History Main / SincerestFormOfFlattery

* ''VideoGame/{{AirMech}}'''s developer Carbon Games have never been shy about their game being a tribute to ''VideoGame/HerzogZwei''. In addition, the {{Steam}} description of the game describes the gameplay as "[[VideoGame/DefenseOfTheAncients DotA]]-style", acknowledging the game's other main influence.

* When ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' was first announced, many people were quick to point out the similarities between the eponymous celestial super-structure and Creator/LarryNiven's ''Literature/{{Ringworld}}''. {{Bungie}}'s public liaison actually went on record as saying that the fortress worlds in ''Halo'' have more in common with the orbitals in ''Literature/TheCulture'' than they do with the Ringworld of Niven's ''Literature/KnownSpace''. Granted, this statement may have been done to deliberately distance Bungie's creation from Niven's for legal reasons (a Ringworld game already exists under copyright) but the depiction of The Covenant in ''Halo'' partially mirroring the [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Idirans]] in ''Literature/ConsiderPhlebas'' seems to lend further credence to this particular inspiration.

* Music/NobuoUematsu acknowledged lifting the intro riff of Music/JimiHendrix' "Purple Haze" for "One-Winged Angel".

* Music/{{Opeth}} frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt admits "Ending Credits" is "totally a Music/{{Camel}} ripoff".

* In an interview, the director of ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' was asked "You're a fan of ''GGundam'', aren't you?" His response was simply to smile.

* Wrestling/{{SHIMMER}} was setup to increase the respect for women's pro wrestling on an international level. In 2011, a promotion calling itself GLAMOUR started up in Australia using the same style of font in their logo as SHIMMER(though this did not last, becoming Ladies of Australian Wrestling, then Glamour Championship Wrestling)

* Wrestling/{{SHIMMER}} was setup to increase the respect for women's pro wrestling on an international level. In 2011, a promotion calling itself GLAMOUR started up in Australia using the same style of font in their logo as SHIMMER(though this did not last)

* [=SuperBot=] confirmed that ''VideoGame/PlayStationAllStarsBattleRoyale'' is (in part) inspired by ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''. However, the HateDumb seems to think that means the developers are admitting ''All-Stars'' is a ''complete'' ripoff of ''Smash'', completely ignoring the fact that the developers politely explained they're fans of fighting games '''in general'''; examples of this include their implementation of consistent knockback power, intentionally-designed combos, blocking (a particularly different concept from ''Smash'''s shielding) and the super system (which is really more like the tiered super system from a traditional fighter than the ''Final Smashes'' in ''Smash''), so the haters are usually unfair about the similarities.
* The [[MissingEpisode Long Lost Prologue]] of ''Webcomic/OurLittleAdventure'' shows the Palm Tree Ghost saying the comic was inspired by ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick''. The prologue does warn [[FanDumb certain fanboys]] of OOTS not to attack it because of the similar theme, but there are a few who [[TheyCopiedItSoItSucks labelled it as an OOTS knockoff]] anyway.

Just the inspiration being obvious is not enough. There has to be a direct admittance that this is so. Admitting in the form of a TakeThat might still count, as it's just denying that they are following this trope, [[ImplausibleDeniability even when we know better]]. For this kind of thing in fiction, see IrritationIsTheSincerestFormOfFlattery.

* The developers of ''CartoonNetworkPunchTimeExplosion'' have admitted to being heavily influenced by ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''. [[http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/interview/26388 They even had testers play both games one after another to make their own game feel like SSB as much as possible]].

->''"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery."''\\
--'''Attributed to Charles Caleb Colton''' (although he probably stole it from someone else)

* Hideki Kamiya, the director of ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', said the ''{{Zelda}}'' franchise influenced his game. Although he thought ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTwilightPrincess'' could have looked better, he admitted that [[http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/06/okami-creator-disappointed-by-twilight-princess/ "it's no overstatement to say that I created Okami because of Zelda."]]

* Hideki Kamiya, the director of ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', said the ''{{Zelda}}'' franchise influenced his game. Although he thought ''TwilightPrincess'' could have looked better, he admitted that [[http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/06/okami-creator-disappointed-by-twilight-princess/ "it's no overstatement to say that I created Okami because of Zelda."]]

* Hideki Kamiya, the director of ''VideoGame/{{Okami}}'', said the ''{{Zelda}}'' franchise influenced this game. Although he thought ''TwilightPrincess'' could have looked better, he admitted that [[http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/06/okami-creator-disappointed-by-twilight-princess/ "it's no overstatement to say that I created Okami because of Zelda."]]

* The [[MissingEpisode Long Lost Prologue]] of ''Webcomic/OurLittleAdventure'' shows the Palm Tree Ghost saying the comic was inspired by The Order of the Stick. The prologue does warn [[FanDumb certain fanboys]] of OOTS not to attack it because of the similar theme, but there are a few [[TheyCopiedItSoItSucks labelled it as an OOTS knockoff]] anyway.

