Nintendo Quashed Fan-Made ‘Pokemon: Uranium’ Game Days After Launch

It’s become clear that when it comes to the use of intellectual properties, companies have adopted a hardline stance with regards to anything that uses assets present in their games. The latest example of this is Nintendo issuing a “cease and desist” order against the developers of a fan-made pokemon game called ‘Pokemon: Uranium.” Featuring new pokemon and new gameplay, the game took several years to create, but it is now unavailable via official sources.

As PC Mag points, developers should really know not to invite the wrath of giant companies these days by blatantly using their IPs. In the case of “Pokémon: Uranium,” the developers copied much of the style and assets of the games in the franchise. Although it is considered an homage to the series and the game is free, it still infringes on the copyright rights of Nintendo.

The take-down of the game is particularly depressing as it took nine years to create, according to Kotaku. During that time, the developers were able to create 150 totally new pokemon with their own unique custom animations, made an area with a tropical theme, and even allowed players to talk to their pokemon.

Obviously, the game could not be played on any of Nintendo’s systems and could only be accessed via PC. This still didn’t stop the original owners from asserting their authority.

In a statement on their website, the developers explained that the video game company contacted them via lawyers, thus prompting them to take the game down. The game was downloaded over a million times before it was taken down, however, showcasing the staggering amount of interest surrounding the game.

“After receiving more than 1,500,000 downloads of our game, we have been notified of multiple takedown notices from lawyers representing Nintendo of America,” the statement read. “While we have not personally been contacted, it’s clear what their wishes are, and we respect those wishes deeply. Therefore, we will no longer provide official download links for the game through our website.”