Nintendo has been actively taking down YouTube videos that feature its games being emulated or modded, which has sparked significant discussion and concern within the gaming community. This action primarily targets content creators who showcase modified versions of Nintendo games, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and others, often using emulators like CEMU or Yuzu.Reasons Behind Nintendo's ActionsIntellectual Property Protection: Nintendo's aggressive stance is largely driven by the need to protect its intellectual property rights. Under Japanese copyright law, failure to enforce these rights could potentially weaken their legal standing, leading to a loss of ownership
I wouldn’t be surprised if this backfires a bit. The reason most publishers/IP holders don’t go after videos on youtube and twitch is because it’s basically free advertisement for your game.
If this behavior leads to people holding back on making nintendo based content, it could fuck them over in the long run. If you were a streamer or youtuber, would you feel particularly comfortable making videos and streaming nintendo games?
I know I wouldn’t. There is no guarantee that nintendo actually puts effort into determining whether you are using an emulator or not. And even for the people who do use emulators, they may not be looking to continue making nintendo content.
They’ve been doing this for a long time, and it definitely has a depressive effect. Even a big gaming youtubers like Videogamedunkey has commented on how every single time he does a video about a Nintendo game it gets demonetized, and while he can afford to take the financial hit every now and then there are plenty of mid-tier creators who can’t.
Nintendo is going after a lot of their biggest fans. It’s so obviously stupid, but they just keep doing it.