Nintendo of America Restricts Review Copies After Game Leaks
Following the unfortunate leak of Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga and Bowser’s Minion 3DS leak on the internet by a certain influencer, Nintendo of America has doubled down on their review copy distribution process.
According to USGamer, while Nintendo has already identified the leaker, the changes in the internal review process have left most press sites out in the cold, with many smaller sites and influencers being the worst hit. Even review copies of Fire Emblem Warriors, which is due to release this Friday, 20 October 2017, have yet got into the hands of press sites such as Nintendo World Report.
Not sure when the FEWarriors embargo is, but there will be no pre-launch review from @Nintendo_NWR. Can't review what we don't have in hand.
— Neal R (@nron10) October 17, 2017
This includes review copies of the upcoming Mario Odyssey, which content creators are complaining that they would not have enough time to show off the game when it releases later this month.
Naturally, Nintendo would have taken the leak incident as a huge betrayal of trust, however many think that by clamping down on everyone else, Nintendo may have overreacted to the situation. If it is any consolation, at least the press sites across the Atlantic are not affected by the changes, fans who hope to get an advance read on reviews and gameplay should be able to rely on them for the latest information. Still, it is unfortunate that the willful actions of a certain few have disrupted the entire coverage and review process.
You can read the full article from USGamer here.