Korean MMO copies the LoZ: Wind Waker

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Friday 25 february 2005

Nintendo has officially warned the Korean MMO developer Webzen about their upcoming MMO game Wiki. The fact that the game uses the same sort of cell-shading technique as in The Wind Waker is up to there, but the whole game looks exactly like a ripoff of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker and of course Nintendo doesn't take that lightly.

Just look at the screenshots below and it should be obvious why Nintendo isn't happy with Webzen and their newest game. The resemblances with The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker are shocking. A spokesperson of Webzen has stated though that the hero in Wiki is custom created by each player. Why Webzen chose to make screenshots that look so much like Link and why the entire environment so much looks and feels like The Wind Waker, is strange and completely justifies Nintendo's warning.

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I smell a lawsuit. :P
Pictures viewable in the link.

I don't know that you can copyright an art style per se. But then if they got Fighter's History I guess this is no less of a violation.

Talk about lack of originality. That game is a more of a clone than 8 eyes was of Castlevania.

It's not a clone of Zelda though, it's an MMO. Which is clearly based on Zelda. I think if Bid for Power (in its altered form) is ok, this should be too.

Back in the day, sega had a zelda clone for the genesis.

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Originally Posted by voltz

Back in the day, sega had a zelda clone for the genesis.

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I remember Golden Axe Warrior on SMS, but I don't recall anything I would call a Zelda clone from Sega on the Genny.

idiots. They knew they wouldn't get a chance or a look if they didn't have something distinguishing them and decided to rip off somebody elses work. The cell shaded graphics in The Wind Waker are easily the best use of that technology to date. So, long story short, I'm glad they've been burned. They did it to themselves.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

I don't know that you can copyright an art style per se. But then if they got Fighter's History I guess this is no less of a violation.

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Data East won the Fighter's History case.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

I remember Golden Axe Warrior on SMS, but I don't recall anything I would call a Zelda clone from Sega on the Genny.

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Crusader of Centy or Beyond Oasis might be considered clones... Though maybe not stylisticly.

It isn't the graphical style, it's the graphical style coupled with the similar-styled protagonist (colours and everything) and the theme of shanti's, islands and beaches. These guys were idiots and are now paying the price. Good stuff.

Centy would be a copy in both the art style and the gameplay (from what I've seen of it). Wiki definitely appears to be a direct knock-off, that control layout in the corner is another giveaway.

I remember seeing people using pics of this game as their avatar and thinking that I don't remember seeing Link wear those clothes in Wind Waker. Then came this. Jesus, it isn't that hard to make slight changes rather than blatantly ripping off someone else's work.

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

It's not a clone of Zelda though, it's an MMO. Which is clearly based on Zelda. I think if Bid for Power (in its altered form) is ok, this should be too.

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Except that Bid For Power didn't look exactly like DBZ in its altered form, it just ended up looking like a generic anime where people tossed energy beams at each other. If someone hadn't pointed out that Wiki was something I different I would've thought it was a new Zelda or something, it does come off exactly the same.

Wow. Is this a joke?

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Originally Posted by Korly

Wow. Is this a joke?

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Yeah, i think it is. The screenshots are all taken from the Wind Waker, most likely. The alternate clothes are from some kind of easter egg that kicks in when you start a new file after you beat the game or something. It was on one of the files at my friend's house.

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Originally Posted by Anarkex

Yeah, i think it is. The screenshots are all taken from the Wind Waker, at least. The alternate clothes are from some kind of easter egg that kicks in when you start a new file after you beat the game or something. It was on one of the files at my friend's house.

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Er... no. Half the screenshots are taken from Wind Waker with the alternate clothes. The other half are taken from the Korean game. Look closer.

well, i was close. I do smell something fishy here, tho. I sincerely believe that nobody is retarded enough to rip off something so characteristic as everything about Wind Waker. But then we learn something new every day...

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Originally Posted by Anarkex

well, i was close. I do smell something fishy here, tho.

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it's completely legit. i read about this a week ago. the nintendo lawsuit is new, though.

Wow, Nintendo really smart. Instead of collaborating with these guys and slapping the word Nintendo on it. They want it canceled. Where is the damn logic.

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Originally Posted by toby

Wow, Nintendo really smart. Instead of collaborating with these guys and slapping the word Nintendo on it. They want it canceled. Where is the damn logic.

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LOL.

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Originally Posted by Andrew

It isn't the graphical style, it's the graphical style coupled with the similar-styled protagonist (colours and everything) and the theme of shanti's, islands and beaches. These guys were idiots and are now paying the price. Good stuff.

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Except, of course, that ISN'T the protagonist. It's an MMORPG - they are just showing what kind of character you could make in the game.

If Nintendo is going to go after them because the graphic style is the same, then I think Sega should go after Nintendo because Jet Set Radio had cel-shaded graphics first.

