Nintendo suspects Zelda rip-off

By Tom Bramwell Published 25 February, 2005

Nintendo has warned Webzen about its MMOG Wiki after it demonstrated an uncanny resemblance to The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker in screenshots.

Nintendo has warned South Korean developer Webzen over screenshots released last week to accompany the announcement of massively multiplayer online title Wiki.

The game uses a cel-shaded visual style extremely reminiscent of Nintendo's highly stylised GameCube title The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. The central character shown in one of the screenshots is remarkably similar to Link, adopting a similar shape for his eyes and face, with even the shadowing on his hair and his blue tunic reminiscent of the Nintendo character's turn on the Cube.

Nintendo has reportedly said that it is taking "natural steps" to protect its intellectual property, and indicated that it would "seek appropriate measures at the appropriate time".

However, Webzen representatives have dismissed the claim, pointing out that players can make their in-game characters look however they want. "The number of variables are in the tens of thousands," IGN quotes Webzen rep Choi Hyun-woo as responding in Korean newspaper JoongAng Daily. "We are still in the middle of developing the game, which will begin closed testing services in December."

If Nintendo presses the issue, though, the Zelda/Wiki debate has the potential to morph into a battle similar to the struggle between City of Heroes developer Cryptic Studios and Marvel Comics, which has launched a suit against the developer arguing that its copyright is being infringed by tools that allow for passable facsimiles of its major characters.

Marvel has been widely condemned by gamers for what it sees as attempts to protect its copyright, prompting countless interesting examinations of the validity of the claim and drawing an impassioned defence of creative freedoms from Cryptic, which described City of Heroes as "a tool that encourages originality, not slavish copying," in its motion to dismiss, arguing that "If it should be banned, then so should the #2 pencil, the Lego block, modelling clay, and anything else that allows one to give form to ideas," and adding that Marvel's view of the world was centred around making money wherever possible, "imagination be damned".

Given that Wiki isn't finished yet, this is obviously a different set of circumstances, but if Nintendo persists and finds fault in the finished article, it could fall into a similar groove - to similarly damaging effect.

Of course, it wouldn't be Nintendo's only legal snafu in recent memory. Last year the company had a bit of a spat with porn website Suicide Girls after a user prominently noted that he enjoyed playing the company's games. Nintendo eventually withdrew its legal objection and apologised - largely in response to a strong tone of disapproval from countless blogs and commentators, most of whom pointed out that it was behaving like a total arse.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (42) Latest comment 7 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Blerk #1 7 years ago

    Pictures?

  • dadrester #2 7 years ago

    <a href="http://games.tom.com/images/2005/wlgame/0218/002/010.jpg ">wowza</A>

  • cubbymoore #3 7 years ago

    Heh, that is uncanny :)

  • andrewfromdoncaster #4 7 years ago

    That is scandalous, get them sued

  • KingOfSpain #5 7 years ago

    OH MY GOD!!

  • gamingdave #6 7 years ago

    Not only is it a blatent rip of Link, but look at the logo in the bottom right hand corner, that wind looks a bit familiar (sp?)

  • GWH #7 7 years ago

    Hey, it's one of the dogs from Harvest Moon, too. Excellent!

  • KingOfSpain #8 7 years ago

    have they somhow used the same engine??

  • Blerk #9 7 years ago

    lol! They're screwed. :-D

  • Razz #10 7 years ago

    o_O -ROFLMAO!

  • Fixxxer #11 7 years ago

    Hang on, how is this different from GTA-clone no.167?

    Sure, its a more distinctive graphical style but that's it as far as I can see, and Nintendo certainly don't own cell shading.

  • drumbaby #12 7 years ago

    What level of Zelda is that screenie from?

  • Thamuhacha #13 7 years ago

    >Sure, its a more distinctive graphical style but that's it as far as I can see, and Nintendo certainly don't own cell shading.

    Have you seen the screens? It's not the cell shading, its the fact that they main character IS Link. They're screwed.

  • Roamer #14 7 years ago

    Nintendo has got to win this one. It's so obviously, blatantly, sacrilegiously copied from Wind Waker. Can anyone help me on the spelling of sacrilegious, by the way?

    Thanks, Dagon :)
    Edited by 1 at 25/02/05 @ 13:24

  • Zero Beat #15 7 years ago

    Check out this shot for a nice little comparison.

  • Eraser #16 7 years ago

    The way the character looks + the logo at the bottom really makes this copyright infringement IMO.

