Aurora Blade Accused of Copying WoW, Other Games

Players on the Ragnarok Online forums are calling out Aurora Blade, a web-based game entering closed beta this week, for ripping off aspects of other games, including World of Warcraft, Ragnarok Online, Maple Story and LaTale.

Kotaku has some more information, as well as some comparative screenshots. Also, Shacknews has some more comparison screenshots, including ones that compare Ragnarok and Aurora Blade creatures, and others that show the similarities between World of Warcraft and Aurora Blade class icons.

IGG has posted in the Aurora Blade forums to explain they only host the game, and another company developed it and reserves all copyrights to the designs and artwork. IGG further states that any discussion of this matter on the forums is against forum rules and could lead to bans for repeat offenders. The full post is after the jump.

Aurora Blade will be entering closed beta on Friday. You can receive an activation code here.

Warning - Aurora Blade Similarity

Many forum members have posted threads regarding similarity between Aurora Blade, and other third party games.

Note:

We would like to explain that SkyUnion (IGG) is NOT responsible for the developing of the game, that is any character, artwork, monster design, quest and graphics is developed by another company which reserves all copyrights and this game is HOSTED by IGG.


Any thread or post containing information about other games that including screenshots, game info or any other information will be deleted, as its against the forum rules. We will also take actions against members that will repeat breaking the forum rules. Therefore we have to ban members according to the severity. This may lead to a permanent ban from the forum.

Please take note of the warning!

Update: December 3rd, 2008:

IGG has issued the following response to this story.

IGG is a North American MMORPG publisher. Aurora Blade is a browser-based game we take an agency for. As a game publisher, IGG only possesses the operating rights and will not take any copyright responsibility about the game design. However, anti-plagiarisim is one of IGG's principles. IGG has contacted the Aurora Blade developer to start an investigation on this issue as soon as we heard from you and we will stay tuned for the progress.

We do appreciate the concern from you and warmhearted gamers.

IGG Team

Comments

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Official Response
# Dec 03 2008 at 1:30 PM Rating: Excellent
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1,577 posts
Someone from IGG Marketing sent me an email today with an official response to this story.


Quote:
IGG is a North American MMORPG publisher. Aurora Blade is a browser-based game we take an agency for. As a game publisher, IGG only possesses the operating rights and will not take any copyright responsibility about the game design. However, anti-plagiarism is one of IGG's principles. IGG has contacted the Aurora Blade developer to start an investigation on this issue as soon as we heard from you and we will stay tuned for the progress.

We do appreciate the concern from you and warmhearted gamers.

IGG Team



Edited, Dec 3rd 2008 1:30pm by Tamat
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OOOO
# Dec 03 2008 at 9:36 AM Rating: Decent
OOOOOO A permanent BAN! I wouldn't even waste my time going to those forums. Browser based game?? cmon=P
Why All The Outrage?
# Dec 02 2008 at 11:55 AM Rating: Decent
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76 posts
Lord of the Rings is very similar to WoW if you ask me. A lot of MMO's are very similar other MMO's. Why all of a sudden is there an outrage about Aurora Blade and not other games? I think it has to do with the fact that this is a Chinese game. Maybe some sort of anti Chinese thing going on here. I could be wrong but that's what it seems like to me.
lol
# Dec 02 2008 at 10:59 AM Rating: Default
lol, warhammer online had a ton of wow ripoff's, down to copying bg's (HUGE ab/wsg similarities to 2 of their bg's, down to how they are laid out and the concept of the bg) but no one made a big deal of it
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