Brazen clone of "Animal Crossing" or AI-generated fraud?
14.1.2025
Translation: machine translated
At first glance, a game that has appeared in the Playstation Store looks like a clone of "Animal Crossing". At second glance, there are strong indications of a fraudster flooding the game stores with low-quality games.
In the gaming industry, it's all about being inspired by good ideas and creating interesting new games from them. However, there are also black sheep who simply copy the successful concept of other games without incorporating their own ideas and hope to make money from it.
Just brazenly stolen or simply AI-generated?
The new game is the subject of lively discussion on Reddit. Many users confirm that it looks very similar to "Animal Crossing: New Horizons".
On one of the screenshots, however, users discovered indications that these are merely AI-generated images. This means that the screenshots were not taken in-game or created by artists for the game, but generated by an AI. This suggests that there is no game (yet). AI images often look very good and coherent at first glance, but on closer inspection, details are incorrect or don't make sense.
In the following screenshot, you can see unnaturally placed curtains and tables in the background. Some details, for example on the cooker or the flower shelf on the right, are deformed or incomplete.
This further screenshot shows some objects whose appearance and placement do not make sense at second glance. For example, the low desk in front of the shelf in the far right corner or the filing cabinet on the right.
Only AI-generated or simply a scam?
Another indication that something is wrong here is the publisher "Maksym Vysochanskyy trading as IndieGames3000". In the least problematic case, this indicates an individual with a questionable penchant for unusual naming.
The quantity and type of games from this supplier suggest that, if anything, they are poor quality games that have been created with the least possible effort. Developers are provided with assets, i.e. ready-made models and in-game objects. With the help of an AI, a bad game can be generated quickly.
Header image: Maksym Vysochanskyy trading as IndieGames3000
Feels just as comfortable in front of a gaming PC as she does in a hammock in the garden. Likes the Roman Empire, container ships and science fiction books. Focuses mostly on unearthing news stories about IT and smart products.
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