    The case with City of Heroes though, is bullshit. If players can turn their characters into marvel hero lookalikes then that's an action of the player, not the developer.

    People have been able to make models and skins for characters in games like the Quake or Unreal series and that gives them an unlimited freedom in how to model and shape their character. Just look at a site like polycount and you'll see the number of straight Marvel rip-offs. Why has Marvel never complained about these? I smell hypocrisy.

  • Dagon #17 7 years ago

    sacrilegious

  • SFA_AOK #18 7 years ago

    Err, according to the article, you decide how your character looks because you design him. I don't think it's the case that the lead character looks like that out of the box...

  • Zero Beat #19 7 years ago

    But the developer has made it obvious they put the Link pieces in on purpose by showing him complete in their screenshot advertising.

  • Dant #20 7 years ago

    Thats crazy, do they honestly think they will get away with it?

  • andyk #21 7 years ago

    yeah it looks like link, but it also looks like loads of other japenese anime characters.

  • Blerk #22 7 years ago

    Mmmmm.... no. It just looks like Link.

  • v3rtigo #23 7 years ago

    It's not just that it looks like Link, the whole graphical style has been so obviously ripped of wholesale. I honestly thought it would be a cute cel-shaded game a little bit similar to WW when I read the article, but when I saw the screenshots I couldn't quite believe it. Whether or not you can make your own character up, it's still going to look like link and/or any other character in WW.
    Of course designers are 'inspired' by other games, but it's quite astonishing how little original creativity has made it into the final look after the initial 'inspiration'. It actually looks like they've imported the original WW models and changed them a bit. The geometry looks identical.
    I think Webzen should be worried.

  • Freek #24 7 years ago

    LOL.
    That's Link in Wind Waker, no question about it. Cell shading itself ins't copyrighted at all. There've been dozens of games that use it from Zone of the Enders 2 to Jet Set Radio and non of them look even remotly like Wind Waker.

    The thing about Marvel though is that even they have a point (even if it's overkill). You can make your character have claws that shoot out of the nuckels of his hands, where do you think they got that idea from?
    Edited by 1 at 25/02/05 @ 14:40

  • nick_f Verified Senior Producer, Microsoft #25 7 years ago

    I read the article thinking "another over-reaction from the big N..." but actually that IS blatant. I don't know if it counts as copyright infringement - I'll leave that judgement to the lawyers and courts - but any claims that the game's visual style isn't ripped from WindWaker are bogus IMHO.

  • Nikanoru #26 7 years ago

    Not only is it a blatent rip of Link, but look at the logo in the bottom right hand corner, that wind looks a bit familiar (sp?)

    I hadn't noticed the logo. That makes it even more obvious.

    cell shading is copyrighted now?

    Sure, its a more distinctive graphical style but that's it as far as I can see, and Nintendo certainly don't own cell shading.

    Bullshit. Celshading is just a rendering technique, it has very little to do with the style itself.

    yeah it looks like link, but it also looks like loads of other japenese anime characters.

    No.

  • The-Bodybuilder #27 7 years ago

    >"Kind of like skinning windows to look like MacOS X. It looks the same but it's shit underneath"

    I hope you don't use that joke around girls. ;-)

    Oh, and to stay on topic, yes that is just pure ripping off.

  • Pirotic #28 7 years ago

    Normally im against this thing, but having seen the screenshots - well, its blatantly a zelda-rip off and will most likely confuse a lot of people, so i can't blame em for sueing the little rascals.

  • Dragul #29 7 years ago

    Holy crap... its Link... in blue even...

    Who are they trying to fool? its Zelda WW all the way

    Nintendo can stay home and win this easy... LMAO
    Edited by 1 at 25/02/05 @ 20:23

  • Daryoon #30 7 years ago

    Next they'll be making a platformer based on an itallian builder named Marion whos short and has a black mustache...¬_¬

    Great Giana Sisters, anyone?

  • Dragul #31 7 years ago

    Or a blue headhog and call it Son Ic and it as nothing to do with Sega's Sonic... lol

  • Kami #32 7 years ago

    Yup, there I was, thinking, "Nintendo are being overprotective"...

    Then you look at those screenies, and you stop and realise, actually Nintendo may have a point this time around... Wiki just looks like Wind Waker. Nintendo stepped in to say, "Err, excuse me, but we're not having none o' THAT shit, y'hear?". No legal action has yet been taken, so Nintendo are just starting with a gentle slap on the wrists and a mild telling off - if that doesn't work, yes. Nintendo SHOULD defend it's work. It's just far too close to Wind Waker in terms of graphic design than even I would feel comfortable with.

