douglas-wilson
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Johann Sebastian Joust conquers Chicago
Johann Sebastian Joust continues its steady campaign of world domination with a stop in Chicago, Illinois, where random people in parks and subways join internet denizens in some light-based, non-screen video gaming hijinks, captured on film by RedPandaGamer.
Seen@GDC: Playground games
Die Gute Fabrik lead designer Douglas Wilson is comfortable asking people to make fools of themselves, as he demonstrated during his panel at GDC on Friday, "Three Folk Games To Inspire Radical New Video Games." Wilson emphasized the impact that physical, playground games can have on modern video game development, bringing players together outside of the screen. They certainly influenced Wilson's convention-famous motion game, Johann Sebastian Joust.Wilson asked for volunteers from the audience to step on stage and play three games that influenced Joust: Standoff, Listelanse and the Danish Clapping Game. See a handful of eager audience members hitting themselves and dueling with wooden spoons in the gallery below, and read more about each game after the break.%Gallery-184408%
JS Joust creators respond to Papa Quash controversy
Johann Sebastian Joust developer Die Gute Fabrik deliberated over its response to inquiries about the similar iOS app Papa Quash for more than a day, delivering a comprehensive response on its blog last night. "To be clear, we've never given anyone permission to make a derivative version of any of our commercial products – existing or forthcoming," DGF said. "That said, the definition of 'derivative' is elusive. We generally don't believe that game mechanics themselves can or should be copyrighted or otherwise protected." "We've also never requested any studio to pull any of its products," the studio added, referring obliquely to Papa Quash's removal from the App Store. "We believe that game developers have the responsibility to decide for themselves what is "over the line" in terms of cloning vs. innovating (separate from legal obligations regarding copyrights, trademarks, patents, and other intellectual property rights)." As for the specific case of Papa Quash, Die Gute Fabrik demurred from outright calling it a clone – while still expressing disappointment about cloning in general.In an email to Joystiq, Die Gute Fabrik lead game designer Douglas Wilson provided clarification about the email conversation that took place between Papa Quash creator Sam Pepper and DGF."Sam Pepper did email me back in January," Wilson said. "However, I never gave him 'permission' to develop Papa Quash. In his emails, he told me about his general plans to make a motion control game, which he indicated was different from J.S. Joust. He never provided a well-formulated game/design, and as such, there simply was nothing to 'approve.'"According to Wilson, the decision to pull Papa Quash was not his. "I spoke with Steve Bittan from Ustwo last night, and I made it clear that the determination was theirs (and potentially Sam Pepper's) to make as to whether the game is "different" enough (separate from legal obligations regarding copyrights, trademarks, patents, and other intellectual property rights). I don't harbor any animosity towards Ustwo or Sam Pepper."
JS Joust creator's Dog the Wag puts Moves on butts
During his Independent Games Summit presentation on "folk games," Die Gute Fabrik's Douglas Wilson presented an example of a "deliberately stupid" game that uses technology to encourage uninhibited fun among groups. You know, like the group's best-known game, Johann Sebastian Joust.Dog the Wag, demonstrated by people acting a damn fool next to the stage, is a game played using PlayStation Move controllers, tethered to player's butts. Players get on all fours, then attempt to wag their digital tails as furiously as possible to accumulate points. Occasionally, the Moves' orbs will flash, signaling that a player is vulnerable to attack. If another player manages to wrestle said vulnerable party to the ground and press a button on their Move, points are deducted.We're going to remember this the next time we're about to tell someone GDC is a more "professional" conference.
