Epic Vs. Apple Docs: Nintendo Specifically Bars Japanese Partners From Working With the Yakuza

[Shard Shinjuku]

Nintendo Specifically Bars Japanese Partners From Working With the Yakuza - IGN

Documents released during the Epic vs. Apple trial have revealed that the Japanese company won’t work with partners tied to organized crime.

www.ign.com

Nintendo has an official clause in its contracts that stipulates any Japanese developers or publishers it works with cannot be tied to organised crime groups such as the Yakuza.


Documents and details about the inner workings of the games industry are currently being revealed as part of the ongoing Epic Games vs Apple trial. A highly confidential and heavily-redacted Nintendo document has been doing the rounds as a result. Within that document is a section on "Anti-Social Forces," spotted by Stephen Totilo of Axios Gaming.

The document notes that if a 'Content Provider' is based in Japan, it can not be an "Anti-Social Force" or "Boryokudan" (a Japanese term that means 'violence groups', or organized crime groups). Effectively, the document imposes a black and white ban on partners working with the Yakuza.

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[John Omaha]

Explains Nagoshi's lack of support.

 

[jman0625]

No wonder Toshihiro Nagoshi hates Nintendo /s

 

[SunBroDave]

 

[lucebuce]

 

[MatrixMan.exe]

Explains Nagoshi's lack of support.

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Thread is over before it even started. You win.

 

[Garrison]

This court case will be something for the Ages isn't it?

 

[DrForester]

Explains Nagoshi's lack of support.

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This was the only acceptable first post, and there's no other way this thread could have gone.

 

[AndyD]

Is that surprising?

 

[Uncle at Nintendo]

Explains Nagoshi's lack of support.

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We all thought the same thing before opening this thread lol.

 

[Deleted member 23046]

It's not a trial but the Muppets Show.

 

[Orion117]

This court case is wild.

 

[Dyle]

I still believe Kiryu will join Smash someday

 

[Rover_]

i see the Yakuza has failed to get Eshop certification.

 

[Rayasab]

Yet lots of SEGA Sammy games on Switch

 

[-shadow-]

Explains Nagoshi's lack of support.

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And we're done here!

 

[Derachi]

weird, Super Bomberman R was a launch title for the Switch...

 

[RochHoch]

This is such a random thing to come out of the Epic vs Apple case

 

[Fisty]

Huh I wonder if this is some legacy clause from back in the Nintendo vs Sega days, oddly specific

 

[ciddative]

Disgusting. Guess it's okay when Nintendo does it.

 

[Lashley]

Poor Kiryu :(

 

[JuniperAndSage]

This is getting so messy.

 

[bes.gen]

im here for all the yakuza gifs

 

[Kazuma Kiryu]

So that's why Yakuza games aren't on Nintendo platforms.

 

[HStallion]

But Nintendo still works with Sega

 

[FormatCompatible]

Explains Nagoshi's lack of support.

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Close the thread. We have to go out on top.

 

[Katana_Strikes]

But Yakuza is on the WiiU ;)

 

[Oregano]

Huh I wonder if this is some legacy clause from back in the Nintendo vs Sega days, oddly specific

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Probably added after that dude's sister got kidnapped.

 

[Bonejack]

Nintendo person 1: "Do we really have to add a clause that tells our partners not to work with things like .. the Mafia?"
Nintendo person 2: "Dude, you need warnings to not put your gerbil into the microwave!"
Nintendo person 1: "Okay, okay. 'Do not cooperate with organized crime groups' ... "

 

[DailyCalmSpirit]

Fucking disgusting anti-Yakuza-consumer practice from the evil corporation!

Spoiler

/s but, that's how we're supposed to react to all the news coming out of this case

 

[Lube Man]

Of course. Ninjas and Yakuza have a long history of violence and betrayal. They cannot coincide.


For the Nin Kuei.

 

[rAndom]

Didn't expect to get this tidbit out of some other companies' courtroom rivalry.

 

[Ryu]

Those Yakuza replies here have me rolling lmao

 

[Deleted member 16876]

Doesn't Sega have ties with the Yakuza?

 

[Fisty]

Probably added after that dude's sister got kidnapped.

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Probably just a competitive response to Sega's proximity to organized crime in general back then, I would imagine

 

[delete12345]

From IGN article linked in OP:

Of course, this doesn't bar Nintendo from working with game studios that are making games about organized crime groups in Japan, such as Ryu Ga Gotoku's Yakuza series. However, In the past, Yakuza series producer Daisuke Sato has said that the Nintendo Switch is not the "ideal" platform to develop Yakuza games on.

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Hmmm, so you're telling me there's a chance?

 

[Chuck]

Nintendo wouldn't even exist without the Yakuza and this is how they treat them???

 

[Dant21]

Disgusting. Guess it's okay when Nintendo does it.

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That Nintendo doesn't want to do business with those supporting organized crime?

 

[Jencks]

Does Nintendo work with Konami?

 

[clay_ghost]

I am too slow. Every one have the same thought lol

 

[Platy]

This is hilarious considering how nintendo was as a card company before the gaming years xD

 

[Rotobit]

 

[xir]

ur partners not to work with things like .. the Mafia?"
Nintendo person 2: "Dude, you need warnings to not put your gerbil into the microwave!"

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Is this a maniac mansion reference

 

[Sho Nuff]

I don't think this is out of the ordinary in Japan. When I got my new apartment last week I had to sign a form saying I wasn't connected to the Yakuza, and I'm pretty sure I've signed that same form before when getting a new job.

 

[Oregano]

Probably just a competitive response to Sega's proximity to organized crime in general back then, I would imagine

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Sure, I was just kidding about that crazy anecdote that popped up a few years ago.

There's also rumours that Yamauchi refused to pay protection money for Super Famicom deliveries and basically had to have decoys and get them to shops during the night to avoid the shipments being stolen.

 

[b-dubs]

Iwata: Please do not work with the mafia.

 

[aiswyda]

From IGN article linked in OP:



Hmmm, so you're telling me there's a chance?

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I'm sure it's just me misrembering things but didn't the Yakuza team have Yakuza members like provide feedback on their games, would that not count in the most technical sense?
Edit: it could also be they played the game for a bit or smth, I honestly cannot remember the context

 

[MatrixMan.exe]

Sure, I was just kidding about that crazy anecdote that popped up a few years ago.

There's also rumours that Yamauchi refused to pay protection money for Super Famicom deliveries and basically had to have decoys and get them to shops during the night to avoid the shipments being stolen.

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What movie is this and how to I watch it?

 

[andymcc]

This is hilarious considering how nintendo was as a card company before the gaming years xD

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Nintendo also owned and operated Love Hotels and I'm sure they never had organized crime assisting with that. No siree bob.

 

[Alent]

I don't know why this is so funny, i mean it makes sense but it's still funny lol. Don't work with criminals!