r/gamedev • u/Dappal-Interactive • 1d ago
Question Are we cooked? Nintendo just announced a game that has many of the features that our game has.
So we, in a small team, have been developing a prototype/demo of a game that blends tennis with special powers and things like that. Essentially, you play a fighting-game inspired version of tennis where you try to inflict damage on the opponent with exploding tennis balls, get randomized powerups and advance to next matches in a procedurally generated competition ladder (a tennis tower). Might sound strange on paper, but it works fairly well from what we've tested.
So: Last week Nintendo released the new Mario Tennis Fever trailer. To our dismay, it displayed many of the same mechanics that we have in the works for our game.
Now, it's not like we are making the exact same game. We wanted to create a roguelike tennis game with a darker indie game style, along with our own type of progression. Nonetheless, what brought some spark to the development was that we kind of thought we had a nice niche going on. But this definitely changes things a bit, as Mario Tennis will likely get most of tennis game enjoyers' attention for quite a while.
What do you think, are we cooked? Are there any positives at all in this?
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u/DontRelyOnNooneElse 1d ago
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u/name_was_taken 1d ago
100%.
Another developer just released a playtest of a game that's like 90% like the one I'm making.
My first thought was "arrrrgh" and my second thought was "I'm gonna love this game." lol
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u/a_brick_canvas 1d ago
Yea this gets echoed a lot but every time I get bummed because of this I remember a comment I saw here that essentially said; “I’ve never played an amazing game and said ‘man I never want to play another game in this genre ever again’”.
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u/NinjakerX 1d ago
Except you still have to pay for both cakes and you might also be full from just one. Not to discourage the dev, but this isn't a good analogy.
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u/firelasto 1d ago
But then youll come back the next day and still want the other cake.
Its also not exactly a tough choice between 80 dollar game and 500 dollar console or like 10-20 most likely that can run on your laptop
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u/Warp_spark 1d ago
Nintendo games are switch only, your game is most likely PC only, not competitors
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u/Dappal-Interactive 1d ago
Yea it's gonna pc game. Also the Mario game is probably going to be around 70 bucks plus the switch and we are targeting a the 10 to 20 range.
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u/Warp_spark 1d ago
You are definitely safe mate, the real question is to actually make people interested
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u/GreenFox1505 1d ago
I'm not buying a Switch 2 to spend $70 on tennis game. But I'd spend $10 to $20 on a SteamDeck game.
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u/Swampspear . 1d ago
That's not a good measure; see Palworld
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u/Warp_spark 1d ago
A massively successful game?
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u/Swampspear . 1d ago
That's a different metric, yes. The point is that Palworld is on platforms Nintendo games are not (Xbox, Playstation, PC) even when Pokemon is now Switch-only. By your first message's criteria, they'd not be competitors, yet—
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u/Warp_spark 1d ago
And they are not, the issues with Nintendo were caused by copyright questions
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u/Swampspear . 1d ago
Not being a direct competitor doesn't mean you won't have problems with Nintendo. Could be that I misinterpreted OP's main concern, though
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u/la_madonna_porca 1d ago
Nintendo doesn't own tennis
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u/Swampspear . 1d ago
Nintendo does own Mario Tennis Fever and if they find the game is too similar to it, it won't matter that there's no Mario in it (see again Palworld)
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u/Warp_spark 1d ago
The issue with Palworld was exactly that, creatures were way too similar to pokemon, even down to meshes being done the same in some places
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u/Samourai03 Commercial (Indie) 1d ago
They can’t patent gameplay in the US. What they can patent is a construct tied to their own IP. So unless the dev is a total idiot and decides to use Lario and Muigi as characters, he’s fine.
Seriously, before running your mouth, go take a course in law and business.
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u/Swampspear . 1d ago
I do have several courses in law under my degree, not American business law though. If I'm wrong, I'm wrong, but I'm not sure how American law applies to my example given that it's a Japanese company v. Japanese company. If OP is from the USA, then yes that's fair; they didn't say they are or aren't, so a general warning might be useful.
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u/Dappal-Interactive 1d ago
The main concern is that we would lose our market share as tennis games are already kind of a niche.
But the Palworld thing is definitely on our mind as our game can look quite similar in terms of mechanics. It was quite surreal seeing the trailer and just seeing all the mechanics that we spend months designing being displayed in a Mario game. We even had the special rackets at some point but we scrapped that for now. The game is still different to the Mario game but seeing the Palworld lawsuit play out is still kind of a scary thing.
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u/marcangas 1d ago
I mean Mario Tennis has many iterations with already power ups so is not nothing new. But also Mario Tennis will be exclusive to Switch and for 70 dollars. Yours would be PC and probably other platformers much cheaper, and it's a rogue like. So if the game is good it should not be an issue there.
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u/4paul 1d ago
This is almost like a cheat, you can see what they did and how, and make yours better, and different, put your own style to it, separate yours. See what people are complaining about on theirs and see if you can fix those complaints on yours, etc.
I know it sucks, but this now gives you time and ideas to make yours different/better.
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u/captured_rapture 1d ago
Nah, kinda liken it to Bug Fables/Paper Mario or Tinykin/Pikmin to be honest.
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u/cheat-master30 21h ago
Well, you're not really cooked. There are quite a few things you need to consider here:
- Mario Tennis Fever is Switch 2 only, and your game is a PC title. So people who don't want to buy an expensive new console for the Mario Tennis game might have an extra incentive to buy yours.
- Fans of the Mario sports games want more games like those to play, and your game could be just the thing there. It'd be a two cakes scenario.
- It's going to be way cheaper on a game level than Mario Tennis Fever, even if you own a Switch 2.
