Mobile game operator threatens legal action against rapper PACT
Shanghai Papergames, the operator of the renowned 3D romantic interactive mobile game "Love and Deepspace," issued a statement late on Tuesday evening demanding that rapper PACT remove a diss track video targeting the game. The statement alleged defamation and infringement of rights, and threatened legal action.
PACT on Tuesday afternoon uploaded a rap video to his personal Weibo account, featuring visuals from "Love and Deepspace" and lyrics disparaging otome games – a genre of video games designed for female gamers and focused on romantic relationships with the male characters.
The lyrics stated, "You game developers dare to openly poison the next generation," and further criticized the game as "full of borderline and greasy content, letting underage kids play adult games" while claiming that the age verification system was ineffective.
Rapper PACT released a rap video on his Weibo account on August 26.
In response, Papergames asserted that PACT's unauthorized use of "Love and Deepspace" gameplay footage in the video, coupled with distorted and derogatory remarks, violated their rights to authorship and protection of the integrity of their work. The company also disputed the alleged inadequacy of the age verification mechanism, stating that was inaccurate.
Papergames demanded that PACT cease the infringement within 24 hours of the announcement, immediately delete the relevant Weibo post, make a public clarification and apology, and warned of potential legal proceedings if these demands were not met.
PACT deleted the post including the rap video from his Weibo account on Wednesday.
People take pictures of a poster of 3D romantic mobile game "Love and Deepspace" in a shopping mall in Shanghai on February 24, 2024.
"Love and Deepspace," developed and operated by Papergames, is a first-person 3D romantic mobile game aimed at female players. It entered open beta testing on January 18 and requires real-name authentication for access, primarily catering to adults aged 18 and above.
Originating in Japan, otome games have become increasingly popular, allowing female players to embark on romantic adventures with in-game male characters. Beijing Business Today reported that according to relevant data, the number of female gamers in China had surpassed 300 million.
