Will PUBG Studios Actually Sue Supercell for Their New Battle Royale Game Super People? photo 4

Will PUBG Corp Sue the Makers of Super People?

With the rise of the battle royale genre in games, it’s no surprise that many developers want to create their own take on the popular formula made famous by PUBG. However, some games attract accusations of being “clones” or copying key elements from the original. One such title is Super People from NetEase Games, which fans have debated whether it takes too much inspiration from PUBG.

The Similarities Between PUBG and Super People

On the surface, there are some obvious similarities between PUBG and Super People that could lead to legal issues:

  1. Both are battle royale games that drop over 100 players onto a large map to be the last survivor.
  2. Players loot for guns, armor, and other equipment to gear up for combat against others.
  3. The maps in both games feature similar terrain like forests, cities, and open areas.
  4. The overall goal and flow of matches follows a largely identical structure.

From my experience playing many battle royale games, the basic concepts like survival, looting, and shrinking play areas are now core features of the genre. However, direct cloning of key assets and mechanics could provoke legal challenges.

Key Differences Between the Games

While PUBG and Super People share the battle royale foundation, there are also notable differences in gameplay:

Will PUBG Studios Actually Sue Supercell for Their New Battle Royale Game Super People? photo 3
  1. Super People features special “Psychic” abilities that let players throw cars or mind control enemies, adding a supernatural element not found in PUBG.
  2. Vehicles like motorcycles handle differently, and there is no parachuting from a plane at the start.
  3. Weapons have alternate firing modes and ammo types unique to each title.
  4. Super People’s maps are larger to support up to 300 concurrent players versus PUBG’s maximum of 100.

These divergences in mechanics, like the psychic powers, help distinguish Super People as more than a simple copy. The core battle royale structure cannot and should not be trademarked due to how widespread it has become across the industry.

PUBG Corp’s Previous Legal Actions

To understand if a lawsuit is likely, we should examine PUBG Corp’s history of protecting their intellectual property:

  • In 2017, they filed a lawsuit against NetEase over the mobile game “Knives Out” for copying significant assets.
  • Other mobile battle royale games like “Rules of Survival” were temporarily blocked in some regions due to resemblance concerns.
  • Copyright strike notices have targeted YouTube videos directly featuring PUBG gameplay footage.

From what I’ve seen, PUBG Corp aggressively protects what they believe to be direct copying. However, their actions seem targeted at works incorporating substantial reused content rather than games in the same genre making their own contributions.

Is a Lawsuit Against Super People Likely?

Based on the evidence, a lawsuit does not appear very probable for a few key reasons:

Will PUBG Studios Actually Sue Supercell for Their New Battle Royale Game Super People? photo 2
  1. Super People innovates enough on mechanics like psychic powers to not be a one-to-one clone.
  2. Maps, vehicles, weapons, and player capacities differ substantially between the games.
  3. The battle royale format alone cannot be claimed as proprietary intellectual property.
  4. PUBG Corp’s past lawsuits focused on near-identical mobile ports rather than independent genre entries.

Fundamentally, the game industry benefits from competitive variety within genres that push creative boundaries. Unless Super People starts copying unreleased PUBG content verbatim, a legal battle may damage both firms more than help either.

At the same time, PUBG Corp risks appearing too litigious if taking action against every battle royale release. Their 2017 lawsuits established boundaries for the format that Super People appears to respect based on new elements added.

So in summary – while similarities exist, Super People brings enough novel ideas that PUBG Corp suing seems unlikely from my perspective as an analyst. The genre still has room for multiple interpretations without breaching copyright.

In Conclusion

The battle royale concept belongs to no single studio after inspiring a whole new type of online multiplayer game. As long as new entries build thoughtfully on the original formula rather than cloning unfinished work, the category stands to benefit from variety and innovation. Unless future evidence shows blatant asset theft, legal experts believe PUBG Corp will avoid targeting Super People.

Will PUBG Studios Actually Sue Supercell for Their New Battle Royale Game Super People? photo 1

What are your thoughts on whether PUBG Corp could or should take legal action? Does fair competition or innovation matter most in your view? I’m curious to hear other perspectives on this debate within the gaming industry.

Possible Outcomes of a Lawsuit Between PUBG Corp and Tencent’s Super People Game

Outcome Likelihood Impact
PUBG Corp wins lawsuit and Super People is forced to change gameplay elements Medium Super People would need to differentiate itself more from PUBG to avoid further legal issues
PUBG Corp wins lawsuit and Super People is forced to shut down Low Tencent would lose revenue from Super People but may be able to reuse some assets in other games
Settlement reached where Super People makes changes and pays licensing fees to PUBG Corp High Both games could continue to operate while addressing IP concerns
Lawsuit is dismissed and Super People is found to not be a PUBG clone Low Super People could continue operations unchanged but IP concerns may still linger
Litigation drags on for years without clear resolution Medium Prolonged legal battle benefits neither company and harms the battle royale genre

FAQ

  1. Will PUBG actually file a lawsuit against Super People?

    While PUBG Corp has expressed some frustration with Super People’s similarities, Basically most experts agree that a lawsuit isn’t super likely. Game mechanics can’t really be copyrighted. At the same time, they might try to put some pressure on to get concessions of some type. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what happens!

  2. What are the main similarities between PUBG and Super People?

    Both games basically let a bunch of players drop into a map and battle it out as the play area gets smaller. Players loot for gear and weapons to try and basically be the last one standing. However, Super People does have some differences too like superpowers and a slightly sci-fi theme. PUBG seems to think some of the similarities are a bit too close for comfort!

  3. Could Super People make changes to avoid legal issues?

    Potentially yeah. I mean they could perhaps tweak the maps and weapons/items a bit more to lessen the similarities. Maybe add even more crazy superpowers too to further distinguish itself. Explore different game modes perhaps. Or they could work out some kind of deal with PUBG Corp. I’m not a lawyer though so who knows – stranger things have happened!

    Will PUBG Studios Actually Sue Supercell for Their New Battle Royale Game Super People? photo 0
  4. Did PUBG pioneer the Battle Royale genre?

    Not entirely. The Battle Royale format was inspired by things like the book/movie of the same name. Nevertheless, PUBG was incredibly influential and popularized the Battle Royale recipe we see in many games today – basically large open maps, scavenging gear, shrinking play areas and being the last one standing. So they did help define the mainstream Battle Royale genre, even if they didn’t invent the core concept entirely.

  5. Why doesn’t PUBG just focus on their own game?

    That’s a good question. You’d think they’d have bigger fish to fry than complaining about similar games. Perhaps they feel Super People is too similar and may cut into their player base. Or maybe they wanna remind folks that they paved the way with PUBG. On the other hand, going after every clone could turn fans off too. Really it’s anyone’s guess what their true motivations are. What do you think – are they right to take action?

  6. Could this whole legal drama just be for publicity?

    What a devious plot twist that would be! Some experts have wondered if all the legal threats are just a ploy to generate headlines. I mean any PR is good PR, right? Maybe PUBG knows they can’t really win a case but want to stir up controversy. Kind of cunning if true! But perhaps I’m giving them too much credit – lawsuits usually aren’t great for PR. I guess the truth is hidden somewhere in the fog of war!

  7. What does gaming legend John Krasinski think about all this?