Why Nintendo is Embracing Fan Games With Game Builder Garage



Nintendo’s latest release, Game Builder Garage, is a little different. Players can use it to develop real game making skills, and can even create things within the garage that can be shared and played by other people. Naturally, this lends itself perfectly to the development of fan games, particularly based on Nintendo franchises that haven’t seen much love lately.

Nintendo has something of a reputation for coming down hard on fan games, and with good reason – the company has already axed hundreds of fan games this year alone.

That said, it’s important to remember that there are different sides to the multi-faceted entity that is Nintendo. While the company’s legal team may be eager to slap all fan games with a Ceast and Desist or a DMCA takedown notice, the developers who actually make Nintendo games are increasingly experimenting with offering a space for creativity to players.

Ask Shigeru Miyamoto, and he’ll tell you that Nintendo games have always been about fostering creativity. So, the move to allow gamers to make their own games – even Nintendo fan games – has grown naturally out of what Nintendo’s developers have been building for decades.

As for the legal side of things, a lot of Nintendo’s issues with fan games is the fact that Nintendo can’t control how these games are distributed, whether anyone else makes money from them, and how they reflect on the Nintendo brand as a whole. By offering an official space for these kinds of fan projects, Nintendo’s greatest fears can be assuaged a little.

Lots of love,
BretonStripes (http://twitter.com/bretonstriped) and Kotor (http://twitter.com/kotorcomics)

Sources:

https://torrentfreak.com/nintendo-mass-dmca-takedown-removes-hundreds-of-fangames-from-game-jolt-210105/
https://github.com/gamejolt/dmca/blob/main/2020/2020-12-29-nintendo.md
https://www.gamefront.com/games/gamingtoday/article/nintendo-flexing-copyright-clout-on-youtube-lets-play-channels
https://time.com/4030885/super-mario-maker-nintendo-wii-u/

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28 thoughts on “Why Nintendo is Embracing Fan Games With Game Builder Garage”

  1. I do love the idea of Nintendo promoting creativity. I would like to see Nintendo take this further and have more creative options in their games going forward.

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  2. The reason that Nintendo is making game builder garage is because they're the ones selling it. Fan games don't make them any money, but this game you have to buy from them, so they'll let you do whatever you want with it.

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  3. If Nintendo keeps up these draconian lawsuits, they’re going to be having a lot of ugly problems! People are just gonna continue to find ways to make fan games with or without Game Builder Garage!

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  4. It would be really cool if this leads to (even though I severely doubt it) an official nintendo website where people can post their fan games, but in a controlled environment where nintendo makes most of the profit if not all.

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  5. Can't wait until SEGA release a new game developing engine like Nintendo Game Garage Builder and allow more Sonic creative fan makers to watch their talent and hired them for future Sonic projects

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  6. Nintendo still takes down Pokemon fangames.
    And also, Game Builder Garage doesn't make you profit in any way whatsoever, and it is a switch-exclusive of course so why not?

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  7. Ah yes! Lawyer Luigi! I'm probably a bit optimistic in saying this, but Game Builder Garage could potentially help the company scout for developing talent because of its confined and controlled nature. Nintendo's presumed ability to monitor and assess popular fan games may lead to inspiration for dormant IPs (at the very least) or flat-out hiring creative, talented developers (at best). Either way, it's nice to see Nintendo embracing fan creations instead of discouraging them.

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