Potential Battlefield 1942 rip-off on Steam

[Master Delta Chief]

So while I was browsing the web, I came across this particular article from PCGamer. It’s pretty much something minor, but it is rather interesting nonetheless. 

Source article: https://www.pcgamer.com/this-upcoming-steam-game-is-actually-just-a-shameless-rip-off-of-battlefield-1942/

Source Steam Page: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1081530

 

Summary of article

Yesterday (time from when I post this), a few people have discovered something rather peculiar coming up on Steam. Tank Battlegrounds is supposedly developed by a Chinese studio named 自由合伙人 (rough translation from Google translate: Free Partner). This studio has no activity on their page on the Steam Store besides this game. The thing that’s interesting about this ‘game’ is that is a blatant rip-off from Battlefield 1942. It even has the following description on the Steam Store:  

Quote

"In order to win, Battlefield 1942 pays more attention to teamwork”

This is just a basic copy-paste. Valve currently has not responded as of yet regarding this particular problem, but this particular oversight is a widely known issue. It comes at a rather particular time when Steam is becoming more popular on the Chinese marketplace, even though in China there are rather strict laws regarding censorship and so forth. 

 

Personal opinion
It’s a shame really that this got through the checking system of Valve (If they even have one for that matter). I don’t like the fact that you can ‘easily’ sell your game on Steam and basically have a bootleg of some sort. Valve should honestly strict their policies regarding the selling of games on their store, but that’s just my opinion. 

 

EDIT:

 

UPDATE: 

At this moment, the entire store page of the game has changed and no longer shows any sign of Battlefield 1942 related stuff. 

[Delicieuxz]

That looks like it's straight Battlefield 1942. The description even says, "In order to win, Battlefield 1942 pays more attention to teamwork".

 

Oh well, it's a great game and EA don't support it. I'm sure it will be taken down quickly, but I wish it wouldn't be. They should also upload Bf Vietnam and Bf2. DICE haven't managed to make a half-decent game since Bf4, and Bf2 is still their best.

[Norwegiantweaker]

haha thats awesome idc what you say EA and Dice can go pluck themself after managing to ruin the BF name. 

[Connor Price]

I like the recommended specs that they list.

 

OS: Win10 64 bits

Processor: i5 4690

Memory: 2 GB RAM

Graphics: GTX1060

Storage: 2 GB available space

 

What an odd mish mash of components.

[Norwegiantweaker]

Just now, Connor Price said:

I like the recommended specs that they list.

 

OS: Win10 64 bits

Processor: i5 4690

Memory: 2 GB RAM

Graphics: GTX1060

Storage: 2 GB available space

 

What an odd mish mash of components.

100% what the dude uploading it has in his system. 

[Connor Price]

Just seen that not only is the BF1942 trailer on the store page, but there's a  YouTube channel linked on his user page with the exact same trailer with the title 'Tank BATTLEGROUNDS'

 

I don't actually understand what this person is trying to accomplish here other than legal issues. 

[Norwegiantweaker]

1 minute ago, Connor Price said:

Just seen that not only is the BF1942 trailer on the store page, but there's a  YouTube channel linked on his user page with the exact same trailer with the title 'Tank BATTLEGROUNDS'

 

I don't actually understand what this person is trying to accomplish here other than legal issues. 

Chine = no legal issues. so im guessing its a quick cash grab so he can go on a nice holiday this summer 

[maartendc]

Hey, EA shut down the Servers for Battlefield 1942 and 1943, so I am all for it!

 

The only thing is that these dubious Steam releases potentially contain Spyware or a cryptominer or whatever. As Valve does ZERO effort to police their store.

 

EDIT: Yup that is the BF1942 trailer alright.

BUT: if you look at the screenshots, the graphics are somehow WORSE than the OG BF 1942. The tanks look like they are made up of 4 polygons or something. I mean: COME ON! This is a game from 2002! Nearly 20 years old!! And you manage to have worse graphics than that??

 

DOUBLE EDIT: nearly 20 years old?? Damn I am old I remember buying BF1942 on disc after high school one day.

[Misanthrope]

Well if you just flat out use the exact same models and textures for the weapons, would it be copyright infringement if you didn't gave money to EA but went over and licensed the gun models from the weapon manufacturers themselves?

 

Remember than unless it's futuristic stuff a big part of these modern and historical shooters has to do with the weapon models and while lazy sure, not sure if EA would be legally able to claim ownership.

 

The rest of the models sure enough but it be a lot harder to sue over "Look this brick texture that we made to look just like the photographs of period era bricks is being stolen by this other company that is also doing textures made to perfectly resemble photographs of period era bricks!"

 

The more copyrightable aspects of this kinds of games would be the actual game code not assets.

[DildorTheDecent]

 

nah you're alright.

