Nintendo Bullies Fan Sites Over Pokemon B&W Pics

[JourneyThroughHell]

Good. Just awesome, Nintendo.

The guy has the right to be pissed off and your actions could be seen as unworthy and just pointless. But it's not only that. It's also you being jerks.

Well, maybe they're not all gone...

Just before this happened, PokeBeach said they were going to have to take them down...

But get this, they kept it on there for a little while.

Yeah, I figured they would do that. Well done on their part.

This means Nintendo officially accomplished jack.

 

[Zagzag]

It's amazing that Nintendo is worried about publicity with a series that sells like gangbusters with EVERY iteration despite the fact that it's the same game every time, just with different skins on the monsters.

In the same way the every FPS is the same game with different skins on the monsters?

Seriously though, the staggered realease causes lots of people to import it, then buy it in their own country when it comes out. Surely Nintento are not going to have a global release if it loses them MONEY!

 

[anon11]

PLEASE READ THIS!

If this is true, it could be serious and have a real impact on the Pokémon community on the internet, and potentially the entire online Nintendo fanbase.

Everyone is saying that this makes no sense, because the Japanese games have already been officially released. These images are also only used for the express purpose of reporting news, and both sites have disclaimers openly stating the Nintendo owns the Pokémon franchise and the fansites are not making any money from posting them. So, why attack them claiming copyright infringement? What's more, the letter implies that the fansites should also refrain from posting images and videos for any further games or content related to Pokémon in the future, effectively cutting off their news reporting capabilities and restricting the content that they post. So far, only these two fansites have been hit, but the letter claims that they will go after other fansites as well. Whether this also includes Nintendo fansites in general is unknown at the moment.

These fansites work tirelessly to bring us up-to-date news; it would be a great blow if they were banned from posting any new images or videos ever again. Really, these sites provide free advertising for Nintendo and actually encourage people to buy the games. To me, it makes zero sense why they would want to punish them for that.

Seeing as Pokébeach and Serebii are two of the most popular Pokémon sites on the internet, if they fall, it's likely that the entire online Pokémon community might collapse along with them.
This also doesn't bode well for other Nintendo franchises. How long before they go after Mario or Zelda fansites? This may only be about Pokémon at the moment but, whether you like the Pokémon games or not, this could potentially affect us all.

Perhaps if we all band together we can do something to save the online Pokémon Community from being wiped out.

So, here's what you have to do: spread the word.

Post this message in every (Nintendo friendly) games site and forum you can and let everybody know about this. I would urge people to follow this story and, if this does turn out to be real, contact as many Nintendo representatives as you can in regards to this story and what they hope to achieve by basically stomping on one of their largest fanbases. Let them know how we feel. Let them know that we don?t like it. Make them listen. Like I said before, we are the people who buy their games, we pay them money to keep making games. If they are going to start treating the fans that do so much for them like this, then they really don't deserve to be known as the world's greatest gaming company.
This may not even get us anywhere, but you never know. Other fanbases have taken on big companies before and won, e.g. Harry Potter fansites.

If you don't agree with what I'm saying then fair enough. That's your opinion; I won't hold it against you. I'm just a concerned Nintendo fan that doesn't want my two favourite Pokémon sites to be taken down by the big guns. I may even be blowing this all out of proportion, but there is a lot of confusion among most of the Pokémon fanbase at the moment and no one really knows what the outcome of this action by Nintendo will be, so I'm just going to roll with it for now. I?m just a messenger reporting this news story to the Nintendo fans. I have no intention of getting tangled up in any legal matters either, which is why I?m choosing to remain anonymous. It?s up to you to decide whether that makes me a ?troll? or not.

The main thing here is that this hasn't yet been confirmed as 100% real. But in the event that it is, I believe something should be done by the fans to protect our community.

Thanks for taking your time to read this.

 

[Jake the Snake]

I think their rationale is they wanted a brand new pokemon experience (Isshu is far away from the other regions, it only contains all new pokemon, etc.), and these two sites, because they're so popular, are going to ruin the surprise by showing us all the info.

