I was browsing the PS Store and spotted three of these complete rip-off games, all from the same company. And they’re not even subtle rip-offs either.
Take Rocket Car as an example. Looks remarkably similar to something else, doesn’t it?
Then there’s Construction Machine Simulator. Again, remind you of anything else? Okay, there’s a few of these type of games, but this one doesn’t even try and disguise that it’s ripping off the main game in this genre: https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/product/EP6326-CUSA43614_00-0303332389496733
And finally, there’s Wash Simulator. Yet another not even subtle rip off of another popular game: https://store.playstation.com/en-gb/concept/10008957
These are the only ones I’ve spotted from a quick browse through the Store, I assume there is more. But how on Earth do companies get away with stuff like this? I can understand it on mobile app stores, but are there no checks before these games are put on the PS Store?
There isn’t. Unless they violate an actual law, they can do what they want. There have been clones of copywritten work since copyright first existed.
Sony got The Last Hope taken off the Nintendo eShop because it was a rip-off of The Last of Us.
If companies don’t want their games being copied, they can stop it happening.
Yes, if they pressure other companies to do their bidding. But nintendo didn’t have to do that and nothing the studio did was at any point against any law or breaking any trademark or copyright. This was just one massive company choosing to help another massive company.