Hundreds of fan-made Pokemon games have reportedly been culled
It doesn't need to be said at this point that The Pokemon Company loves a cease and desist, much like Nintendo at large. The gaming giants have made a name for themselves as killjoys, stamping out any unofficial means of enjoying their franchises.
Nintendo is known for taking music playlists down from YouTube and crushing fan games before they have a chance to really make a splash. It's sad, especially as there are only limited ways to enjoy Pokemon, as both sides seem resistant to release soundtracks or port over classic titles.
It's simply the way of the world, and now, The Pokemon Company is doing right by Nintendo by honing in on fans having fun with its properties.
The Pokemon Company crushes fan-game repository
In the way it notoriously does, the Pokemon Company has reportedly issued a DMCA takedown notice. This time, it's going for the distributor of fan-games rather than the creators. Annoyingly, it's a smart move.
"Dear Pokemon fan game community," says Pokemon fan-game hosting site Relic Castle in a new statement on Twitter. "It is with a heavy heart that I announce that the Relic Castle website has been taken down following a DMCA takedown notice."
Hundreds of games have apparently been given the boot, which is a tragic state of affairs. The statement continues, "Relic Castle has always been a non-profit, ad-free, tight-knit community and we pride ourselves in what we have achieved. Members have felt at home, made friends, and even careers with us.
"It is with deep regret that I have to inform you that the forum part of this community, which was to turn 10 years old this year, has had to come to an end. With over 20,000 members and 65,000 posts, Relic Castle was a home to many of us."
This comes after Nintendo proved it's more serious than ever about cracking down on players making references to their properties. It's seemingly taken down an all-but-forgotten NoahJ456 video on YouTube that featured Pokemon models mixed with Call of Duty Zombies.
If we're lucky, the games hosted on the site will still be accessible via the Wayback Machine, but either way, Relic Castle is likely finished.
Relic Castle thanks fans for ten years of operation
Click to enlargeThe site reveals that its Discord server will remain in operation, as the company offers its thanks to those who used the site to find the fan games they wanted to play. "Thank you all for being with us this last decade, and thank you for making Relic Castle as awesome and life-changing as it has been for some of us," says the team.
It's a sad eventuality, as Nintendo's immense protectiveness over its brands claims another victim. After Nintendo and The Pokemon Company issued a damning statement, players still think Palworld is next - and chances are that's going to be a takedown for the ages.
