EA goes after Zynga

[garbon]

http://news.yahoo.com/ea-sues-zynga-claiming-copyright-infringement-180728776--finance.html

Electronic Arts Inc. has sued online game maker Zynga saying that its new game "The Ville" infringes its own game, "The Sims Social."

EA said Friday that "The Ville" is "unmistakable" in its similarity to "The Sims Social," which launched more than a year earlier. EA says the games are "largely indistinguishable" to a casual observer.

"The similarities go well beyond any superficial resemblance. Zynga's design choices, animations, visual arrangements and character motions and actions have been directly lifted from The Sims Social," said Lucy Bradshaw, general manager of EA's Maxis Label, which developed the game, in a blog post Friday.

The games are both played on Facebook. Players create characters who live, work and interact with each other in virtual neighborhoods.

In response, Zynga says that EA doesn't understand copyright principles, and that it plans to defend its rights.

"It's also ironic that EA brings this suit shortly after launching SimCity Social which bears an uncanny resemblance to Zynga's CityVille game," said Reggie Davis, Zynga's general counsel, in a statement.

The lawsuit was filed Friday in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

Shares of EA, which is based in Redwood City, Calif., rose 56 cents, or 5 percent, to $11.93 amid a broader market rally. The stock has traded in the 52-week range of $10.77 and $26.13.
San Francisco-based Zynga's stock rose 9 cents, or 3.3 percent, to 2.79 in afternoon trading. The stock is down 72 percent from its $10 initial public stock offering price. The company went public in December.

[Syt]

Rock Paper Shotgun also had an article on this, with comparing screenshots. Their gist was that this was a net good thing, because Zynga has been cloning other games for some time now, but that the targets so far were too small/poor to take this to court (unlike EA).

[garbon]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/08/03/ea-suing-zynga-over-the-ville-to-take-a-stand/

Yeah those screens look pretty damning. Only thing that really looks different is zynga set of powerups/icons that they use in pretty much all of their games.

[grumbler]

In response, Zynga says that EA doesn't understand copyright principles, and that it plans to defend its rights.

Worst legal defense ever?  They sound like they hired Marti to defend them! 

[The Brain]

Information wants to be free.

[dps]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/08/03/ea-suing-zynga-over-the-ville-to-take-a-stand/

Yeah those screens look pretty damning. Only thing that really looks different is zynga set of powerups/icons that they use in pretty much all of their games.

What's kind of sad is that the ripoff actually seems to have a bit better graphics.  But yeah, really similar.

[garbon]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/08/03/ea-suing-zynga-over-the-ville-to-take-a-stand/

Yeah those screens look pretty damning. Only thing that really looks different is zynga set of powerups/icons that they use in pretty much all of their games.

What's kind of sad is that the ripoff actually seems to have a bit better graphics.  But yeah, really similar.

I suppose if you are a fan of the oversize anime head.

[Scipio]

Is there any way both of them can go down in flames, taking Activision with them?

[dps]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/08/03/ea-suing-zynga-over-the-ville-to-take-a-stand/

Yeah those screens look pretty damning. Only thing that really looks different is zynga set of powerups/icons that they use in pretty much all of their games.

What's kind of sad is that the ripoff actually seems to have a bit better graphics.  But yeah, really similar.

I suppose if you are a fan of the oversize anime head.

I actually wasn't even looking at the characters, but the sets.

[garbon]

Fair.

[Neil]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/08/03/ea-suing-zynga-over-the-ville-to-take-a-stand/

Yeah those screens look pretty damning. Only thing that really looks different is zynga set of powerups/icons that they use in pretty much all of their games.

What's kind of sad is that the ripoff actually seems to have a bit better graphics.  But yeah, really similar.

I suppose if you are a fan of the oversize anime head.

I actually wasn't even looking at the characters, but the sets.

Aren't those customizable?

[dps]

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/08/03/ea-suing-zynga-over-the-ville-to-take-a-stand/

Yeah those screens look pretty damning. Only thing that really looks different is zynga set of powerups/icons that they use in pretty much all of their games.

What's kind of sad is that the ripoff actually seems to have a bit better graphics.  But yeah, really similar.

I suppose if you are a fan of the oversize anime head.

I actually wasn't even looking at the characters, but the sets.

Aren't those customizable?

Danged if I know.  I was just going by the screenshots that accompanied the article.

[garbon]

Yeah right. You've been playing The Ville and Sims Social since day one.