Nintendo is suing Japanese mobile game company Colopl for $40 million dollars, alleging the game Shiro Neko Project infringes on its patents. Initially, a Twitter hashtag appeared to be supporting the mobile studio, but it’s now turned into Nintendo shitposting.
Colopl is a major smart device developer, making titles like TsumTsum Land for Disney. It also licensed patents with Capcom last fall.
According to IT Media, Nintendo is suing for five different alleged patent infringements, including “using a joystick on a touch screen.” As Nintendo Life explains, that appears to be in reference to the Nintendo DS Wrist Strap, which doubled as a joystick-like control for the handheld. Though, it might not be that simple, and the claim could cover placing arbitrary coordinates on the screen and then dragging it like a joystick motion.
https://twitter.com/embed/status/951018078258761728
As you can see in the above tweet, the Nintendo DS featured touch controls that allowed Mario to go from a walk to a run, and similar controls are allegedly in Colopl’s game. At the time, Nintendo claimed these types of touch controls were a first.
A patent attorney on Yahoo News! Japan indicated that the claim was rather complex, and that Nintendo’s original patented control scheme was wide-reaching. “I think it’s possible to call it what’s known as a ‘killer patent,’” the attorney wrote.
Colopl, however, is denying that it infringed on a single Nintendo patent and will fight the lawsuit. It predicts that the suit will cause the company “distress.”
IT Media reports that somehow the hashtag #任天堂を許すな (“Nintendo wo yurusuna” or “Don’t forgive Nintendo” was supposed to be for Shiro Neko Project fans to support the mobile game maker. But it ended up as a forum for light-hearted shitposting—not all of which is critical of Nintendo in the least.
#任天堂を許すな
任天堂のmiitomoのせいで
時間がいくらあっても
足りなくなっちゃったよ pic.twitter.com/HJPJZmoHsN— とろろペ (@nyaramerucat) January 11, 2018
https://twitter.com/embed/status/951366287195742208
Uhhh, so the top trending hashtag in Japan right now is 'don't forgive Nintendo' 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣 #任天堂を許すな
— DEJAPAN | Proxy Service 🇯🇵 (@DEJAPAN_Global) January 11, 2018
https://twitter.com/embed/status/951282254839345152
“Before evolution and after evolution.”
https://twitter.com/embed/status/951302752226836480
“This was a great freakin’ commercial.”
Wii U#任天堂を許すな
— 黒猫弐式妖精 (@tenko_gyokuyou) January 11, 2018
俺なんて30年以上前からswitch持ってんだよ。#任天堂を許すな pic.twitter.com/UFAswkiZmt
— みちくさ (@detour_spot) January 11, 2018
“Me, I’ve had a Switch since over thirty years ago.”
#任天堂を許すな
come on reggie, give us mother 3— おつきみどろぼう (@tuki3457) January 11, 2018
カービィのエアライド出せ、なにを渋っているんですか？#任天堂を許すな
— さとしなもん (@stcinnamon_game) January 11, 2018
“Release Kirby Air Ride. What are you hesitant for?”
https://twitter.com/embed/status/951346538567032832
クリスマスという日に子供を泣かせ、声を枯らした罪は重い。 pic.twitter.com/vYQSgXzlQG
— ワンコ先生 (@wanko_desuga) January 11, 2018
“The crime of causing children to cry and go hoarse on Christmas Day is serious.”
https://twitter.com/embed/status/951368970665279488
“Port Undertale to the Switch.”
ファミコンウォーズの新作が出て欲しいぞおおお#任天堂を許すな
— はらしょ (@Harasho_gyouza) January 11, 2018
“I want you to put out a new Famicom Wars.”
#任天堂を許すな
miiフォトで漫画作るの
ハマりすぎて時間がないッス pic.twitter.com/e7LfdjmVle— とろろペ (@nyaramerucat) January 11, 2018
https://twitter.com/embed/status/951368918639157248
“Release Smash Bros. on smart phones.”
#任天堂を許すな pic.twitter.com/9ubqS8MopK
— ジジ (@gi2kn) January 11, 2018
新作まだですかね？ #任天堂を許すな pic.twitter.com/y0lWQ8ap4u
— ( '-' ) (@de_tt_qq) January 11, 2018
“There still isn’t a new one?”
進化前と進化後#任天堂を許すな pic.twitter.com/AfuuNX8IdF
— 稲葉涼 (@ryo_0178) January 11, 2018
“Before evolution and after evolution.”
That was a small machine, but the affect changed my mind to crazy. The Name of machine is Family Computer. I still be able to remember the experience. I could not control well the old guy on TV, but it was really exiting for a young child. Thank you, Nintendo! #任天堂を許すな
— 湯飲み (@sencha_inYunomi) January 11, 2018
Shitposting and patented controls aside, Shiro Neko Project’s hero does look familiar, but not to a Nintendo character…
https://twitter.com/embed/status/951374638566658048
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