Nintendo has responded to concern over the inappropriate use of its characters on-line and mentioned it will take “acceptable motion” towards something that may make some gamers “really feel uncomfortable”.
Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa was lately questioned by a shareholder who mentioned they’d “come throughout instances on social media the place Nintendo IP and video games are used inappropriately”. This “inappropriate” use of Nintendo’s characters “poses the chance of damaging” the corporate’s model, the query continued – so what was Nintendo planning on doing about it?
In response, Furukawa mentioned Nintendo’s administration coverage was to “carry smiles by means of leisure” (however presumably not the sort of smiles generated by “inappropriate” use).
“I’ll chorus from commenting on particular person instances, however we imagine that acceptable motion should be taken towards any behaviour that undermines this coverage,” Furukawa continued, with out specifying what that motion may entail.
“Our aim is to create an surroundings the place everybody can get pleasure from taking part in video games. We’ll proceed to make each effort to make sure that our customers aren’t made to really feel uncomfortable, not solely in our video games but in addition wherever they arrive into contact with our IP.”
After all, followers have been utilizing Nintendo characters for “inappropriate” causes for a really, very very long time. Essentially the most high-profile instance of this in current reminiscence was a sure Bowsette – a spicy fan mash-up of Peach and Bowser that Nintendo initially refused to touch upon when it went viral and trended on social media worldwide, after which later dominated as non-canon.
Few creators deal with the usage of their characters by followers for less-than-appropriate causes. Why? Nicely, I am reminded of when Ken Levine as soon as requested reddit to cease drawing naughty footage of Elizabeth from BioShock Infinite. Merely put, it does not work.
Individuals will all the time be attractive, particularly Nintendo followers.
However maybe it is value remembering – Nintendo is watching.