The Super Smash Bros. Project+ community has voiced concern after Nintendo copyright struck some YouTube videos containing Project+ content as well as some Melee and Ultimate videos as well.
In a screenshot from one Twitter user, YouTube videos from Melee God Joseph "Mang0" Marquez's God of the Mod tournaments have been hit with copyright claims from Nintendo for "containing content from Nintendo."
Project M community leader Sabre has responded to the tweet with urgency, stating that they have already started to talk with Mang0's team about "what to do next." For the Project+ community, this was seen as an attack on Smash content as a whole, with some left wondering what will happen to other Smash videos on YouTube if Nintendo is allowed to claim the content without pushback.
"The Melee and Ultimate videos were probably done by mistake in the crossfire. It's definitely against the P+ stuff," Christina "Chia" Korsak, a Project+ player and YouTube Strategist, responded on Twitter.
According to Chia, Nintendo does allow Melee and Ultimate to appear in YouTube videos (aside from Slippi) but have a clause where the company can "deny" the use of its games "because they feel like it."
The Project+ community is no stranger to Nintendo's interventions. Nintendo has demanded tournaments remove Project+ from the lineup on multiple occasions, pushing the Brawl mod to often go underground. This is one of the reasons that the Smash playerbase has grown frustrated with Nintendo, angry at its pushback when it comes to the fanmade game.
Coming after the YouTube videos seems like a ramp up of Nintendo's previous actions against Project+, causing concern with not only Project+ players but the larger Smash community.
"It's a shame that Nintendo goes out of their way to even prevent content made by fans that is fueled by passion beyond anything else," Chia told Inven Global. "Not even asking for support in this case, but rather doing the bare minimum and just letting it be can help encourage creativity and build a fanbase that can open a whole future of possibilities for many."
