To keep things short, there’s this mobile game called “Winning Derby 勝利の少女” that got some heat recently for allegedly ripping off the popular horse waifu collector Uma Musume. People are saying they are too similar in gameplay, art style, and user interface. The twist? Winning Derby got some financial backing from the Hong Kong government’s “Creative Hong Kong” initiative.
The Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association, which organizes the program, claims they didn’t notice any potential violations during the selection process, and now they’re forming an independent committee to look into it. The government, on the other hand, is reminding everyone that if any of the funded projects breach their terms, they can kiss their cash goodbye.
Winning Derby talks a big game, saying it’s about nurturing racehorse-inspired girls, but folks are crying foul over its obvious similarities to Uma Musume. The company behind Winning Derby defended itself on social media, saying critics are clueless and should actually try the game before judging.
The Hong Kong Digital Entertainment Association, which oversees the program, claims they didn’t see any red flags during their review. The government, though, is making it clear: play by the rules or pay the price. And as for “Winning Derby’s” developer, ML Interactive, they’re keeping the grant for now until investigations end.
If you are curious as to how this game looks, we actually tried it, so you don’t have to.
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