In a surprising move, Nintendo has approved an official Smash Bros tournament circuit for the first time ever. The company has famously been actively litigious when it comes to its IP being used in large-scale operations, such as just a few months ago when it shut down a tournament featuring the Super Smash Bros. Brawl mod Project+. This is certainly an unexpected move on the company’s part.
Nintendo is an interesting case when it comes to its IP. It is often fiercely protective of its brands, cracking down on those it finds trying to make any money off of its IP or modding its games. The company has formed a rather reliable reputation for shutting down mods, fan projects, and emulations of its beloved games. Nintendo doesn't tend to get involved for smaller instances, like local friend groups organizing an informal tournament, but as soon as money or mods get involved, Nintendo swoops in to shut things down. Players have had to tread carefully for years.
Now, though, a new press release proves that things are changing, with Nintendo partnering with Panda Global to launch the first-ever officially licensed Smash Bro. tournament. The tournament will involve both Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Brawl, and will take place in North America sometime in 2022. Further information about a more specific location, a schedule of events, and prizes for the winners are to come at a later date. Players from the U.S. will compete online for spots in the tournament, with in-place qualifiers and championship matches to take place once the event organizers judge it safe to do so. Players from Canada and Mexico can also enter the competition, again, pending international travel restrictions during the pandemic. Nintendo has a habit of being a bit slow to get things going—the Switch didn’t get a Twitch app until four years after the console launched—but it seems the company is finally embracing the widespread Smash Bros. tournament scene.
This partnership does make sense. Nintendo has held tournaments for its own games at special events before, and Panda Global has been hosting tournaments for a wide variety of games since 2015. For Nintendo, looking to get more into the tournament scene, partnering with an experienced brand like Panda Global provides an established framework to help this event run smoothly. Panda Global also has its own esports team dedicated solely to the Smash Bros. series, so the company is already well-versed in that particular area. This isn’t the only time this year Nintendo has taken steps to embrace tournaments, either. Just back in September, the company announced the first official Pokémon Unite tournament to take place in Japan. It looks like Nintendo is looking to reach out to a facet of its audience that it hasn’t had the friendliest relationship with in the past.
This Smash Bros. tournament, if successful, could mark the start of a new era for Nintendo where the company relaxes a bit in the way it handles events centered around its games. Those making Nintendo-branded merchandise may still have to be careful, but at least now more gamers can look forward to tournaments out in the open.
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is available now for the Nintendo Switch.
Source: Panda Global/Twitter
from ScreenRant - Feed https://ift.tt/3kOUroo
0 Comments