    Of course we have countless clones. But come on people - if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck, swims like a duck and flies like a duck, the odds are pretty damned good that it's a duck.

  • Freek #33 7 years ago

    A comparison of the two games.
    Edited by 1 at 25/02/05 @ 23:42

  • Loki #34 7 years ago

    Come on guys WORK IT OUT, this is an obvious publicity stunt and its working superbly. A relatively unknown game is now well recognized by a huge amount of the gaming community; the company will obviously change most of the obvious familiarities but leave just enough to feed peoples curiosity.

  • captain-future #35 7 years ago

    much wiki waka about nothing.

    legally it might be copyright infringement...

    but who cares? the game never says it's made by Ninty -> THAT would be reason for a lawsuit.
    Edited by 1 at 26/02/05 @ 09:04

  • Freek #36 7 years ago

    You haven't seen the screenshots have you?
    There've been clones of games before, but they always have their own style, their own interpration, they are games inspired upon things that went before them, they don't literly copy things like Wiki is doing.

  • Kami #37 7 years ago

    It's a bit like someone painting a picture that looks remarkably similar to the Mona Lisa (bear with me on this comparison, I know I'm not good at this kind of thing!)...

    Sure. The painter was "inspired" by the original. And yes, he did it all himself. But how close do you need to get to the original before someone cries foul play? Art critics would go up in arms if someone copied the Mona Lisa. And possibly make a profit on it.

    Nintendo don't OWN the visual style. Although it is pretty damn unique, lets be honest., because few would dare copy that kind of chibi-powerpuff-girls kinda look. Wiki just seems to cut a little TOO close to the bone for Nintendo to feel comfortable with.

    No, Nintendo doesn't OWN the visual style. However, I don't think we can deny the two games share some striking similarities in the visual styling. The wind in the logo is also another thing which cuts awfully close.

    People tread on each others toes in this industry all the time. However, if you just stamp on someones toes - deliberately or not - expect repurcussions for your actions. Nintendo aren't impressed, and to be honest, I can't say I blame them.

    I dunno how successful a legal challenge might be. But look at it this way - you write a novel/short story, and publish it. A year or two later, someone else publishes a story, while not exactly the same, reeks of your own (copyrighted) work. Now, you don't OWN the basic plot premises, just the final finished work. But it's too similar for you to not take some sort of offence at. Wouldn't you at least take action? It's your work, and you spent a good deal of time turning an idea into reality. It's your work. You're not exactly gonna let someone else take a bastardised representation of your work and make money from it!

    Basically, yes. It's quite early to make rash judgements, but so far - just from the pics - Nintendo do have a reason to raise an eyebrow and look a little annoyed. Wiki, as a title, will be treading on eggshells from now on, knowing that Nintendo are watching things with interest... we'll just have to wait and see now, won't we?

    But no, I don't blame Nintendo from giving Webzen a verbal warning... Nintendo as a company has the right to defend it's interests and works. And as I said, if it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and swims like a duck... call it whatever you want and paint it however you please. It's still most likely going to be a duck.
    Edited by 1 at 26/02/05 @ 14:29

  • Psi #38 7 years ago

    How many fucking Ryu clones have we seen in fighting games? I'm with Loki on this one, they are making a fuss over something that will be changed and drawing comparison with Marvel + COH.

    http://www.penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2004-02-09

  • sephy #39 7 years ago

    most of whom pointed out that it was behaving like a total arse.
    Sounds like Nintendo in general tbh.....

  • skybluesam86 #40 7 years ago

    That's quite a blatant rip-off.

    I'm not surprised that Nintendo are a bit miffed about it.

  • OnlyMe #41 7 years ago

    My, this wasn't very creative was it? Everything, down to the details is incredibly similar. Didn't they have ANY artists themselves that could create the graphics for the game?

    The bad quality of the WW-recreation is reason enough to sue. If you can't see why Nintendo is reacting you're either have something against Nintendo (anti-Nintendo) or you're just plain blind.

    And I've not seen many Ryo look-a-likes in games really. What, a japanese guy with karate outfit who knows karate? What's so unique about that? I guess I saw lots of rip-offs down on my local Karate-club.

  • Aga #42 7 years ago

    no big deal, we need a zelda mmog anyway