* It is often said that [[ThereAreTwoKindsOfPeopleInTheWorld there are two kinds of guitarists in the world]]: those who say they have been influenced by JimiHendrix, and those who lie. Note that many famous rock and metal guitarists of TheSeventies and TheEighties fall into the former category.
* Hideki Kamiya, the director of ''{{Okami}}'' said the ''Zelda'' games influenced this game. Although he thought ''Twilight Princess'' could have looked better, he admitted that [[http://www.joystiq.com/2007/03/06/okami-creator-disappointed-by-twilight-princess/ "it's no overstatement to say that I created Okami because of Zelda."]]
* Comics that have the format of ''DMOfTheRings'' usually state that is what inspired them, like ''DarthsAndDroids''.
* The makers of the ''{{Wii}}'' game ''TheConduit'' have stated they are taking tips from ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', and trying to make the Wii's Halo.
** They also said they would be glad if other Wii game developers did this to ''them''; specifically their customizable FPS-controls with the Wiimote.

-->"We've always been very open about the huge influences that VideoGame/{{ICO}}, [[VideoGame/ShadowOfTheColossus SoTC]] and VideoGame/{{Okami}} had on us during our development."
* David Jaffe has gone on record saying both that ''VideoGame/GodOfWar'' was heavily inspired by ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry'' and later on that he think's Devil May Cry's fighting system is better. [[http://www.gamespot.com/users/JLuke360/video_player?id=JHRnxDb55bgLuj7f See for yourself]].

* ''DorfQuest'' has stated from the beginning that it was inspired by ''Roleplay/RubyQuest'' and was an attempt at another sort of "quest".
* Supposedly, when the Wachowskis were peddling the script for ''Film/TheMatrix'', they brought with them a comic book and told prospective buyers that, basically they wanted to do something like that as a movie. The comic in question? ''GhostInTheShell''.
** Not just the comic, too. Watch the GITS movie's scene of Kusanagi going invisible. Then watch the Trinity scene. They specifically showed the movie to Joel Silver to give him an idea how they wanted ''The Matrix'' to look.
** Also ''TheInvisibles''.
* ''GearsOfWar'' creator Cliff Bleszinski frequently cited the game ''Kill.Switch'' as the inspiration for ''Gears of War'''s [[TakeCover cover system]]. He also cited both ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' and ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'' as gameplay inspirations, particularly their focus on creating "memorable moments".
* Around the late '90s a low-budget CD-ROM called "Pac Pack" could be found in many computer stores. [[ShoddyKnockoffProduct While the cover has a decidedly more]] ''PacMan''-ish [[CoversAlwaysLie design than the games contained]], the blurb on the back touts plainly that "Pac Guy" is "a ''Pac-Man'' ripoff - but a ripoff with style." The various sequels were less audacious, [[WritingAroundTrademarks recoloring the main character green and giving him the more lawyer-friendly moniker of "Pea Guy"]].
* The producers of ''Tallafornia'' openly stated that they were trying to make ''JerseyShore'' [[RecycledINSPACE in Tallaght]].
* The deveopers of ''CartoonNetworkPunchTimeExplosion'' have admitted to being heavily influenced by ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros''. [[http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/interview/26388 They even had testers play both games one after another to make their own game feel like SSB as much as possible]].

* The writers of MAD magazine admitted that their movie UpTheAcademy was heavily inspired by AnimalHouse, another movie based on a comedy magazine (NationalLampoon). They ended up disowning the film.
* The creator of Batman admitted the main character to be based on Zorro. This is the reason Batman watches a Zorro movie the night his parents are killed.

* SuperMarioWorld [[GameMod ROM hack]] ''Super Mario Kollision'' actually says in the ending credits 'Level design inspired by BrutalMario and VIP series', in case you didn't already figure out that much of it was ripping them off. Considering that the final level was literally an abridged carbon copy of Brutal Mario's Bowser's Castle level, this wasn't exactly hard to work out without the official statement.

* InvokedTrope on the ''FairlyOddParents'' where Timmy can be seen [[TheSimpsons writing lines on a blackboard]].. The lines are 'this is the SincerestFormOfFlattery'.

* Masaki Tsuzuk, the creator and main writer of the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' franchise, confirms in an interview included in the ''VideoGame/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAsPortable: The Gears of Destiny'' strategy guide that the ''Franchise/WildARMs'' elements in the plot of the game weren't coincidental, mentioning that they were done as a show of respect to Akifumi Kaneko and the franchise he made.

* Masaki Tsuzuk, the creator and main writer of the ''Franchise/LyricalNanoha'' franchise, confirms in an interview included in the ''VideoGame/MagicalGirlLyricalNanohaAsPortable: The Gears of Destiny'' strategy guide that the ''VideoGame/WildARMs'' elements in the plot of the game weren't coincidental, mentioning that they were done as a show of respect to Akifumi Kaneko and the franchise he made.

* Ben Mattes, producer of the latest ''PrinceOfPersia'' game, told MTV.com about [[http://multiplayerblog.mtv.com/2009/01/05/prince-of-persia-producer-addresses-colossus-copycat-critique/ the influences they used]].
-->"We've always been very open about the huge influences that {{ICO}}, [[ShadowOfTheColossus SoTC]] and {{Okami}} had on us during our development."

* When ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'' was first announced, many people were quick to point out the similarities between the titular celestial super-structure and Creator/LarryNiven's ''Literature/{{Ringworld}}''. {{Bungie}}'s public liaison actually went on record as saying that the fortress worlds in Halo have more in common with the orbitals in TheCulture than they do with the Ringworld of Niven's Literature/KnownSpace. Granted, this statement may have been done to deliberately distance Bungie's creation from Niven's for legal reasons (a Ringworld game already exists under copyright) but the depiction of The Covenant in Halo partially mirroring the [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Idirans]] in ''TheCulture/ConsiderPhlebas'' seems to lend further credence to this particular inspiration.