Hey Capcom, go make your own games.
That's the sentiment coming from independent game
developer Twisted Pixel, who were stunned when they caught wind of a iOS platformer
from Capcom Mobile called MaXplosion. The problem? It bears more than a passing resemblance to Twisted Pixel's own 2009 Xbox Live hit, 'Splosion
Man.
Don't take their (or our) word for it. Check out the videos!
MaXsplosion
and 'Splosion Man
Yikes. Two side-scrolling platform games set in a laboratory
featuring a devilish lead character who jumps by exploding? Coincidence?
Twisted Pixel were dismayed at the resemblance, and particularly
by the identity of the apparent wrongdoers.
"The fact that 'Splosion Man was cloned wasn't too
surprising to us -- we've seen it replicated before in several Flash
games," Twisted Pixel community manager Jay Stuckwisch told Gamasutra.
"The thing that is surprising is that the culprit this time is Capcom, and
it's a major mobile release for them."
Worse still, Twisted Pixel CEO Mark Wilford noted in a tweet that
they actually pitched the game to Capcom, who turned them down. He also wrote that
they wouldn't be litigating because they were simply 'too small' a developer.
Capcom expressed regret about the issue in a statement, claiming that while Capcom proper was indeed pitched on 'Splosion Man, the company's mobile division works in a separate office and had no prior knowledge of the title, adding that they were "saddened by the situation." Not, however, sad enough to pull the game from the App Store,
where it currently still resides.
Though the App Store is rife with apparent ripoffs -- see Halo knockoff N.O.V.A. or God of War clone Hero of Sparta -- big-name publishers like Capcom are rarely involved, and it's even rarer to copy a relatively unknown game from a small-time outfit like Twisted Pixel.
