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With PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds being just over two weeks old, Microsoft is understandably marketing it as much as possible. One of its latest ads, however, seems to have stolen another artist's concept art in a rather obvious way.
In a tweet that has since been deleted, Microsoft posted an image of PUBG quite literally on Xbox One, with its new Xbox One X console centre stage, surrounded by atmospheric sky. On top of the console is a kitted-out player wandering through tall, dry grass. The only problem is, this entire concept, with a standard Xbox One instead was done over a month prior by Redditor Macsterr.
Of course, there are differences. Microsoft used different assets, shifted the perspective a little lower, swapped the console for its new flagship variant, leaned a controller on its side, placed its “Land. Loot. Survive.” Slogan above and a lovely supply drop for the player character to, presumably, get slaughtered while opening.
Many Redditors aren’t pleased with Microsoft, stating that while Macsterr has no legal right to defend his work, which uses assets of two other companies (Microsoft and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds), using the same concept art without approaching, acknowledging or crediting the original artist is incredibly discourteous.
Microsoft has yet to comment on the situation, with the company’s Director of Programming, Lawrence Hryb, known on Reddit as MajorNelson assuring everyone that the tweet was deleted in order to investigate the situation further and that he will be directly corresponding with original artist Macsterr when answers come to light.
KitGuru Says: This is the unfortunate world of creativity; everything is rinsed and recycled. Even so, a company the size of Microsoft needs to be careful where it’s stepping, as it may just encourage fan to stop indulging in fan art, which in itself is a primary source of free marketing in the form of word-of-mouth. Hopefully the company apologises and treads carefully moving forward. Do you think Microsoft was in the wrong?
Typical scumbag Microsoft, nothing ever changes there. Sadly idiots still buy their crap
Big companies aren’t omnipotent, nor are they immune to making mistakes. Microsoft occasionally lose touch with consumers and audiences, but they always try come back and learn from mistakes. Nothing about this post should give you any sort of distaste toward microsoft, they posted something they may well have thought was original work, or somebody who designed the ad for microsoft saw it and copied it. Either way, the blame game you’re playing is a dicey one and the fact they removed it to investigate shows quite the opposite of scumbaggery.
People with your kind of attitude are what cause issues in the first place. A scumbag is you.
Don’t see the problem personally. Someone has used Microsoft’s console and another companies artwork and brand to make a picture to get likes on reddit. So it’s okay for him to steal other companies intellectual property. But when a company who is owner if some of the ip he used, steals his concept, that’s not okay? That’s kind of like saying it’s bang out of order to film with a car chase through Paris because Bourne did it. The guy has got exposure from this anyhow, so pretty sure he’s not crying.
Typical scumbag…? How exactly? I bet you’d be all “oh it’s ok, they didn’t know” if it was Sony. ?