The New York Times, owner of popular word puzzle game Wordle, has taken legal action against Kory McDonald, the one-man developer behind the location guessing game Worldle. Despite previously stating they were “fine with similar games” in 2023, the newspaper accuses McDonald of creating confusion among consumers and attempting to capitalize on the success of Wordle.
Worldle presents players with a Google Street View location each day and challenges them to guess where in the world it is. Similar to Wordle, players have six guesses to reach the correct answer. The New York Times claims that Worldle is “nearly identical in appearance, sound, meaning, and imparts the same commercial impression” as Wordle.
Interestingly, the New York Times’ head of games, Jonathan Knight, previously stated that they were fine with similar games and considered them flattering. McDonald expressed surprise and disappointment at the legal challenge but remains determined to continue developing his game. He points out that there are other games with similar names, such as another game called Worldle that focuses on guessing countries based on their outlines.
It’s worth noting that McDonald monetizes his game by offering an advertisement-free version for £10 a year, with a portion of the proceeds going to Google for the use of Street View. This may have played a role in The New York Times’ decision to pursue legal action.
Wordle, created in October 2021, challenges players to guess a five-letter word within six attempts while receiving feedback on the accuracy of their guesses.
As of now, The New York Times has not commented on whether they will take action against the other game called Worldle that focuses on guessing countries. McDonald’s dedication to his game and the existence of other similar games may further complicate the legal proceedings.
The outcome of this legal dispute will have implications for the indie game development community and the boundaries of intellectual property rights within the gaming industry.
Source: IGN
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