Random: PS5, PS4 Shovelware Isn't Even Trying to Hide Its Plagiarism Anymore

Well one thing is that tis shovelware ain't winning no GOTY awards.

Postive of the use of AI in game development: it makes it easier for anyone to release the game they want

Negative of the use of AI in game development: it makes it easier for ANYONE to release the game they want

Sony couldn't care less.

This is one area where Sony have really dropped the ball.

Need to sort this kind of crap out.

Tbh it’s pretty embarrassing that Sony allow it to continue

I can imagine if I ever released another game on psn it will have very poor visibility due to all the supermarket simulators

Someone once called my own game Trails and Traces shovelware, like as if anyone would make a point and click adventure game as shovelware when it requires meticulous planning.

At least he’s alive in this one

Excuse you, that's clearly Julian Mallard from The First of Them.

Sony needs this crap for deals so they can proclaim "There are 5000000+ games in sale!"

Sorry, but Joel is an American white family man in his late forties, living in a single family house in a small town. This is pretty much the most generic American with the most generic appearance you can imagine, so many gamers can identify with him in some regard. What makes him (and the other characters) so interesting is his story and the decision he makes based on his experiences, the „Druckmann part“.

And therefore everyone can cool down, because replicating the quality of his character is hard.

@PsBoxSwitchOwner It is all of them. Steam is flooded with 1400 games a day. The large number of them are shovelware. The Nintendo E-shop is unusable now for browsing too. They all need to start curating content better.

@Max_the_German Yeah but you still recognise him straight away so he isnt that generic. 😆

@breakneck totally agree.

But it’s a PS so I’ll just criticise Sony for now!

@Flaming_Kaiser Yeah, because this guy here is a bland copy of Pedro Pascal. So for many people he basically looks more like Joel than the Joel in the video games (which is quite clever imo).

@Max_the_German Occam's razor.

@MrPeanutbutterz Of course this is a bland copy of Joel, with the beard and gun and cloths and setting, and I and everyone else immediately recognizes it. Just wanted to mention that Sony created its most memorable figure based on a very average archetype, and the reason he is so memorable is his character, not his appearance. That’s a huge achievement. Compare it with the characters of Concord, unique designs, and nobody cared.

@RudeHero There wasnt even a mario galaxy type level, what does Nintendo own the rights to a space hub world?

I’m confused by this narrative that’s appeared lately on Pushsquare. Not sure if by multiple reporters or just Sammy. Why does simply having characters or art direction that looks like LoU or Horizon mean a game is plagiarising? In this just an idea drummed up to fuel engagement?

One thing a forest ranger would never do is feed wildlife! What a nonsense 'simulator'.

@Max_the_German
I can't agree with you.
First it's just copy paste. Which is wrong.
Second I have been on this earth for quite some time and have met like 2 people who look similar but still not exactly like him. For me it's Joel from the last of us. No matter the story it's him. The story is just the part why you remember him but he's (unique) if someone copy paste your image from fb wouldn't you be pissed and say hey that's me. It's not just character. Appearance counts too.

@Max_the_German Yeah the average appearance is deliberate - Joel's an everyman who is relatable. Could be any number of us in his shoes.

My point is it's a deliberate knock off of Joel because the target audience recognises him with no effort. People will no doubt have a look at this garbage because they recognise the character. It's not any deeper than that.

@RudeHero Super Mario Galaxy 2 is one of my favourite games ever made. Implying that Astro Bot is some cheap knock off is next-level Nintendo fanboy copium.

And the video you linked is hot garbage - platform characters have been doing those animations since the year dot. The one with Mario drowning followed by Astro Bot not drowning has to be satire...

sony are making 30% on all PSN purchases im sure they dont mind

I don’t think Sony needs to worry unless we start getting Forest Ranger Life Simulator Remastered.

@RudeHero Yeah Mario is the only character to ever shiver in the snow, or sink in quicksand.

Funny how Crash Bandicoot is a very different game to Mario. Funny how you missed that. Funny how you also missed that they said "yes, we were inspired by Mario". Funny how Mario doesn't have a VR game that is considered the pinnacle of the medium, yet Astro Bot does.

