Report: Nintendo further cracks down on emulation
Ryujinx reportedly shut down, while YouTuber issued copyright strike
Switch emulator Ryujinx has reportedly ended its development following a request by Nintendo, and the platform holder also issued a copyright strike against a YouTube channel reviewing retro handheld emulators.
As reported by Ars Technica, Ryujinx was removed from GitHub, with one of its developers sharing on social media that the emulator's creator, known under the name 'gdkchan', was contacted by Nintendo and "offered an agreement to stop working on the project, remove the organisation and all related assets he's in control of."
"While awaiting confirmation on whether he would take this agreement, the organisation has been removed, so I think it's safe to say what the outcome is," the message continued.
Meanwhile, the creator behind YouTube channel Retro Game Corps – which mainly reviews modern handhelds running emulated titles – issued a statement saying he's received a copyright strike from Nintendo.
"My Wii U video was taken down and I received another copyright strike, even though this showcase video was no different than all of the tech demos and reviews I have made on this channel previously. I am still considering a counter claim under fair use, as the video was for educational use, transformative in nature, and had no affect [sic] on the market – it was a demonstration of a console no longer for sale (even the Wii U eShop is closed, so the company itself has no means of earning revenue from Wii U sales).
"However, I am reluctant to open that can of worms with a multi-billion dollar corporation, as their next step would be to file legal action. At the very least this means I am going to change how I approach future videos."
The YouTuber added he won't be showing any Nintendo games on screen anymore, and blur any Nintendo-related content in videos he's already shot, among other precautions.
"I know this is disappointing news, but with now two strikes on my channel, I don't really have any other choice except to adjust accordingly," he added.
Nintendo's fight against emulators isn't new – the latest example was its lawsuit against Yuzu. The emulator's developer – Tropic Haze – settled last March, agreeing to pay $2.4 million to the platform holder.