Except they kind of forgot that the whole purpose of the internet is to SHARE info. People are going to find out one way or another. I'm sure most of us already saw the new list of pokes. We know what they look like, know their typings, their japanese names and when/how all of them evolve. Spoilers have done their spoiling. The cats out of the bag. You're too late Nintendo. Don't punish your Western audience just because they'd like to see your new game. It's not fair that you don't simultaneously release them in the first place. Translating a game really isn't all that hard.

 

[xyrafhoan]

After reading up how this is not Pokebeach's first C&D from Nintendo over leaking images of Victini that were taken from a movie theatre preview, this C&D request is very real. And it is NOT just because these fansites are using magazine scans and sprites without permission, but rather because these two particular sites posted information leaked from an employee of one of Nintendo's official magazines. Not only did they post information on Pokemon BW well before the games came out that they probably shouldn't have known, Pokebeach openly admits to using ROMs to obtain information on the games. Serebii may be using ROMs but they also own physical copies of the game.

Still, Nintendo's reaction is 1. too late, because the games are already out and 2. over-the-top. Seriously, these sites aren't allowed to post ANY new images? What the hell?

 

[Nostalgia]

Pokebeach openly admits to using ROMs to obtain information on the games. Serebii may be using ROMs but they also own physical copies of the game.

This.
However, it's worthy to note that WPM has his own physical copy as well.

 

[Ciran]

Streisand Effect in 3...2...1...

What, telling video game and computer nerds NOT to transfer images of probably one of the highest anticipated games out there having a counter-productive effect? What would EVER give you that idea?

Still, Nintendo's reaction is 1. too late, because the games are already out and 2. over-the-top. Seriously, these sites aren't allowed to post ANY new images? What the hell?

It's not just that they can't post new ones. They had to take down ANY old pictures as well, which is way over the top in my opinion.

 

[xyrafhoan]

Streisand Effect in 3...2...1...

What, telling video game and computer nerds NOT to transfer images of probably one of the highest anticipated games out there having a counter-productive effect? What would EVER give you that idea?

Still, Nintendo's reaction is 1. too late, because the games are already out and 2. over-the-top. Seriously, these sites aren't allowed to post ANY new images? What the hell?

It's not just that they can't post new ones. They had to take down ANY old pictures as well, which is way over the top in my opinion.

Oh, I know. I've followed the story since I first noticed Serebii had taken everything down. The C&D letter even mentioned the webmasters had a scant 24 hours on a weekend to take every Pokemon B&W related image down from their sites. There really has to be something more serious at play here than just "Please don't post screenshots and sprites from our game for a non-profit purpose".

 

[inFAMOUSCowZ]

i mean nintendo has the right to do what their doing since it does belong to them. But still it doesnt make it fair at all.

 

[Macgyvercas]

I don't even know what to say to this. If they don't want this happening, why don't they just do a worldwide release instead of releasing it in Japan several months earlier?

Because that would make too much sense. Everyone knows that Japan gets everything first. Hell, we had to wait 16 years for Final Fantasy III (Japanese release 1990. US release 2006)

 

[night_chrono]

snip

why do you people feel that breaking the law is okay?

The game is out... This is like someone capturing a screen to post in a review. I'm pretty sure its allowed.

But it isn't a review. If it had been a review, then it would have been fair use. but it isn't.

again, if a movie is released and it is put on the internet. it is illegal.

and yes the game is out, but not to the world. It is in a particular region. at the time that information is only available FOR THAT REGION!!!

Again, they were breaking copyright. why is that so hard to understand?

The EULA of games today pretty much say that it is against the terms for anyone to share the information (data) of the game without the consent of the makers. When they published that information they are breaking the copyright.

when you buy a game, you do not buy the game. You do not own the information in the game. you buy a licence to use the game. When you buy that licence, there are rules that come with it.

these people are breaking the rules.

It's a DS game. There is no EULA you moron.

