Nintendo Just Crossed the Line… Or Did They?

Nintendo is in hot water with fans again, this time for pulling its games from Japan’s biggest charity speedrunning event, RTA in Japan 2025. Fans in the West erupted in outrage, calling the move petty, greedy, and anti-charity. But the reality is far more complex. This wasn’t a story about greed, it was about law, business, and culture colliding in a way most Western audiences don’t fully understand.

In the United States, “fair use” can protect things like transformative works, commentary, and even charity streams. In Japan, no such flexibility exists. The country’s copyright law is a closed list of exceptions, and once RTA in Japan became a legal entity, the rules changed. From that moment, Nintendo wasn’t just allowed to enforce its rights, it was expected to.

This video dives into the real reason Nintendo acted, how Japanese copyright law works, why RTA in Japan isn’t actually mad about it, and how the West’s perception of Nintendo clashes with the realities of Japanese corporate culture. It’s a story about more than just gaming, it’s about how we interpret rules we don’t live under.

Featured Game In This Video: Drag X Drive Global Jam

#Nintendo #Speedrunning #RTAinJapan #Copyright #GamingNews #VideoEssay #GamesDoneQuick #FairUse #JapaneseLaw #NintendoControversy