Recently, I am seeing loads of articles popping up on social games being “copied” by other game companies.   I would like to say to those companies, welcome to the real world.

The only thing that is protected about a game is Content related, and that’s how it should stay.  Your games are simple, and if they are successful they will be copied, and possibly done better then your original implementation.   This is part of the game industry and what drives people to try to do things better or to just replicate with a different spin.

Stop trying to play mud smear wars and get off your asses and make a better game.  Do you want to cry about having competition?  I am sure all the developers out there who slave over FPS games will surely rub your eyes and tell you it’s all gonna be OK.   I’m sure after they will whack you upside the head and remind you their genre is probably one of the most saturated and competitive.

In short, get real.  You are in one of the competitive cut throat areas of game development today.  You’re just gonna have to adapt!  If you think I am being harsh or that for some reason your implementation should have the right to patent your ideas.   Let me give you a strong word of warning:

Your game was done before, by someone else that you copied bits and pieces from.  Perhaps some kid made a game exactly like the one you did on Kongragate, but just not as good as you because he has no budget.  If he could patent his idea, then you would be paying him royalties as long as your game made money.

To wrap this up, get over it and welcome to our cutthroat world.   This is what you have to look forward too when you make games more about money then about a good product.