Nintendo place a high value on their privacy. Two leakers, responsible for a breach of confidential Pokémon Sword and Shield information in 2019, have just learned the dollar amount.
When Nintendo found out that some precious details regarding their highly anticipated Pokemon Sword and Shield game had found their way onto Reddit, 4Chan, and Discord, they were furious.
The Japanese video game giant is known for their secrecy and strict rules regarding confidentiality almost as much as their wildly successful series such as The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario, and Super Smash Bros. So seeking retribution for this wicked transgression was always likely.
In 2019, after hiring forensic investigators to track down who was responsible for the data leak, Nintendo had the two culprits charged. After a reasonably lengthy court battle, David Maisonave, who had been working at the printing company tasked with producing the Pokémon Sword and Shield strategy guide, and his friend Bryan Cruz, have reached an agreement with Nintendo.
Essentially what this means is that the leakers have acknowledged their wrongdoing, and just want the beatings to stop. In circumstances similar to this, the guilty part will often agree to a punishment they believe is less severe than the one they would receive if they continue to fight for their innocence. In this specific case, their mounting legal costs also likely factored into their decision.
However, the agreement that was reached isn’t exactly a let off. The leakers have agreed to pay $150,000 USD to Nintendo for damages, on top of covering the entirety the company’s legal costs; which considering the length of the case and status of the client, is almost certainly a lot of money. So, while it could have worse, it’s still enough of a punishment to ruin most people’s lives.
Nintendo is hoping that this case will serve as a stark warning to those that would double cross them – and I think it’s fair to say they have achieved their goal.
