Nintendo, do your thing! Chinese game uses Steel Diver art to promote itself

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Nintendo is a company very well known for the intense way in which it protects the rights of its franchises even from fans who do not seek to profit from their projects. Well, this is a perfect case for Nintendo to come to the defense of Steel Diveras a mobile game is using IP resources to promote itself without your permission.

Battle Warship: State War.io is one of the many mobile titles whose gameplay revolves around naval battles. There is nothing in particular in this title that stands out in the genre, but what it is giving something to talk about is because it is using art from a Nintendo game. You read that right, this is not copying or plagiarism, but direct use of Nintendo material.

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Chinese game uses art from Nintendo’s IP Steel Diver

The finding was made precisely by the former veteran member of Nintendo Takaya Imamura, who left the company at the beginning of 2021. Through his social networks, the creative pointed out that this title is using a screen from the 2014 game Steel Diver: Sub Wars (of which he was director) as if it were gameplay of the Chinese free-to-play title, developed by Magic Prime Group Limited, which is promoted in the App Store as “the best ship game”.

何だよ これ 任天堂 の ゲーム が 違う アプリ の 動画 に 使わ れ てる しかも 俺 が ディレクション し た ゲーム だ！ pic.twitter.com/xxyWxVjbQZ

— 今村孝矢 / Takaya Imamura (@ima_1966) August 17, 2022

Given some precedents around this type of case and since it’s Nintendo (not to mention the surprise of the Nintendo 3DS game director), it’s very likely that this is unauthorized use of the art of Steel Diver.

What seems to confirm that this is a full-fledged infringement is that other users also pointed out that the Chinese company has also used material from other games to promote Battle Warship: State War.ioWhat Battlefield.

In case you missed it: Nintendo closed YouTube channel for disseminating non-profit songs from its franchises.

はいアウト?#Battlefield2042 pic.twitter.com/Hr1Crnp3An

— ℂ??????ℙ??ℙ???????????? (@myon_youmu_wt) August 12, 2022

It is not the first time something similar has happened; In fact, large companies have engaged in these practices, although perhaps due to an employee’s error and lack of supervision, as happened in 2019 with Paradox Interactive and its title Stellaris: Galaxy Commandwhich used art from Halo 4.

Knowing Nintendo, it is almost a fact that the company is already informed about this case and may have already taken action on the matter, so we do not doubt that the announcement will soon no longer be available.

What do you think of this copyright infringement case affecting Nintendo? Tell us in the comments.

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