On Friday, the indie dev behind co-op survival horror shooter Distress uploaded a put up to its Steam neighborhood hub web page with a picture of a crying cat as its header. Titled “We’re beneath assault!”, the put up outlines one thing you will have seen if you happen to’ve performed the sport or tried to purchase it at this time: it has been delisted from Steam following a DMCA strike initiated by Stalker developer GSC Recreation World.
The put up options screenshots of an electronic mail from Valve despatched to Distress’s 19-year-old, largely solo developer Maewing, and writer Ytopia. It states that GSC Recreation World reported Distress for “use of [its] sport content material with out [its] authorization” and features a handful of screenshots exhibiting comparable scenes from each video games, two of which present a bunch of survivors with scavenged gear and fuel masks enjoying a guitar by a campfire.
We’ve reached out to GSC Recreation World for remark, and can replace this text if we hear again.
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As an entire layperson in the case of the authorized particulars of copyright infringement, it actually looks as if this declare goes off vibes greater than something. The e-mail notes that the screenshots are solely there for illustrative functions and do not present all of the infringing property, however you’d suppose GSC Recreation World would go for one thing extra damning than a few scenes that, whereas superficially comparable, do not appear to make use of the identical fashions or textures.
Distress’s Steam neighborhood weblog put up argues the developer’s case: “We don’t pose any menace to GSC or their IP, we don’t compete with their video games, nor will we use any of their IP. After all, Distress was impressed by many issues, together with video games, films, and books, however submitting a DMCA strike for that’s mistaken. We additionally wish to remind GSC that their video games draw closely from Roadside Picnic and the Stalker film by Tarkovsky, and they don’t personal the copyright on depressive Soviet-era buildings, enjoying guitar, vodka, radiation, or deserted areas, and even the poo.
“Distress makes use of no characters, plot, storyline, property, monsters, music, code, and many others., from their video games. It’s all both initially created or legally licensed. We additionally suppose that that is an abuse of energy in opposition to small unbiased builders by a big company, and it shouldn’t be a factor.”
Developer Maewing allegedly shared a far much less diplomatic first response on the sport’s Discord. Reddit person AcceptableAttitude13 posted a screenshot Friday on the Stalker subreddit of a put up from Maewing that reads, “FUCKING GSK GAY WORLD SEND US STRIKE FOR WIERD AHH SHIT, JUST LOOK AT THE CLAIMS OF THOSE [r-slur]. We’ll struggle rn to return our sport again!!!”
The put up has since been edited and is not fairly as inflammatory, nonetheless referring to the Stalker studio as “GSK” Recreation World, however containing no slurs. I can not absolutely confirm what it may need stated earlier than, however Maewing subsequently addressed the problem.
The brand new put up reads: “[After the DMCA strike], some folks discovered my previous posts and feedback that included inappropriate and offensive statements. Many are rightfully upset, and I utterly perceive why. To start with, I wish to acknowledge and take full duty for my previous phrases. What I wrote was immature, inconsiderate, and mistaken. It doesn’t symbolize who I’m at this time or what I consider in, and I deeply remorse posting it.
“I don’t assist any type of extremism, violence, or discrimination in opposition to any group of individuals. I really worth and respect our gamers and buddies from all international locations and backgrounds,” his follow-up put up reads. “As for the DMCA strike we are going to deal with it calmly and professionally. There is no such thing as a foundation for it, and I consider Valve will evaluation the state of affairs pretty.”
Some customers on the Stalker subreddit are speculating the takedown is in response to alleged assist for the Russian invasion of Ukraine by Distress’s builders, as mentioned on this thread stuffed with screenshots from the Distress Discord. I used to be unable to confirm this, with the one proof thus far being screenshots of assorted Discord posts, a few of that are attributed to volunteers who labored with Maewing.
Distress’s Discord seems to have been totally scrubbed following the DMCA request, and a brand new put up from Maewing states that inflammatory speak associated to the battle will consequence right away ban: “If somebody spams Z’s or ZOV or any Ukrainian symbolic, swastics (sic) and so forth in reactions or messages, simply ban him with out hesitation.” Whereas it isn’t clear this motivated the takedown, even partly, it might go some option to explaining why the extra fashionable Stalcraft, one other Stalker-inspired survival sport, stays unaffected.
