Nintendo Kills Fan-Developed Pokémon MMOG

[Tom Goldman]

Nintendo Kills Fan-Developed Pokémon MMOG


The world wants to play Pokemon in an MMOG-inspired setting, but Nintendo just doesn't want to allow it.

Most Pokéfans with a little bit of vision have probably dreamt up their versions of the definitive Pokémon MMORPG while leveling up their Rattatas, but were you aware that someone was actually developing one? Well, they were, but as reported by Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/02/nintendo-shuts-down-fan-made-pokemon-mmo/], Nintendo has unsurprisingly killed the project as of the end of March 2010.

Called Pokénet, the game was nearing a beta release, but already somewhat in operation with 7,000 different players trying the game at some point. The object of the game can easily be surmised by anyone with a passing knowledge of the Pokémon videogames. Collect Pokémon. Pit them against other players' Pokémon. Repeat. It's just that in Pokénet, all of the other trainers were real people.

I'm not quite sure what Pokénet's developers were thinking, as they reportedly were putting out at least $80 a month to run the game's servers. Sure, Pokénet was probably a fun side project, but I don't know how anyone could think they could get away with developing an MMOG using one of Nintendo's most popular videogame IPs, and additionally one of the most popular videogame IPs of all time. Oh the other hand, "Nushio," a programmer on the project, told Joystiq that there are many other Pokémon MMOGs out there, and that Nintendo may have picked on Pokénet because it was handing out source code.

Nushio also says that "most of the devs are giving up," so this game and its code may be entirely dead to the world for good. Nintendo took everything related to Pokénet, including the domain name, so all that remains are YouTube videos and such. If Nintendo really wanted to earn some money, instead of the paltry billions of dollars in profit it brings in now, it would put out its own Pokémon MMOG, as I'm fairly sure a game like that would rival the popularity of World of Warcraft if done properly.

Source: Joystiq [http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/02/nintendo-shuts-down-fan-made-pokemon-mmo/]

Permalink

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

Gotta protect the business y'know. At least that's all they did and didn't take the guys to court or anything.

 

[Jack and Calumon]

Well then, Digimon Beats Pokemon on MMO games.

Calumon: Yay for winning!

Also, can't help but put this in

Spoiler: Penny Arcade: Hoochie Coochie Man. Slightly NSFW

 

[fundayz]

Not surprised that nintendo would take steps to protect one of their signature franchises, what I don't understand is WHAT IS NINTENDO THINKING IN NOT MAKING THEIR OWN POKEMON MMO?! If there is any IP suitable for an MMO its pokemon...

 

[Cabisco]

Gotta protect the business y'know. At least that's all they did and didn't take the guys to court or anything.

True, but what I do find strange is that nintendo haven't bothered to make a MMORPG, isn't quite a portion of the work already done for them in the form of how it plays, pokemon etc. I suppose Nintendo might just be plain lazy.

 

[TheNamlessGuy]

DELETED

 

[BabySinclair]

I can see them making it for the Wii and having players use their Mii for their trainer. Might be a bit many Darth Vaders and Chuck Norris;s running around but hey, who wouldn't want to see Norris call out a Hitmonlee

 

[Blind0bserver]

As a quick aside, has anyone else ever noticed that, for some reason, every time we hear about Nintendo bringing the hammer down on fan-made projects like this the project is in late beta, or primed for release, or done altogether?

Is there any particular reason, other than a sick sense of humor and flat out sadism, that Nintendo can't send off these cease and desist notices before development teams pour hours, weeks, months and even years of work into it?

 

[knhirt]

Well, that's a shame. I would've liked to try playing that. From what I could see from the google cache of the site, it was multi-platform too. Darn.

 

[liveslowdiefast]

i know people will object to me saying this, but why don't nintendo just let them carry on and take a royalties check, because nitendo can make a lot of money off a MMO and having one vurtually pre built for them is just pure gold, and with the backing of nintendo the game
could rival the likes of any MMO as it would incapsulate many people who wouldn't dream of playing something like world of warcraft (including me). so by this we see once again nitendo shooting themselves in the foot.

 

[Aardvark Soup]

Not surprised that nintendo would take steps to protect one of their signature franchises, what I don't understand is WHAT IS NINTENDO THINKING IN NOT MAKING THEIR OWN POKEMON MMO?! If there is any IP suitable for an MMO its pokemon...

Wasn't one of the main aspects behind the Pokémon games the social element of trading with other people? Transforming the games into MMO's where you only play with anonymous people kinda destroys that.