Try again.

Projects like this probably would be very good for those constantly complaining about Part 2 and whatnot. They very likely would get exactly what they want. The most bland generic stories you instantly forget and don't have to think about

How is this shovelware any different to what EA, Ubisoft and Sony have been pushing out over the last few years?

This is getting more and more like the Atari crash by the day, unlicensed, zero quality control garbage being pushed to consumers.

We need a new Nintendo Seal of approval, but for the whole games industry.

Heavy fines for any company that releases a game with game breaking bugs, and more regulation on monetisation.

@Fishnpeas Now you have the right idea there. That would help a lot and probably lead things how they were. Wasn’t it back in the day most that kind of shovelware slop only on PC and consoles had more quality content?

Xbox, Nintendo, and PlayStation need to do something about this. They need to clean up their stores. I see these garbage games everywhere.

@RudeHero First off, aesthetically and thematically Astro Bot is a very different game to Mario, having a more bot and tech inspired world.

In terms of gameplay, ofcourse if you make a video comparing only the same mechanics and leave out the rest Astro bot does, its going to seem one sided. Astro bot also does things very differently with levels played from a miniature viewpoint, or levels like Locoroco for example. Venturing far off from only traditional platforming that Mario tends to stay at.

Also the comparions of gameplay mechanics in those videos are hardly all created by Mario, some have been done before and done many times after in other games.

Platformers, by nature , will share many same core mechanics.
In any genre you’re going to have mechanics that are inherent to it, and most games in that genre will look similar. Thats why for example most 2d side scrollers have much of the same gameplay. Sometimes they only differ aesthetically or in level design, but are still considered unique from eachother

Astro Bot is an extremely well polished game technically, has been critically acclaimed, a high userscore and won GOTY. It easily sits at the same heights as Mario, and they can both be great games. Saying its a cheap knockoff is a bit disingenous.

The game in this article however, is a perfect example of a cheap knockoff.

Bearded hunk gets accused of looking like bearded hunk

@ApostateMage Are you talking about Joel and Kratos? No they dont look alike. This character and Joel do however.

@LogicStrikesAgain I didn't say it was a "cheap knockoff" I'm just pointing out the fact it's mechanics are mario in different look. And yes you have a point to games that will have "similarities" as to why genres exist. But to ignore the glaringly obvious overlaps is what's disingenuous. And nobody's taking away that astrobot isn't a good game it's just acknowledging that having similar things if done right is a problem.

@RudeHero "Go on YouTube and search astro bot vs mario if this link doesn't work"

Giving homework to strangers on the internet, hoping that they'll come back the next morning and apologize to you?

Shouldn't you be in Facebook, arguing about politics?

Either way, i can make an essay that Bayonetta is basically Luigi's Mansion. Anyone who've watched MattPat and have a bit of imagination can frame anything into a specific narrative.

@RudeHero Oh damn, you really didnt! I apologize, i think i may have mixed up comments then, really thought it said cheap knockoff, my bad 😅

@RudeHero
I give them a pass because they showed with Rescue Mission they can be unique themselves given new tech. There are limits to what can be done with a flat window and the same old controllers.

@RudeHero As having played both games fully (unlike you) there's not a single point in Astro Bot where I stopped everything and said "omg this is just like Mario Galaxy!" 😒

You really think if Astro Bot had plagiarize anything that Nintendo wouldn't have swam Team ASOBI studios with a swat team full of lawyers? If it bothers you reading about Astro Bot is perhaps beter that you stay in Nintendo Life!

If some unsuspecting schmuck is a Joel fan it's probably better they get suckered into this than TLOU2.

@Juanalf You obviously haven't astro bots booster/hover jump is straight from mario sunshine for example.
Enough said.

@Scouse_Pirlo “Best Shovelware” most definitely should be an award at the shows. Like the Razzies for video games.

Nothing is as worse for shovelware than the E-Shop, and tbh Shovelware isn't going away especially as these platform holders get a cut of the revenue. What benefit would Sony/Nintendo/Microsoft get for stopping these types of games.

They allow these shovelware games but won't allow early access games like subnautica 2.
It annoys me.

