When you think about Nintendo, you likely think of The Big N as the “fan-favorite company” of the big three publishers. They’re the ones who have the biggest gaming library with all the beloved characters you know by heart. They consistently make great titles and aren’t afraid to delay them to make them better. But when it comes to who they are outside of the “public eye,” they are known to be very petty and have frustrated many a gamer because of this. If you don’t believe us, you can ask a certain modder who had his Breath of the Wild videos taken down by Nintendo.
Yep, it’s a tale as old as time. Someone on YouTube or another service makes a video that tiptoes outside of what Nintendo calls “fair use,” and then they hit them with a copyright strike. It’s happened to numerous users over the years for various reasons. Sometimes it is using the game’s footage in an atypical way, or it may have to do with music or showing off found footage that wasn’t meant to be released, etc.
In the case of the gamer below, he had several Breath of the Wild videos he made struck by copyright cards, and he’s not happy about it. Yes, they were videos of mods he put into the game, but as he notes, his videos weren’t detrimental to the game. They even helped bring new people into the franchise:
This is one of those topics where Nintendo is in the wrong, but they won’t admit it. Don’t forget that Nintendo has shut down tournaments featuring their games and whole esports circuits because of their “unapproved” use of their titles. They sometimes go far beyond what they should do just to “protect their IP.”
Is it petty? Yes, yes, it is. Is it something they’re legally allowed to do? Yes, yes, it is, and that’s why gamers are so disappointed when things like this happen. But it makes it seem that Nintendo only wants you to have fun if it’s their “approved version of fun,” and who wants to live in that kind of bubble?
Despite what’s going on with this, gamers are still excited for the upcoming Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom. Details on the game are still slim, but we got a gameplay-focused Direct highlighting much of what you will do in the game, and gamers are excited about the new possibilities.
They’ll just need to be careful about how they post about it online.
