Remember all that fuss between Epic Games and Apple regarding Fortnite on the App Store? Well, the court trial involving these two giants is currently underway, and as part of the legal proceedings, Nintendo has kindly provided its own publisher contract.
While much of the 25-page document – which includes information on Nintendo's content license and distribution agreements – was redacted, one important detail was left visible.
Nintendo's partners are forced to give assurances that neither they nor their employees are "Anti-Social Forces," and that they aren't giving money or favours to these "forces". But what is an "Anti-Social Force"? Nintendo provides clarification by using the term "Boryokudan," which is a name used by the Japanese police and media for organized crime syndicates (Yakuza).
Here's some text from the document, as supplied by former Kotaku editor Stephen Totilo:
‘Anti-Social Force’ means an organized crime group (‘Boryokudan’), a member of a Boryokudan (‘Boryokudanin’), a sub-member of a Boryokudan (‘Boryokudan jyunkoseiin’), a corporation related to a Boryokudan (‘Boryokudan kanren gaisha’), a racketeer attempting to extort money from a company by threatening to cause trouble at the general stockholders’ meeting (‘Soukaiya’) or acting as if advocating legitimate social causes (‘Shakai undou nado hyoubou goro’), or a special intelligence organized crime group (‘Tokusyu chinou boryoku syudan’), or other group or person equivalent to any of the foregoing.
It is also stated in the contract that developers and publishers are forbidden from making “violent demands,” using “threat or violence in connection with transactions,” and “spreading false rumours, using fraud or force.” Eek!
[source kotaku.com]
Comments 37
Try and avoid signing that document like a dragon.
If SEGAs financials continue their current trend, they'll try putting the series on Switch sooner rather than later.
“You can make games ABOUT the Yakuza; you just can’t make games while working WITH the Yakuza!”
Sounds like nintendo to me.
Typical Nintendo. Say they're a company for EVERYONE but exclude the Yakuza. Such hypocrites!
(I'm kidding, obviously)
Admittedly the Yakuza are famously bad at touch typing due to only having 9 fingers.
Obligatory joke about Sega misunderstanding the clause.
Damnit, I guess I have to quit my gang to pursue my developing dreams.
Is this the reason no GTA is on the switch too? 😏
Luckily I'm just part of the Sicilian Mafia.
xD
This is pretty much a default inclusion in Japanese contracts.
Just played a little of Yakuza 0 on my PC and it's great so far and I'd love it on Switch but sadly SEGA might not bring the series over but hey they still gave us Bayonetta 1&2,Cathrine:Full Body,and Sonic Mania.(On the subject of SEGA ports can you guys at least bring over Sonic Generations and the Jet Set Radio series)
my heart stopped for a second hoping it'd come on to the switch but it appears not at the moment
We-sa de Mario, we only deal with a de mafia capeesh!
@Friendly Not sure about that, GTA released on GBC, GBA, and DS just fine though.
I'm not in the Yakuza but I am often in the Jacuzzi. Does that disqualify me from making games?
@BizarreJelly28980
It could happen. There were Yakuza games on Wii U in Japan. Probably only in Japan because the series wasn't that popular in the West. But recently the series has exploded in popularity here. So, they might re-evaluate what platforms they put it on - with the bigger fanbase, it might be worth the cost of porting.
Nintendo is a part of the Yakuza, confirmed! Mario isn’t fighting Bowser...he is visiting him to collect his hush money. You think all those coins are left behind for 1UPs?! Bowser just doesn’t want him breaking his thumbs. (Does Bowser have thumbs??)
Man that tattoo removal is gonna be expensive
@samuraicop https://boingboing.net/2010/08/10/yakuza-3-review.html
😃
@AlexOlney
Ugh, tired puns like that tend to drag on far longer than they need to.
@samuraicop How some managed to play with only nine fingers though...
@Severian actually the Yakuza games are allowed to be made because one of Sega's big bosses is good friends with a Yakuza member.
@Gigagash Source? Please share for all of us!
So THAT'S why there's no Yakuza games on Nintendo's platforms...
Ironic, considering this is a thing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th1ijyjnulw
So... Nintendo has yakuza roots, and Yakuza has Sega roots.
The funny part about this is that Nintendo got it's start LITERALLY working with Yakuza. Nintendo has been around since the 1880s and was original a playing card company. Guess what became illegal at one point in Japan and was run by the Yakuza? That's right, gambling, but the Yakuza needed fresh packs of cards every night, so they kept Nintendo in business when the world was getting their playing cards outside of Japan long before they were a videogame company.
To be fair, that's a pretty reasonable demand , lol =XD
Heh. It's not a bad demand though, considering that it's a criminal organization.
Whelp. That explains what happened to Konami, then...
...But then how is Nintendo allowed to publish on Nintendo consoles? I mean, seriously, is there anyone would would seriously deny with a straight face Yamauchi was connected up to his gold-rimmed glasses? Mr. "It means 'leave luck to heaven', I guess?"
More funny, though, is that only Nintendo brings Pentagon level classification redaction to their legal documents and pretends they presented anything.
"A racketeer attempting to extort money from a company by acting as if advocating legitimate social causes (‘Shakai undou nado hyoubou goro’)"
So basically no politicians lol.
@Yanina as well as getting a realistic pinky prosthetic!
@Rika_Yoshitake this article has nothing to do with the yakuza video game series from sega, it's about the real criminal syndicate yakuza, and yes, the yakuza crime syndicate is a real thing in real life and the syndicate is a real criminal organization
Thats normal, i mean Mario is Italian, he is probably Part of the Mafia or Ndrangheta,
so there is nor Room for another Organisation
@Splodge Dope
thats why we don't get new yakuza games?
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