The developers of Catly have come forward in the wake of controversy from The Game Awards to confirm the reveal trailer was not made with AI, and that the game has “no blockchain, no NFTs.” But what does it have?
The fact the trailer wasn’t AI doesn’t surprise me. Most people vastly overestimate how good AI is at sustained moving images, and it has become en vogue to accuse anything you don’t like of being AI, despite the tells remaining fairly obvious. If you don’t like this article, it’s probably AI. That new song you don’t like? It’s AI. The pork chop you overcooked last night? AI. So I’m less concerned with what Catly’s not, and more curious about what it is.
Catly’s Steam Description Doesn’t Tell Us Much
Let’s go directly to the source. Catly is, according to Steam, “A Cat Open World, with Beautiful Cats. Hyperrealism, Actions, Cuddle, Speed, Islands, Fashion, Dreams, Snow, Robots, Plants — all with and via Cats”. Remember what I said about the AI tells remaining obvious?
The Steam description has since been updated to the far more human sounding “An open-world adventure filled with surprises and joy, side by side with Cats! Build your dream island, meet various characters, and enjoy caring for your cats, dressing up, building, farming, racing, skiing, and much more! Explore freely and have endless fun with your furry companions!”. So much for AI saving time. The increased scrutiny has led to the game doing what it should have done in the first place and just telling us what the game is, but it still doesn’t quite do that.
The middle sentence makes it seem like a fairly standard Animal Crossing rip-off, of which several already exist. Not the most creative, and the marketing based entirely on ‘cats are cute’ tied to seemingly AI generated descriptions and now-deleted artwork on Steam (even if the trailer is legit) would underline that lack of creativity. But the “open world” idea is different. It makes it seem more like Infinity Nikki, and I’m not sure Catly has that pedigree.
Catly’s Platforms Make No Sense Either
There were other reasons to be concerned by the trailer. While it was hardly unique in showing up to The Game Awards with no trailer, there wasn’t even a hint as to how the game would play. Only cats. It seemed more like a commercial for something technologically impressive but too abstract to show directly, like a HD television or a graphics card.
Then there’s the platforms it’s coming to. PC is an obvious one, and no complaints there. It’s the other two that seem strange. Most notably, it’s coming to Apple Watch. How does an open world game work on Apple Watch? Your guess is as good as mine. But there’s also the Nintendo Switch, which is curious for three reasons. One, it’s the only console listed despite not being affiliated with Nintendo. Two, it won’t be the Switch by the time Catly arrives (if it ever does), but the successor. And three, the logo pops into the trailer like a last minute addition.
Catly Comes From Plantly
Maybe we can find something that resembles an answer by looking past Catly to the team behind it. Made by SuperAuthenti (not a name that immediately dispels AI fears), the profile on Steam is barren, with Catly the only game present. The studio description reads “SuperAuthenti makes the most beautiful cats in the world”. Thankfully, more information can be found elsewhere, but it isn’t always clear.
There is another game called Plantly, which uses the same font in its logo. However, this game was made by Shanghai Binmao Technology, not SuperAuthenti. It also isn’t on the first page of Google results for Plantly, which instead takes you to a marketplace for selling house plants, and a vegan meal delivery service. This may be why the game has the full name of Plantly: Mindful Gardening.
Neither SuperAuthenti or Shanghai Binmao Technology have their own website, but further research (thanks, Game Developer) indicates that SuperAuthenti is listed as the sole shareholder for Shanghai Binmao Technology, which brings in a third company: TenthPlanet. This blockchain company lists Kevin Yeung as its cofounder, the same Kevin Yeung who is listed as the founder of SuperAuthenti.
Catly’s statement is straightforward: no AI, no blockchain, no NFTs. I’m relieved to hear that. My only question is, without any of this, what even is the game?