Artist Accuses Playstation Game of Lifting Her Work; Studio Admits to ‘Oversight'
Sony
'Marathon,' the upcoming multiplayer game by Sony-owned Bungie, has been accused of using artwork from an independent artist without permission.
Fern Hook, a 30-year-old independent artist in Scotland, noticed something familiar about 'Marathon,' the upcoming video game by Bungie, the studio that created the Halo series and is now owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment.
'Marathon,' she said, is 'covered with assets lifted from poster designs I made in 2017,' all in the alpha version of the game, which allowed the general public to play an early version of the multiplayer shooter. She became suspicious when the game was announced in a 2023 trailer, but nothing appeared to her to be derivative at first.
In mid-April, content creators began publishing early videos of 'Marathon' gameplay. She said she 'very quickly' began to spot her work. Hook's futuristic iconography and font designs are posted on social media sites like Tumblr and X as far back as 2017, and similar features are seen all over the environment and the objects within 'Marathon,' she said, pointing out the similarities through her social media on Thursday.
'It was kind of vindicating to see direct plagiarism because it meant I wasn't crazy for feeling so uncomfortable with the overall direction,' Hook told The Washington Post. 'I kept quiet about it because I was advised to seek legal action, but … I don't have enough time or money to fly out to the U.S. to pursue an unwinnable court case against Sony.'
When The Post contacted Sony about the allegations, a spokesperson pointed to Bungie's statement on social media.
The 'Marathon' developer team said on X that it was looking into 'a concern regarding unauthorized use of artist decals in Marathon and confirmed that a former Bungie artist included these in a texture sheet that was ultimately used in-game.'
'The issue was unknown by our existing art team, and we are still reviewing how this oversight occurred,' the studio posted on X, adding that it had contacted Hook to discuss the issue and was 'committed to do right by the artist.'
The studio said it is conducting a review of the game's artwork, specifically the images made by the former artist, and implementing 'stricter checks to document all artist contributions.'
The allegations could be particularly damaging for Bungie and 'Marathon,' which has struggled to gain positive press during a financially challenging era for the studio. 'Marathon' is a classic 1990s computer shooter with a harrowing science-fiction narrative. The reboot, expected to be released in September, throws that out to instead focus on an always-online, multiplayer-only competitive shooting game.
The most widely acclaimed aspect of the new game was its art design, which goes for bold colors and a 1990s futurism vibe. The art style is not original, especially in games, with PlayStation's Wipeout series being an early adopter. But the clean, shiny aesthetic is rare in a modern video games industry typically obsessed with gritty realism.
This is not the first time Bungie has been accused of using the work of an independent artist. In 2024, a fan made art of a toy gun designed in the style of Bungie's earlier game 'Destiny 2,' which was then used as a model for a game-themed Nerf gun. Bungie later said it would credit and compensate the artist.
Hook said this is also not the first time she has seen her work lifted, and she has made posts over the years alleging other organizations tracing and lifting her work. She said she relies on donations for her various online projects, and this recent incident has seen hundreds of people donating money in support.
Hook also composes drum and bass music and sound design for games under the name N2, and produces freelance art work under the name ANTIREAL. She co-runs a design and software consultancy firm called Superstructure as well.
