If you’ve played a video game, but only one, chances are it’s on a Nintendo console. The Japanese brand has always maintained a family image, and offers numerous multiplayer experiences, from matches Pokémon on Gameboy at the race Mario Kart.
On some games, a simple game with friends is not enough. So much so that many fans wanted to create their own competitions. On the fighting game Super Smash Bros Ultimate, for example, some face-to-face tournaments bring together up to 4,000 players. The equation of multiplayer + volunteer fans + assured audience + prestige of the competition seems obvious. Only here: with Nintendo, it’s “I love you, me neither.” »
Control more than collaboration
The company actually has a very distant relationship with the world of e-sport. The firm organizes very few official tournaments, despite a few events such as an international and multidisciplinary championship around Pokémon, the first edition of which took place in Yokohama last year. This franchise, one of the best known in the world, managed to bring together 1,600 participants in person. However, not all fans are in the same boat.
Among those who feel like they are suffering the most from this situation are the players of Smash. “In 2019, Nintendo tried to organize an official three-on-three tournament,” says Gluttony, professional player on the Solary team. They never did it again, probably because of the confinement. In 2023, overall, they ignore the pro community, there is no communication. » Worse, Nintendo is in “a policy of control more than collaboration”, estimates Paul Arrivé, journalist specializing in e-sport for The Team.
Already in 2013, Nintendo opposed the presence of Smash at EVO, the biggest international fighting game tournament, where we compete on Street Fighter Or Tekken. Same story in 2022: “The community wanted to organize a “World Tour”, explains Gluttony. Two entities wanted to take over the organization, which created conflicts, and Nintendo ended up banning both tournaments. »
The incident even pushed the Japanese company to create “guidelines”, a guide to organizing tournaments. The largest structures, particularly those wishing to make a profit from the event (even charitable), must obtain authorization from Nintendo, with clauses negotiated on a case-by-case basis. Smaller tournaments, called community tournaments, can benefit from a tacit license, as long as they respect certain conditions. Except that these are considered very restrictive by the community: price ceiling for players and spectators, no monetary reward, ban on the sale of food and drinks.
“Don’t take things seriously”
This approach is partly due to certain cultural differences. “Making a profit from this type of event is something that Nintendo completely rejects,” explains journalist Paul Arrivé. In Japan, tournaments are without prizes. » Indeed, in this country, despite a significant culture of arcades, professional video game competition is struggling to emerge.
In addition, Nintendo is improving its image as a publisher of family games. Competition and professionalization that rely on pure talent go against the philosophy of their games. Those who played Mario Kart will tell you: you can play perfectly and lose a few meters from the finish because your opponents had better objects than you at roulette. “They want to make sure that the players have fun and that anyone can win,” judges Gluttony. The message is “Don’t take things too seriously”, but, for a competitive player, it’s frustrating. »
However, Nintendo continues to occasionally flirt with players interested in competitive gaming. Pokémon Unitelaunched in 2021, is inspired by games like League of Legends. In 2017, during the first trailer for their latest console, the Switch, the brand featured two teams of Splatoon competing in front of an audience, in a sports jersey. “Nintendo sees competition as something that generates engagement, and that will make people buy their games,” says Paul Arrivé. For them, e-sport is an area of marketing development. »
Contacted on the subject, Nintendo France did not respond to our requests.