EA has just announced via their official site that they have decided to file a lawsuit against Zynga on behalf of Maxis. The game in question is Zynga's The Ville, which bears a more-than striking resemblance to The Sims Social.
The post composed by the General Manager of the Maxis label, Lucy Bradshaw, goes on to explain that this isn't just about legality, but the morality of taking something that has been worked on so lovingly by another creative team. In the past Zynga has butted heads with other developers over smaller IP, but this time they may have met their match.
The Sims Social launched in August of 2011 and The Ville was unveiled in June 2012, full of copied design choices, animations, visual arrangements and character motions and actions that EA says were directly lifted from The Sims Social.
Bradshaw states that although this isn't the first time Zynga has been brought to legal blows over copyright infringements, EA has the financial and corporate resources to "stand up and do something about it." I think I might have a tear in my eye, that's so touching.
"By calling Zynga out on this illegal practice, we hope to have a secondary effect of protecting the rights of other creative studios who don’t have the resources to protect themselves.
"As a longstanding game developer, I know what it feels like to pour your heart and soul into creating something unique and special for your fans to enjoy. Today, we hope to be taking a stand that helps the industry protect the value of original creative works and those that work tirelessly to create them."