'I'd kind of had to learn to shut up about these cases because they've happened so constantly over the past 10 years,' she said. 'It was tiring to be viewed as 'someone who complains' more than as an artist. But the response this time has been overwhelmingly understanding and I'm extremely thankful for the support.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
17-05-2025
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Artist Accuses Playstation Game of Lifting Her Work; Studio Admits to ‘Oversight'
Sony 'Marathon,' the upcoming multiplayer game by Sony-owned Bungie, has been accused of using artwork from an independent artist without permission. Fern Hook, a 30-year-old independent artist in Scotland, noticed something familiar about 'Marathon,' the upcoming video game by Bungie, the studio that created the Halo series and is now owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment. 'Marathon,' she said, is 'covered with assets lifted from poster designs I made in 2017,' all in the alpha version of the game, which allowed the general public to play an early version of the multiplayer shooter. She became suspicious when the game was announced in a 2023 trailer, but nothing appeared to her to be derivative at first. In mid-April, content creators began publishing early videos of 'Marathon' gameplay. She said she 'very quickly' began to spot her work. Hook's futuristic iconography and font designs are posted on social media sites like Tumblr and X as far back as 2017, and similar features are seen all over the environment and the objects within 'Marathon,' she said, pointing out the similarities through her social media on Thursday. 'It was kind of vindicating to see direct plagiarism because it meant I wasn't crazy for feeling so uncomfortable with the overall direction,' Hook told The Washington Post. 'I kept quiet about it because I was advised to seek legal action, but … I don't have enough time or money to fly out to the U.S. to pursue an unwinnable court case against Sony.' When The Post contacted Sony about the allegations, a spokesperson pointed to Bungie's statement on social media. The 'Marathon' developer team said on X that it was looking into 'a concern regarding unauthorized use of artist decals in Marathon and confirmed that a former Bungie artist included these in a texture sheet that was ultimately used in-game.' 'The issue was unknown by our existing art team, and we are still reviewing how this oversight occurred,' the studio posted on X, adding that it had contacted Hook to discuss the issue and was 'committed to do right by the artist.' The studio said it is conducting a review of the game's artwork, specifically the images made by the former artist, and implementing 'stricter checks to document all artist contributions.' The allegations could be particularly damaging for Bungie and 'Marathon,' which has struggled to gain positive press during a financially challenging era for the studio. 'Marathon' is a classic 1990s computer shooter with a harrowing science-fiction narrative. The reboot, expected to be released in September, throws that out to instead focus on an always-online, multiplayer-only competitive shooting game. The most widely acclaimed aspect of the new game was its art design, which goes for bold colors and a 1990s futurism vibe. The art style is not original, especially in games, with PlayStation's Wipeout series being an early adopter. But the clean, shiny aesthetic is rare in a modern video games industry typically obsessed with gritty realism. This is not the first time Bungie has been accused of using the work of an independent artist. In 2024, a fan made art of a toy gun designed in the style of Bungie's earlier game 'Destiny 2,' which was then used as a model for a game-themed Nerf gun. Bungie later said it would credit and compensate the artist. Hook said this is also not the first time she has seen her work lifted, and she has made posts over the years alleging other organizations tracing and lifting her work. She said she relies on donations for her various online projects, and this recent incident has seen hundreds of people donating money in support. Hook also composes drum and bass music and sound design for games under the name N2, and produces freelance art work under the name ANTIREAL. She co-runs a design and software consultancy firm called Superstructure as well. 'I'd kind of had to learn to shut up about these cases because they've happened so constantly over the past 10 years,' she said. 'It was tiring to be viewed as 'someone who complains' more than as an artist. But the response this time has been overwhelmingly understanding and I'm extremely thankful for the support.'
Japan Today
16-05-2025
- Japan Today
Fortnite says it's offline on Apple's iOS around the world
FILE - Shoppers look at Apple products in the Apple Store at the Walden Galleria in Buffalo, NY, on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File) By WYATTE GRANTHAM-PHILIPS and MICHAEL LIEDTKE Fortnite says it's now unavailable on Apple's iOS globally because the tech giant blocked a bid to rerelease the popular video game for iPhone users in the U.S. and Europe. 'Apple has blocked our Fortnite submission so we cannot release to the U.S. App Store or to the Epic Games Store for iOS in the European Union," Epic Games-owned Fortnite wrote on X early Friday — claiming that Apple's move would now prevent the game's iOS availability around the world. 