Nintendo seems to go through these litigious cycles every once in a while. I wonder if this is them asserting their IP as part of a larger strategy to focus attention on an upcoming system launch?
- Nintendo is the most reliant on their own IP for sales
- Nintendo does not have a corporate giant to absorb any misfires
- Nintendo is the smallest gaming giant, at half the value of Sony, and less than a tenth the value of Microsoft
- Nintendo has the greatest dependency on maintaining an image of being family-friendly. Shock content wouldn’t muster a single headline for a Microsoft IP, but could be national news if it involves Yoshi and causes suicidal thoughts in a 6 year old
All of this adds up to a more strict attitude.
The Acquired episodes on Nintendo are great btw, and cover this extensively:
https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/nintendo
https://www.acquired.fm/episodes/nintendo-the-console-wars
From Wikipedia:
Released on May 28, 1993, Super Mario Bros. was a critical and financial failure, grossing $38.9 million worldwide against a budget of $42–48 million. Though appearing on several lists of the worst films ever made, it has developed a following over the years,[9][10] and has been reappraised by some as a cult classic for being "so bad it's good".[11][12][13] In 2013, a webcomic sequel was produced in collaboration with Bennett. After Super Mario Bros., Nintendo would not license another film based on the Super Mario game series for 30 years, until an animated reboot titled The Super Mario Bros. Movie was released on April 5, 2023.