So, the drama continues! Sony isn't backing down in its lawsuit against Tencent over Light of Motiram, a game that many feel is a bit too similar to Horizon. Sony is now calling Tencent's defense "nonsense".

If you remember, the whole thing kicked off when Tencent showed off Light of Motiram last year. People immediately noticed the similarities to Sony's Horizon games, and Sony wasn't thrilled. They sued Tencent for allegedly ripping off their popular franchise. Tencent's response? They claimed Sony's originality claims were "startling."

Now, Sony's firing back, accusing Tencent of playing games with its subsidiaries to avoid responsibility. In their words, Tencent's trying to "shield itself from liability" by shuffling things around.

According to Sony, Tencent is saying that because they delayed the release of Light of Motiram until 2027, Sony's claims are premature. But Sony isn't buying it. They argue that the damage is already done, and it's still happening.

Even though there were public outcries over the similarities between the two games, Sony says that Tencent didn't stop promoting Light of Motiram and didn't take responsibility for what they did.

Tencent did quietly tweak the Steam page for Light of Motiram, removing some screenshots and the cover image that featured a character resembling Aloy. However, Sony feels that it's too late, as they claim, "the damage is done."

Tencent's argument is that Sony is suing the wrong companies. The lawsuit is against Tencent America, Proxima Beta U.S., and Tencent Holdings. Tencent claims the game is being developed and published by Polaris Quest / Aurora Studios, under Tencent Technology (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, and Proxima Beta PTE Ltd, a company in Singapore "doing business as 'Tencent Games' and/or 'Level Infinite'".

Sony isn't having any of it. They argue that Tencent is trying to avoid liability by playing a "shell game" with its brands. They point out that Tencent Holdings describes its Games division as owning Aurora Studios, the studio behind Light of Motiram. Sony also notes that Tencent uses the Tencent name to advertise its games, without differentiating between subsidiaries.

Sony also claims that the reactions from the public and media show how similar the games are and that this will hurt the Horizon series. They say that Light of Motiram is a "knock-off game so blatant that the public loudly decried the obvious and pervasive copying of Horizon’s protected elements" and that it "jeopardises Horizon's continued success, including current expansion plans for the franchise."

To emphasize their point, Sony highlights how journalists and fans have called Light of Motiram a "major Horizon rip off," an "obvious knock off," and a "copycat" with a main character that "resembles Aloy to a tee."

Sony is arguing that Horizon's protagonist, Aloy, is a symbol of the brand, and that Tencent's "Aloy lookalike" is an "egregious" attempt to cash in on the character's "goodwill and reputation."

Ultimately, Sony has requested that the court reject Tencent's request to dismiss the lawsuit. I, for one, am curious to see how this all plays out. It's a pretty serious accusation, and if Sony can prove their case, it could have some big implications for the industry. What do you think? Is Light of Motiram too similar to Horizon, or is it just a coincidence?