There Is Already a Mario Kart World Copycat Game

A new Mario Kart World copycat has appeared on the Microsoft Store, titled Marcus Kart World. This is not the first time an indie game has tried to borrow the art style or gameplay premise of a well-known game like Mario Kart World. However, many fans want gaming platforms like Microsoft to stop these poor imitations from appearing on their storefronts.

Released as a launch title for the Nintendo Switch 2, Mario Kart World has hit multiple milestones. Reports suggest the game has sold nearly as many copies as there are Switch 2 consoles, with estimates indicating it has exceeded five million units in sales. However, since Nintendo's kart racing sim is exclusive, some indie developers appear to be trying to profit by bringing clones to other major platforms, like Xbox.

mario kart world is being outsold by mario kart 8 deluxe.

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By Mohsen Baqery

Marcus Kart World Seems to Be an $8 Mario Kart World Knock-Off

Released on the same day as Mario Kart World, Marcus Kart World appears to be an $8 copycat, featuring cover art that looks AI-generated and a logotype resembling the familiar font seen in most Mario Kart games. Interestingly, the word "Marcus" is replaced with "Maria" in the artwork, which is another reason many consider it intentionally misleading. Beyond these similarities, the gameplay looks very different from Nintendo's AAA racing sim, which isn't surprising. Xbox users describe Marcus Kart World as a mobile-game-level experience ported to the console, with basic visuals and no notable gimmicks.

Some argue that although Marcus Kart World uses misrepresenting cover art, its gameplay doesn't necessarily resemble that of Mario Kart World's and therefore hasn't violated copyright laws. Others believe that, regardless of the developer's intent, credible storefronts like Microsoft should enforce quality checks to prevent low-effort games like this from appearing. Many platforms, including Microsoft, PlayStation, and Nintendo, have recently been cracking down on low-quality AI-generated games, removing hundreds of titles. Despite these efforts, Marcus Kart World appears to have bypassed Microsoft's quality evaluations.

It's worth noting that while the Mario Kart World clone may seem sloppy and its main art is likely AI-generated, the game itself may not have been made with AI. Based on the screenshots, it looks like a basic racing game with simple tracks and karts coming from a small team. Still, the rise of copycat games like Marcus Kart World raises concerns about evaluation processes on video game storefronts and customer-protection measures against scammers. In the coming days, it will be interesting to see whether Microsoft removes Marcus Kart World from its store in response to the backlash or continues hosting games that come dangerously close to violating copyright laws.

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