PSA: Check if your game is being sold by this developer

[JaeJaeCee]

Hiw has this shmuck not been caught yet? Its been four months...!

 

[slimmmeiske2]

Unfortunately, Steam doesn't do anything unless the original developer themselves report it or people mass-report it.
Case in point, I reported all the games to Steam and linked to the original ones, but they've yet to remove most of them.
So I also posted a thread in the discussions forum of the games letting potential buyers know these are stolen games.

 

[Amane Kagari]

Oh right speaking of rips..... There's been Chinese rippers on Steam too. They think that if they made things in Chinese, nobody would notice. But I believe I've seen a few familiar ones (from mainly outside this community) that I am aware of. (Sorry I hadn't gotten a chance to screen them. Usually I pass by these items and put them on my ignore list.) Just a little heads up to look at stuff that aren't in English too. They also try to pass it as free items from time to time (even as "workshop items"). I know that Chinese also makes platformers and RM games too but I can tell if one's legit or not by looking at descriptions (rips usually have really horrid vague descriptions often in English to throw people off until you DL the game and found out that something's fishy even though it's all in Chinese...). (I can read very little Chinese even though I'm Chinese. But I can tell by patterns of their scammy English and the obvious (stolen) graphics of the game.) I don't remember which games are rips but I'll be on the look out for any Chinese rippers (if they rip any games made by community members here) I've see and try to screenshot and post them here if needed. So far I don't see any games made by this community being ripped yet but I've seen a few outside of this community being ripped by those Chinese rippers. Again, this is just another heads up.

 

[Marquise*]

Another thing that got my attention was 3 out games I've checked, the reviews complained that the game(s) were incomplete, and had some assets missing (like the door graphic). My guess is that most of the games were demos and free of charge (which it's even more concerning), and not completed by the real developers; they could've still being in process of developing.

*facepalms*

I am not a violent person but I got a little voice in me chanting "Burn~! Burn~!" and my Christian side tries to calm me down as it is a sin to have that in the back of our mind.

16 a day. Even not playing them huh? Self-entitled @$$h*l3... uh sorry! Grrrr

@slimmmeiske2 thanks for ever being vigilant
@Amane Kagari How can I NOT sound racist when right now China's greatest reputation is in its piracy and knock-off?

Are no copycat realizing that they get any progress down the drain? Oh true, just a cheap way to make money leashing and freeloading on others. How do I stop being paranoid putting anything on the internet now? I must be in a bad mood I still get that lil "burn, burn" chant in my head. (the only way to get me SJWing I guess)

Hey... WAIT! Is there a way to get all devs getting a common legal injunction on this guy? I mean... Steam might realize something by that 16 games a day and faulty QC and unfinished games and game disparities... no?? (What have you become Steam?)

 

[TWings]

He added 4 new games this month... Steam should really stop it !
I'm reporting it too. @slimmmeiske2 do you still have the links to the original games ?
I wish I couls put negatives reviews to warne the buyers too.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

What this is still going on!!!!??? I wonder what steam is doing, if they're even doing anything..

 

[Elliott404]

Well, while I've reported the stolen RPG Games, 2-3 of them were taken down hopefully? The links were broken so I assumed that they got taken down.

 

[slimmmeiske2]

@TWings Someone shared them here.

Well, while I've reported the stolen RPG Games, 2-3 of them were taken down hopefully? The links were broken so I assumed that they got taken down.

Yeah, I believe those were taken down, because the copyright holders reported them.

 

[Andar]

What this is still going on!!!!??? I wonder what steam is doing, if they're even doing anything..

There is a legal problem here
ONLY the original creator can initiate a copyright-based claim and takedown.
If someone else reports a game as stolen, then steam cannot take it down unless they get overwhelming specific evidence.

There are a lot of reasons for this, including to prevent cases of false reports done by people to hamper another developer and the fact that publishers often have contracts with independent developers and steam can't check every case of a game published by someone not the original creator to determine if there is a contract between publisher and creator.

And unfortunately if someone left a half-finished game and then abandoned the community, there is almost no way to contact that creator to have him do the required paperwork to take down his game.

 

[TWings]

Either way after so many verified violations, I'm surprised this account is still up and able to add more stolen games...
It sends a terrible message to everyone : You can make money from free games that aren't yours, get away with it and continue to do so as long as you want.
I wish Steam would take some kind of measures to prevent that.

 

[Elliott404]

And unfortunately if someone left a half-finished game and then abandoned the community, there is almost no way to contact that creator to have him do the required paperwork to take down his game.

I don't find this a problem, at least not for the real dev themselves. That thief did not even bother to check if the game is in completion or under development, so if someone actually liked the game, and question whether it's going to be completed or not, it's going to be on him(thief).

And if someone is observant enough, they will know whether the game is stolen or not if they checked on the release date at least at 25/Oct.

I'm sorry if I sounded insensitive.

 

[Engr. Adiktuzmiko]

There is a legal problem here
ONLY the original creator can initiate a copyright-based claim and takedown.
If someone else reports a game as stolen, then steam cannot take it down unless they get overwhelming specific evidence.

Yes but I mean this seller has been doing this for a while now with a number of the games already been reported and taken down (which means people have been able to provide solid proof for those games), so at least they should have been monitoring this seller or something, right?

 

[TWings]

About the 4 games he released this month, I couldn't find the 3 others, but I found this one and mailed the developper to warn him (he replied to me he would be contacting Steam, so hopefully it will be taken out quickly) :
original product : https://demenci.itch.io/middle-ages-hero

 

[atoms]

Ok, I really think this guy should have all these games he didn't make removed and a warning, and if he continues to upload other developer games, after the warning to be banned on steam because this is really bad.

Is there really nothing more we can do but find the actual developers of the game and show them what happened here?

I think there is more than enough evidence this guy has stolen lots of games, because many of them are on rpgmaker.net, under different usernames, so either he created multiple accounts or he's a fraud. It's obvious, can't Steam take that as evidence and give this guy a warning or a banned or something? I don't understand....

We also all know he stole these games, so since we're aware of it can't Steam be shown this in a way they can accept it, with or without each developer contacting them?

I mean it's getting ridiculous what this guy keeps on doing.

 

[Cryptic]

Recently, it has come to my attention that a developer called Garnudo Games is either selling or rereleasing old rpg maker games in steam. One of my friends, @OceansDream 's game was even included in it. Check if your game included in it and ask for a DMCA takedown. https://store.steampowered.com/search/?developer=Garnudo Games

Still can't believe people are falling for their games and they're still making money off of other people's own games. My advice to developers is that putting something at the start of the game stating the game is by YOU. Then people will realise that if you game is sold by someone else that the game is yours, not the seller's/ sellers'.

 

[Marquise*]

You know... This might works with lazy pirates.

Although, I might make a scene before the title like in some movies, so it don't get removed first if it is the very fist thing to change in-game.

 

[Tuomo L]

I was able to contact yet another developer via social media and another game was removed.

 

[Cryptic]

I was able to contact yet another developer via social media and another game was removed.

our hero!

 

[goldenhawk]

I know it’s awful, but hey I know of someone worst on Facebook he has duplicates of his Facebook accounts going by several names, his main name is Jeremiah Podgey Pig and he will scam you out of your company and lie about purchasing your game and say he is a lawyer and will compromise with you handing over your company to him.

 

[Marquise*]

I guess that needs a verification.