Video game modding (short for modifying) has been a huge part of the gaming community for nearly as long as the medium itself has existed, and Nintendo wants to put an end to it—on their consoles, at least). Through their User Agreement for Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo intends to shut down any modding of their games; this hardline stance stunts the potential of their games and harms the gaming community.
If you purchase a video game console, it should be yours to do what you wish with. Modding encompasses a variety of forms, from minor add-ons and cosmetic changes to entire overhauls and providing support for games that have been sunsetted by their previous hosts. In the early 1980’s, the first video game mods were developed and released. Today, there are countless games with actively thriving modding communities.
But now Nintendo has other plans for those who purchase a Switch 2. Nintendo first specifies that their product “is licensed, not sold, to you”. Now, you are not actually purchasing the console, you are purchasing a license from Nintendo to use it.
The User Agreement continues by stating that anyone who violates the terms of their agreement by modifying or trying to “otherwise circumvent any of the functions or protections of the Console or the Software” is subject to Nintendo “render[ing] the Console and/or the Software permanently unusable in whole or in part.”
Nintendo is threatening to destroy consoles that people have bought in retaliation for them modding games on the platform. They are charging consumers upwards of $500 for the license to use a gaming console in such a manner that bars users from engaging in one of the most significant pieces of modern video game culture.
Modding communities often keep games relevant and popular beyond the natural lifetime of the game, from works like the Sims 4 to Stardew Valley. While creators and publishers have different opinions on modding, those who embrace and encourage it often have the most dedicated fanbases. For example, Eric Barone, creator of Stardew Valley, encourages the modding community:the game has remained popular over nine years since its release in 2016.
The people who mod games and the people who utilize those mods are the heart and soul of the gaming community; they shape and inspire the trajectory of games for years to come. Iconic games like the Stanley Parable started out as a mod of another game entirely. Video games today would look nothing like they do now if it weren’t for the modding community.
Games with active modding communities often maintain popularity and a fanbase for much longer than those that don’t, yet Nintendo has always been hostile towards those who mod their games and consoles. They have removed fan favorite items from their most popular games and removed modded content from multiplayer game modes. Now, they have gone nuclear, threatening to destroy people’s $500 consoles like spoiled brats who are not getting their way.
Nintendo’s choice to license the Switch 2 instead of truly selling the console to consumers harms consumers by limiting what they can do with something they bought with their own money. But, even more, it harms the gaming community as a whole by disincentivizing the innovation and creativity that makes games better through modding. In a field that necessitates ingenuity and originality, Nintendo shutting down paths to new lands flies in the face of the very essence of what makes gaming great. Stagnation is death in gaming, and Nintendo may soon learn that lesson.