Also it is specifically protected under fair use.

 

[Ciran]

Streisand Effect in 3...2...1...

What, telling video game and computer nerds NOT to transfer images of probably one of the highest anticipated games out there having a counter-productive effect? What would EVER give you that idea?

Still, Nintendo's reaction is 1. too late, because the games are already out and 2. over-the-top. Seriously, these sites aren't allowed to post ANY new images? What the hell?

It's not just that they can't post new ones. They had to take down ANY old pictures as well, which is way over the top in my opinion.

Oh, I know. I've followed the story since I first noticed Serebii had taken everything down. The C&D letter even mentioned the webmasters had a scant 24 hours on a weekend to take every Pokemon B&W related image down from their sites. There really has to be something more serious at play here than just "Please don't post screenshots and sprites from our game for a non-profit purpose".

Yeah, but what could it be? It's not like people are going to not play the game because they've seen the images, and it's not like serebii (this is where I found out about it as well) can't post information, just the images, which makes no sense. 70% of the pokemon you can image search on google or deviantart and find fan images of and it's not like they've tried to shut down the forums because people use the images in their signatures. My puzzlement is their justification of sending these C&Ds which, on an even slightly larger scale, does absolutely nothing. And exactly what "substantial damage" is Nintendo talking about? That's the one answer I want. In what scenario does free advertising and increased hype for a game cause substantial damage?

 

[ShoopDaToaster]

"We hope that all English-speakers will remove images of Black and White from their websites, forums, blogs, YouTubes, Facebooks, instant messages, e-mails, homes, and minds

>from their websites, forums, blogs, YouTubes, Facebooks, instant messages, e-mails, homes, and minds

>and minds

>minds

Oh god what.
Nintendo has MIND CONTROL NOW?

 

[mogamer]

OT: I'm finding it harder and harder to find a company that isn't going out of its way to fuck its consumer base. Activision-Blizzard, Ubisoft, Square-Enix, Sony, Nintendo, I don't play EA games but I suspect they're no better than Ubisoft. Is Microsoft the only company left that actually gives a damn whether their consumers are happy with them or not?

Let's be frank here. Every company looks at us as walking wallets and couldn't care less about us if we aren't sending them any cash. I'm sure even fan favorites like Valve and Bioware have a low opinion of their fanbase.

 

[oranger]

Nintendo has always ALWAYS done this. I remember a guy making a fan novel about chrono trigger, years and years after they stopped selling the damn game, and then after asking nintendo for their blessing before publishing it, they not only told him no, not ever, but they demanded he take down the book from his site and destroy or hand over all copies,
lest he face their legal wrath. And this is just one incident.
Fuck nintendo.

 

[Pat728]

They're trying to keep all the ugly new pokemon a secret untill people buy the game.

 

[BrunDeign]

Are all of you guys really having this bad of a reaction to it? IT ISN'T THAT BAD.

All they had to do was take down their stuff relating to Black and White right?

BIG DEAL

Wait for it to come out here and then just catch them all like I bet most of you do (I know I do anyways). Geez

 

[oranger]

Are all of you guys really having this bad of a reaction to it? IT ISN'T THAT BAD.

All they had to do was take down their stuff relating to Black and White right?

BIG DEAL

Wait for it to come out here and then just catch them all like I bet most of you do (I know I do anyways). Geez

This is about what's right (or wrong) to do on the net, and a big corp browbeating a little guy into seeing things their way.

 

[Tmcmistress]

It's amazing that Nintendo is worried about publicity with a series that sells like gangbusters with EVERY iteration despite the fact that it's the same game every time, just with different skins on the monsters.

In the same way the every FPS is the same game with different skins on the monsters?

Now come on. I don't have anything against Pokemon, I enjoy playing it with my girlfriend, but let's not pretend it's something it's not. Even most mediocre FPS's have, on average, a more interesting, cohesive story than "Young kid leaves home to enslave powerful monsters and force them to fight each other all Micheal Vick-style while their parents apparently don't give a crap."