Nintendo recently got competitive fans of its various franchises riled up after releasing a list of strict guidelines for community tournaments.
The gaming giant posted their new tournament guidelines on their respectivewebsitesin Japan, the U.K. and the U.S. on Tuesday. Since the announcement on October 24, fans have taken to the streets (of Twitter) to express their dismay.
The guidelines in question
After looking over the guidelines, it is clear that several facilitate fiscal policy. Some of the otherguidelinesput emphasis on the number of players who were allowed to participate.
Here are a few of the guidelines that stood out to fans:
According to Nintendo, these guidelines regulate “not-for-profit, small scale community tournaments involving games for which Nintendo owns the copyright.” For larger scale tournaments, organizers would require a license from Nintendo. Otherwise, organizers would need to follow the newly implemented guidelines.
Regarding the Nintendo Community Tournament guidelinesAlmost none of the competitive Smash/Splatoon tournaments are considered “Community Tournaments” based on the definition given. We have for-profit tournaments, which are fully permitted via licensingpic.twitter.com/eGuUbTSqWa
For organizers who already have a license from Nintendo, the guidelines do not apply. Those tournaments may continue and be for-profit events.
What organizers and fans have to say
Amid the release of the guidelines, several tournament organizers and players have taken to Twitter to express their concerns for the future of Nintendo competition.
Alex Jebailey, tournament director of CEO which hostsSmashcompetitions, released a response.Jebaileyurged theSmashcommunity to apply for licenses in November, in hopes of ensuring smoother sailing.Via Twitter, Jebailey said, “I’m confident all established events are fine,” while acknowledging the current state of theSmashcommunity saying that he knows they’re “up in a flux right now.”
Nintendo released some strict guidelines for tournaments without an official Nintendo license.That’s extremely concerning, especially for Melee events.I’m scared for my lifehttps://t.co/axwOHefLQb
TempoAxe, one of the topSuper Smash Bros. Meleeplayers in the world, expressed his displeasure and major concerns after seeing the new guidelines. He took toTwitter on Tuesday, saying “I’m scared for my life” and that these new guidelines are “extremely concerning, especially forMeleeevents.”
Arevya, an advocate for disabled gamers and popular content creator, alsotook to Twitterthe day of the guideline announcement over notes about Nintendo accessories. In a long series of threads, Arevya discussed the importance of accessible gaming gear for gamers with disabilities like herself. “I have NEVER been more disappointed in Nintendo than I am today,” Arevya said. “This is a huge step back for accessibility in gaming…”
The relationship between Nintendo and its competitive community has never been top notch. Due to a wide range of confusion and uncertainty, a notable rift has formed. Nintendo’s rocky relationship with these competitive players is most evident within theSuper Smash Bros.community. Last year theSmash World Tour Championships, a licensed and large scale tournament, was canceled by leaders at the company despite the organizers meeting the qualifications.