Anyway, I personally really don't like MMORPG's and am no longer interested in Pokémon (with which I don't want to say I'm 'too old' for it, I know many people my age who still play Pokémon, I just lost interest after Diamond and Pearl), so this doesn't affect me. However, I can see why people would really like this idea and it's a shame that the hard work of this game's developpers goes to waste, even though they could have seen this coming.

 

[Sacman]

If this was Valve they would hire the development team to make an official Pokeman MMOG...

 

[nli10]

Not surprised that nintendo would take steps to protect one of their signature franchises, what I don't understand is WHAT IS NINTENDO THINKING IN NOT MAKING THEIR OWN POKEMON MMO?! If there is any IP suitable for an MMO its pokemon...

What people always seem to fail to grasp is that Pokemon IS an MMORPG. The game from it's original inception is supposed to be about being the champion in your own world on your own game and then using that game to battle your friends games. Originally this was via link cable, and then Wireless, and now it's online. The only thing missing is the 'massively' part - I agree that it should be possible to go into a big online room and battle and trade with strangers without ever exchanging friend codes etc.

As for a 'traditional MMO' ? A Pokemon game where everyone is the ultimate trainer and a queue forms up outside the elite 4 and the legendary battling cave wouldn't be a Pokemon game, it'd just be a game featuring Pokemon.

Why the people in the now banned game just didn't invent their own maps and monsters and make them similar to Pokemon I don't know. Stick it on the iPhone ap store and advertise it on all the Pokemon forums and you'd have a business model. 7,000 players compared to 10 million plus Pokemon players doesn't inspire me to invest though...

Wasn't one of the main aspects behind the Pokémon games the social element of trading with other people? Transforming the games into MMO's where you only play with anonymous people kinda destroys that.

Exactly. Well put.

 

[Woodsey]

If this was Valve they would hire the development team to make an official Pokeman MMOG...

That's EXACTLY what I was going to say - its also exactly what I'd do.

What a waste of time, talent and potential income.

 

[Internet Kraken]

As a quick aside, has anyone else ever noticed that, for some reason, every time we hear about Nintendo bringing the hammer down on fan-made projects like this the project is in late beta, or primed for release, or done altogether?

Is there any particular reason, other than a sick sense of humor and flat out sadism, that Nintendo can't send off these cease and desist notices before development teams pour hours, weeks, months and even years of work into it?

There is actually. A lot of fan projects don't go anywhere and end up shutting down on their own. So rather than get bad press by shutting down every little fan project they find, Nintendo just leaves them alone and hopes that they don't make it. But every once in a while you actually have a group of really dedicated people. So Nintendo has to crush their dreams at the last minute.

 

[Trivun]

You can't really blame Nintendo for their actions. However, I'm firmly on the side of the fans for this one.

They were putting in their own time, effort, and money to make something that fans of Pokemon (myself included) have been clamouring for for a long time. How does that hurt anyone? They weren't making any money from it, and in a way I guess they could possibly claim Fair Use or something. Why is it that whenever a fan of something decides to make a tribute to it, or develop it further, the big companies put their arms up and say "Oh no, you can't do that", when there's no harm in their actions. Why does Nintendo feel so threatened by a fan made MMO that people want to see happen, when the developers won't be making any money from it, and when the project could easily help promote further interest in Pokemon anyway (if that's even possible...)? The only thing I can see as being a valid reason for Nintendo to shut this down is that they're developing their own Pokemon MMO. I fervently hope that's the case, but it's unlikely. If it isn't, then Nintendo are just throwing their weight around, and as always, it's us gamers and fans who get the short end of the stick.

 

[Abedeus]

Well, my fair bet is that it would be really similar to Shin Megami Tensei Online... console games = awesome, but the MMO was average at best.

Still, Nintendo is full of idiots if they see the opportunity and instead of seizing it, they trample it.

 

[whaleswiththumbs]

Nintendo, since you now have all the codes and such why dont you *cough cough* make a pokemon mmo? shouldnt be to hard for YOU, at this point

 

[SilverUchiha]

I've said for years a Pokemon MMO would be vastly superior to the annoying releases they put out every three years or so. Does Nintendo try something fun and innovative that might actually do well? No. Of course not! They're busy with other, stupider bullshit (see 80% of most Wii titles).

EDIT: I like the Wii and I know there are plenty of good games. I'm just a rather disappointed Nintendo fan.

 

[BehattedWanderer]

Reminds me of the really well polished Starfox fan made game awhile back, or the Hero of Time Movie, both axed by Nintendo for unlicensed use of copyright. Ahh, if only. Maybe we'll see it one day.