Skies Ablaze

[Encephlon]

http://www.unlockxbox.com/gameIdeas/gameIdeaDetails.aspx?gameId=287&Commentpage=1

Quite possibly the most original game design ever~

[Drake]

Yes, we know.

[Cadmas]

Could be, Could be.

Well I guess Americas will know what a shmup is now.

That guy better hope for his sake that the Wraith of angry Touhou fans doesn't come to get him in his sleep.

[Dead Princess Sakana]

A vertical shooter like the coin ops from the 80s and 90s. Instead of playing as an airplane or space ship, you play as one of two spell casters. They each have their own enchanting story with a bit of comedy thrown in. Among the various stages are a host of colorful characters the player meets along their journey. The biggest difference in this vertical shooter is that it includes a versus mode with a variety of spell attacks used to blast enemies out of the sky.

Except for the number of characters that could be a description of PoFV  :V
What a creative guy...

[Drake]

PoFV and PoDD were based on Twinkle Star Sprites, do remember, but I really doubt this guy even knows what the game is, considering how Touhoucentric it is.

[Kojiremi]

he did say a few comment pages back that he knew it wasn't a 100% original idea. After that all the comments were saying how similar to touhou it sounds. A little before it too. Weather he knew about touhou beforehand is the question i guess but it basically sounds like a typical one player touhou game with 2 player capabilities. like combining IN with PoFV.
I've no xbox anyway so i'm not even considering it but still....well that's all i got really i'm not really interested in games nowadays unless it is touhou haha.

[N-Forza]

There really isn't a problem with borrowing concepts from other shmups, since both official and doujin games do it all the time.

This, however, is so thinly-veiled it's practically transparent.

[KrackoCloud]

It would be nice to see more SHMUPS in the west, but... Even if the guy later admits to this not being completely original, both he - as well as the judges - treated it as such, and that does upset me.

It would've been funny if the similarities to Touhou (or Twinkle Star Sprites, as mentioned in some earlier post) were noticed and pointed out by one of the judges.

[beaver1231]

Shall we move this to the Touhou Addict recovery Center? Wouldn't hurt if more people know more about than posting it here.

I get the part in not completely original. But "not completely original" and "completely not original" makes a lot of difference. Gameplay-wise that is.

That site is starting a few things right now as I post:

-Sending e-mails to judges or something along the lines of that
-A recommendation to get this idea to 2ch.
-Doing a combined vote.
-Massive rant posts on that site and the comments below video.
-A couple of people (only 2-3) calling to people to calm down and saying Touhou isn't completely original in the first place.

You can always go there and see for yourself. But if you want arguments posted here please ask.

I think I'll be voting. If that's actually possible...

EDIT: Youtube video for whatever reason: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbZr3hBdwMo
In addition it's becoming lulzy right now. With comments such as, "it's ZUN's long lost American cousin!" and
"ZUN == GOD
Don't mess with god."

How could it not be lulzy?

[Drake]

But DS is fucktarded so yeah.

[beaver1231]

But DS is fucktarded so yeah.

Aren't they doing the right thing?

[Cadmas]

Whether he knew what Touhou was is kind of besides the point though. He kind of stepped on a yellow jacket nest. He might not of known it was there, but hes still going to stun. Indeed lulzy.

Should have been a third party programmer.

[Formless God]

So what is this DS ?

[beaver1231]

Aka the site.

It's a forum that that generally discusses Doujin games, other stuff and moar Touhou. Let's just stop here because you really don't wanna know the rest.

DS can't be spelled in full because it'll be censored with word "Google".

I should crop the person's face and put it on the wanted poster in Walfas or I could put it beside Zun's cropped face and call it Zun's long lost brother...

Sadly he dosen't seem to have a fond taste for beer...

[KomeijiKoishi]

Aka the site.

It's a forum that that generally discusses Doujin games, other stuff and moar Touhou. Let's just stop here because you really don't wanna know the rest.

