Crypto copycat store duplicates Itch.io, gets slapped down by founder

rockpapershotgun.com:

The creator of indie game storefront Itch.io has called out a website that appears to have taken the site’s code for itself and begun selling creators’ games without permission. Dubbed 'W3itch.io', the copycat site's creator replied to a tweet from Itch.io founder Leaf Corcoran, who promptly asked them not to "rip off" Itch.io anymore. W3itch.io even described itself as a “free-as-freedom open marketplace for independent game creators inspired by Itch and Gitcoin”. Not the most sensible of ideas to engage with the person whose work you’re replicating, W3itch.io.

The crypto-promoting copycat has since apologised for taking Itch.io’s CSS files for their own site, with the excuse that they were short of designers. Corcoran accused them of theft and pointed out that most of the projects on W3itch.io’s site were taken from RPGMaker.net. You can read the full, bizarre exchange between Corcoran and w3itch.io for yourself here.

One Twitter response also pointed out the extent of W3itch.io’s copying of Itch.io:

did a cursory glance at different parts of their website and noticed they didn't even attempt to change the about me with the exception of a few words pic.twitter.com/KuhRVHEbvR

Now, Itch.io aren’t fans of crypto shenanigans, including NFTs, to begin with, as Alice O. reported back in February. I’m not the most knowledgeable person about decentralised autonomous organisations, Web3 or any of that general emperor’s new clothes cryptobro stuff, but if someone expresses a really strong opinion against your technological pet project then it’s probably best to leave them well alone. Not put a witch’s hat on top of their outfit, pretend it’s yours and parade it in front of them. Each to their own, I suppose.

Corcoran