Wrong Way Nintendo

Used to be, everything was nice and happy in Pokémon Web Land (just off of I-90 next to Staples). As long as you didn't have whole episodes, ROMs, and weren't making a sizable profit, you were okay. This arrangement allowed for great freedom and creativity-while Pokémon toys were flying off the shelves.

During the early part of this year, Pokémon toy sales dropped off sharply. The show was still popular, as were the games, but the toys and clothing fell off. The main problem? Kids basically had what they wanted. They had gotten their sugar and now wanted complex carbohydrates. It was never about "Gotta catch 'em all."

So what does this have to do with webmasters? Well, although there's really no proof of a connection, UPNetwork recently got a C&D letter from Nintendo, asking them to remove their videos. Faced with the prospect of being sued, they complied. Of course, Nintendo could have done this at any time, as it is their choice as a company to uphold copyright law to the degree they see fit. No one knows why now, though.

Unfortunately, this is exactly the kind of thing Nintendo should not be doing. We are their strongest asset, their most dedicated customers, and we only want for them to make a profit. After all, "we all live in a Pokémon world," and we wouldn't want to see anything bad happen to it. We don't want Nintendo to use this faux solution, and we're willing to show them the way.

What recourses do we have? Well, we can write to tell them that people will no longer buy Pokémon stuff just because it is Pokémon stuff. Failing that, we could "black out" our sites for a day to show our disapproval. Least desirable would be a boycott.

A craze is nothing without its fans. Nintendo needs to realize that.