Melee is a GameCube game so it doesn't have online. Slippi is a modified version of the dolphin emulator that works with legally copied versions of Melee that allows the game to be played over the internet.
So... I wasn't wrong in assuming that Slippi isn't necessary to play Smash Ultimate in an Online Tournament? Which...only half of their tournament, as far as I understand it, was Melee. The other was Ultimate.
They now have to cancel their entire event, including the Smash Ultimate tournament. Which, if they had listened when Nintendo first asked, there would be no C&D and they would at least be able to hold the Ultimate part of their tournament, no?
That's all I was saying. Don't get me wrong, I still don't get what Nintendo's deal is seeing how they don't sell Melee anymore so they don't stand to lose any money, but fact of the matter is if they had listened without the imminent threat of legal consequences there may have at least been an Ultimate Tournament (unless, ofc, it was a conscious decision to not comply in order to make a statement, which I can respect).