The Video Game History Foundation criticized Nintendo for ‘ruining video game history’ by closing stores on the 3DS and Wii U.
Nintendo’s attempts to remove games from availability and ongoing efforts against archiving such titles are what it describes as “purposeful vandalism”.
Last week, Nintendo informed gamers regretfully that it would be closing its digital stores on both the Wii U and 3DS. This decision is estimated to remove nearly 2,000 games, leaving gamers with no way to download them anymore, because websites that illegally host 3DS game roms are also often targets of lawsuits by Nintendo. Nintendo says it could bring some games back as part of its Nintendo Switch Online subscription service, but there are few people who trust or reasonably expect Nintendo to do so, given that the company will. just do it superficially unless there is a lot of revenue. One video game hosting platform even criticized Nintendo’s behavior as “intentional destruction of video game history.”
The criticism comes from the non-profit archiving organization Video Game History Foundation, and in what they describe, what Nintendo is doing is far more complicated than simply is closing store on Wii U and 3DS. In the opinion of the Video Game History Foundation, Nintendo doesn’t even legally allow people to access these games or allow them to be stored elsewhere, something that is difficult for them. understandable and difficult to accept.
The Video Game History Foundation understands that closing the digital stores on the 3DS and Wii U is because it no longer has business value. But they don’t understand what Nintendo is trying to do with its fans. It is one thing for the company to want to copyright its products from commercial exploitation, but Nintendo’s attempt to remove games from availability and its ongoing efforts against archiving titles is one thing. the game was what was described as “purposeful vandalism”.
Judging from the social media, both the gaming community and Nintendo fans completely agree with the Video Game History Foundation.
To provide some perspective on the situation, Nintendo’s shutdown of the Wii U and 3DS eShops will render nearly 2,000 games unavailable to gamers. Those titles include 450 digital-only Wii U games, 600 digital-only 3DS games, and approximately 530 Virtual Console games in addition to those already available on Nintendo Switch Online . That’s a surprisingly large number of games that Nintendo simply doesn’t plan to make available again or isn’t likely to return.
As for what the Video Game History Foundation wants Nintendo to do, they asked the company to “rethink its position” on the issue of hosting titles and work with the ESA to find a solution. Whether this means offering classic games through a library system or external websites, all VGHF wants is for these games to not disappear over time.
Judging from the social media, both the gaming community and Nintendo fans completely agree with the Video Game History Foundation. Not only will thousands of games disappear overnight, but Nintendo’s only plan for players is to offer only a handful of those old titles through a paid subscription service. Although opinion is widespread online that Nintendo should leave the Wii U and 3DS store forever, given Nintendo’s “ruthless” history, both the opinion of the Video Game History Foundation and the The player is unlikely to be heard or accepted.
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