[Norwegiantweaker]

1 minute ago, DildorTheDecent said:

 

nah you're alright.

and huawei is getting shit meanwhile this dude is str8 up spy *ded* 

[Salv8 (sam)]

13 hours ago, Master Delta Chief said:

"In order to win, Battlefield 1942 pays more attention to teamwork”

they changed the description it now says:

Quote

It has single-person mode against computer and multi-person online. In the game, players can choose five kinds of tanks: Tiger Tank, Panther Tank, Flame Tank, Heiman Tank and T-34 Tank.
Operations in different environments can be steep mountains, densely forested jungles, deserts, you will bring a team of tank troops, or you will fight for survival alone.

guessing people caught on and he removed it.

yah, nah, thats why the wayback machine exists. to archive everything you have said, even if you have deleted it.

[Delicieuxz]

The store page has been completely changed. It doesn't have any signs of Battlefield content anymore.

[Ross Siggers]

13 hours ago, Connor Price said:

Processor: i5 4690

 

Was that recommended specs, or required?

No i5-4690? NO PLAY FOR JOO

[Master Delta Chief]

2 hours ago, Salv8 (sam) said:

they changed the description it now says:

guessing people caught on and he removed it.

yah, nah, thats why the wayback machine exists. to archive everything you have said, even if you have deleted it.

Thanks for the update. I've made a quick edit on the topic to clarify it. Nevertheless, it's strange that they have used Battlefield 1942 stuff before. Now it appears to be something 'unique'.

[maartendc]

38 minutes ago, Master Delta Chief said:

Thanks for the update. I've made a quick edit on the topic to clarify it. Nevertheless, it's strange that they have used Battlefield 1942 stuff before. Now it appears to be something 'unique'.

If we give them the benefit of the doubt, it might have been 'placeholder' items while they made their own stuff. But I doubt it! Avoid this at all costs unless you want your pc part of a botnet.

[Connor Price]

What's the betting this was just to get people talking about the game and give it publicity. Now when people hear of it being a 1942 clone people will think "Woah, no way I have to see this" only for them to click on it and it being its own game.

 

If that was the case, it was a shit idea because now no one is going to want to give that game a chance.

[WereCatf]

15 hours ago, Misanthrope said:

Well if you just flat out use the exact same models and textures for the weapons, would it be copyright infringement if you didn't gave money to EA but went over and licensed the gun models from the weapon manufacturers themselves?

Yes, it would. You need to create those models and textures yourself, even if they did then end up looking identical to the originals.

[dalekphalm]

Has anyone looked at Gameplay footage? If this is literally BF1942 but repackaged and sold as a different game, that's 100% illegal, and Steam will eventually have to take it down (especially if EA gets wind of it).

[maartendc]

On 5/29/2019 at 10:08 AM, dalekphalm said:

Has anyone looked at Gameplay footage? If this is literally BF1942 but repackaged and sold as a different game, that's 100% illegal, and Steam will eventually have to take it down (especially if EA gets wind of it).

This actually makes me think again: WHY are people so enamored with Steam again??

 

Their store curation is a joke. If I cannot buy and install a piece of software from their store without being fearful that it has some kind of cryptominer, or worse, inside of it... I'll say no thanks!

 

I'd rather buy from ANYone else at this point. Humble store (although sadly you have to redeem on Steam), GOG, heck even Origin or Epic Store.

[dalekphalm]

53 minutes ago, maartendc said:

This actually makes me think again: WHY are people so enamored with Steam again??

 

Their store curation is a joke. If I cannot buy and install a piece of software from their store without being fearful that it has some kind of cryptominer, or worse, inside of it... I'll say no thanks!

 

I'd rather buy from ANYone else at this point. Humble store (although sadly you have to redeem on Steam), GOG, heck even Origin or Epic Store.

People have this irrational hardon for steam. Been that way for years. 

[suicidalfranco]

6 hours ago, maartendc said:

This actually makes me think again: WHY are people so enamored with Steam again??

 

Their store curation is a joke. If I cannot buy and install a piece of software from their store without being fearful that it has some kind of cryptominer, or worse, inside of it... I'll say no thanks!

 

I'd rather buy from ANYone else at this point. Humble store (although sadly you have to redeem on Steam), GOG, heck even Origin or Epic Store.

i'd rather buy from a store with such a laissez faire approach than from someone who decided on it's own that he has to be my gatekeeper.

If i end up buying a lemon it's only on me for not doing a proper research (checking user reviews, youtube or a rapid search). Plus i have all the tools necessary to curate my own front page, hence why i never get weeb trash pushed on me, never get a VN even after scrolling down for hours, have yet to see any kind, type or mention of asset flip game and hardly anything left that pops up on the front can be defined as trash, mostly just another boring AAA game, not my genre and cool --> buy/add to whishlist.

The tools are there, one just has to use them.

[Falkentyne]

It's not a Battlefield 1942 ripoff until you can do 1v1 / team air dogfighting tournaments like what made BF1942 so awesome.

[notafanboy21]

34 minutes ago, Falkentyne said:

It's not a Battlefield 1942 ripoff until you can do 1v1 / team air dogfighting tournaments like what made BF1942 so awesome.

[aaradorn]

I think its removed, the store page now sends you back to the home page.