Konami Acquires In The Groove in Bullshit Legal Battle

[SiKrAiKeN]

Why has ITG been sued to death, but that korean slanted-arrow game is still around? It's because you can look at them and say "Oh, hey this game is different! It's all...slanty!" That makes them similar, bit diffrent enough to pass.

That "korean slanted-arrow game"'s (Pump It Up) creator, Andamiro, was sued. http://www.ampress.co.jp/english_news.htm Look at the bottom headline. "Konami, Andamiro Settle on Music Video Dispute" A lot of different things were said about what exactly happened between Konami and Andamiro, but this was the most reliable source I could ever find (the most reliable source being amusement press, I mean).

As a not-so-hardcore fighter player, I don't see much of a difference from one game to the next; you do the same thing in each. I realize that there are many differences when you play the games seriously, though. Same thing with dance games - you are just hitting arrows, but you can realize the differences when you play the games seriously.

[Port]

So basically, if any other company wants to make a game where people jump around like a retard, they can't.

Looks like win-win in my eyes.

[ChaoofNee]

I like jumping around like a retard, so this sucks.

[Rem]

This reminds me a few years back sega tried to sue the developers of that simpsons road rage game since it was a blatant crazy taxi rip off. How did all that go over?

[mollipen]

Fucking hell, this is retarded. Konami can't do it better, so they bitch until they're the only game in town.
God bless America.

In The Groove had it coming - it was a totally blatant, not even trying to pretend it wasn't a DDR rip-off rip-off. Hell, at least Pump TRIED to do things a bit differently.

[Tain]

At least it's easy to replace music in the console ITG releases. It's like a PS2 Stepmania, blam.

The mines seemed cool, and the increased difficulty was probably needed. But as ridiculously blatant as it was, I'm not surprised.

[FuryFox]

What do you mean replace the music on PS2 version? Wouldn't the steps be all off beat?

I liked ITG, but can understand how it's pretty much a direct clone and vulnerable to this.

I'm guessing all you bashers just don't have any SKILLS. Or girlfriends that make you play.

[Wildkat]

Then there's the whole Daytona Vs Ridge Racer... Virtua Cop Vs Time Crisis.

There was more than that too... Didnt namco rip off that Sega skateboard and jet ski arcade games?

[gameoverDude]

ITG is a blatant rip-off that treads all over Konami's I.P. and was potentially costing them money on future releases on their own original product.

I don't think ITG would be any harm to Konami. ITG is no more similar to DDR than Fighters' History is to Street Fighter II. There are not only the mines, but also some moves with three/four arrows at once that make you use your hands.

Konami is apparently deathly afraid of anything that competes with DDR even in the least. No wonder Andamiro and Jaleco (Stepping Stage/Stepping Selection) also got sued.

[Tain]

What do you mean replace the music on PS2 version? Wouldn't the steps be all off beat?

The game's based on Stepmania. I know people have replaced songs and steps; you can find images of the game on torrent sites that have the music replaced with the complete DDR history and whatnot.