Summary
- Nintendo warns players about the dangers of third-party transactions, emphasizing the risk of unauthorized transactions and sharing account information with others.
- The developer has a history of protecting its playerbase and properties, banning players who exploit their games and taking legal action against copyright violations.
- The new guidelines highlight potential offenses that could result in a ban, including selling unusable or illegally-obtained download codes, selling/buying products with someone else's account, and sharing games through a single Nintendo account.
Nintendo has detailed several new guidelines to help players protect their Nintendo accounts from being banned, warning of unauthorized transactions and transferring Nintendo account information to third parties. As one of the leading hardware manufacturers in gaming, Nintendo has often made efforts to protect its playerbase, as well as its own content. Nintendo is known for regularly making updates to older games in order to address security vulnerabilities, including Mario Kart 7's first update in ten years last December. Now, the developer is warning fans of the danger of third-party transactions.
While the legality of the sales are often tenuous, Nintendo has struggled to deal with third-party sellers looking to manipulate its players or consoles. Nintendo and its subsidiaries have often not been afraid to ban players exploiting their games, as is the case with multiple waves of Pokemon Sword and Shield bans for hacking Pokemon into the game. The developer has also been known to be very protective of its properties, often handing out DMCA strikes and copyright violations. Now, Nintendo is looking to protect its playerbase from unauthorized transactions.
A new update to Nintendo's guidelines shared by the developer's official customer service account has revealed situations that could potentially get Nintendo accounts banned. Nintendo warns against third-party download code sales, suggesting selling both unusable and illegally-obtained download codes could warrant a ban. The developer also suggests players steer clear of third-party transactions related to Nintendo accounts, including selling accounts and selling or buying products using someone else's account. The post also includes a bullet point advising against sharing games with others through a single Nintendo account.
Nintendo's last warning against account sharing comes as the sharing of accounts and services has been a hot-button issue. Netflix recently shocked customers when it made the controversial decision to crack down on account sharing, with Netflix subscribers in some regions now needing to pay extra to share their accounts. The unexpected decision was met with strong backlash from fans and users, seeing a significant number of cancelations in the weeks following the policy update. Account sharing has often been a touchy issue with companies, especially within the gaming industry.
Nintendo's added player security policies arrive amidst a year full of major releases for the developer. 2023 has already seen the launch of several high-profile games in fan-favorite franchises including The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and Pikmin 4. The developer's second half of the year will see still more beloved series get new entries with Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Detective Pikachu Returns coming later this year. Nintendo's new warnings will hopefully help more gamers on Switch to keep their accounts safe and unbanned.
Source: GoNintendo