DDS Publisher Investigates Schedule 1 for Similarities, Claims No Ill Will

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Summary

  • Drug Dealer Simulator publisher Movie Games insists it holds “no ill will” towards Schedule 1 developer TVGS, despite investigating its game for potential copyright infringement.
  • Not investigating Schedule 1 would have been negligent, Movie Games says.
  • The still-ongoing investigation was deemed necessary due to a preliminary analysis suggesting that the two games are “very similar.”

The publisher of “Drug Dealer Simulator”, Movie Games, expressed no hard feelings towards game developer TVGS, as a representative shared with Game Rant. This statement comes even though Movie Games is currently probing TVGS for possible intellectual property violation – an issue which Movie Games has since sought to clarify.

From 2020 to 2024, Movie Games released two versions of the “Drug Dealer Simulator” games, both produced by Byterunners. In late March 2025, an independent game titled “Schedule 1” about the drug trade was released on Steam. Following this release, Movie Games started investigating TVGS, a one-man studio based in Australia, for possible copyright violations related to “Schedule 1“. This action led to significant controversy among fans.

Movie Games has made efforts to clear up any confusion that may have arisen in news reports regarding their current situation. A representative from the company explained to Game Rant that their investigation under Schedule 1 is not intended as a hostile act towards TVGS, but rather an attempt to understand the resemblance between their game, Drug Dealer Simulator, and TVGS’s title. The investigation was sparked by an initial legal analysis, which pointed out that the games appear quite similar, leading to concerns about potential copyright infringement.

DDS Publisher Says It Would Have Been Negligent Not To Investigate Schedule 1

Movie Games emphasizes that its status as a publicly traded company necessitates an ongoing investigation, as failing to address even minor potential infringements could lead to significant repercussions for negligence, according to their representative. The initial disclosure of the investigation was made through the stock market communication system ESPI, where Movie Games is required to share such information. Subsequently, the media picked up on this story, and in certain instances, misconstrued it as a lawsuit.

DDS Developer Has Nothing To Do With Schedule 1 Copyright Infringement Investigation

As a gamer, I’ve noticed the buzz surrounding Byterunners and their “Drug Dealer Simulator” games lately. It seems that the recent Schedule 1 investigation has sparked some strong reactions, leading to review-bombing on various platforms. However, it’s important to clarify that Byterunners is not involved in the copyright infringement investigation as the publisher has mentioned. The criticism on social media appears to be more about the games themselves rather than any legal issues.

Movie Games hasn’t specified when their ongoing investigation under Schedule 1 will end, but once it does, they will reveal its results to investors through ESPI. Just as the news about the investigation was shared, so too will the findings be. For now, Movie Games maintains that they do not intend to halt TVGS from working on or selling products related to Schedule 1. In fact, they’ve already congratulated the Australian studio for the successful launch of their product, and only initiated an investigation later when potential intellectual property infringement was suspected.

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2025-04-08 19:34