In a surprising twist, Schedule I, the indie game centered around the gritty world of drug dealing, finds itself at the center of a copyright infringement controversy. Movie Games S.A., the developers behind The Drug Dealer Simulator series, have accused Schedule I of copying their game's plot, mechanics, and user interface. Despite the ongoing legal scrutiny reported by the Polish Press Agency on April 3, the fan reaction has been overwhelmingly in favor of Schedule I.
Schedule I’s Copyright Infringement Accuser Gets Review Bombed on Steam
The backlash against Movie Games S.A. has been intense, with The Drug Dealer Simulator and its sequel, Drug Dealer Simulator 2, receiving a flood of negative reviews on Steam. These reviews have led to ratings of "Overwhelmingly Negative" and "Mostly Negative" for the respective games. Many of these reviews criticize Movie Games S.A. for what is perceived as bullying tactics against the indie developer behind Schedule I. Fans have pointed out the hypocrisy, noting that similar games were released in the past without any legal challenges from Movie Games S.A. until now.
Despite this controversy, Schedule I has been thriving. Launched into Early Access on PC on March 25, the game has quickly climbed the ranks to become Steam's 2nd top-selling game, surpassing well-known titles like inZOI, Monster Hunter Wilds, and the indie game R.E.P.O. With an all-time peak of 459,075 concurrent players, as reported by SteamDB, Schedule I has garnered "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews.
Schedule I invites players into a co-op crime simulation where they start as small-time dope pushers and work their way up to becoming kingpins. At Game8, we found Schedule I to be a surprisingly addictive and rewarding experience, akin to a "Breaking Bad" simulator. For a deeper dive into our impressions of Schedule I’s early access release, be sure to check out our detailed article below!
