Nintendo Tried to Block Evo Streams

[Steven Bogos]

Nintendo Tried to Block Evo Streams

Thankfully, Nintendo has reversed its initial order to block all streams of Super Smash Bros. Melee from the Evo fighting tournament.

Nintendo has been really flexing its copyright muscle [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124066-Nintendo-Suddenly-Claims-Ownership-Of-Many-YouTube-Videos] as of late, but its latest move to protect its properties was met with such harsh resistance that it reversed the decisions within a day. Earlier this week, Nintendo of America informed the organizers behind the Evo fighting tournament that it didn't have permission to broadcast Super Smash Bros. Melee for Evo 2013, which would have effectively banned the game from being streamed for fans to watch.

Obviously, this is a scumbag move, and someone at Nintendo with half a brain realized this and reversed the decision very shortly after. Banning the game from being broadcast would have been a huge slap to the face of the Smash Bros. community, who raised nearly $95,000 in Evo's official charity fundraiser for breast cancer research, in order to have Melee feature at Evo 2013.

Furthermore, this isn't a "fair use" gray area like the "Let's Play" videos [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124066-Nintendo-Suddenly-Claims-Ownership-Of-Many-YouTube-Videos] Nintendo was blocking earlier, this is a legitimate fighting game tournament. It's madness. It would be like Adidas trying to stop world cup broadcasts because they use an Adidas branded ball.

While you may think it's commendable of Nintendo for reversing the decision, the fact that it happened at all is proof that someone at the big N obviously thought that they could get away with this. Nintendo fans are scrutinizing the company's less consumer friendly policies more and more lately, and it seems that this time their overwhelming response has forced Nintendo to backflip. Now, if only it would do the same thing in regards to region-locked consoles [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/125407-Nintendo-Fans-Fight-For-Region-Free-Consoles]...

Source: Kotaku [http://shoryuken.com/2013/07/09/changes-to-evo-2013-smash-schedule/]

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[Jackel86]

But nothing will come of it. Every time Nintendo does something ridiculous like this, everyone riots over it only to forget about it the next day. Nintendo just never seems to keep the hate the way Sony or MS does.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

That's pretty hilarious. Typical Nintendo move.

 

[Something Amyss]

Bonus points for targeting a charity tourney!

But nothing will come of it. Every time Nintendo does something ridiculous like this, everyone riots over it only to forget about it the next day. Nintendo just never seems to keep the hate the way Sony or MS does.

Silly poster, expecting a single standard in the gaming community.

 

[Smooth Operator]

But nothing will come of it. Every time Nintendo does something ridiculous like this, everyone riots over it only to forget about it the next day. Nintendo just never seems to keep the hate the way Sony or MS does.

Because the only ones who still care about them are die hard fans and the rest really has no intention of interacting with them.

We shouldn't really be surprised at this point as Nintendo is very very old and has no tolerance for new concepts, leave them on their porch making angry groans and furiously waving their fist at people.

 

[KeyMaster45]

Furthermore, this isn't a "creative commons" gray area like the "Let's Play" videos [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124066-Nintendo-Suddenly-Claims-Ownership-Of-Many-YouTube-Videos] Nintendo was blocking earlier

I think you mean "fair use", creative commons is a type of copyright and not the legal provision for the use of copyrighted works in a parody or critique form; which is what the LP controversy was about.

 

[Altorin]

But nothing will come of it. Every time Nintendo does something ridiculous like this, everyone riots over it only to forget about it the next day. Nintendo just never seems to keep the hate the way Sony or MS does.

Nintendo are becoming like a doddery old Grandpa. It's hard to stay mad at that sort of character.

Microsoft are like a dad that really wants to be one of the kids, but at the same time, won't let you take the car out. That sort of character is easy to dislike.

Sony in this metaphor are a little lost. They're basically a different dad, who points at the Wanna-be-Kid dad and says "Hey, at least I'm not that guy"

 

[Altorin]

But nothing will come of it. Every time Nintendo does something ridiculous like this, everyone riots over it only to forget about it the next day. Nintendo just never seems to keep the hate the way Sony or MS does.

Nintendo has never fucked us like MS or Sony or EA has. They've also got a fairly solid fanbase that will defend them against absolutely anything, including this. It's like what Yahtzee said during his Phantom Hourglass review.

And before anyone claims that this is unique to Nintendo fanboys, just think about how people would feel if it were Valve. It'd be exactly the same thing.

