The video games industry alone is full of examples. When something breaks into mainstream success, there's going to be a feeding frenzy of competitors looking snag a piece of the pie, but unless the copying is too egregious, the original success story is going to have to suck it up, or the industry risks stagnating.ĭoom launched a thousand clones, and is still a top brand today. PUBG publisher Bluehole is paying what I like to call the pioneers price.
This evolution from mods into standalone game genre is similar to how player-created mods for Starcraft eventually developed into the popular MOBA genre of popular multiplayer games such DoTA and "copycats" like League of Legends. The game style originally started becoming popular as mods for Minecraft and ARMA 2 before a modder like PUBG creator Brendan "PlayerUnknown" Greene (who developed the ARMA 2 mod) made his own game based on the concept. PUBG didn't invent the battle royale genre. But there's room for more than one example of a genre. Suffice to say that it has crossed genres.
In fact, it began as a co-operative defense game where one would construct forts against zombie hordes. The best tips and tricks for Fortnite on mobileįortnite didn't start out as a free-to-play battle royale game.Which battle royale game suits you best? Check our player's guides to find out: Different players find the gameplay of one game better suited to their skills, even if both fall under the genre of 'battle royale'. Other's prefer Fortnite's colorful aesthetic, and its fantasy and building elements. Some prefer PUBG for its grittier visual style, use of vehicles, and greater realism. When it comes to Fortnite and PUBG, the two games are different enough that each has its own distinct fanbase. Right now only PUBG is available on Android, but that will change this summer. It can be argued that a certain level of copying improves products for consumers, and different companies offer distinct takes on a new trend or format and can improve on the original. Occasionally litigation occurs, but is only successful regarding specific corporate theft or copying of more concrete items than say, design trends like the now ubiquitous notch.
Any AndroidPIT readers familiar with our coverage of the smartphone market will have seen how often this issue comes up among smartphone manufacturers, especially when it comes to copying market leader Apple. It's arguably a better one, and certainly is a more successful one.īut following a trend is nothing new in the business world. So Fortnite creator Epic Games saw a hot trend and pivoted towards it, making their own take on the battle royale game format.
We don't have specific details on exactly how Fortnite has allegedly infringed PUBG's copyright, but the two games do share many similarities in concept, and also both use the same Unreal Engine 4 that was created and licensed by Epic Games. “We filed the suit to protect our copyright in January,” says an unnamed PUBG official in a statement to The Korea Times. PUBG developer Bluehole has had concerns about the similarities between the two games, and now Korean company PUBG, a subsidiary of Bluehole, has filed a lawsuit against Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite.Īccording to a report from Korea Times, PUBG is alleging copyright infringement against Epic Games, and has filed a lawsuit for the Seoul Central District Court to determine whether Fortnite has copied PUBG. Fewer people outside of the gaming community will have heard of PUBG, but it's uncontroversial to say that if it wasn't for breakout indie game PUBG popularizing the battle royale genre in the first place, Fortnite as we know it wouldn't exist.īut PUBGs creators clearly see this debt owed as more than just one of inspiration. Even non-gamers are likely to have heard of Fortnite, the massively popular free-to-play battle royale game that's conquering the hearts of celebrities, critics, your friends and family, etc.