“Defendants used those materials to Dark And Darker Gold develop a substantially similar videogame called Dark and Darker that defendants seek to distribute through their newly formed company, Ironmace. Nexon brings this action to stop defendants from continuing to profit from their unlawful actions, including through the distribution of Dark and Darker and elsewhere.”
Naming specific employees at Ironmace, who worked previously under Nexon, the lawsuit describes a one-year contract clause that “prevents employees from working in the same line of business that could potentially infringe on Nexon’s trade secrets, without Nexon’s prior consent.”
The lawsuit seeks “monetary relief including damages sustained by [Nexon] in an amount not yet determined.” Nexon claims that “condoning the defendants could threaten Nexon, the videogame industry, and all the consumers who enjoy playing sophisticated videogames.”
A report by Eurogamer shares images from the filing, obtained by YouTuber ‘Onepeg.’ In these images, Nexon compares concept art and screenshots from P3 to Dark and Darker and also characters developed by Dungeons and Dragons developer Wizards of the West Coast.
The goal, seemingly, is to demonstrate that the generic, fantasy-game characters used in Dark and Darker bear a resemblance to those in P3, separate to other companies’ renditions of the same archetypes.
“As is readily apparent to the eye, the Wizards of the West Coast Barbarian is entirely distinct from the P3 and Dark and Darker Barbarian,” the Nexon filing says.
“Dark and Darker’s Cleric is also substantially similar to P3’s Cleric. Both characters have pouch bags and a rucksack intended to hold the items/objects, holstered belt with a thick spell book, and frayed tunic, as well as buy Dark And Darker Gold a tight hood revealing facial hair, colourful neck scarf, round shield, metal staff, and armoured sleeves.”
