Sony Interactive Entertainment has filed a lawsuit against Tencent in California, claiming that its upcoming game, Light of Motiram, is a “slavish clone” of the Horizon series, featuring similar gameplay, story themes, and art. The lawsuit comes after Sony declined a collaboration offer from Tencent for a new Horizon game, only to see Tencent announce Light of Motiram shortly after. Some journalists have even dubbed it a “knock-off.” Interestingly, Sony’s Shanghai division initially promoted Light of Motiram for PlayStation 5 but later removed the posts.
This raises an intriguing question: How can game developers balance inspiration and originality in an industry filled with similarities, and what constitutes intellectual property infringement in such a competitive landscape?