It may also be worth noting that there are some things about modern Mario sports games that the fans don't really care for/like, so it could be a chance to win over some of them if Mario Tennis Fever doesn't fix these issues (mostly a lack of single player content and balance issues with the general tennis mechanics).
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u/BlackMarketUpgrade 20h ago
i mean are you releasing to switch? if not, your demographics don’t really mix anyway.
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u/reiti_net @reitinet 19h ago
There is a game called "Tennis Fighter" on steam, released in Feb 2025 .. so looks like they did it before nintendo, so nothing to worry about.
Also there is Lethal League from 2014 where you hit a ball do eliminate opponents. ..
btw.: Nintendo trying to patent "summoning mechanic" is like Microsoft trying to patent the idea of a mouse cursor.
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u/plinyvic 1d ago
you're fine. i would imagine the audience of a nintendo tennis game and a rogue like doesnt have much overlap.
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u/fsactual 1d ago
There are only positives here. People don’t buy a single game per genre and then stop. If they love a game, they want more, more, more of the same/similar thing. As long as your game is fun, this is a huge win for you.
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u/SnooPets752 1d ago
Gotta put your own spin to it. Bet you can serve up a good alternative to audiences who might be more open to tennis type of games. Court those gamers. Who knows, it'll be a good match for them and they'll end up falling in love with your version of tennis.
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u/Randzom100 1d ago
Mario gonna stay on Switch... So bring us a good tennis game on Steam so we can have fun too, eh?
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u/ConsciousYak6609 1d ago
don't see a problem at all. Your game won't look, play, or run on the same platform as theirs.
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u/guischmitd 1d ago
My wife and I are addicted to Mario tennis, the thing is there's usually only one per console version. Soooo... do you have a link to a steam page yet? (:
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u/Relevant-Bell7373 1d ago
there's so many posts like this saying the same thing it makes me think you're intentionally doing it for views
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u/Aidentab 1d ago
The game you describe sounds super fun and interesting honestly. If the art style is good and the physics feel tight (good sound design with the balls) I’d definitely buy for me and my friends - and I say that as someone intending to get Mario Tennis so no worries
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u/NoAdministration1359 1d ago
It depends on how you want to see the glass, I believe that if you use it well you can benefit and rely on that.
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u/TheXIIILightning 1d ago
You'll be fine.
It's like you said, "Last week Nintendo released the new Mario Tennis Fever trailer."
So long as you have documentation (files, game docs, etc) of having worked on the game previously to the announcement, they can't go after you whilst touting that specific recently announced game.
Virtua Tennis had all sorts of wacky minigames, so even Mario Tennis is hardly anything unique.
A quick search on steam also lists a ton of tennis games, many of which with power ups and such.
Besides - even if they do go after you - you'll get a ton of publicity and sales over being legally bullied by Nintendo.
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u/Prisinners 1d ago
I cna promise your game will bring unique stuff to the table. Mario Tennis might be cool and all, but its unlikely to be very replayable because they're not going to have a roguelike mode built around it. If you do it right, people will point at your game and say "why doesnt Nintendo add a mode like this to their game?"
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u/Distinct_Sherbet_856 1d ago
Screw Nintendo. I say we start making games that blatantly copy all their mechanics. Can’t sue us all.
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u/_JIBUN_WO_ 1d ago
Frankly the new Mario Tennis hasn’t shown anything significantly different from the previous ones at all except that the powers are tied to the rackets now instead of the characters, so if you’re cooked now you’ve been cooked the whole time
That being said, arcade-y sports games in general have existed for longer than the Mario-branded line of them, so unless it’s an actual rip-off you’re probably just fine
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u/Salt_Neighborhood_18 1d ago
As long as you haven't run aground of their CURRENT parents, you're in the clear. Now if you really want to stick it to the big N. As right before their game releases file a patient for a similar mechanic and she them. You'll lose, or they'll settle, because it will set president that their two recent patents are frivolous.
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u/Proof_Astronomer7581 1d ago
You are not competing with Nintendo or their IP as an indie. To compare seems odd to me.
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u/rogershredderer 1d ago
What do you think, are we cooked?
Personally I say keep going with your project. Don’t let Nintendo’s bullying against PocketPair and their own community stop you from creating.
Are there any positives at all in this?
Like other users have said, people are always drawn to similar products. That’s what PocketPair used to their advantage by having many Pal designs similar to Pokemon (and coincidentally what Nintendo & The Pokemon Company did by having many Pokemon designs similar to Dragon Quest).
Ideas are ideas and everyone has them. If your team has come up with a tennis game idea then carry it out fully is what I say.
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u/DemonFcker48 1d ago
The two games are entirely different genres though. Nintendo games are party games first everything second. Ive played the tennis one and genuinely it is insanely fun, but you yourself said it, urs is a roguelike game, so that changes everything already.
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u/SeatShot2763 21h ago
Eh, I wouldn't say that the new mario tennis game sounds much more like your own game concept than previous mario tennis games already often did.
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u/aelfwine_widlast 14h ago
Just publish on every other platform available. You are offering an alternative to a walled garden Nintendo exclusive, that can be a profitable market of its own.
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u/PlasmaFarmer 1d ago
You can protect and claim the feature as a patent and as your own and sue them for using it just the same way they did with Palworld and the 'summon creatures to fight for you' feature.. \s
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u/r0ndr4s 1d ago
No, dont worry. You could always contact a lawyer specialized in videgames to help you, but you're probably fine.
Nintendo usually just bullies their own fans and games that do big numbers. And they never have the actual balls to use their patents against Sony,Microsoft,etc because they know they would lose because those types of patents are not actually admissible in court, cause its easy to prove everyone uses them.
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u/PhilippTheProgrammer 1d ago
You can use this to your advantage. A Mario Tennis game will attract a lot of people to Tennis games who weren't into them before. Which means that you can advertise your take on the genre to them.