Nintendo issues DMCA takedowns for specific Switch games to art library sharing site SteamGridDB

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Nintendo is yet again back into its old copyright takedowns, issuing DMCAs.
This time, the affected site has been SteamGridDB, which many people have been using to create image assets for Steam and non-Steam games when added manually into it. Many more use it to link their ROMs through emulation into Steam as non-Steam games.

The Steam Grid database website has gained popularity over the years, more so due to the recent surge in Steam Deck users and their use of EmuDeck to setup their emulation libraries. EmuDeck itself provides a tool called Steam Rom Manager, which allows the user to configure their Steam image assets based on a community database that supplies all of the images detected from a specific ROM name, and from there the images are applied into Steam itself based on the grabbed images from the database if it finds a match.

At the moment, the website received DMCA takedowns for the following Switch games' images:
  • Pokemon Scarlet & Violet
  • Splatoon 3
  • Super Mario Odyssey
  • The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Other consoles and games haven't been affected.
SteamGridDB didn't offer any kind of ROM downloads nor links to them, the only offered material are plain images for a wide variety of games, and many of them are user-supplied and/or custom made by several users and supporters.

With this, Nintendo has started DMCA'ing websites over images.
Has Nintendo gone too far? What's gonna be next? All mentions of Mario in non-Nintendo websites getting DMCA'd?
Only time will tell.

:arrow: Breath of the Wild entry at SteamGridDB
:arrow: BotW Backup at Archive.org
:arrow: Source
 

codezer0

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what the fuck is wrong with nintendo? they are becoming very strict to protect there own product's just CHILL THE FUCK OUT!
Chances are it's demanded by Nintendo of Japan most of all, who thinks their laws against rentals and console mods in their homeland apply globally, and want to act like it's still 1985 when their illegal exclusivity contracts were still valid.
 

The Catboy

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perhaps, but I don't believe for one second that most pirates would suddenly embrace ofw. most pirate because they can, there's nothing more complicated about it.
It’s more that Nintendo is spending so much energy putting out DMCA notices that it’s become a meme at this point. But yet we still don’t a have Metroid Prime 4 or BOTW2 or an OFW with themes. I know the legal team is obviously different but it’s like, damn, is this really where you want to put your time and money? It’s starting to feel like they are legit more focused on this shit over gaming these days.
 
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anhminh

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Chill, Nintendo. Those kids just want a official cover for their pirate games from your most recent console. It's not like you make money from it anyway.
 
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randy_w

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So nintendo has done nothing with those tinfoil shops, aliexpress/ebay selling modchips but don't want people to share cover arts of their games online? Seems like someone got their priority wrong lmao.
 

DJPlace

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Chances are it's demanded by Nintendo of Japan most of all, who thinks their laws against rentals and console mods in their homeland apply globally, and want to act like it's still 1985 when their illegal exclusivity contracts were still valid.
then get the fuck out of the 80's nintendo. if you want to stay in there make some more NINTENDO CEREAL then with super mario odyssey and zelda breath of the wild pieces for the current gen ok?
 

HarveyHouston

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Nintendo losing Iwata is a tragedy that'll affect the gaming industry for years to come, but it's almost more than certain that it was Nintendo of America who sent the DMCA, as it's almost always them doing any takedowns.
Yes, true, but they've done it a lot more since Iwata's death. It seems to be a regular thing since Reggie Fils-Amie also left, which makes me wonder about this Doug Bowser person... :glare:
 

ChiefReginod

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The real story here is Nintendo's inability to adapt, which will be their downfall if they don't change it. It's the same with the video and music take downs on youtube. They don't see it as (free) advertising if it's not in their control.
 

SylverReZ

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This reminds me of Subway & McDonald's issuing takedown threats to people posting photos of coupons/specials on a deals website
Imaging getting a DMCA notice for posting an image with random characters.
 

BlusterBong

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Yes, true, but they've done it a lot more since Iwata's death. It seems to be a regular thing since Reggie Fils-Amie also left, which makes me wonder about this Doug Bowser person... :glare:
They've always been like this, why do you think they were Anti-Piracy during the literal days of copying floppies, which Iwata was long since alive for, people being shocked and angry over shit like this is why they'll continue to thrive off it, because it's better free advertising as it basically cuts people from seeing their products beyond the way they intend it to be.


The real story here is Nintendo's inability to adapt, which will be their downfall if they don't change it. It's the same with the video and music take downs on youtube. They don't see it as (free) advertising if it's not in their control.

People have been saying that since it became more "noticible" with AM2R. but even then, this a century old company, so there will be a way they can go on without adapting, such as many a other companies like State Farm.
 

xdarkmario

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you changed nintendo.... and not for the best. i Used to be such a nintendo fanboy, and its not so much the game qulity but just the shitty practices towards fans. its just them being petty about everything. and what bothers me the most is that its not like they are a tiny struggling company, they have BILLIONS and STILL will "take the penny out a poor mans hand" so to say.
I'll just hang around and reminisce about the good OLD nintendo memories that USE to be.
 
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Noctosphere

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you changed nintendo.... and not for the best. i Used to be such a nintendo fanboy, and its not so much the game qulity but just the shitty practices towards fans. its just them being petty about everything. and what bothers me the most is that its not like they are a tiny struggling company, they have BILLIONS and STILL will still "take the penny out a poor mans hand" so to say.
I'll just hang around and reminisce about the good OLD nintendo memories that USE to be.
I feel you...
 

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