Summary
A game developer is bringing attention to the discovery that their own game has been stolen and put up for sale on multiple digital game platforms, including theNintendoeShop. It’s an unfortunate development and highlights an ongoing issue that can impact gamers and developers alike on theNintendoplatform and others.
These days, it’s easier for ever for small game developers to reach an audience through the internet. Numerous game platforms now allow users to sell titles on them, regardless of the size or scale of their game or development studio. While this has allowed some indietitles likeStardew Valleyto take off and become massive global hits, it can also lead to some bad actors using the platforms to make money off of material that isn’t theirs to sell.
On Reddit and other social media platforms, game developer Steelkrill Studio is bringing attention to the a claim that their game,The Backrooms 1998, has been stolen and put up for sale on game platforms like the Nintendo eShop. The stolen version of the game has been renamedBackrooms Horror Escapeand was published by “COOL DEVS.” According to Steelkrill, the game has hardly been modified, with only the monster model and a picture changed out. Steelkrill notes that the stolen version of the game was being sold on Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo’s digital game stores, but PlayStation and Xbox have responded to their takedown claims, and it’s no longer available there.
Nintendo eShop Response to Stolen Game Claim
Unfortunately, Steelkrill hasn’t had the same success withNintendo’s eShop, which is why they’re bringing it attention to the Switch community. While they say they’ve filed a DMCA, they claim that Nintendo has responded saying that it doesn’t see anything wrong with the stolen version. The dev has since offered further proof, but at time of publication, the rip-off game is still available for purchase on the Nintendo eShop.
Numerous gamers in the comments have sympathized with the developer, with some indicating that this is an issue they’ve seen before. Unfortunately, the lack of curation of some digital game platforms has left gamers suspicious of indie games and wary of accidentally buying stolen games like this one. To make matters worse, platforms like the Nintendo eShop don’t offerrefunds like Steamdoes, so players could get ripped off with no way to fix the issue. With any luck, the increasing level of attention regarding this game’s theft will draw Nintendo’s scrutiny and get the rip-off removed from the eShop, but the underlying issues here may still persist.
