I might not be the only one here who possibly had the idea of a very great game but after some ressearch found out that it was already taken (technically, same gameplay, artstyle and story).

In cases like this,should you still continue and start working on it or do a completely different project?

Let's say you wanted to conceive a video game inspired by a concept from a movie, REC as an example, but realized another person or company has already "made it", if you were to work on your project and change a few things so it doesn't look the same, will people still want to play it? Will it still be as hype as a new game or will it be labeled a copy/paste?
Considering the time and work you'll put in it you don't want those to be in vain.

I need some advices before I move on or continue, thank you.

I need some advices before I move on or continue, thank you! smile.png

Every game you will think off will most likely already exists in a similiar fashion. If games where truly unique, no FPS since castle wolfenstein would have been released.

Then according to you, should I try to give my concept project a go even if it's a but similar to another game? Considering it being a not so small project I'm gonna have to invest some time in there so I don't want it to be a loss.

Then according to you, should I try to give my concept project a go even if it's a but similar to another game? Considering it being a not so small project I'm gonna have to invest some time in there so I don't want it to be a loss.

If you think you can do a good implementation then yes do it. Ideas are worthless without a good implementation. There are almost no games that get released that are truly unique. If everybody who wanted to do an FPS said "oh wait we can't do that because ID already did Doom" then there wouldn't Half Life, Halo, COD etc..

Personally I'd never heard of Outlast but from reading the description it doesn't sound much different to any other First Person survival horror.

If you think you can do a good implementation then yes do it. Ideas are worthless without a good implementation. There are almost no games that get released that are truly unique. If everybody who wanted to do an FPS said "oh wait we can't do that because ID already did Doom" then there wouldn't Half Life, Halo, COD etc..

Personally I'd never heard of Outlast but from reading the description it doesn't sound much different to any other First Person survival horror.

While the core idea might be the same, your execution may well be very different. Taking the example of REC and Outlast, look at Dread Out--a very similar basic principle (wander a scary environment with a camera as your main tool), but with a very different execution (it's ghosts instead of "zombies" or mental patients, the camera is a means of detecting and defending against threats, and the setting is Asian, with local supernatural entities, rather than Western). (As the above-linked page points out, Dread Out is also very comparable to Fatal Frame, but again has its own personality and story.)

If I recall correctly, this is somewhat of a truism in writing: Execution is everything.

While the core idea might be the same, your execution may well be very different. Taking the example of REC and Outlast, look at Dread Out--a very similar basic principle (wander a scary environment with a camera as your main tool), but with a very different execution (it's ghosts instead of "zombies" or mental patients, the camera is a means of detecting and defending against threats, and the setting is Asian, with local supernatural entities, rather than Western). (As the above-linked page points out, Dread Out is also very comparable to Fatal Frame, but again has its own personality and story.)

If I recall correctly, this is somewhat of a truism in writing: Execution is everything.

Thank you! this really helped as I skimmed through the different horror games in found footage style I found out it's all about execution as you said. Having the bonus of my country having a lot of traditional tales and unique settings I might take that as a general direction to where should it head. I'm gonna to contnue writing now :)

I've found that when you initially copy someone else's idea, it only leads to more ideas of your own (and helps you understand their design decisions). That's where you branch out into your own creative, original IP. These sources of inspiration are a launching point to help you get started.

Do worry about copyright infringement though: Don't copy someones assets without their consent!

I've found that when you initially copy someone else's idea, it only leads to more ideas of your own (and helps you understand their design decisions). That's where you branch out into your own creative, original IP. These sources of inspiration are a launching point to help you get started.

Do worry about copyright infringement though: Don't copy someones assets without their consent!

I'm okay with the assets since I can model flexibly if I invested my time in it, but I agree with you, when I learned 3d modeling, I used to copy other people's work by trying to recreate it, then I slowly understood the way they worked and it made me even better and better and added my little tweaks in there just for exercising, the same way goes for storywritting etc.

Thank you all for the heads up, I'll update when it amounts to something presentable.

If you base your idea on some movie etc., it's not your idea in the first place.