Summary
A shovelware version ofSteammegahitSchedule 1has popped up on thePlayStation Storeand doesn’t even sem to be trying since it’s literally called “Schedule - Drug Empire”.
For as long as video games have been a thing, there have been clones and shovelware releases that arejust trying to capitalise on what’s popular before it gets officially released or ported. Steam has always had issues with this, but youmight be surprised to learn that PlayStation is being hit the hardest with it right now.
Over the past few months,the PlayStation Store has been absolutely littered with cheaply made shovelware gamesthat are often just trying to trick people into thinking they’re a port or new version of a popular game.Considering how popular Schedule 1 has been and how much people want it to come to consoles, it’s not surprising that a scam version of it is now up for sale on the PlayStation Store.
Schedule 1 Already Has A Bootleg Version On The PlayStation Store
It’s Being Reviewed About As Well As You’d Expect
As pointed out by ResetEra user AstralSphere, a new bootleg has popped up on the PlayStation Store that’s perhaps even more blatant than all the others. The game, which comes from developer PublishMe Agency Limited, isn’t even hiding what it’s trying to doas it’s called Schedule - Drug Empire and even has the missing “1” in its cover art, which is also copying the original.
The PlayStation Store listing for Schedule - Drug Empire(which actually popped up on my own Games For You section) describes it as being a “underground simulator” where you grow “rare and valuable plants with unique properties” and then have to find black-market suppliers to sell them. So… Schedule 1, basically, but without the care and attention the Steam version has had all along.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, this isn’t the only clone of Schedule 1 that’s popped up recently,as a mobile game claiming to be a “chilling, atmospheric horror” also made the rounds last week.
If you needed any more evidence that this is a rush job,then gameplay provided by Roger Plays Games should make it clear that it’s nothing but shovelwarethat’s being sold for a frankly absurd $14.99 in the hopes of tricking passers-by. It’s yet another example of how bad the PlayStation Store is getting for cheaply-made scam games, but it’s certainly one of the most blatant ones yet.
