PUBG Corp Lands the Spotlight on Games That PlagiarizeÂ
Many avid gamers will agree that a variety of issues threaten the gaming industry: loot boxes, CEOs, and plagiarism. Plagiarism, for the purposes of this post, refers to games that steal source code and/or take artistic license with other properties. And it’s becoming a gimmick in the mobile gaming sphere, indicated by the most recent batch of copycats.
Not long ago, PUBG Corp found itself backed into a corner with the arrival of Rules of Survival. The mobile battle royale experience cloned developer Bluehole’s PlayerUnknown’s Battleground’s and went so far as to loosely mimic its “chicken dinner” slogan. As a result, PUBG Corp took the mobile publisher, NetEase, to court for copyright violation. Now, we’re seeing similar copycats to other beloved titles.
Understandably, many developers hope to match the success of today’s most popular games. However, games like Fortnite, Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Monster Hunter: World organically accumulated loyal fanbases. Each now has their own mobile copycat seeking to capitalize on their success. Fortnite now has Fortcraft, Monster Hunter World now has a mobile clone alongside the Breath of the Wild clone aka “Storm Island Action.”
As stated by PUBG Corp in a press release, the aforementioned copycats are siphoning dollars from players in exchange for sub-par mimicry. Thus, the mobile market has become this copy-and-paste library seemingly detrimental to both players and the developers they copy. To add insult to injury, many a game will feel unfinished, and the extent of their originality will produce mismatched heads for well-known characters.
Last but not least, the prevalence of copycat games has led to an estimated industry-wide revenue loss of $74 billion. Obviously, that’s a substantial blow for creators who spend more time creating original IPs, indie and AAA alike. With that, let us know your thoughts on the circumstance. Do you think the market has become plagued with Battle Royale copycats and then some? Comment down below
SOURCE: Press Release