If the game is created so that it feels like a rip-off of Zelda, then fine, Nintendo should go after them. If it is the case where the graphic style is similar, and you can use different pieces to come up with a character that resembles Link, that isn't a good enough reason to me. If the company making this game loved the graphics of Wind Walker, and wanted to make their MMORPG look similar, there's nothing wrong with that. Nintendo came up with that look having been inspired themselves by cartoons. And unless this product is going to directly compete with Wind Walker, and is going to try to confuse consumers to purchase their product over Nintendo's when making a purchase - which it isn't - then Nintendo should just chill.

Yeah but there's a difference between "inspired by" and "almost identical to".

It's "Wind Waker", 'dosh.

Isn't this the same kind of situation simular to what happened with Marvel going after NCSoft because a lot of the characters on City of Heroes looked a lot like Marvel Heroes

Who won that case, btw? I would guess the results can be used as a precedence for this one.

I think that case is still going on.

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Originally Posted by Compass

It's "Wind Waker", 'dosh.

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Huh. Didn't know that.

Webzen Publicity +1000000

They'll probably tweak the game just enough to avoid litigation, then reap the benefits of all the free advertisment the lawsuit will bring.

Way to go Nintendo.

Lawsuit or not, it looks fun. ^_^

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Originally Posted by toby

Wow, Nintendo really smart. Instead of collaborating with these guys and slapping the word Nintendo on it. They want it canceled. Where is the damn logic.

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consumers obviously don't want to play MMO's or online anything, for that matter.. :p

that does look a lot like link in that pic, but i dont see a case in the surroundings, they dont look that much like wind waker specificly, just a cel shaded area. hell, if anything this looks interesting now, i was just talking to friends that i would have liked to see a cel shaded add on for city of heroes based on a "city of manga" mindset, and this cel shaded game looks cool. i agree with kaweda, it might actually get people into this, i know i will keep an eye on it now. of course naming it wiki, absolutely buries it in any web search, you get 8 pages of wikipedia links:P they really should rename it.

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Originally Posted by Jeremy

Wiki definitely appears to be a direct knock-off, that control layout in the corner is another giveaway.

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LOL!

Screw you, I made a mistake, thank heavens you never have.

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Originally Posted by Jeremy

Screw you, I made a mistake, thank heavens you never have.

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LOL!

Anyway, why hasnt Nintendo done a Zelda-themed MMO yet?

Oh yea, because they suck.

But Im sure Zelda Bowling is in the works.

Not before Mario Shuffleboard, it isn't.

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Originally Posted by omfgninjas

LOL!

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Glad I wasn't the only one who caught this :P :link:

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Originally Posted by Frogacuda

I don't know that you can copyright an art style per se. But then if they got Fighter's History I guess this is no less of a violation.

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The character design though is almost exactly the same. Where is the line drawn? That blurb that says "all content copyrighted by so and so" pertains to what content?

Could I copy Ryu sprites, then change the color scheme and change a few here and there, make a surfing game, and get away with it?

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Originally Posted by Jeremy

Screw you, I made a mistake, thank heavens you never have.

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Your mistake was using the phrase, "thank heavens."

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Originally Posted by Cowutopia

Could I copy Ryu sprites, then change the color scheme and change a few here and there, make a surfing game, and get away with it?

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hmm, the example is kind of skewed because ryu isnt really that distinct of a character, it would be pretty hard to claim a full ryu ripoff for a dark haired muscular guy in a sleeveless karate gi. i agree that there need to be limits, but the problem is that the more freedom they give you in mmo's(which is a good thing) the more you get closer to this kind of close characters(which is a bad thing), i mean really, he is a kid with ruffled blond hair and a bluish shirt, the arts suggests link if you have played wind waker, but i dont know if i would say that just from those screenshots that it was a full on copyright infringement(not that i am any kind of law-student, just an observer) its like the city of heroes suit where they claimed that statesman was infringing on captain america because he had a red white and blue theme and had a white star on his chest, how broad do you draw the line for intellectual property on an artistic style?

Brisco, I would've sworn it was hitting "post reply", or perhaps the "screw you", but it's always neat to see different takes on something.

Back when I was at GameFan, we had a tape that Data East produced showing why Fighter's Destiny was not Street Fighter. It was hilarious, and the reasons they gave were just sad at times.

I've still got part of the tape, but sadly, not the entire thing.

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Originally Posted by diffusionx

Anyway, why hasnt Nintendo done a Zelda-themed MMO yet?

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That is an amazing idea.

Just wait. Remember what Diffx always says "Nintendo rehashes everything":)

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Originally Posted by Opaque on a Zelda MMORPG

That is an amazing idea.

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I think Andy said it best when I met up with him and Mzo to play Four Swords oh-so-many months ago, *All three of us swinging our swords wildly and throwing each other into danger* "This is what a Zelda MMORPG would be like... I'd buy it." (Something to that effect, anyway)
Sadly, I doubt we'll see an MMO-anything from Nintendo any time soon. I hope I'm wrong, though.