I was browsing the PS Store and spotted three of these complete rip-off games, all from the same company. And they’re not even subtle rip-offs either.

Take Rocket Car as an example. Looks remarkably similar to something else, doesn’t it?

Then there’s Construction Machine Simulator. Again, remind you of anything else? Okay, there’s a few of these type of games, but this one doesn’t even try and disguise that it’s ripping off the main game in this genre: https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP6326-CUSA43614_00-0303332389496733

And finally, there’s Wash Simulator. Yet another not even subtle rip off of another popular game: https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/concept/10008957

These are the only ones I’ve spotted from a quick browse through the Store, I assume there is more. But how on Earth do companies get away with stuff like this? I can understand it on mobile app stores, but are there no checks before these games are put on the PS Store?

  • echo64@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    It’s not illegal to make something that is like something else. I’m not sure what you mean by “get away”

    • Jackthelad@lemmy.worldOP
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      1 year ago

      There’s a difference between “like something else”, and what these guys are doing. This is not just taking inspiration, it’s copying the entire game.

      See the game Stumble Guys, which has been on mobile for a while and somehow is being released on consoles. It’s identical to Fall Guys. 🤷

      • echo64@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        There isn’t. Unless they violate an actual law, they can do what they want. There have been clones of copywritten work since copyright first existed.

        • Jackthelad@lemmy.worldOP
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          1 year ago

          Sony got The Last Hope taken off the Nintendo eShop because it was a rip-off of The Last of Us.

          If companies don’t want their games being copied, they can stop it happening.

          • echo64@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Yes, if they pressure other companies to do their bidding. But nintendo didn’t have to do that and nothing the studio did was at any point against any law or breaking any trademark or copyright. This was just one massive company choosing to help another massive company.

      • echo64@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Yes, and none of this is anything close to being in violation of any of those things.

  • The Barto
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    1 year ago

    Are you knew to this planet? For as long as people have been creating things, people have been making copy’s.

    As long as they have coded the game from ground up and haven’t taken anything from the originals games besides concept, then it’s legally fine, minecrafts a knockoff, portals a knock off (except they actually brought the thing they knocked off).

    Then you go look at the list of B-movies being released. Every major film will have at least 2 knock-off versions.

    No one’s making you pay for it, so just ignore it, and if it bothers the original creator, then they can deal with it, but most the time it’s not worth caring about for them.

  • wintermutehal@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    I‘m not saying I know why, but I wonder if it’s like crap movies going straight to rental. In this case, Sony (the rental place in this analogy) gets to look like it has so many options, and also a cut of each sale. So screw it, any new thing for sale is a good thing. Even if it sucks, you (the buyer) picked it out.