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Nintendo Is Now Going After YouTube Accounts Which Show Its Games Being Emulated

IbizaPocholo

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman
www.timeextension.com

Nintendo Is Now Going After YouTube Accounts Which Show Its Games Being Emulated

"I am being specifically targeted by Nintendo"
www.timeextension.com www.timeextension.com

Nintendo is famously protective of its intellectual property and has a history of suing content creators who it feels have overstepped the mark (it isn't shy about suing slightly bigger fish, either).

However, its latest move feels particularly heavy-handed, as it has issued a copyright strike against a YouTube channel that reviews emulation handhelds.

Retro Game Corps, in case you didn't know, is an excellent channel with over half a million subscribers which covers many different retro gaming systems, but its main focus is modern-day portable devices from the likes of AYANEO, Anbernic and Retroid which are capable of emulating classic games from yesteryear.

As you might imagine, many of these systems run games for consoles like the NES, SNES, Game Boy, N64 and even Wii U, and the channel's videos do a great job of showing off how these titles perform on third-party hardware, helping consumers make an informed choice.

However, Russ, the channel's owner, has recently had a video taken down at Nintendo's request which relates directly to emulation of its products.

"It does appear that my worst fears are true, and that I am being specifically targeted by Nintendo," he says in a statement posted on YouTube. "My Wii U video was taken down and I received another copyright strike, even though this showcase video was no different than all of the tech demos and reviews I have made on this channel previously."

Russ says that he's considering filing a counter-claim under fair use, "as the video was for educational use, transformative in nature, and had no [effect] on the market - it was a demonstration of a console no longer for sale." However, he says he is "reluctant to open that can of worms with a multi-billion dollar corporation, as their next step would be to file legal action."

In the short term, this means that Retro Game Corps will no longer be showing Nintendo games during its videos. As Russ notes, this is a shame "because I love using those games for my hardware demonstrations." He adds that he is now "going through the videos I am working on and blurring out any Nintendo game content as a precaution, even innocuous content like NES games." This will naturally have an impact on his output.
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Pejo

Pejo

Gold Member
Always relevant:
oiMepcE.png
 
GHG

GHG

Member
Despite what they've claimed about technological "arms races", they really are worried about the fact that they will be once again introducing "new" hardware that is well behind the curve.

Based on how they're behaving, it looks like we would have had a switch 2 emulator up and running within months of the console releasing.
 
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Majukun

Majukun

Member
considering how many people were openly emulating their games, I can understand why they would do that

in the end they are still a company whose entire existence is based on people needing to buy THEIR console to play THEIR games

still doesn't excuse in any way going against the videos though...

still unsure about the legality of taking down emulation as well, but in the ryujinx case it seems like they just bought the damn thing
 
ManaByte

ManaByte

Gold Member
When "legitimate" websites like Kotaku are openly telling people how to pirate Nintendo's games, how do you expect them to respond?
 
Quezacolt

Quezacolt

Member
Im not against emulation in general, but i think the people that make those emulatora should wait until the machine is off the market.

Nintendo as a company wants to sell their products, and you can't blame them for that, if you guys had you own gaming company and people were making emulators and pirating your games, i bet most of you would be pissed too and would send your lawyers too.
 
Pejo

Pejo

Gold Member
Quezacolt said:
Im not against emulation in general, but i think the people that make those emulatora should wait until the machine is off the market.

Nintendo as a company wants to sell their products, and you can't blame them for that, if you guys had you own gaming company and people were making emulators and pirating your games, i bet most of you would be pissed too and would send your lawyers too.
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Equating emulation automatically with piracy is the fallacy here. Emulation itself is not illegal, but Nintendo is treating it as such (with great success). When they go for sites hosting ROMs and ISOs, I don't like it, but I get it. This is just using technicalities and systems that favor corporations to bully away things they don't like, regardless of the laws.
 
B

Bashtee

Member
Quezacolt said:
I bet most of you would be pissed too and would send your lawyers too.
Click to expand...
I'd fire the lawyers. People who pirate games today are a fraction of a fraction. It's not as easy and accessible as it used to be. And even if people pirate - those usually aren't your customers anyway.
Nintendo is sending their lawyers after anything these days. Feels like someone there has a very fragile ego.
 
SweetTooth

SweetTooth

Gold Member
Astray said:
This youtuber literally had aliexpress affiliate links for you to buy a handheld that includes pirated games out of the box.

A lot of people were very openly eating off Nintendo's intellectual property, and now they're getting clapback.
Click to expand...

Not just Nintendo, Sony, Sega, Neogeo ..etc all suffered especially from those handhelds with pirated games
 
Astray

Astray

Member
ManaByte said:
Oh I’m sure the outrage article omitted that context.
Click to expand...
The big secret is that "emulation" has always been mostly used to facilitate piracy.

It's almost entirely the only real use case for the things, if this use case didn't exist then emulation as it stands right now could not possibly gain this much popularity.

It's now gotten to the point where still-supported systems like PS4 or Nintendo Switch or Xbox One are getting emulated, and I honestly feel crazy being told that they're being emulated for "preservation".
 
Cyberpunkd

Cyberpunkd

Member
Astray said:
The big secret is that "emulation" has always been mostly used to facilitate piracy.

It's almost entirely the only real use case for the things, if this use case didn't exist then emulation as it stands right now could not possibly gain this much popularity.
Click to expand...
How many people die each year to gun crime vs. lives saved in self defence?

Let’s ban guns!
 
