I often wonder if Nintendo’s uncompromising stance on IP rights is actually a net benefit to their bottom line. It could be a factor in their commercial success and brand strength, but it’s also entirely possible that they’re successful despite it, and they’re just dragging their brand equity down by being needlessly hostile to their own customers. I get not wanting someone to make money off your IP, but they send lawyers over the most petty bullshit.
The worst is that none of their efforts stop actual piracy. People are 100% going to emulate their games no matter what they do. Their weird litigation fetish just shuts down interesting fan-made projects that only appeal to people who are already paying customers. Maybe it does have the net-effect of increasing their margins or creating more scarcity or whatever, but it seems petty and nonsensical.
All property rights are stupid, but intellectual property is the stupidest.