DS can't be spelled in full because it'll be censored with word "Google".

I should crop the person's face and put it on the wanted poster in Walfas or I could put it beside Zun's cropped face and call it Zun's long lost brother...

Sadly he dosen't seem to have a fond taste for beer...

-deleted due to forum rules-

[beaver1231]

DO NOT ASK FOR OR POST LINKS TO TH GAMES

Now take it down. Before TSO comes and sends you packing.

[einhorn303]

The comments on this games page are making me rage harder than anything all year. I can't believe there are so many 12 year olds who first heard of Touhou on youtube out there. Thinking that ZUN actually invented the concept of split-screen 2P shmup? Seriously? God, there's just so many things wrong here.

>Life and bomb = Exactly like Touhou
>Focusing = EXACTLY like Touhou
>Dialogue before a boss = Exactly like Touhou.
>Instead of playing as an airplane or space ship, you play as one of two spell casters. = Exactly like Touhou

Direct quote. You have to be extremely ignorant of danmaku games to actually seriously think these elements are unique to Touhou, or invented by ZUN.

>>This man should arrested for copyright infringement. How dare he steal the concept of Touhou and not give credit!

100% chance that the person posting this has only ever played doujin games through illegally downloading them. What an extreme expression of hypocrisy.

Also, the character designs are 100% un-Touhou like. A blatant maho shoujo, an evil cowboy, a buff FS/N Archer-type guy.

Not to mention the fact that Touhou liberally borrows from many sources itself. Just look at the comparisons of the PC-98 games with the original KiKi KaiKai games.

[beaver1231]

The comments on this games page are making me rage harder than anything all year. I can't believe there are so many 12 year olds who first heard of Touhou on youtube out there. Thinking that ZUN actually invented the concept of split-screen 2P shmup? Seriously? God, there's just so many things wrong here.

Interface = Touhou

Direct quote. You have to be extremely ignorant of danmaku games to actually seriously think these elements are unique to Touhou, or invented by ZUN.

>>This man should arrested for copyright infringement. How dare he steal the concept of Touhou and not give credit!

100% chance that the person posting this has only ever played doujin games through illegally downloading them. What an extreme expression of hypocrisy.

Also, the character designs are 100% un-Touhou like. A blatant maho shoujo, an evil cowboy, a buff FS/N Archer-type guy.

Not to mention the fact that Touhou liberally borrows from many sources itself. Just look at the comparisons of the PC-98 games with the original KiKi KaiKai games.

Fix'd

Also, don't complain here. Bring the complain to them. (Judges and silly people who haven't figured out wht PoFV actually is)

[einhorn303]

Fix'd

Also, don't complain here. Bring the complain to them. (Judges and silly people who haven't figured out wht PoFV actually is)

90% of the time, the official comment rejects my comments with that accursed "Bad Words" filter.

[Cadmas]

The comments on this games page are making me rage harder than anything all year. I can't believe there are so many 12 year olds who first heard of Touhou on youtube out there. Thinking that ZUN actually invented the concept of split-screen 2P shmup? Seriously? God, there's just so many things wrong here.

ZUN might not have created the ideas, but the games that did could up with them don't have the rapid fan base touhou does. I don't think anyone went, "Omg PoDD is a rip off of Twinkle Star Sprites" when they came out.

Bottom line; everything is a rip off or recreation of something.

[Bananamatic]

take it easy goddamnit

the game will suck anyways and there is no loli

[Cadmas]

take it easy goddamnit

the game will suck anyways and there is no loli

Ah the Fatal Flaw.

With the men it seems more like Seihou and will be likely just as popular.

[Bananamatic]

Ah the Fatal Flaw.

With the men it seems more like Seihou and will be likely just as popular.

