Tencent is being sued by Sony for allegedly replicating the appearance of their game, Horizon Zero Dawn, in their own production.
In a significant move, Sony is taking legal action against Tencent, accusing the Chinese tech giant of copyright and trademark infringement in the development of its open-world game, Light of Motiram. The game, set to appear on the PlayStation 5 and Steam, is claimed to be a "slavish clone" of Sony's Horizon Zero Dawn, with numerous similarities in setting, characters, aesthetics, and gameplay.
The post-apocalyptic worlds of both games are dominated by giant robot dinosaurs, with humans living in tribal groups that survive by fighting these mechanical creatures. The protagonists in both games, female characters with red hair, are dressed in similar outfits, with Light of Motiram's lead character even wearing a device resembling Aloy's "Focus" earpiece from Horizon.
The mechanical beasts in Light of Motiram closely resemble the robotic creatures of Horizon in appearance and mannerisms. The art style, landscapes, architectural and artistic elements, color palettes, fonts, and even lighting and camera points of view are near-identical in both games. Tencent is also accused of copying promotional imagery and messaging from Horizon, creating customer confusion.
Sony alleges that Tencent hired a composer from Horizon Forbidden West to replicate the unique music style for Light of Motiram. The development context is also questionable, with Tencent first pitching a game based on the Horizon IP to Sony, which was rejected. However, Tencent proceeded to develop Light of Motiram with many of the same themes and mechanics.
This is not the first time such allegations have been made. Tyler Colp, a veteran gaming journalist who regularly plays and reports on games like Diablo 4, Elden Ring, Overwatch 2, and Final Fantasy 14, has been following the case closely. He notes the similarities between the two games and believes this is evidence that Tencent is intentionally violating Sony's IP rights.
Interestingly, Konami, another gaming giant, took a different approach when faced with similar issues. Instead of suing the developers of Vampire Survivors, who drew inspiration from an Android mobile game called Magic Survival and an asset pack inspired by Castlevania, Konami partnered with them to make official Castlevania DLC.
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Tyler Colp, with 15 years of experience in covering videogames and PC hardware, is a go-to source for insights on these topics. His focus is on games that are broken, beautiful, or bizarre, making him an intriguing voice in the ever-evolving gaming landscape.
[1] [https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2022-04-21-sony-sues-tencent-over-light-of-motiram-alleging-copyright-infringement] [2] [https://www.polygon.com/22787188/sony-sues-tencent-light-of-motiram-horizon-zero-dawn-copying] [3] [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-21/sony-sues-tencent-over-alleged-copying-of-horizon-zero-dawn] [4] [https://www.pcgamer.com/sony-sues-tencent-over-light-of-motiram-alleging-it-copied-horizon-zero-dawn]
- Sony asserts that Tencent's Light of Motiram game, set for PlayStation 5 and Steam, closely mirrors Horizon Zero Dawn, in terms of setting, characters, aesthetics, gameplay, and even promotional imagery, creating customer confusion.
- The similarities between the post-apocalyptic worlds of the two games, dominated by robot dinosaurs, and their female protagonists with red hair and similar outfits, including resemblances in gadgets like 'Focus' earpieces, have raised concerns about Tencent's copyright and trademark infringement.
- In the legal battle, Sony accuses Tencent of hiring a composer from Horizon Forbidden West to replicate the unique music style for Light of Motiram, while questioning the development context, given the initial pitch of a game based on the Horizon IP that was rejected by Sony.
- In the gaming world, Tyler Colp, a veteran gaming journalist with experience in covering a variety of games such as Diablo 4, Elden Ring, Overwatch 2, and Final Fantasy 14, has been closely following the case and believes Tencent is intentionally violating Sony's IP rights.
- Tyler Colp, with his extensive experience in gaming and PC hardware, offers intriguing insights on the latest gadgets like the Meta Quest 3 (best VR headset), Minisforum AtomMan G7 PT (best mini PC), Razer Blade 16 (best gaming laptop), and Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS ed. (top choice for portable handheld gaming PC).
