Controversy of Upin & Ipin Universe Game and Les' Copaque Production
The Upin & Ipin Universe game, an adaptation of the legendary Malaysian animated series, is now in the spotlight not because of its success, but due to the controversy surrounding it.
Various issues ranging from copyright allegations, game prices considered unreasonable, to internal studio issues have triggered public anger and the gamer community.
The studio Les’ Copaque Production, the official license holder of the Upin & Ipin series, tried to respond to public criticism through a video titled “Q&A Upin & Ipin Universe” uploaded to their official YouTube channel. This video is intended to answer various questions from fans and gamers related to the emerging issues, ranging from copyright claims, bugs in the game, to the issue of unpaid employee salaries.
One of the incidents that drew the most public attention was the case involving Windah Basudara, a famous Indonesian streamer. In one nearly two-hour gameplay video, Windah played the Upin-Ipin Universe game and gave many praises. However, the video was immediately hit by an automatic copyright claim, causing Windah to lose potential revenue amounting to tens of millions of rupiah from a video that has been viewed more than 4 million times.
What infuriated netizens was the fact that the claim was made directly by the developer, who ironically used clips from Windah’s video for promoting their game. This action was considered unethical and showed a lack of transparency from the developers in managing licenses and content.
The comment section was filled with criticism, ranging from complaints about the game price being too high compared to other major titles like Stardew Valley or Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, to more serious issues such as copyright violations against content creators.
In response to the increasing criticism, Les’ Copaque finally issued an official clarification. They stated that the copyright claim came from licenses of the music and cutscenes used in the game, which were automatically recognized by YouTube’s system. They claimed to be working with the music publisher to restore monetization to the creators and advised streamers to mute the music while playing the game.
Additionally, they denied the issue of unpaid employee salaries, stating that all employees always receive payments on time and even get bonuses. Regarding the viral internal joke, they explained that it was part of personal interactions among long-time cooperating staff.
Unfortunately, the clarification only attracted more criticism. Many netizens felt the studio’s statement was too defensive and did not address the root of the problem directly. Instead of apologizing, their explanation was regarded as an attempt to cover up mistakes and avoid responsibility.