP, Nintendo DS, or a Palm or Windows Mobile device, as long as their not copying every little detail or even naming their product close to the original, what's the problem with that?

By: Aaron Sullivan

Aaron Sullivan — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:02:56 +0000

I don't get why you shouldn't be able to protect the name/franchise you create from the ground up? Seems perfectly reasonable to me. The people who try to piggy back on the hard work of others by stealing another games name or strongly implying the knock-off is somehow officially connected to it (whether it's from a big company or not) are at fault. It's pretty straightforward. I think the tactics used need some refining, and a simple letter of intent goes a long way towards goodwill. "It's come to our attention... legal action will be necessary if you don't change the way the game is presented..." Any "student" or other independent programmer that is building a new IP would be furious if someone stole the name of their own product and made a competing game that stole sales from them. To get more direct on this game, it looks like a decent job done with the title and it's at a reasonable price, so... good on Atari (which is FAR from a stable giant company nowadays, btw!)

By: Tim

Tim — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:11:53 +0000

Not get us off topic or anything, but has anyone played the game yet and what do they think of it? Worth picking up?

By: cjelly

cjelly — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 09:03:54 +0000

Wow, a reasonably priced game from one of the big publishers!

By: arn

arn — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:39:11 +0000

@jon - as much as I don't like legal scare tactics, I side with Atari on this one.

They may have slightly misrepresented themselves in their letters ("copyright" claims), but marketplace confusion with respect to trademarks is one area they have clear rights in. The apps they threatened used the Pong or Breakout trademarks, potentially confusingly.

all those apps are still in the app store but under different names.

arn

By: Jon

Jon — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:20:17 +0000

Looks like Atari's legal sabre rattling was just a stunt to clear the way for their own Breakout game. If that's the case it SUCKS big style - as a fellow indie hearing of others being bullied by the "big boys" really sticks in my craw. If Atari want to ensure that their game is a success then they should devote all their efforts to polishing it and making it the best it could be, not resorting to low tactics and scaring off students. I for one would tell any big publisher to "take a hike" if they tried that tactic on me - look it up "YOU CAN'T COPYRIGHT AN IDEA!", if the guy's had done a 100% direct copy then they might have had a case otherwise why didn't they go after Taito years ago when Arkanoid came out! Disclaimer : I'm actually (or was) a long time Atari fan right back to the 2600 days, although Atari now is nothing more than a name to be sold back and forth as a commodity - I'm NOT an Atari hater, in fact I'm not any kind of hater - unless you want to include bullies! Jon...