Nintendo further positions itself to crack down on online content

Nintendo could soon issue DMCA takedowns to videos or content related to modified games or leaks extracted via datamining.

That’s according to the company’s newly published ‘content guidelines’, which have been updated significantly for the first time since 2018.

The guidelines have existed previously and have seen Nintendo cracking down on online sharing of its game content such as soundtracks. However, the updated guidelines suggest the company could soon go further.

According to the updated text, Nintendo could soon target, “video, images, sound sources, etc., that cannot be used in regular gameplay, extracted through game software via data mining or other methods.”

In recent years, Nintendo has been handing out copyright strikes to YouTubers who have been sharing its music on their channels, some of whom have closed their channels as a result.

Unlike many game publishers, Nintendo does not distribute its music through digital service providers such as Spotify, Apple Music or Amazon Music. Any music from Nintendo games you can find on these platforms will have been licensed for covers or arrangements, or illegally uploaded.

The updated guidelines arrive at the same time as Nintendo’s new Community Tournament Guidelines, which have received criticism from fans.

The new rules include measures such as a cap on 200 participants for in-person tournaments, banning the sale of goods, and the banning of receiving compensation from third-party sponsors.