NightZ - stolen stock assets from Unity?

[huckleberryhound]

https://youtu.be/nvmrCMHvhYA

Hi guys. I reviewed a game called NightZ ...

http://store.steampowered.com/app/548480/

As i usually do, i posted my review on the steam page of the game. I got a reply which said
"the game is literally stolen stock assets from unity

dont reccomend it"

A couple of questions.

1) is it?
2) Does this mean the game has no merit whatsoever?
3) Should a game reviewer (hobbyist that i am) have to verse himself up on asset flipping? I've heard about this, but surely with indie games (especially very cheap ones) thee has to be a kind of use of stock graphics and the likes?

Any reply appreciated.

 

[CritialGaming]

Stolen assets isn't correct. They bought the generic assets from the Unity store and smashed them into a pre-built game engine. Basically called an "asset flip" by most people now. Effectively trash.

To answer your actual question #3. The answer is yes, you should verse yourself on what is an asset flip and not waste your time on it, versus what is a legit put together indie game. Most extremely cheap indie games, are zero effort mock-up simply being sold that cheaply to make what little money they can off of something that took no work to produce and sell. Do a little research on a game before you attempt to review it. Do the developers have a blog or webpage? Does the game have a decent trailer showing unique features? Does the game have any traceable development history? If the answer is no, then it isn't worth your time.

 

[Bad Jim]

1) is it?

Unity Store assets can be used royalty free in Unity games, so it is neither stealing nor copyright infringement.

2) Does this mean the game has no merit whatsoever?

There is nothing wrong with using Unity Store assets per se. But the game just looks like a random assortment of Unity Store assets carelessly thrown together, without much effort to make it fun. That's why I'd say it has no merit. It is shockingly easy to make a quick buck doing this.

3) Should a game reviewer (hobbyist that i am) have to verse himself up on asset flipping? I've heard about this, but surely with indie games (especially very cheap ones) there has to be a kind of use of stock graphics and the likes?

I suggest you verse yourself in not recommending shit games. A cheap game is allowed to be short, is allowed to exclude features that might be expected in a full price game, and is allowed to be mostly made out of Unity Store assets, but it is not allowed to be a boring waste of time.

If a game is really fun then it's worth recommending regardless of how many assets come from the Unity Store. It is unlikely to be a simple asset flip if it's really fun, but if it is then whoever put a really fun game on the Unity Store was a fool and it's his loss, not the consumers.

 

[sneakypenguin]

3. As a hobby game reviewer you should perhaps already know what asset flips are. Yes indies can use bought assets but it doesn't excuse them just tossing them together. into something that sort of functions as a game.

 

[Xan Krieger]

Former Escapist contributor Jim Sterling has covered this issue many times and I found an episode of his show The Jimquisition where he talks all about it. This is from May 25th, 2015 and the problem has not gone away.

 

[huckleberryhound]

3. As a hobby game reviewer you should perhaps already know what asset flips are. Yes indies can use bought assets but it doesn't excuse them just tossing them together. into something that sort of functions as a game.

I do know what asset flipping is, and am subscribed to Jim Sterling. I'm just not versed on every asset that unity puts out.