Sony Pulls PlayStation 4 Ad Over Plagiarism Allegations
It's never a good sign when the word "plagiarism" is thrown around, and unfortunately, that's the case for Sony here. In Japan, one of the company's PlayStation 4 Lineup Music Videos has been hit with plagiarism allegations, and since then, Sony has taken the video offline. If you're still curious to see what the video looks like, you can find a mirror re-upload here.
The PS4 Lineup Music Videos are part of a recurring series that Sony creates for its Japanese audience, highlighting some of the big titles to play on the console. They're often set to some pumped-up tunes, and between the gameplay footage, you'll find some beautiful animation shorts that don't have much to do with anything. They're simply there to please the eye.
Unfortunately, this time around, they didn't please anyone. Instead, they sparked concerns with artists around the world. Catsuka, a website about animation, tweeted out a video showcasing the PS4 Lineup Music Video next to its source material, and the evidence is pretty compelling. It ripped off animations from Steven Universe: The Movie and popular anime FLCL. Even worse, it took "inspiration" from works created by animation students, like those who go to GOBELINS, a French animation school.
Latest Sony PS4 Lineup Music Video is a rip of many animations from all around the world ......
(Steven Universe, FLCL, Gobelins, Souviens Ten-Zan ...).
The video is now offline : https://t.co/LPWyFWzEEw
But you can still find it online : https://t.co/KfS79oRrs5 pic.twitter.com/6Q0hrFK2AT— Catsuka (@catsuka) December 4, 2019
The lead animator and director of the video, Kevin Bao, seems to be feeling the heat. Besides his video being taken down, his Instagram is private, and his official page on his agency's website has been taken down. Furthermore, he seems to have a history of stealing other animators' work, as replies to the previously linked tweet point out glaring similarities in Bao's past work.
Considering how suspicious Bao seems in all this, most if not all of the blame likely goes to him. However, Sony may also deserve the flack its gotten for this incident, considering the company greenlit the video in the first place.
We'll report back should more news about the controversy surface.