Developers are frustrated by the challenges of removing clone games, particularly smaller studios with limited resources. Witch Beam's Wren Brier revealed that they reported over 80 clones of Unpacking since its 2021 release. Many clones lift game assets and names, often creating low-quality scams that mislead players. Brier emphasizes that AI-made clones are misleadingly marketed and detract from the visibility of genuine indie games. While some developers maintain financial stability, the broader impact of clones hampers the discoverability of original titles across digital platforms.
The majority have been extremely low-effort scams using Unpacking's name or imagery to trick players into downloading something that isn't even a game, just a series of ads.
They're not AI-made games, they're AI-generated marketing images attached to a completely unrelated hastily-slapped together barebones skeleton of a game.
Flooding a storefront with garbage that no one wants to play makes it impossible for players to organically discover indie games.
It's not a problem just for the games that get cloned, it's a problem for all of us.
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