How is this not a major copyright issue?

[AngryPillow]

It's a blatant ripoff of quidditch from Harry Potter.

[Mickstache]

i guess because it doesnt feature the characters and is called a different name

[AngryPillow]

So the developer just has no class or creativity then, even if it's not illegal.

[AndyCalling]

It's worse than that. When I clicked on the title I honestly thought we actually had a remake of Wizball on our hands, but no. How disappointing. I don't think adding another 'Z' is enough, I certainly didn't realise before they got the increased traffic. Why couldn't they just make a properly licenced remake of Wizball? It would have been a far better game and I'd have bought it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NeTr72LKhU

[SilentBoy741]

Yeah, they should have called it something original like Parry Hotter Q-Ditch or something.

[morderkaine]

I thought the image and video made it look different enough from the old Wizball of comodore 64 days to not look like a VR remake of that game. Which was a great game for its time, I don't think it translates well to VR though.
Our original game name was Wizard Ball, but some market testing showed people didn't like it and liked WizzBall better.

In regards to it being like Quiddich - that game has some pretty game breaking rules (the snitch for example makes the rest of the game next to pointless). In order to make a fun and balanced game we needed to change the rules around. With the rules being different we can deliver an experience that is very similar to playing Quidditch for real - except with better balanced rules.

[Natteravn]

Originally posted by morderkaine:

I thought the image and video made it look different enough from the old Wizball of comodore 64 days to not look like a VR remake of that game.

Yeah, it's clear from the images and video, but not from the NAME itself. You did add an "z", though that makes it sound like a game about wizzing on balls...
Still, good luck trying to dodge the Potter-lawyers, it would be nice with a better VR-Quidditch-game than the one released last year!

[Mickstache]

Originally posted by morderkaine:

a game about wizzing on balls

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[morderkaine]

Now im tempted to try and recreate the old Wizball game just as it was on the C64. Though that could be illegal, not sure what the rules are on trying to copy ALL the game mechanics of a particular game

[Mickstache]

Originally posted by morderkaine:

Now im tempted to try and recreate the old Wizball game just as it was on the C64. Though that could be illegal, not sure what the rules are on trying to copy ALL the game mechanics of a particular game

Maybe do a unofficial sequel instead, you could call it Wizkid...

[AndyCalling]

Originally posted by morderkaine:

Now im tempted to try and recreate the old Wizball game just as it was on the C64. Though that could be illegal, not sure what the rules are on trying to copy ALL the game mechanics of a particular game

Technically it would breach copyright, so to make it commercially you would need to contact the holders. I don't doubt they would do you a great deal though. Seeing as it is very elderly though, and there's no on-going attempt to use the property (unlike things such as Gauntlet and Chaos (Reborn)), free remakes usually don't annoy anyone. Abandonware remakes are often made, and the Head Over Heals remake is really fantastic.

I can't think of a modern game like Wizball, which is why the concept needs to come back. It is a REALLY great game. One of the all time classics. A 2D version would be grand, but...

...Imagine a VR version! Just think, actually BEING the Wizball. Yes, I know there would need to be a bit of a speed change from the original to avoid the need for a back-up set of underwear on hand, but I can't help thinking it would be the most original VR experience out there.

NB. Commodore? 64? Pffft. It didn't even have a proper rubber keyboard. Sir Clive is a genius, the father of home computing and the inventor of the first windows based operating system. The Acorn team were even more visionary and so far forward that they have carried their original CPU vision on into their latest ARM designs which are behind almost all the CPUs sold these days. None of the cool kids had Commodore 64s. :-)

[Natteravn]

Originally posted by AndyCalling:

Originally posted by morderkaine:

Now im tempted to try and recreate the old Wizball game just as it was on the C64. Though that could be illegal, not sure what the rules are on trying to copy ALL the game mechanics of a particular game

Technically it would breach copyright, so to make it commercially you would need to contact the holders. I don't doubt they would do you a great deal though. Seeing as it is very elderly though, and there's no on-going attempt to use the property (unlike things such as Gauntlet and Chaos (Reborn)), free remakes usually don't annoy anyone. Abandonware remakes are often made, and the Head Over Heals remake is really fantastic.

Hmm... the developers were Team 17, which was eventually bought up by Codemasters, and the publisher was Ocean, which eventually went to Bandai Namco through Infogrames. Don't know which of them has the current rights, but they are both pretty big players.