One might wonder about the ratio of Nintendo’s legal budget to actual piracy losses.
Having been a college student back in the days of Napster (and ignoring the complete dearth at the time in physical stores of the sorts of music I was getting into), $20 CDs with one good track were not a value proposition. So when I downloaded a track, there was zero actual financial hit to whatever label or the RIAA … it’s a sale that never would have happened. You didn’t lose money; you gained exposure.
My last console was an SNES, so I have no horse in this race. But being actively hostile to your customers generally ends poorly.
As a grown-ass adult, I’ve spent more than $2,000 on music on Beatport, mostly $1.29 at a time replacing the stuff I pirated for better-quality versions.
When you have to take away rights that used to be guaranteed by the first-sale doctrine, it’s likely a sign there’s something wrong with your business model moreso than users causing so much chaos (and profit loss) that you have no choice.
This isn’t some fly-by-night AI toaster company that’ll shut down services in a year and leave you fucked. It’s Nintendo. They’re going to survive just fine.
So the Switch is essentially for rent. You can play it, as long as Nintendo decides you’re in its good graces.
You don’t own something to which somebody else has the master off-switch. And with their continued abuse of their own fans and other game developers through the courts, it’s a testament to FOMO and fandom that they are still in business.
Vote with your wallets, y’all. This kind of behavior only makes you the loser.
Which is why future emulator projects should be kept on tor and i2p. Make them blow millions paying lawyers to keeps some emails auto sending.