With the rise of digital stores, many indie developers have the opportunity to publish their games and reach a broad audience; however, this also brings a major problem: a large percentage of the projects leave much to be desired. And yes, there are clones and plagiarism galore.
On this occasion, Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of Rockstar Games, took severe action against a small video game that, suspiciously, bore a strong resemblance to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.
Related video: Outrageous cases of plagiarism in video games
HeliCity Demolition Man, a game based on a mission from GTA: Vice City, disappears from PS4
We’re talking about HeliCity Demolition Man, a title developed and published by Erick Games. According to reports, it debuted on August 30 for PlayStation 4 and cost $2 USD. It drew attention because it was a cheap and short experience that rewarded players with a relatively easy-to-obtain platinum trophy.
So, what was this curious video game about? Here, players had to pilot an RC helicopter and place explosives around a building. Does that sound familiar? If so, it’s because you played the criticized “Demolition Man” mission from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, where Tommy Vercetti used the same type of vehicle to plant bombs in a building.
Certainly, HeliCity Demolition Man does not hide that it is inspired by Rockstar Games’ open-world game, and especially by that particular mission. The user interface, sound effects, map area, overall setting, and other visual elements are very similar and verge on plagiarism.
It is a mystery how this game passed Sony’s certification processes and made its way to the PS Store for PlayStation 4. In any case, Take-Two Interactive became aware of its existence and took appropriate measures.
The game has now disappeared from the console’s digital store and is no longer being sold. Likewise, the official trailer has been removed from YouTube due to a copyright complaint. Neither Erick Games nor the company owning Grand Theft Auto have commented on this matter.
For better or for worse, such stories are quite common. Last year, the case of The Last Hope, a blatant clone of The Last of Us that appeared on the Nintendo Switch eShop, went viral. It cost $1 USD, but it was removed from the store shortly after its launch.
But tell us, do you know of other cases like this? Let us know in the comments.
You can find more information about Grand Theft Auto by visiting this page.
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