It's becoming almost as bad as the Switch eShop. Almost.

I'd appreciate it if Sony would allow users to hide store content or filter. Give us the ability to hide content based on the developer, that way the low effort chaf developers can be removed based on preference.

@RudeHero Yeah not like my first console was a NES with the SMB/Duck Hunt pack in or anything. Not like Galaxy 2 is close to being my favourite game ever (its just about pipped to that post by WipEout 2097), it's not like I saved up Nintendo Points just to nab the double disc Mario Galaxy Orchestra soundtrack for Galaxy 1, it's not like I bought a 3DS for 3D Land, Wii U for 3D World, or a Switch for Odyssey, or that I've 100% Super Mario World on the three save slots.

I'll admit that I've never played Sunshine properly, but that's mainly due to the fact I was up to my eyes in university at the time, and I only had the spare money for one console (and I'm not even sure why I had that because I sure as heck didn't have the free time for it). In fact, the only mainline Mario game (2D or 3D) I've yet to play is Wonder, as I'm waiting to buy a Switch 2 instead of a new Switch at their overinflated-for-2024 prices.

So do you have any actual comebacks to my argument that what the video demonstrates is mostly generic character animation, and not a ripoff? Or are you just gonna throw out petulant soundbites like "yOu nEvR PlaYED mArIo" because you don't actually have an argument here?

Yeah, thought as much.

@Megageeza22 They do allow Early Access games though, Towers of Aghasba is early access, same with Smite 2 and last year they promoted a game called Wayfinder which released as Early Access.

@UltimateOtaku91 Sad actually. "Don't think critically, just consume product."

Forest Rangers wear uniforms though, not dirty plaid shirts.

@RudeHero "You obviously haven't astro bots booster/hover jump is straight from mario sunshine for example.
Enough said."
So just out of interest, going off your own logic, do you think Nintendo copied Sega when they made BotW since the gliding and climbing is just like Sonic and Knuckles? Even being able to climb, then glide off and stick to another wall and climb again.

@RudeHero Calling Astro Bot a ‘Mario knock-off’ oversimplifies the platformer genre and underestimates the creativity behind Astro Bot. Yes, both are 3D platformers, but that doesn’t mean one is a copy of the other. 3D platforming has been a staple of gaming for over 30 years, and Mario wasn’t even the first platformer to exist—it’s just the most iconic. Games like Crash Bandicoot, Banjo-Kazooie, and even Sonic Adventure helped shape 3D platforming into a broad and diverse genre.
Astro Bot stands out not because it mimics Mario, but because it innovated with VR mechanics in 2018. Its use of virtual reality creates a sense of immersion and interaction that’s completely unique to the platform. The perspective shifts, environmental interactions, and creative level design make it a distinct experience, not a rehash of Mario’s formula.
Comparing every 3D platformer to Mario diminishes the creativity of developers who contribute fresh ideas to the genre. Astro Bot is a love letter to platforming as a whole, not a carbon copy of one franchise.

@LavenderShroud Once the crash happened, Nintendo released their seal of approval which was their way of reassuring customers that everything on the NES would be in working order.

Funny how they have got rid of that now...

@BecauseBecause not to be overly mean but your game kinda was shovelware....

@RudeHero Homage doesnt equal knockoff. Sure Mario inspired it, they even acknowledge it. But Astro Bot has its own identity.

I dont open links from sites, but I’ve seen some of these videos. These videos arent proof of anything, because they only show the similarities, not the differences. Meaning you’re ignoring all the things that Astro Bot does different.

Also, a lot of these videos also compare very arbitrary things like sliding off of something, or hanging on a bird, even comparing it to other games that arent Mario, like Zelda or Splatoon. As if implying that spraying water mechanics or something or even having ‘haunted/spooky levels’ are invented by Mario and no other games can emulate it.

Most of these things are done by other platformers as well, and some mechanics Mario took and refined from older games. (I do acknowledge they we’re first with a lot of mechanics, as they we’re one of the first 3d platformers)

It’s like calling Ori and the Blind Forest just a knock off of Hollow Knight for example. Because they share so many mechanics as double jumping etc.