Touhou for cowboy fetishists

[Lishy1]

The comments on this games page are making me rage harder than anything all year. I can't believe there are so many 12 year olds who first heard of Touhou on youtube out there. Thinking that ZUN actually invented the concept of split-screen 2P shmup? Seriously? God, there's just so many things wrong here.

>Life and bomb = Exactly like Touhou
>Focusing = EXACTLY like Touhou
>Dialogue before a boss = Exactly like Touhou.
>Instead of playing as an airplane or space ship, you play as one of two spell casters. = Exactly like Touhou

Direct quote. You have to be extremely ignorant of danmaku games to actually seriously think these elements are unique to Touhou, or invented by ZUN.

>>This man should arrested for copyright infringement. How dare he steal the concept of Touhou and not give credit!

100% chance that the person posting this has only ever played doujin games through illegally downloading them. What an extreme expression of hypocrisy.

Also, the character designs are 100% un-Touhou like. A blatant maho shoujo, an evil cowboy, a buff FS/N Archer-type guy.

Not to mention the fact that Touhou liberally borrows from many sources itself. Just look at the comparisons of the PC-98 games with the original KiKi KaiKai games.

Agreed, agreed, and more agreed.
I actually look forward to skies ablaze because we need a multiplayer shmup, and this can potentially bring the danmaku genre to the west. Sadly, people are too busy raging before even gameplay.

Haven't they wondered why Touhou has remained Doujin? Zun doesn't want to deal with all this originality crap. Even his songs aren't the most original, as he borrowed from many nes games and pop songs.
And focusing has been here since loooong ago. It's a shmup staple in games like Mushihimesama.

If people want to see something truly similar to Touhou, look no further:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQISUCR25Qs
(How do you attach a youtube video embedded btw?)

[BoLaD]

This is a prime example of "It's popular so it sucks."

[einhorn303]

ZUN might not have created the ideas, but the games that did could up with them don't have the rapid fan base touhou does. I don't think anyone went, "Omg PoDD is a rip off of Twinkle Star Sprites" when they came out.

Bottom line; everything is a rip off or recreation of something.

This game has been posted about on a 2ch thread (http://schiphol.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/gamestg/1184680763/) , and I think the list at the beginning of the thread illustrates that perfectly.

You can understand this easily with Google translated, but basically, it's a list of every gameplay element from Touhou, and where that element was stolen from:

