That image... ^^^ ... yeah, that one. That isn't Animal Crossing. It's Animal Village Online, a seemingly real upcoming game that somehow managed to sneak its way onto the very real PlayStation Store. Frankly, I'm shocked.
There are a ton of video game ripoffs out there that exist on a spectrum of legality from slightly dubious to deliberately nefarious all the way to, 'holy crap, I can't believe they're getting away with that.' This one might be the most blatant clone I've ever seen, judging from the single available image and game description.
I mean, starting with the image: that is just an Animal Crossing New Horizons screenshot and you can't convince me otherwise. The art style, the character design, even the cliffs, trees, and flowers in the background... it's identical.
And then there's the description. "Design and expand your own charming house, craft furniture, grow crops, catch fish, and decorate your surroundings to match your personal style," it reads.
"Invite friends to visit your village, explore theirs, or hang out together in real time. Help each other gather materials, trade items, and build beautiful spaces."
Yeah, that is just Animal Crossing. I mean, to be fair, it sounds like a lot of cozy games, but paired with the title Animal Village and that promotional image, I can only imagine Nintendo's lawyers are hovering over this game like a hawk on a rabbit.
According to Wisnu Sudirman, who's listed as the developer, the game's coming out in 2027. Yeah, we'll see about that.
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