'Sadly, Fortnite on iOS will be offline worldwide until Apple unblocks it,' Fortnite said. In a statement sent to The Associated Press, Apple said it had specifically asked Epic Sweden to resubmit the app update 'without including the U.S. storefront of the App Store so as not to impact Fortnite in other geographies.' But, the company added, it "did not take any action to remove the live version of Fortnite from alternative distribution marketplaces.' Fortnite's exile from the iPhone app store is the latest twist in a yearslong feud between Apple and Epic. Back in 2020, Apple pulled Fortnite from its app store and Epic filed an antitrust lawsuit against the company in the U.S., alleging the technology trendsetter was illegally using its power to gouge game makers. After a monthlong trial in 2021, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers ruled against most of Epic's claims, but ordered Apple to loosen its previously-exclusive control over the payments made for in-app commerce and allow links to alternative options in the U.S. for the first time — threatening to undercut sizable commissions that Apple had been collecting from in-app transactions for over a decade. After exhausting an appeal that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, Apple last year introduced a new system that opened the door for links to alternative payment options while still imposing a 27% commission on in-app transactions executed outside its own system. Epic fired back by alleging Apple was thumbing its nose at the legal system, reviving another round of court hearings that lasted nearly a year before Gonzalez Rogers delivered a stinging rebuke last month — which held Apple in civil contempt and banned the company from collecting any commission on alternative payment systems. That ruling cleared the way for Epic to finally return to the iPhone app store in the U.S., a reinstatement the video game maker was anticipating before Apple's latest move. Fortnite's availability in the EU, meanwhile, is under an alternative store for iPhone users — now called the Epic Games Store. Apple last year cleared the way for this last year under new regulatory pressures. As a result, Fornite and other Epic games had been available for download on iPhones using this store in the EU since August 2024. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Japan Today
14-05-2025
- Japan Today
Sony's profits rises on robust performance for music, movies and games
FILE - A logo of Sony is seen at the headquarters of Sony Corp. on May 10, 2022, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko, File) By YURI KAGEYAMA Japanese technology and entertainment company Sony Corp logged an 18% rise in profit for the fiscal year through March on healthy results at its music and video-game operations. Its chief executive, Hiroki Totoki, outlined the company's strategy for growth Wednesday, stressing that collaboration among Sony's various segments, like animation and music, were crucial to deliver the 'kando,' or emotional engagement, that lies at the core of the company's vision and strength. 'Building on our momentum and results to date and working with a laser-like focus to realize our long-term Creative Entertainment Vision will be at the core of our corporate strategies moving forward,' he told reporters. Sony's movies division has strong offerings in the pipeline, including Spider-Man films and biopics about The Beatles, while animation remains a driver of growth centered around the popular anime streaming service Crunchyroll, Totoki said. Tokyo-based Sony reported a record annual profit of 1.14 trillion yen ($7.8 billion), up from 970.6 billion yen in the previous fiscal year. Annual sales were virtually unchanged, inching down to 12.957 trillion yen ($88 billion) from 13.020 trillion yen. One area that lagged among Sony's sprawling businesses was the financial segment, where revenue stalled. But its film division and its imaging and sensor solutions segment did well. Sony officials said they were studying how to respond to President Donald Trump's tariffs, although that was a challenge because of uncertainties and constant changes. But they said the negative impact from U.S. trade policy will be kept to 10% of Sony's operating profit in the coming fiscal year by adjusting the allocation of shipments, among other measures. Totoki stressed that Sony plans to leverage its content creating technology, like virtual reality and image sensors, to feed into its entertainment products, including working on immersive experiences. Sony also has powerful collaborative relations with various entertainment companies like Kadokawa, which includes publishing as well as films and animation, and Bandai Namco, a video game maker, he added. Sony will emphasize the 'diversity' of its workers, helping bring out people's creative potential, Totoki said. Among the Sony movies that fared well at the box office for the fiscal year through March were 'Venom: The Last Dance,' featuring the Marvel Comics superhero, and 'Bad Boys: Ride or Die,' an action comedy, where Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return in their popular cop roles in the fourth installment in the series. Sony, which makes the PlayStation console and game software played on that machine, also posted healthy results in the gaming business. Its music operations, which also held up, include recordings, streaming services and music for games. The top-selling recorded music projects for the latest fiscal year globally was SZA's 'SOS Deluxe: LANA,' followed by Beyonce, Future & Metro Boomin and Travis Scott. The top seller in its Japan music business was Kenshi Yonezu's 'Lost Corner' album, followed by offerings from Stray Kids and Six Tones. For the January-March quarter, Sony posted a 197.7 billion yen ($1.3 billion) profit, up 5% from 189 billion yen the same quarter in the previous fiscal year. Sales were 2.6 trillion yen ($17.7 billion), down 24% from 3.48 trillion yen. Sony is forecasting a nearly 13% drop in profit for the fiscal year through March 2026, to 930 billion yen ($6.3 billion), on 11.7 trillion yen ($80 billion) sales, down 2.9% on-year. Sony Group Corp stocks, which fell in Tokyo morning trading, rebounded to finish 3.7% higher after its financial results were announced. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
