Naughty Dog releases its first game on iOS... sort of
Uncharted patent territory
We've seen our share of App Store copycatting here at Pocket Gamer – some subtle, others less so – but the newly released Super Galaxian by Naughty Dog tops them all.
Why? Because when last we checked, Naughty Dog has yet to release a mobile game.
Fans of Jak and Daxter or The Uncharted Series might have been excited to see Naughty Dog’s name pop up as a new developer on the App Store this week, but it is rather unlikely that the PlayStation developer would release a game like Super Galaxian without a lot of fanfare – or at least an explanation.
Bad dog!Although the App Store lists Super Galaxian as being created by Naughty Dog, the heretofore-unknown company is properly known as Naughty Dog Game.
Setting aside the fact that the rights to Galaga are owned by Namco Bandai Games, everything about Super Galaxian should set off alarm bells to potential purchasers.
With little to go on about the game itself – or its listed seller Hezeng Pan - it is difficult to know whether this is a blatant attempt to cash in on Naughty Dog’s name or if it is an honest mistake on behalf of the developer caused by an error in translation.
We have reached out to Naughty Dog (the real Naughty Dog) for comments on this story, and will update the original when and if they respond.
