Norn Saber Online: Legendary Taiwanese Plagiarism

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Taiwanese anime fans have uncovered plagiarism of truly staggering proportions in the Chinese language MMORPG “女神ONLINE ~NORN SABER ONLINE~”, by “developer” Chinese Gamer International. It looks as though just about every single element of the game, from CG to sprites, and even TV commercials, is tainted with plagiarism.

Sadly, it seems the uniquely Chinese approach to copyright we have come to be familiar with is not restricted to the mainland…

In terms of the breadth and brazenness of its plagiarism, Norn Saber Online is undoubtedly in a class of its own:

(Originals are on the right)

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Even Minamike is not sacred…

The actual game:

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Even their opening comes from another title:

Original:

Norn edition:

Is there anything they won’t copy? No, because even their advertising is copied:

From a deodourant ad:

The Norn effect:

Will anything be done about this most egregious abuse of the original works, or is Taiwan merely on a similar footing to China after all? Though at least Taiwanese anime fans have exposed this debacle


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    95 Comments
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    Avatar of Onsokumaru
    Comment by Onsokumaru
    10:21 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    This is so sad that it's awesome.

    Avatar of abbe
    Comment by abbe
    10:31 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    What I really wonder is that if this is an online game (MMO?), then why the hell do they have character introductions in the opening?

    Avatar of abbe
    Comment by abbe
    10:33 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    And I don't know why it became a reply to you...

    Comment by BuggyBY
    03:30 17/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    I agree. Massively multiplayer online dating of the same seven characters is unlikely to sell well.

    "I'm sorry, Takaya-kun. Mizuhara-kun has been online all week getting me presents and lavishing attention upon me without breaks for sleep or food, so I like him more than you."

    Comment by flip
    14:41 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    i second you onso..so awesome

    Comment by Hangmen
    17:32 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Strangely awesome and strangely DO WANT to see the demo.

    Comment by Kiuki
    10:34 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    ... I am speechless. Copying from 10+ VN/anime titles. I'd like to see when the companies sue the, ahem, "game developers".
    The Gundam Seed copy was hilarious, though. Apparently, Abort = About?

    Comment by Anonymous
    07:39 26/09/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    If you copy from enough sources, would that make it research? :-) At least they're not as gruesomely bad at it as those Chinese who did that Shinkai knock-off.

    Avatar of taishi tetora
    Comment by taishi tetora
    10:39 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    this is. . . just wrong man. . . .

    even the op is the same. . ..

    *facepalm*

    Comment by Anonymous
    10:41 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    i wonder if the country of china plagiaris themself from some other country on other side of dimension? ;p

    Comment by Anonymous
    12:09 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    "Tonight on the 8 o'clock news: After returning from Xen, Gordon Freeman reported an eerie similarity of the alternate dimension to the People's Republic of China."

    Avatar of Zelgadis4tw
    Comment by Zelgadis4tw
    10:45 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    This is just too much LOL, I mean really, wow, um...

    Yeah I have no words except they have some balls to do this. Even if it's just the easy way out.

    Comment by Yoichi
    11:06 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    It's because they have no ball that they don't make their own character

    oh wait, not just character but also character pose, opening, and background too?
    plagiarism is sure enter its warp hole

    Avatar of Zelgadis4tw
    Comment by Zelgadis4tw
    14:13 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Nah, they got balls, because it takes a whole different kind of person to plagiarize something to that extent, and should know that it may very well incur legal action. I use "balls" in the same manner one would say "they have some nerve to do something like this" or gall. Doesn't mean I respect them for lack of brains and imagination though I know it sounds like I am. Then again, I don't know the legal affairs of Taiwan, so I really can't say that they would be in any trouble over this. Yes, in creating something original you should take pride in it, few things I have done I do take ~some~ pride in.

    Comment by Yoichi
    15:50 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    I know the using of "balls" actually
    but, yeah to make your own something you must have creativity and take pride in it
    plagiarism like this not in any way impressed me

    especially the opening, it's really put me in rage

    Comment by Wanderer
    10:45 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Yeah, this just reminds me of that other Chinese MMORPG that I saw a while ago. It just copied all the character and monster designs for RO.

    but I don't think I've ever seen plagiarism at this level, lol.

    Comment by NT01
    10:48 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    About the large battleship, Is it some Albion ? You might find this helpful http://www.mahq.net/mecha/gundam/index.htm

    Comment by NT01
    10:53 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    My bad, this link http://mahq.net/mecha/gundam/0083/pegasus.htm

    Comment by Wanderer
    11:00 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Yep, it does look like Albion, just with different colours.

    Comment by Anonymous
    11:34 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    That's the Gray Phantom, not the Albion. You both fail.

    http://mahq.net/mecha/gundam/0080/pegasus.htm

    Comment by Anonymous
    10:55 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Play this game, get girlfriend. \o/

    Comment by knowngni
    17:56 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Correction:
    Play this game, get a harem!

    Comment by trygle12
    10:56 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    This is just lazy....

    I mean... straight out plagiarism!

    Avatar of Icy-nee-san
    Comment by Icy-nee-san
    11:12 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    This is so kick ass lol

    Comment by Anonymous
    13:25 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    No it isnt. Would like to hear u say that if you were the original artist...

