Nexon has apologized for alleged plagiarism that was committed by the developers of The First Descendant.
As reported by Video Games Chronicle, Nexon Games stood accused of this plagiarism after Forbes contributor Paul Tassi revealed that some of the icons they used for The First Descendant resembled the icons used in Destiny 2. This wasn’t a flat copying of the exact same icons, but they had similar shapes and motifs.
Nexon shared this statement when asked about the issue:
“The First Descendant, as a looter shooter game, was developed with a deep affection and respect for other games in the genre.
Destiny 2, being a globally renowned looter shooter game, is also personally admired and respected by the team, and it has served as an inspiration during the development process.
We have taken the concerns raised seriously and decided to make adjustments to ensure that the imagery that may appear similar clearly reflects the unique identity of our game. We will continue to improve the game for fans of the looter shooter genre.”
Nexon’s last statement wasn’t just about this plagiarism issue itself, but a response to criticisms of The First Descendant it had launched. We had reported on the launch being characterized by technical issues, and a lot of complaints about the game’s aggressive monetization.
But, lest we be lax in our coverage, this looter shooter won’t be easily dismissed as if it were Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League or Redfall. The First Descendant is now the topic du jour because it’s good enough that people are playing it, in significant numbers. The player peak so far has been at 264,860 concurrent players.
That is noteworthy in itself, when this week also saw the debut of MiHoYo’s next big IP, Zenless Zone Zero. If The First Descendant was so bad that it wasn’t worth writing about, it would either be completely ignored, or derided as a laughingstock.
As it is, the criticism does come from a seeming acknowledgement that this title will be relevant, at least for a little while, and that is the reason that we expect better from the developers.
As we had noted, Nexon has demonstrated a real interest in getting into this global online multiplayer shooter with a variety of projects, from Lawbreakers, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – First Assault Online, and the cancelled Titanfall Online.
The First Descendantis the first title they have in this genre that has made this much inroads in a while. If Nexon is wise, they will sincerely work on all these necessary improvements. This era of gaming may allow for comebacks, but gamers are still fickle enough to turn on them on a dime.
