UPDATED: Windows Store sells illegally published video game, and others of suspect origin. Has Microsoft stopped curating its apps?

Developer says Windows Store users are being 'scammed'

A video game developer warned the public not to buy a video game from Microsoft's Windows Store, after discovering that the game is being sold courtesy of a completely different publisher, for a different price and containing a different set of files.

The £2.59 game Darkest Dungeon is published by a "Balaji Chowdary", whereas the genuine game is available through streaming network Steam, run by games company Valve, and at a price of £14.99.

The Windows Store file also weighs in at only 2MB - far smaller than the real game. It is highly likely that rather than being the real game, it instead is a different piece of software, likely containing malware.

"If you didn't buy Darkest Dungeon on Steam or Humble Store right now, you got scammed," developer Tyler Sigman tweeted.

Balaji Chowdary is also listed as publishing 16 other applications belonging to other publishers, including Warner Brothers' Watchmen and Lego Batman 3 and Focus Home Interactive's Farming Simulator 2015.

VMware Player is also listed among this publisher's releases, with all titles carrying the £2.59 price tag.

The screenshot used to promote the illegal version of Darkest Dungeon also carries the "Activate Windows" legend in the bottom right corner. This is also visible on other games and apps the "publisher" has placed on the Windows Store.

The Darkest Dungeon example seems to crystallise two ongoing problems with the Windows Store - a lack of curation by Microsoft, as well as a lack of care and attention on the part of the buying public.

Microsoft seemed to have begun a cleanup procedure of Windows Store back in August 2014, including new rules to require apps to "clearly and accurately reflect the functionality" of the programme, categorise accurately, and even to possess icons to stop apps "being mistaken with others".

But if publishers like Balaji Chowdary can so easily upload bogus software to the store, the question remains how closely Microsoft has been keeping an eye on the situation for the past eight months, despite its early promise that 1,500 apps had been removed as part of the initiative.

Computing has reached out to Microsoft for comment, and will update this story if and when the company responds.

UPDATE:

Microsoft has provided the following comment:

"We are aware of recent claims of "scam" or unauthorized versions of certain games being sold in the Windows Store," said a Microsoft spokesperson.

"We take claims of intellectual property infringement seriously and review them in accordance with our standard procedures. We also continue to review the content of our Store periodically as described in our recent blog post, as we work to deliver a great customer experience and provide fair and transparent developer policies and enforcement."

All titles published by "Balaji Chowdary" seem now to have disappeared from the Windows Store at the time of writing.