Palworld Controversy Explained By Riot Director | Asmongold Reacts

Summary

The video discusses game development, noting how developers often take inspiration from popular games to create 'clones' with some changes. It argues this is fine if new work is done, but questionable if just 'reskinned'. It speculates Palworld may have reused some assets from other games, but applauds innovations made on top. It warns AI may enable more asset reuse, rewarding low effort games unless players demand originality. Overall it says Palworld is a good game despite origins, but copying could become an unhealthy trend.

Takeaways

• 😊 It's okay for games to be inspired by or even copy other successful games, as long as they put in the work to make something new and fun.
• 😮 There were tons of Street Fighter 2 clone games in the 90s, but some like Mortal Kombat innovated in their own way and became popular.
• 🤔 Game developers often reuse engines, assets, mechanics etc across games to speed up development, which is generally a good thing.
• 😠 'Reskinning' games by barely changing anything and re-releasing is common but low effort and gross.
• 😲 Pal World appears very similar to Craftopia in parts - same vista, layout, sounds etc - suggesting heavy inspiration/copying.
• ⏩ If players reward low-effort copying, it may become the norm and disincentivize real innovation in games.
• 🙂 But Pal World adds a lot of new, fun mechanics on top of any copying, so the end product is quite good.
• 😕 The video maker worries rewarding copying will mean fewer interesting/innovative games in future.
• 🤨 There's no clear evidence presented that Pal World copies specific game systems from Pokemon.
• 😌 Customers/players decide what succeeds, so inevitably similar games emerge in popular genres.

Q & A

What is Mort's perspective on game cloning and being inspired by other games?

Mort says being inspired by other games and making your own spin on existing ideas is totally fine and normal in the industry, as long as you put in the work to actually develop it rather than just reskinning. He sees innovation happening when developers iterate on and improve ideas from other games.

How does Mort view Palworld's similarities to other games like Craftopia and Breath of the Wild?

Mort speculates that Palworld likely reused assets and systems from Craftopia as a shortcut, which he sees as questionable. However, he still thinks Palworld is a good, fun game with novel mechanics like using creatures as weapons.

What is the potential concern with games heavily reusing content from other games?

The concern is that if low-effort copying/pasting becomes the norm for financial gain, developers won't be incentivized to create truly original, innovative games, resulting in less creativity in the industry long-term.

What are some examples of game mechanics or systems that have been widely adopted across many games?

A few examples are double jump, lock-on targeting from Zelda, loadout systems, revival/respawn mechanics, elemental damage types, posture bars, etc. These popular systems spread across genres once gamers respond positively to them in certain titles.

When is it okay to reuse mechanics or assets from a previous game?

It's generally fine to reuse mechanics and assets when you're building a sequel or a game in the same series, as it allows developers to focus innovation elsewhere and release games faster. For example, reusing the canoe animation from the last God of War.

What is Mort's perspective on using AI tools in game development?

Mort sees AI as just another tool that can be used properly and improperly. The ethics come down to whether you're just copying others' work versus using AI assistance to responsibly innovate on top of inspiration.

What was an example genre of quick reskin games for financial gain that Mort pointed out?

On mobile, Mort showed how developers can easily reskin a failed game and republish it repeatedly with minor changes until it sticks with players, allowing them to capitalize on trends with minimal effort.

What is the bare minimum amount of work Mort thinks developers should put in when being inspired by another game?

At minimum, Mort believes developers should build core components like engine, art, design, systems themselves even if inspired by existing games, rather than copy-pasting vast amounts of established work.

What was an example Mort gave of a heavily inspired game still innovating in its own way?

Mortal Kombat was clearly inspired by Street Fighter but innovated with features like digitized sprites, blood/gore, and new finishing moves to make its own impact.

What does Mort say is the most important factor for players in an inspired or cloned game?

The end gameplay experience. If an inspired or cloned game is highly polished, fun, and quality for players, Mort says that's what really matters in consumers' eyes.