Sony and Tencent enter into dispute over game IP

The legal dispute between Sony and Tencent has taken a new turn. After being accused of plagiarism by Horizon Zero Dawn, the Chinese giant has presented its official defense, which not only challenges the allegations but also accuses Sony of trying to monopolize common elements of gamer culture. The action, started by Sony at the end of July, raises questions about the limits of intellectual property in the industry.

Tencent argues in its legal response, disclosed by The Game Post, that Sony's action is not aimed at "combating piracy or plagiarism." Instead, the Chinese company argues that the owner of PlayStation is trying to turn already established genre conventions into exclusive property. The defense quotes statements from developers at Sony itself who compared Horizon Zero Dawn to games like Enslaved: Odyssey to the West, which, according to Tencent, reinforces the idea that Horizon's narrative is not unique.

Tencent argues that Sony "ignores this history" and actually seeks to monopolize "genre ingredients" that have been used by other major successes, including titles like Breath of the Wild and Outer Wilds.

Tencent also questions the validity of the lawsuit, stating that Sony listed entities that are not directly responsible for the development of Light of Motiram. The game is being produced by the Polaris Quest studio, a subsidiary of the company.

"The accusations do not specify clear behaviors of these entities, which invalidates the claims against them."

Tencent highlights that Light of Motiram is still in the early stages of development, with a planned release date only for 2027. Sony's accusations are based on hypotheses of what the project "could" become.

"The alleged infringements have not occurred and may never occur."

The lawsuit between Sony and Tencent becomes a landmark case for the industry, going beyond accusations of plagiarism to address the question of who can own a genre. The development of Light of Motiram continues, and the future developments of this legal process will be closely watched.