How many ways can THQ’s Space Marine game rip off Gears of War?
The second I looked at THQ’s Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine video game, I figured I had seen it before. The sci-fi game may be set in the fabled Warhammer universe, but the style and game play look so much like Gears of War that it’s embarrassing.
This piece by Dean Takahashi at VentureBeat had me in stitches from start to finish. The obliviousness is astonishing. GEARS INVENTED SPACE MARINES
The very best part is when he admits that maybe he has the chain of inspiration reversed:
When I asked the THQ folks about this, they immediately pointed out that this game was set in the Warhammer universe, which has its own rich and original lore. In fact, this universe predates the existence of Gears of War, so you might argue that Gears of War copies Warhammer 40,000.
UPDATE: Takahashi has updated the post with a lengthy clarification/apology/mea culpa… thing. It’s longer than the original post.
First, this post is not research-backed journalism. I walked into a room, looked at a game, and offered what I thought about it. I’ve been doing that professionally for around 15 years. It’s my opinion. I just wanted to walk into this room and decide whether this game was good and whether it was original and fresh. What happened? I walked into the room and thought, “hey, this game looks like something I’ve already played.” That’s the point that I wanted to hammer home.