Unpacking dev calls on Nintendo to better moderate eShop fakes

Unpacking‘s creative director Wren Brier has called on Nintendo to do more to stop fake versions of games being uploaded to the Nintendo eShop, in light of struggles dealing with Unpacking imposters. Over two weeks ago, reporter Daniel Vuckovic identified what appears to be a fake version of Unpacking, titled Unpacking: Deluxe Edition, uploaded to the eShop with no opposition.

Update 18/12: Since Brier’s report gained media attention, it appears Unpacking: Deluxe Edition and its DLC packs have been removed from the Nintendo eShop in Australia, Europe, Japan, and other regions.

This game seemingly uses AI artwork in its icon, to depict a cosy living room scene. It also uses a Dropbox lookalike logo to represent a moving box, as seen in Unpacking‘s own artwork. As Brier pointed out, the developer has released a number of spin-offs and DLC packs for the game, subtitled Universe Dreams, Chill Music Pack, Haunting Locations, and New Chapters.

Brier has alleged these games are not only “egregious scams” but also misuse the Unpacking name, which has been trademarked by Witch Beam for use in video games. She has also claimed Nintendo has not responded to reports flagging this alleged copyright breach.

“It’s been over two weeks and these are still on the eShop,” Brier said in a recent post. “Nintendo hasn’t responded to any of our reports of these egregious scams which are using our trademarked game name and purposely tricking Nintendo customers into buying cheap fakes.”

Read: Unpacking review – A poignant reflection on the ups and downs of life

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Witch Beam has contended with a fake version of Unpacking, as the game’s popularity on launch inspired a range of copycat games. As reported by Eurogamer, in 2022, the developer was forced to lodge a complaint with the Apple App Store and Google Play Store after a clone version of Unpacking hit the most-downloaded charts on these platforms.

The arrival of Unpacking: Deluxe Edition, and its subsequent stay on the Nintendo eShop, has raised plenty of questions about Nintendo‘s moderation systems, and the amount of shovelware left on this platform. Developers attempting to make cheap clones of games are easily spotted on the eShop, with plenty of low quality and AI-generated games also making it to market.

As of writing, Unpacking: Deluxe Edition remains online, but there’s hope that renewed media attention will help to elevate Brier’s report. As she says, it’s not fair on consumers to be tricked into purchasing a cheaper version of Unpacking that attempts to trade on the quality and name of the original game.