The inspiration for the new WOW expansion is Kung Fu Panda????

[andrewducker]

Really???

Comments

[cairmen.livejournal.com]

Oh, yeah, all of this is true.

However, looking at the Mists of Pandaria video - it's INCREDIBLY close to Kung Fu Panda in theme and visual style. Obviously, KFP was in turn influenced by kung fu movies and Chinese culture, but MoP is SO close to KFP in visual style that I still think they're taking a non-trivial risk. And you can't claim prior art as a defence in copyright.

I guess they might be planning to, if the makers of KFP sue, counter-sue on the basis that KFP was copying the Pandaren. Might work.

[andrewducker]

One of the racial traits is "Inner Peace", which is the major theme of KFP2!

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

Ham-fisted borderline-racist mystic oriental-alikes is a fairly standard fantasy trope too, to be honest.

[andrewducker]

Yes - but the actual words "Inner Peace" are used to describe what Po is looking for - repeatedly, as the main theme.

Of course, they may both be using the same sources. But I'm sceptical...

[octopoid-horror.livejournal.com]

I was tacitly accusing both WoW and Kung Fu Panda (without having seen it, I admit) or the same treatment of certain Chinese values and ideologies to be honest.

Regardless of originality, it has mystic pandas, ha ha ha ha ha ha.

[andrewducker]

I don't find mystic pandas any stranger than werewolves in top hats, or the sexy undead models they use. Or, indeed, Orks with machine guns :->