Former Nintendo of America employees, Kit and Krysta, have provided some insight as to why the “Nindies” branding went away in favor of showcasing independent games coming to Nintendo consoles via Indie World presentations. Largely, it’s due to Nintendo’s careful protection of its core branding.
In the late 2010s, Nindie Showcases shone a spotlight on games like My Friend Pedro and Yooka-Laylee as they were coming to the Nintendo Switch platform. The Branding of “Nindie” was a playful, creative mashup to showcase indie games coming to Nintendo. Ultimately, despite the creativity and an overall positive energy around the branding, it would be that mashup that would ultimately raise concerns for Nintendo’s legal department.
Nintendo Doesn’t Want Any Part Of Its Name Being Used To Create A New Word
In a clip from The Kit & Krysta Podcast, the namesake hosts revealed that while Nintendo’s Publisher and Developer Relations Department came up with the term and was very proud of it, they were ultimately told that they’re not allowed to warp the Nintendo name in any way, as it runs the risk of hurting the protection of the brand’s intellectual property.
“You definitely cannot, kind of, cut the Nintendo brand in half and tack it to another word. It dilutes the brand, in the words of legal. It makes it so that you cannot defend your brand later on for some sort of legal dispute,” Krysta said.
It was said that a representative from Nintendo’s PDR team tried to fight the mandate, but he ultimately lost.
There you have it, you can’t fight City Hall. Unless you’re Rocko Wallaby, that is.
How do you feel about playing independent games on the Nintendo Switch family of consoles? Do you prefer Nintendo consoles over PCs, handheld or desktop, when it comes to playing independent games? Do you miss the “Nindie” branding? Sound off in our official Discord server. Also, don’t forget to sign up for our weekly newsletter.
