Nintendo does everything to block the Dolphin emulator on Steam

Dolphin, an emulator that allows you to play GameCube and Wii games on PC, was supposed to land on Steam, but Nintendo did what was necessary to block the process.

“It is with great disappointment that we have to announce that the release of Dolphin on Steam has been indefinitely postponed”, declared the emulator team. “Valve has notified us that Nintendo has issued a cease and desist order citing the DMCA against Dolphin’s Steam page, and has removed Dolphin from Steam until the matter is resolved. We are currently reviewing our options and will have a more detailed response in the near future.”.

Nintendo also reacted to this case. A spokesperson declared :

Nintendo is committed to protecting the hard work and creativity of video game engineers and developers. This emulator illegally bypasses Nintendo’s protection measures and runs illegal copies of games. The use of illegal emulators or illegal copies of games harms development and ultimately stifles innovation. Nintendo respects the intellectual property rights of other companies and expects them to do the same.

The legality and morality of video game emulation is a regularly debated topic in the industry, and the outcome of this case will perhaps set a new precedent for the future.

Phil Spencer, Xbox boss at Microsoft, believes in this practice as a tool of preservation, and hopes that one day “Anyone can buy any game”.