Topic: New "Zelda" game on PS3

I do not have a PS3 but oh well. I would rather stick with the real deal.

I don't see any sign of parody here. But I also don't see any sign of copyright infringment either. It's just a new game in the same genre. That said, there may be a copyright issue with the music because some elements sounded strikingly similar to the zelda theme to me.

From what I've read it parodies fantasy games in general, but as usual this is unhelpful because I can't remember where I read that. Music is also a hard thing to copyright. I don't think being strikingly similar is enough for a lawsuit. Unless there is a whole section that is note for note, which the trailer does not indicate, I can't imagine this being a worthwhile hypothetical suit. But what do I know about law.

^^adam's right--keep in mind, Square-Enix was fine with the blatant DQ rip-off that was Guadia Quest...imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, especially if you aren't stepping on any legal toes.

Actually, "striking similarity" is stronger than what is needed. Addressing U.S. law only (although it should be pretty similar in Japan) you need prove only 1) Access and 2) Substantial Similarities of Expression to prove infringement. "Striking Similarity" is a stronger term than "Substantial Similarity" and is only necessary to prove when "Access" cannot be proven. In this case, access to The Legend of Zelda can be easily shown so that is not an issue.

But again, I'm just talking about the music here. The game itself copies some of the ideas behind Zelda, but not the expression.

It was insirpered by Zelda if you people did your research

I head it also steals the bass line from "Under Pressure."

360 release plz.

About the music, yeah, it's pretty similar to Zelda's, but I don't think it's similar enough to cause any significant legal stir.

My god lol
This is crazy.

I heard of this game before, but didn't realize the gameplay was supposed to be Zelda-esque. The weird art style is supposed to be what happens when a kingdom made of pixels wishes to enter the 3D era, and somebody takes them just a LITTLE bit too literally. Also, this is NOT a download title. The end of the trailer says it'll cost 6,800 yen, AKA retail price.

Anyway, this game looks AWESOME, and a total must-buy if it gets released in America for me! And for those who don't know (like Adam, apparently), From Software has been around for quite a while, making games like the entire Armored Core series, RPG Maker, Lost Kingdoms, Echo Night, Ninja Blade, and many more. (see list here) They're a developer that relies on other companies for publishing in Western countries, so you wouldn't see their name on the box unless you look closely at the back. For a long time, the majority of their games were published in the US by Agetec, but it seems that other companies have been getting involved recently, including Atlus and even SEGA. Well, that's your developer lesson for today.

Yea, I looked them up right after seeing the trailer. I loved the Lost Kingdoms games, so I certainly will keep a closer eye on them in the future. And I'll be importing this game if it is not released here. Never imported a game before, so that will be new to me. Hopefully it's not too text-driven.

fake lego zelda.....this game looks like crap!!! they arent competing with zelda if thats what they're thinking

Exactly. That's the part where this is looking so questionable here. There's nothing wrong with having more games out there with Zelda-like style gameplay. I know I enjoyed discovering games like Neutopia and Beyond Oasis through Virtual Console. But the thing is that even though those games play like Zelda they don't feel like they were copying Zelda because they're clearly set in their own worlds. Watching that trailer for 3D Dot Game Heroes though, it's like...

Kakariko Village scene
Hyrule Castle / Hyrule Field scene (lol, I think I just saw a Tektite jumping around on the left side of the screen)
a river next a mountain... nothing really comes to mind without stretching it, so I'll let that go for now
Death Mountain with falling rocks
a moat or river next to a ranch with Hyrule Castle visible in the background (the ranch on its own wouldn't necessarily mean much, but placed near the castle like this makes us think of Ocarina of Time)
a temple / ancient ruins in a desert setting (maybe a little generic to tie to just Zelda, though it is one of the more commonly used Zelda settings that isn't a forest, fire, or water temple)
the hero encounters Armos statues guarding a forest (Armos goes back to the original NES game, though this reference is more Twilight Princess)
the hero finds a sword in a pedestal ("sword in the stone" isn't unique to Zelda of course, but this moment with the Master Sword is an iconic moment for many of the Zelda games)
the hero holds the sword over his head for all the world to see when he first gets it (Link always does this with new items)
various gameplay clips...
chicken (aka cucco) swarm! (happens if you attack the chickens in many Zelda games starting with LttP)

Seriously, just about every moment of that trailer just screams
"HEY ZELDA FANBOYS!!! You knooooow you waaaaant it!!!!"

Hmmm... Nope, I've never played anything they've made.

That's only in the ice world!

If I hadn't seen this thread, I never would've thought this game was a Zelda rip-off, at least not based on that one trailer. I agree that some of the stuff that's been listed is fairly suspicious, but I'd likely never have noticed if I wasn't specifically looking for it. Either way, I think this game looks awesome, and have no idea why anyone would think otherwise.

Muljo, all the things you've listed are very generic. A mountain? A castle? A town? A river? Holding a sword above your head (in every Zelda game and every medieval fantasy movie ever made)... the list goes on.

Well, except the Cucco swarm, haha, but that's not exactly copyrightable.

I would guess that the trailer intentionally highlights the most Zelda-esque elements of the game, while not necessarily being representative of the entire game. What better way to get people's attention?

Copyright laws are ridiculous. I hope nothing bad befalls this game, at least not before I get a chance to get it!

Looks great
3D-2D Zelda win

Im buying.... heck Ill use my Japan account if I have too to get it. Look at it this way, it looks like a LOT of fun and Nintendo isnt doing it so why not. Their loss not mine.

Ha!

Wow, I love how the description on Youtube says its unique