Unpacking director criticizes Nintendo for allowing "cheap fakes" on the Switch eShop
Wren Brier, the creative director of Witch Beam's indie hit Unpacking, has criticized Nintendo for failing to remove reported games from the Switch's eShop that are intended to mislead customers.
The details:
In a post to Bluesky in late November, Brier shared a screenshot from the eShop, showing the real Unpacking alongside "Unpacking Universe Dreams" from CGI Lab, with an assortment of DLC and other editions on offer. The game, which was released in October, allows players to "unpack and arrange items in vibrant locations, each with its own unique atmosphere," which is a nearly identical premise to Unpacking.
Over two weeks after discovering the clones, Brier claims that Nintendo has failed to remove or even respond to reports of the "egregious scams." The director also explained that the title is infringing upon the Unpacking trademark to mislead customers into purchasing "cheap fakes."
Unpacking also encountered an issue with an unapproved clone in 2022, when a game with a similar style and premise to the original topped the mobile charts. The game's success was due to a large social media marketing campaign, which ultimately led to its removal and Unpacking’s official X account issuing a statement warning players about the rise of copycats.
Since its launch in 2017, the Switch's eShop has received criticism, with users reporting a number of "scam" games, titles containing adult content, and shovelware featuring low-quality AI-generated content. As reported by Nintendo Life, CGI Lab, the developer of the Unpacking clone, has also sold games such as not safe for work (NSFW) puzzles and poorly made "simulators."
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