Davevil

Davevil

Late October Surprise
But all those who go against Nintendo and their decision to kill Ryujinx, do they know that Zelda Echoes of Wisdom was emulable on day 1 (actually day -3 :messenger_tears_of_joy: ) ?
I believe that this time Nintendo's balls are turned sideways
 
Astray

Astray

Member
Cyberpunkd said:
How many people die each year to gun crime vs. lives saved in self defence?

Let’s ban guns!
Click to expand...
Can't discuss the original argument (because you know I'm right), so now you bring up an example that has no relation to the original topic.

Davevil said:
But all those who go against Nintendo and their decision to kill Ryujinx, do they know that Zelda Echoes of Wisdom was emulable on day 1 (actually day -3 :messenger_tears_of_joy: ) ?
I believe that this time Nintendo's balls are turned sideways
Click to expand...
The primary use was so clearly about piracy. I have no idea why people are disputing this.
 
FeralEcho

FeralEcho

Member
Davevil said:
But all those who go against Nintendo and their decision to kill Ryujinx, do they know that Zelda Echoes of Wisdom was emulable on day 1 (actually day -3 :messenger_tears_of_joy: ) ?
I believe that this time Nintendo's balls are turned sideways
Click to expand...
Yet somehow working flawlessly at 8k60 at day -3 on a dead emulator while the official console of a multibillionaire company can barely do 1080p day 1 😂 You can cut your eyes playing this thing on original hardware on a big TV in 2024... It's embarassing which is why they don't want these videos up. It makes them look like chumps...which they are.

Maybe Nintendo should hire these guys instead and fire off their entire R&D team since they're absolutely useless.
 
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L

LordNerevar76

Neo Member
RetroGameCorps is a really great channel. He does a great job comparing various retro systems in addition to setup guides. Contrary to what some commenters have said he constantly qualifies that preloaded retro systems are likely illegal and you should use your own games. It has absolutely nothing to do with Ryujinx etc. Nintendo is really stretching things here with this strike, it's too bad they can just bully small channels with legal fees.
 
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F

Filben

Member
So, one YouTuber with affiliate links means "YouTube accounts"?

I bet if I'd put up a video – or someone else with a few hundred clicks – Nintendo won't care.
 
Astray

Astray

Member
rodrigolfp said:
What facilitates piracy is electric energy, computers, internet, web sites, browsers, torrent clients. Emulators provides zero facilitation to piracy.
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I mean piracy doesn't constitute +%95 of the usage of all the things you mentioned (except torrents) but go off king.

Never seen so many people so reluctant to own up what they've actually been doing.
 
rodrigolfp

rodrigolfp

Haptic Gamepads 4 Life
Astray said:
Sure, show me one good legal usage of emulators that isn't piracy.

I can come up with good and legal usages for the majority of your list of strawman examples.
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There are tutorials from the own emulators how to use them legally. It's 2024 and you should know that. If not, google it.
 
DrDryRub

DrDryRub

Banned
It's Nintendo of Japan that's doing it. Nintendo of America can't strike American YouTubers since it's covered under fair use
 
C

chakadave

Member
Astray said:
Sure, show me one good legal usage of emulators that isn't piracy.

I can come up with good and legal usages for the majority of your list of strawman examples.
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Then you need to change the law. And guess what? It won't do anything.

More victimless legislative crimes that protect big corporations is not a good idea.
 
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reinking

reinking

Gold Member
Astray said:
Sure, show me one good legal usage of emulators that isn't piracy.

I can come up with good and legal usages for the majority of your list of strawman examples.
Click to expand...

I have a closet full of old consoles and games. Many of which can be emulated to perform better on PC or made portable to play on my phone. I own the games. I own consoles. Do you believe this is illegal? I have always thought if I own the game, rip the game and bios, I should be able to play them on any device I choose. Frankly, I don't bother these days because I am flooded with current games and if nostalgia hits me, I usually hook up the console and get bored 30 minutes later :messenger_tears_of_joy: .
 
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Astray

Astray

Member
rodrigolfp said:
There are tutorials from the own emulators how to use them legally. It's 2024 and you should know that. If not, google it.
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lmfao no.

Breaking encryption or seeking out games with broken encryption is illegal under the DMCA (which *is* a flawed law, not suggesting otherwise).

You have to be obtuse at this point to think Sony v. Bleem! or Connectix covers all the angles for you. Read up before suggesting that something is legal when it isn't.

chakadave said:
Then you need to change the law. And guess what? It won't do anything.

More victimless legislative crimes that protect big corporations is not a good idea.
Click to expand...
It's almost as if the law will always seek to protect those who invest time, effort and money into creating and maintaining IPs vs the pirates that seek to benefit without paying.
 
Astray

Astray

Member
reinking said:
I have a closet full of old consoles and games. Many of which can be emulated to perform better on PC or made portable to play on my phone. I own the games. I own consoles. Do you believe this is illegal? I have always thought if I own the game, rip the game and bios, I should be able to play them on any device I choose. Frankly, I don't bother these days because I am flooded with current games and if nostalgia hits me, I usually hook up the console and get bored 30 minutes later :messenger_tears_of_joy: .
Click to expand...
Believe it or not, if you break the encryption on a game you are are doing something illegal. Even if you own the game.

This isn't the 90's anymore, all the platform holders encrypt their games for this specific reason.
 
Neofire

Neofire

Member
Nintendo should just take the emulation thing to court and get it over with because people who do it aren't going to stop.
 
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