Recently, Japanese game developer @AlphaNutsGames posted on social media stating that their game "Deserter's," which took about nine years to develop, had been cracked. It was not only translated into Chinese, but the game content was also modified without permission, and even bugs were fixed. Deeply disappointed by this, the developer expressed that they are considering completely withdrawing from business operations related to the Chinese market.
The developer wrote in the original post: "Development has been temporarily halted. I've been messed with by the Chinese community... 'Deserter's' was cracked, and not only was it translated, but the game content was also modified. They even kindly fixed some bugs."
"Previously, I was negotiating with a partner company regarding the Steam version, which originally included plans for Chinese language support. But as a business venture, this situation makes it impossible to continue... Additional content was also planned to support Chinese, but now those plans must be put on hold."
If it were just illegal uploads, I might have been able to accept it, but unauthorized modifications to the game content are simply intolerable. I am considering completely withdrawing from business operations related to the Chinese market.
It is reported that "Deserter's" was released on DLsite, a Japanese digital platform for doujin content. The developer stated that the game took approximately nine years to complete, uses a proprietary engine, and includes hand-drawn artwork, Live2D animations, and extensive text.
In response to the game being cracked and modified without authorization, the developer later shared his true feelings. He stated that he wasn't particularly angry, but rather felt an indescribable sense of powerlessness.
He continued writing: "Complete strangers from China translated my game, which I spent nine years making, and distributed it for free, saying 'Please enjoy it,' as if it were their own creation. At that moment, I felt like I was watching something happening in another world."
Despite this setback, the developer did not indicate that they would stop game development entirely. He revealed that production of subsequent additional content will continue, but plans for Chinese language support may be canceled, and future releases might only include the Japanese version.