Nintendo recently filed a copyright strike against YouTube channel Did You Know Gaming for its video on a canceled Zelda game. Throughout the years, Did You Know Gaming has made multiple videos on Nintendo games, but it alleges that this is the first time the publisher has sought to take down one of the popular channel’s videos.
Did You Know Gaming focuses on the history of video games, from their creation to subsequent release (if they ever are released). With how popular the Legend of Zelda franchise is, and how secretive Nintendo can often be, hearing about a spinoff that never came to fruition would understandably turn heads.
The video released in October and focused on a tactics spinoff for the Legend of Zelda series pitched by Retro Studios. Known back then as Heroes of Hyrule, the game’s 22-page pitch document was used as the video’s primary source, along with an interview with then-Retro programmer Paul Tozour. No gameplay was in the video, but illustrations from the document were included.
“This was a journalistic video documenting a game that Retro Studios pitched to Nintendo nearly 20 years ago,” wrote Did You Know Gaming on Twitter after the takedown. “This is an attempt by a large corporation to silence whatever journalism they don’t like, and a slap in the face for video game history preservation.”
Speaking to Kotaku, Did You Know Gaming said the video was made “using the same process and video editing style used for most other videos on the channel. What sets the video apart is that it’s one of the few videos on the channel that documents a piece of Nintendo history that was first uncovered and reported on by us.”
The group also told Kotaku that it been told by different sources during production that Nintendo was “becoming upset” at the sources willing to talk about Heroes of Hyrule. Even so, it affirmed that “this did not deter us and will not deter us from documenting video game history.”
Believing the video falls under fair use protection, the channel is looking at legal consultation on a reupload, according to its creator, Dr. Lava.
At time of writing, Nintendo hasn’t issued an official statement on pulling the Heroes of Hyrule video.