Unprecedented Nintendo leak becomes a moral dilemma for archivists

Over the past week, Nintendo fans have resembled digital archaeologists. After a massive leak of source code and other internal documents, appropriately named gigaleak, previously unknown details of the company’s biggest games have been leaking. Those who study the code carefully have discovered a new Animal crossing villager, first prototypes for games like Diamond Pokémoncut characters from Star fox, a very strange Yoshi and strange titles like a role-playing hockey game. Perhaps the greatest discovery has been a character model Luigi from Super mario 64.

From a conservation and historical perspective, the leak is an incredible find. It is rare to see the process and discarded ideas of one of the most influential and reserved video game companies. But for those conservationists who are researching the data, that emotion is tainted by a moral dilemma. The origins of the code leak are still largely unknown, but it is likely that it was obtained illegally. That begs a pertinent question: Does the source of the leak cloud everything historians can learn from it?

“It certainly gives me a bad taste in the mouth about the leak, but perhaps my curiosity about the data somewhat overrides my moral compass in this case, because I can’t say I’m not happy to see the data published.” an archivist who goes by the name of MrTalida. “The sheer volume of new knowledge and understanding that this leak has brought is sometimes overwhelming.”

So what is the problem? While a slim Yoshi may not seem that important, when you put it all together, the leak is an unprecedented look in video game history. Archivists are still checking the cache, but so far, they’ve uncovered not only completely unknown games, but also new details on how some of Nintendo’s most influential titles were created. Some of those details have been inserted in the versions of the games: you can see in which beach area it is not used Ocarina of time would have seemed or glimpsed an enemy who failed to enter SM64. Talida compares it to art historians who use X-ray imaging techniques to see the layers underneath a painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Only in this case, we can see the steps that designers like Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka took when creating some of their most defining works.

“In more practical terms, leaks can give us an important historical and chronological context that is missing only from the final product released,” explains MrTalida. “Every commented block of code, every initial draft of a sprite sheet, every build with less-than-perfect controls and abandoned game mechanics all give us an incredibly valuable insight into how these games were formed and why. In some cases, we can even learn important details about who worked on each aspect of the game, knowledge that is often lost over time. “

Leaks are not entirely new territory. In the past, source code or screenshots of canceled games have been discovered, sometimes from defunct game studios and publishers who don’t want or can’t fight to secure their intellectual property. But Nintendo’s gigaleak is notable for both its scale and the high-profile nature of its content. “Have the complete, unfiltered source code for a seminal classic like Super mario kart, or have an early sprite job to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Pastor have multiple early compilations of Yoshi Island, or have 3D models created by Yoshiaki Koizumi for the first Nintendo 64 technology tests: the scope of what was leaked here exceeds all expectations and precedents, and fulfills many of the wildest fantasies of game history enthusiasts “Says MrTalida.

But there is more than just fascinating discoveries. The leak also includes internal emails, some with identifying information, posing privacy concerns. This, together with the possible unscrupulous origins of the content, creates a morally complex situation. It’s reminiscent of Sony Pictures’ 2014 stunt, which revealed all sorts of salacious internal details that were illegally obtained. Fans clearly want to learn more about Nintendo games and how they were made, as gigaleak’s countless tweets can attest. But not everyone is happy with how it happened. “To say this makes me uncomfortable is an understatement,” says Brian, who directs Megaman fan site Rockman corner and has been sharing details of the leak. “And yet there is a certain charm here. You can’t help but look. You know it’s wrong, but there it is: Luigi in Mario 64. “

There could also be more practical implications for how Nintendo works in the future. The company occasionally celebrates its history, such as when it released the canceled Star fox 2 on the SNES Classic (and then via Switch Online). But it is also a company that fiercely protects your intellectual property, frequently shutting down infringing fan projects or YouTube videos. This leak could lead the company to further harden. “Really talk: This Nintendo leak is bad on many levels,” tweeted Mike Mika, studio manager at Digital Eclipse, a developer focused on authentic relaunches of classic games. “It hurts, it hurts fans, and it turns the preservation issue into a security issue and tightens control over intellectual property, regardless of its historical or educational value to history.”

Nintendo declined to comment, making it difficult to know exactly how the company will change, if at all. As MrTalida points out, any potential operational change is likely to be internal and in the service of preventing leaks like this from occurring in the first place. “I imagine that their own internal data access policies will change as a result, and I am sure they will re-examine what they share with their partners, how that data is made accessible, and for how long. Indeed, getting a large cache of data like this from a partner will probably be much more unlikely in the future. “

That said, the leak at least seems to show that Nintendo is meticulous when it comes to documenting its own history. Not all studies retain the source code for unfinished or unpublished games that span several decades. But despite fervent interest, that story doesn’t seem like something the company wants to share with the general public.

“In a perfect world, this leak will encourage Nintendo to be more open about its development history; teaming up with conservationists and archivists to allow the public a means to see and explore all those lovely ‘what could have been,’ “Brian says.” How nice it would be if Nintendo, themselves, freely distributed those mythicals. Mario 64 Luigi active? Or ‘Super Donkey’, the primordial, highly experimental Yoshi Island precursor? But in my heart, I know there will be consequences. I expect Nintendo to be less open about what goes on behind the scenes. “