It’s not like other games cant use the same mechanics. Games regularly borrow from what came before and refine and improve on it. Astro Bot uses some mechanics and makes it their own by using different speeds, movement and momentum.

Controlling Mario with its focus on momentum like building up speed for running, feels very different from Astro Bot.

If games can only use original mechanics and animations, almost every game can be called a knock off.

@RudeHero Ah yes, the classic bait and switch followed by an ad hominem attack because you don't actually have a response to what I put to you.

I mean, I don't need to seeth, plenty of other people in this thread have successfully dunked on you numerous times already.

I’m gona call a shovel a spade

@Deljo it’s a Ratalaika game and I’m pretty sure they are a known shovelware production company 🤣 so I think you are right.

Well, you got to hand it to Shovelware for living up to their name.

I'm aghast of us.

@Fishnpeas Agree with everything you said there! Trading Standards should be hitting the video games industry with fines left, right and centre, but it never happens, probably because the legislation has never kept up with the technology.

I've been expecting an ET-style industry crash ever since the Cyberpunk debacle.

Sony needs to take action! This are clearly scams

Have you seen the ***** from that person ThiGames it's nothing but crap Jumping this or Stroke that it's a joke. They actually came up on the free demos section can you believe that, Valve created Steam Greenlight years ago and it was full of unity asset flips and shovelware and no matter how many indie Devs complained they didn't remove it. Until I think 5 to 8 years later they took Greenlight down but you still get rubbish but not as bad as PSN

@RudeHero You don't have a fking clue what "knock off" means. But i don't expect much from Nintendo fanboys who thinks Nintendo invented everything.

That’s weird, I have a friend who is developing a game for PC and he told me that working for PlayStation was very hard because you need Sony’s SDK and contacts at Sony to access the market place. So how all of this shovelware gets to the PS store? If an expert could explain to me how it works…

I mean, Playstation welcomed the Horizon clone on to their platform and shared the first trailer sooooooo....

https://weibo.com/2833736934/P2vKgcIxT

@UltimateOtaku91 The e-shops of all the major gaming platforms have become a cesspit of garbage. My own library is already pretty vast, and it's bad enough where the titles you already own still remain in store search listing's, but the amount of utter rubbish that you have to wade past when browsing the stores has quickly led me into just giving up on even looking ... What would they gain? Returning customers. I don't begrudge small time games makers wanting to put there games out there, but the stores need to have some standards and quality control ... They wouldn't even need to remove the rubbish, just implement and add filters to reduce the amount of unwanted shovelware the consumers are exposed to. As it stands, the only savings I'm making is from not buying anything at all.

@LikelySatan
That is made by Tencent which is a very well-established company though. Not made by a single 19 year old in his bedroom using assets he stole from Unreal or Unity.

@PegasusActual93 I'm sorry but who am I rooting for here, lol?

@LikelySatan
You are comparing two things that are not in any way alike. That's all I said dude.

@Max_the_German A bland copy of Pedro Pascal? No they made him looks like Joel for the series. But what is it a avarage white male or Pedro Pascal make up your mind.

Still with the attire people will say that is Joel and why go out of your to say a copy of Pedro to say two remarks later that its a copy of him.

Bring on the law suites!

The PS store has always been filled with shovelware crap. Even these days it's a pain to navigate through, especially when there is sales on

@PegasusActual93 if you say so! And all I'm saying is that my conscience is just as sullied either way. At least, hypothetically. I wouldn't buy from either.

This is actually quite sad, the same goes for that Horizon clone from Tencent. They really can't come up with anything themselves I believe. I'm more looking forward to Park Ranger Simulator, from Aerosoft. They do have good simulation games. But that's not Shovelware

@Deljo I think you're confusing amateur production with a game purely made to make money with as little effort as possible. And that other person calling Ratalaika a shovelware company, they published Chasing Static and Guard Duty, two pretty good games. They do release a lot of cheapo indie titles but they're generally not the same level of crap as those actual shovelware companies.

Sony needs to start hiring QA for the store again

Knock off Joel living the simple life I was hoping authentic Joel would be.