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Nintendo hits a Metroid fansite with a DMCA Takedown notice, file no longer hosted

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Good guy Nintendo. Waited until after release to shut them down.

Sends a pretty clear message that they need to protect their IP, but don't really mind if the game is out there.

Big lol to people who thought this wouldn't happen. Nintendo can do no wrong!

I would make a snarky point about Nintendo not providing a Metroid game people want, but eh. The point here is that they'll never catch this project now--kind of ironic, really.

Reading this OP is pretty funny now. :p

Too late, it's on my computer.

So we will never get an Android port?

it's still up, i just downloaded it right now. this site has nothing to do with the game.
 
Wait. It wasn't DMCA'd to the Creator, but to The Metroid Database? Huh... I wonder if he'll get hit with one too or if Nintendo just didn't want it hosted on the most popular Metroid site around.
 
Don't get me wrong, this blows, but I was kind of surprised it took so long for Nintendo to axe it. It always seemed to be 110% the kind of thing they'd go after, even though there was no money involved.
 

Portugeezer

Member
readImage
 

Aeana

Member
Big lol to people who thought this wouldn't happen. Nintendo can do no wrong!

Unless the game contains some sort of copyrighted material, I'm not sure they have much of a leg to stand on with this. But it might. Some of the assets certainly do look familiar.
 

Orayn

Member
What do people mean when they say that Nintendo has to protect the ip for legal reasons? How does it work?

In theory, it goes like this: If you fail to take action on every instance of someone infringing on your IP, it sets a bad precedent for future cases because the judge can go "Well, why didn't you go after this infringement back then?"
 
What do people mean when they say that Nintendo has to protect the ip for legal reasons? How does it work?
If they don't do this every once in a while, Nintendo can lose the Metroid trademark. Then anyone can make copies once that happens.

Nintendo waited until the game was out in the wild, before they did DMCAed one site. That's enough for them legally.
 
Looks like the Database is back, which is good. I've been an occasional visitor since way back in the 90s.

Not sure why they would decide to host the file.
 

rekameohs

Banned
Unless the game contains some sort of copyrighted material, I'm not sure they have much of a leg to stand on with this. But it might. Some of the assets certainly do look familiar.
There are definitely some sound effects taken directly from Zero Mission, like the beam firing sound, jumping, and Samus taking damage sounds, if that means anything.
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
Wait. It wasn't DMCA'd to the Creator, but to The Metroid Database? Huh... I wonder if he'll get hit with one too or if Nintendo just didn't want it hosted on the most popular Metroid site around.

It's not that different than what happened with Project M, for example. Nintendo never explicitly went after it, but they limited its exposure by getting the game banned from Twitch and sponsored tournaments.

I wouldn't be surprised to see them go after hosts (especially popular ones) but not actually target the project itself.
 

Teppic

Member
In theory, it goes like this: If you fail to take action on every instance of someone infringing on your IP, it sets a bad precedent for future cases because the judge can go "Well, why didn't you go after this infringement back then?"

If they don't do this every once in a while, Nintendo can lose the Metroid trademark. Then anyone can make copies once that happens.

Nintendo waited until the game was out in the wild, before they did DMCAed one site. That's enough for them legally.
I see. Thanks!
 

Eolz

Member
It's not that different than what happened with Project M, for example. Nintendo never explicitly went after it, but they limited its exposure by getting the game banned from Twitch.

I wouldn't be surprised to see them go after hosts (especially popular ones) but not actually target the project itself.

Uh, that's a pretty good example actually. Keep fans happy while limiting the impact.
 
Unless the game contains some sort of copyrighted material, I'm not sure they have much of a leg to stand on with this. But it might. Some of the assets certainly do look familiar.

i don't know about american law but using the Metroid name for a game, even if free, is enough to shut this down.
 

Stoze

Member
Don't get me wrong, this blows, but I was kind of surprised it took so long for Nintendo to axe it. It always seemed to be 110% the kind of thing they'd go after, even though there was no money involved.

It's not axed. All the links for download are still up on the AM2R website, hell links are still up on the Metroid Database website. Metroid Database were previously hosting their own download, that's what was taken down.

But yes, Nintendo have noticed.
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
i don't know about american law but using the Metroid name for a game, even if free, is enough to shut this down.

The creator got around that by using AM2R as the title. We know what it means, but technically it's just a collection of characters that isn't trademarked.
 
The creator got around that by using AM2R as the title. We know what it means, but technically it's just a collection of characters that isn't trademarked.

ah fair enough, it probably got a bit more dicey when hosting it on a website with metroid in it's name and thus it got shutdown over there while the original site still stands.
 

PtM

Banned
Unless the game contains some sort of copyrighted material, I'm not sure they have much of a leg to stand on with this. But it might. Some of the assets certainly do look familiar.
It's transformative derivative work in its purest esssence. Of course it contains copyrighted material.
 

Nickle

Cool Facts: Game of War has been a hit since July 2013
Uh, that's a pretty good example actually. Keep fans happy while limiting the impact.
Smashers aren't happy with Nintendo at all, PM is much less popular now because Nintendo wants the scene to die.
 

yatesl

Member
I would genuinely be happy if the guy sold it, and both him and Nintendo got a cut. Like, some after-the-fact licensed remake.

It seems polished enough for it.
 

Eolz

Member
Smashers aren't happy with Nintendo at all, PM is much less popular now because Nintendo wants the scene to die.

Smashers are happy with Melee and S4.
Let's not put everyone in the same bag, when even among the super vocal minority that is PM players, most understand why Nintendo is acting like this with this project infringing on their properties and third party ones as well.
edit: they're letting it live for fans, that's the point. Putting it in official tournaments means it would be for profit, and also shows third party usage.
 

MechaX

Member
Unless the game contains some sort of copyrighted material, I'm not sure they have much of a leg to stand on with this. But it might. Some of the assets certainly do look familiar.

The key is whether or not the makers of this remake want to roll the dice in litigation assuming Nintendo truthfully did put out the C&D. Even if Nintendo is wrong, we're still looking at costs in establishing that they were wrong, which is absolutely not cheap.
 

TDLink

Member
People are assuming this has to do with AM2R. But I'm not sure it actually does. The game is still downloadable from the creator's blog and that blog is still up. Plus Nintendo knows it's out there not and impossible to stop.

More likely this has to do with something else. Were Metroid Database asking for Donations or something?

Of course, not like this is going to stop everyone in here jumping to conclusions about this actually being about the remake.
 

RK128

Member
Just a heads up for people that missed this:
-Game is up on the creators website
-Files of the game are online for people to download
-Nintendo knows the games exists now after sending the DMCA Takedown Notice to Fan Site

If you want the game, you can find it on the creators website :). But as of now, its highly recommended you get the game NOW before it becomes harder to find the files and such.
 

Eolz

Member
People are assuming this has to do with AM2R. But I'm not sure it actually does. The game is still downloadable from the creator's blog and that blog is still up. Plus Nintendo knows it's out there not and impossible to stop.

More likely this has to do with something else. Were Metroid Database asking for Donations or something?

Of course, not like this is going to stop everyone in here jumping to conclusions about this actually being about the remake.

Might be due to the fact that it was a torrent?
 
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