Topic: External site using VGMaps content?

[ricardosallin]

Hello people!

I recently came across this website that claims to be a [url]"better VGMaps"[/https://vgmaps.de]

Despite the ".de" domain, the site is in Brazilian Portuguese (with some pages in English), and it looks like it was created with AI and populated by web-scraping maps from VGMaps. It seems to host the same maps found here, though it’s missing newer submissions. For example, my own maps, from May 2025 onward, aren’t present.

They even have a "Scoreboard" listing the top mappers (which, admittedly, is a fun idea 😄), and a News section with posts like [url]"Better VGMaps expands its online presence"[/https://vgmaps.de/news/better-vgmaps-expands-online-presence.php]

Has this come up before?
Does anyone here, or Jon, know about them? Did they contact VGMaps at any point?
Do you know if this is authorized or otherwise legitimate?

I just wanted to flag it and check with the community before jumping to any conclusions.

Thanks!

Sallin

[Cyartog959]

Hello people!

I recently came across this website that claims to be a [url]"better VGMaps"[/https://vgmaps.de]

Despite the ".de" domain, the site is in Brazilian Portuguese (with some pages in English), and it looks like it was created with AI and populated by web-scraping maps from VGMaps. It seems to host the same maps found here, though it’s missing newer submissions. For example, my own maps, from May 2025 onward, aren’t present.

They even have a "Scoreboard" listing the top mappers (which, admittedly, is a fun idea 😄), and a News section with posts like [url]"Better VGMaps expands its online presence"[/https://vgmaps.de/news/better-vgmaps-expands-online-presence.php]

Has this come up before?
Does anyone here, or Jon, know about them? Did they contact VGMaps at any point?
Do you know if this is authorized or otherwise legitimate?

I just wanted to flag it and check with the community before jumping to any conclusions.

Thanks!

Sallin

Such a site that claims to be the so-called, self-proclaimed, "Better VGMaps" is obviously begging for, and obviously is, in my purview, plagiarism against the original creator behind the true VGMaps, the mappers, and its perpetual cause without proper authorization, let alone proper permission from said creator. I immediately consider it a fake site.

If they never contacted VGMaps nor its staff before, its definitely not a complete associate of VGMaps. Human made content is what truly matters to VGMaps. Web-scraping from the likes of plagiarists, especially non-human bots(which should not be counted as real mappers, to know), is definitely considered an offense. And, it definitely goes against preservation and can probably hold dangerous malware against unsuspecting people(an obvious probability, to be sure).

Nobody did bring it up... but such plagiarizing against VGMaps cannot go unnoticed. It should be halted at once.

Jon, hope you're here to read this, because this matter is urgent.

The scoreboard, however, does sound like a neat addition for VGMaps(can't even believe no one thought of it before). May even create some good competition. That may need to be taken up to Jon for actual consideration.

To everyone else out there, even Sallin, watch yourself for sketchy, unauthorized knock-offs. They can be very dangerous.

[FlyingArmor]

Oh yes, some of us are very familiar with that website. Yes, it's unauthorized and no one was asked beforehand to have any of our maps put up there.

I think Jon brought it to my attention about two years ago, since so many of my maps were present over there. I eventually e-mailed whoever owns that site to have my maps taken down, but I just got an AI response asking for all my real world details to determine whether I was the "legitimate copyright holder". Obviously I wasn't gonna give all that away to who knows who (especially someone hiding behind a clanker), so while unfortunate, we just have to live with that website existing.

But I have the hope that most people who happen to find their way there would see through the highly polished facade it puts up and recognize that the true source of the content comes from this place (which has been around FAR longer), complete with its human, hand coded jankiness.

[dark_lord_zagato]

Jon also pointed this out to me a few years ago and asked me if I knew anything about it. I told him I had no idea they were hosting my maps until he brought it up.

"Better VGMaps" has never contacted me by any means to ask permission to host my maps.

I would not have given them my permission to host my maps on their clone site if they had asked me.

Better VGMaps is hosting my maps without my consent.

It is unfortunate, but as FlyingArmor says, there is very little we can do about it. We can play a game of Whack-A-Mole with that site, and just watch it pop back up on different hosts each time it gets knocked down, but that seems like a waste of effort. I'm just going to do my part to tell people about the real VGMaps, and if they ask me about the plagiarized site i'll just tell them the truth about it...

[Cyartog959]

Oh yes, some of us are very familiar with that website. Yes, it's unauthorized and no one was asked beforehand to have any of our maps put up there.

I think Jon brought it to my attention about two years ago, since so many of my maps were present over there. I eventually e-mailed whoever owns that site to have my maps taken down, but I just got an AI response asking for all my real world details to determine whether I was the "legitimate copyright holder". Obviously I wasn't gonna give all that away to who knows who (especially someone hiding behind a clanker), so while unfortunate, we just have to live with that website existing.

But I have the hope that most people who happen to find their way there would see through the highly polished facade it puts up and recognize that the true source of the content comes from this place (which has been around FAR longer), complete with its human, hand coded jankiness.

You got the heart to stand your ground, bud. And it's very noble you did.

We can sure hope, but we should also pray for people to wise up to all that and for that facade to stop someday, too.

It's charm. Human, hand-coded charm that tethers our hearts so warmly. Never forget that. 

[Cyartog959]

Jon also pointed this out to me a few years ago and asked me if I knew anything about it. I told him I had no idea they were hosting my maps until he brought it up.

"Better VGMaps" has never contacted me by any means to ask permission to host my maps.

I would not have given them my permission to host my maps on their clone site if they had asked me.

Better VGMaps is hosting my maps without my consent.

It is unfortunate, but as FlyingArmor says, there is very little we can do about it. We can play a game of Whack-A-Mole with that site, and just watch it pop back up on different hosts each time it gets knocked down, but that seems like a waste of effort. I'm just going to do my part to tell people about the real VGMaps, and if they ask me about the plagiarized site i'll just tell them the truth about it...

Seemingly, for the present, but one day, that will be stopped... One day...

You got a great task ahead, alongside your usual mapping routine, and you have my support!    Give the good word of VGMaps, and wisen up those people.

Remember, we're with you all the way!

[FlyingArmor]

You got the heart to stand your ground, bud. And it's very noble you did.

Honestly, I'm really not all that concerned over my maps being over there. I'm being attributed properly, for one thing. And once my maps are up online, I have no control over where they may end up. There have been a number of people who have asked permission for hosting my maps on their websites over the years, but even if they had not asked but still properly credited, I'm still fine with that.

I was just curious what the response would be, and I was not at all surprised a clanker was used even for e-mail correspondence, given the nature of everything else on that site.