東方パクられたSTG

霊夢(霊符)マリオン(ガンバード)
低速時(妖々夢)?プロギアの嵐
低速時のメインショット弱体化(妖々夢)??プロギアの嵐
パスウェイジョンニードル(夢符)??バルカンレーザー(レイディアントシルバーガン)
エクスターミネーション(妖々夢)??クエイドのバーストランス(ドラゴンブレイズ)
低速時のメインショット弱体化(妖々夢)??プロギアの嵐
魔理沙(魔符)??モスキート(ストライカーズ1945II)
低速時(妖々夢)?フォッケウルフ(ストライカーズ1945II)
低速時のメインショット弱体化(妖々夢)??プロギアの嵐
魔理沙(恋符)??チッタ(魔法大作戦)、アイスマン(バツグン)
低速時のレーザー(妖々夢)??怒首領蜂
低速時のメインショット弱体化(妖々夢)??プロギアの嵐
咲夜(幻符)???Aタイプ(ケツイ)
低速時の集中サーチショット?プロギアの嵐
咲夜(時符)ヴォルク(ソニックウイングスリミテッド)
低速時のショット傾き固定??ヴォルク(ソニックウイングスリミテッド)
紫の式神藍ザサエさん(式神の城)
紫のショット&ホーミングオプション?疾風(ストライカーズ1945II)
アリスのレーザー怒首領蜂
自機の前の人形からレーザーを発射?自機の前の精霊からショットを発射(エスプレイド)
レミリア単独??アルカード(ガンバード2)
レミリアのメインショット??斑鳩
低速時のオプション設置疾風(ストライカーズ1945II)
妖夢のショット?0番武器(ザナック NEO)
妖夢の全方向逆移動オプションバトルガレッガ
低速時の全方向逆移動オプションの固定??マジカルチェイス
幽々子のショット???Cタイプ(怒首領蜂)、J-B 5th(エスプレイド)
巫女キャラの自機(霊夢)戦国ブレード
魔法使いキャラの自機(魔理沙)ガンバード
剣士キャラの自機(妖夢)戦国ブレード、魔法大作戦
吸血鬼キャラの自機(レミリア)ティンクルスタースプライツ、ガンバード2
妖精キャラの自機(チルノ)??ティンクルスタースプライツ、疾風魔法大作戦
うさぎ耳キャラの自機(鈴仙)?ティンクルスタースプライツ
御札ショット??戦国エース、戦国ブレード
ナイフ型ショット魔法大作戦、疾風魔法大作戦
星型ショット??ガンバード、ゲーム天国
コウモリ型ショット??ティンクルスタースプライツ、ガンバード2
霊夢のショット(花映塚)???Aタイプ(弾銃フィーバロン)
リリカのショットテイルガン(グラディウスII)
メルランのショット??緋炎(ソニックウイングス)
魔理沙のイリュージョンレーザー??フライングパンケーキのバスターレーザーLv1(ストライカーズ1945II)
妖夢の断迷剣??溜め斬り(婆裟羅)
鈴仙のマインドエクスプロージョン?ボムタイプ(弾銃フィーバロン)
リリカのキーボード霊?ヘイコブの溜め撃ち(ガンバード2)
ルナサのチューニング?ショットタイプ(V・Ⅴ)
ミスティアのリトルバタリオンアルカードのショット(ガンバード2)
てゐの二兎追??レイディアントソード(レイディアントシルバーガン)
文の補扇?アイスマンの集中ショット(バツグン)
メディスンのポイズンビー??ロジャーの式神攻撃 弐式(式神の城II)
幽香のフラワーシューティング???J-B 5thのショット(エスプレイド)
小町の死神の投げ銭??ロックオンタイプ(弾銃フィーバロン)
映姫の徳の説示?ヤンニャンのサブウェポン(ガンバード)

(this is only the 1st part of the list, it extends over multiple posts and is extremely long)

I think a /jp/ post sums up this "controversy" most succinctly, though:

>GODDAMNIT THIS GUY MADE A SHMUP... AND HE ISN'T JAPANESE! *punches wall, is 600 pounds*

[Azinth]

Yeah, einhorn303 basically hit the nail on the head as far as my opinion towards this.

With the men it seems more like Seihou and will be likely just as popular.

If that's the case then I'd buy it.  The world of danmaku needs more insta-spawning lasers and heatseeking missiles if you ask me.

[Lishy1]

In all honesty, I want The Artifact to win more than this. The guy behind the idea of The Artifact has true passion!!

However, that said,  I want this to win 2nd place. Probably won't be likely. Thankfully, I managed to stop the DS invasion and make them realize some of them were acting like retards at least

[einhorn303]

I'm actually voting for Skies Ablaze, just because I want to see more Western games where you can play a loli magical girl

Though it'd only really affect me if it had a PC port. Which I can definitely see shooting games getting.

[N-Forza]

Haven't they wondered why Touhou has remained Doujin? Zun doesn't want to deal with all this originality crap.

Uh, no. There are a few reasons why he hasn't gone commercial with the games, but that isn't one of them.

ZUN himself has said that shmups, official and doujin, borrow concepts from each other all the time, and people are OK with it. It's not considered stealing, it's considered respect.

However, in THIS case, this guy is basically hinging on the Touhou series' relative obscurity and trying to adapt it for Western audiences, despite the faux-anime style artwork. It's a blatant rip-off to anyone familiar with the series. Sure, this could be seen as "respect", but since it's Touhou with a new coat of paint, he's borrowing so much at once that it just seems lazy more than anything.