    Comment by Tess
    11:22 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Lol. Wow. I'm just amazed. I saw the first comparison image earlier today, and that's still the most obvious + the opening. I know I myself am not particularly creative... but.. must you completely copy the work of others like that? D:

    Avatar of Keigami
    Comment by Keigami
    11:31 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    lol busted XD

    Comment by EroShin
    11:32 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    I lol'd at how much they copy other's work :D
    Not creative is one thing cuz not everyone has creative minds, but copying almost all scenes from other sources? man, that's epic

    Comment by Fatty
    11:33 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    I was ok with it until I saw the minami-ke rip.

    *RAGES*

    Comment by Anonymous
    11:36 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    It's good that know that even I, someone who has no artistic talent, can create great pieces as long as I move to Taiwan and rip off people who actually have talent.

    I for one welcome our plagiarizing overlords.

    Comment by Micchi
    11:40 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    This is just absolutely pathetic. Even worse than Aurora Blade. Well, maybe not... But either way, China just plagiarizes way too much. -_-;;

    Comment by Seravy
    11:43 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    I have nothing against using existing material freely but this is going way overboard. Is there anything in that game that is actually original? Like the game system or something...unless there is, no one would have a reason to actually play it. However if they do have an outstandingly great and new game system, but no resources for making original images, then it is somewhat acceptable (Though why are such pictures even needed in an mmorpg anyway? If they had a good system, they wouldn't need such extras to get players...)

    Comment by Shadowstitch
    12:13 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    I had to look back at the article to see which ones were the originals... On some of these, the copied art is way better than the source. Doh!

    Comment by Silent Minstrel
    12:54 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Oh my god, this is just....shyt.

    Comment by Anonymous
    13:15 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    LOL, pegasus class ship

    Avatar of Bokusatsu Tenshi
    Comment by XSportSeeker
    13:19 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Ouch... can't understand stuff like this...
    I mean, is there a Guiness Book entry for "most plagiarisms in one game"?
    Because the art is not completely bad, and given the ammount of different stuff they got to copy, why didn't they just do something original?

    Kinda hard to understand...

    Comment by Anonymous
    13:23 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Now I understand even more why ppl hate the chinese. Simple jerks who provide low quality products and now it seems like Plagiarism is the next fad for them.
    Goddamn it, that's plagiarism at its finest. Noone could do this much shameless copying in one's lifetime! Hope they get sued to oblivion.

    Comment by Anonymous
    13:04 17/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    All hail Japan!

    Comment by EcureuilMatrix
    13:26 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    A VN that blends Gundam and Minami-ke? Why not?

    It might just work!

    BTW, lolpegasus.

    Comment by Anonymous
    13:33 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    I wouldn't mind if the Chinese govt copies the governance of the West, if only they'd take copying to that level lol

    Avatar of Exia
    Comment by exia
    13:45 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    i think the word "inspiration" to them means to copy every damn thing and call it your own. /Facepalm

    Comment by Leode
    13:53 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Considering blatant copies of clothing, media, songs... even automobiles...

    Something of this level was bound to happen.

    Considering the effort they put into cloning all those popular animes I think the ripping was intentional. By taking the effort to rip off popular products instead of designing their own (which as someone pointed out, would have taken less effort) they manage to draw in 'fans' from many more sources instead of just fading into obscurity with an original design.

    Comment by psycholoner
    13:54 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    I don't know if there's any connection, but the cg style, sprites, and even the damage graphics and the command/info bars for health are completely the same to a game I played called Wonderland Online. If this is the same people...this has literally less than 1% of originality.

    Comment by maxt
    01:57 17/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Those are from WL chinese version. IGG is the older version.

    Comment by Busy
    09:15 11/10/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    WL is a actually a japanese game thought.

    Comment by Fumika
    14:14 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Well... in China the concept of intellectual property, trademarks, and copyright doesn't exist. Neither does the whole concept of plagiarism.

    Add to the fact that Chinese people are an ignorant bunch and more likely to claim that plagiarism occurred the other way around. I wish someone would give these mainlanders a taste of their own medicine.

    Comment by Anonymous
    13:05 17/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Boo stinky mainlanders! HKers and Taiwanese fags rule!

    Comment by kenjiharima
    15:14 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    No originality and admit it or not they're running out of ideas.

    Comment by SnooSnoo
    15:15 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    I am the leg of my boot.
    Ctrl+C is my body and
    Ctrl+V is my blood.
    I have violated over a thousand copyrights.
    Unknown to decency,
    Nor known to shame.
    Have withstood lawsuits to steal many artworks.
    Yet, these hands will never pay for anything.
    So as I pirate, UNLIMITED RIPOFF WORKS

    Avatar of taishi tetora
    Comment by taishi tetora
    Avatar of Redloner
    Comment by Anonymous
    16:45 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    COMMENT OF THE YEAR!!!

    Comment by Hangmen
    17:34 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Do you have enough copyrights, King of License?

    Avatar of Sorrior
    Comment by Sorrior
    17:45 16/01/2009 # ! Neutral (0)

    Ok THIS is sig worry don't worry i do my best to always give credit thus shall your name be known across the boards i frequent.





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