If it were Valve, I think we'd all be wondering if it's actually a plea for help and someone has Gabe Newell hostage in his office at gunpoint, and the only way he could discreetly call upon his horde of internet goons without alerting his captor is to flag Team Fortress 2 livestreams.

we'd get the message, and come running to rescue our Tubby Overlord, Lord Gabriel of Newell

 

[Steven Bogos]

Furthermore, this isn't a "creative commons" gray area like the "Let's Play" videos [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124066-Nintendo-Suddenly-Claims-Ownership-Of-Many-YouTube-Videos] Nintendo was blocking earlier

I think you mean "fair use", creative commons is a type of copyright and not the legal provision for the use of copyrighted works in a parody or critique form; which is what the LP controversy was about.

Thanks for that! I always get a bit tangled up in this "legal-ese"!

 

[Mr. Omega]

The fact that it was reversed in only a couple hours makes me think it was either a miscommunication or an over-zealous legal department. In other words, a mistake, not a decision and then reversal based on outrage. If this was a conscious decision by the company, there'd be at least some flimsy justification or prepared corporate-speak response like in the LP situation instead of backtracking almost immediately.

 

[shirkbot]

We shouldn't really be surprised at this point as Nintendo is very very old and has no tolerance for new concepts, leave them on their porch making angry groans and furiously waving their fist at people.

It's not so much that Nintendo is against new concepts as that they are utterly insane when it comes to copyright issues. With the whole internet revolution thing, there's just a lot more copyright grayness and they tend to assume that if it isn't 100% explicitly legal then they must act, lest their precious brand be tarnished.

 

[Ed130 The Vanguard]

We shouldn't really be surprised at this point as Nintendo is very very old and has no tolerance for new concepts, leave them on their porch making angry groans and furiously waving their fist at people.

It's not so much that Nintendo is against new concepts as that they are utterly insane when it comes to copyright issues. With the whole internet revolution thing, there's just a lot more copyright grayness and they tend to assume that if it isn't 100% explicitly legal then they must act, lest their precious brand be tarnished.

Lets face it, Nintendo's IP's are their bread and butter.

Without them I imagine that they wouldn't have been nearly as popular or have as many fanboys.

Hell they may have even gone the way of SEGA and bowed out of the console war.

Also: It's Cancer!

 

[KeyMaster45]

Furthermore, this isn't a "creative commons" gray area like the "Let's Play" videos [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/124066-Nintendo-Suddenly-Claims-Ownership-Of-Many-YouTube-Videos] Nintendo was blocking earlier

I think you mean "fair use", creative commons is a type of copyright and not the legal provision for the use of copyrighted works in a parody or critique form; which is what the LP controversy was about.

Thanks for that! I always get a bit tangled up in this "legal-ese"!

Always happy to wander bleary-eyed into an article in the middle of the night and offer up a nugget of knowledge from my pit of useless information.

 

[razer17]

If this was EA, people here would treat this like they uploaded videos of the excutives killing puppies. But it's Nintendo, so we'll all go back to fawning over Zelda.

 

[Gilhelmi]

I am 70% sure all these problems can be traced to one senior official who does not have "official" support from the company.

I can imagine a senior person (just below the Vice President rank) doing this and, until now, no one above him noticed much. A couple isolated articles might fly under the radar if no one tells the boss.

But this is a major tournament. One, I suspect, a VP or President was using to generate free publicity for Nintendo. That person is now going WTF and perhaps just now finding out about the other "incidents".

OH, to be a fly on that wall.

 

[Kahani]

It would be like Adidas trying to stop world cup broadcasts because they use an Adidas branded ball.

This is what really makes it so incredibly stupid. Companies like Adidas don't just get their balls used at random, they pay good money to get people watching such events to see their name. What Nintendo tried to do was essentially demand that people stop giving them free advertising. I just can't understand how anyone who actually wanted to keep their job could think this was a good idea.

 

[rofltehcat]

Seriously, there must be far too many non-gamers in those huge corporations. They produce/publish video games but have not the slightest clue what video games are actually about.

Here's a tip for them: You WANT people to stream their multiplayer matches, especially in a tournament! This is what promotes it to new players, creates a competitive and high skill multiplayer scene and doesn't spoil anything about the story.
So why would they even block it in the first place?

 

[Andy Shandy]

So yet another forgive, but don't forget situation - albeit on a much smaller scale that the Microsoft Xbox One thing - yes, it's good that they realised what big idiots they were being, but perhaps they shouldn't have been that daft in the first place.