Nintendo has a huge problem on its hands when it comes to the eShop. Of course, the company's digital store generally serves as a great location for players to scope out the latest and greatest titles available on Nintendo consoles. Moreover, with Nintendo often placing huge emphasis on indie titles, the eShop provides the perfect opportunity for smaller developers to boost the attention and potential success of their games.

That being said, the Nintendo eShop has also become well-known for a slew of problems regarding its content during the Switch era. The lack of quality control has caused the level of unregulated content to grow on the site, which could cause huge problems for the Nintendo Switch 2 when it releases. In fact, one recent controversy surrounding the eShop shows the need for Nintendo to resolve the huge issues surrounding its digital store, not only to protect players and developers, but to protect the company itself.

The eShop Is Currently Listing A Stolen Game

Nintendo Have Refused To Take The Game Down

Nintendo has recently caused controversy for allowing a stolen game to remain on the eShop. This news comes from fellow gaming site Game Rant, who reported that game developer Steelkrill Studio claimed its game, titled The Backrooms 1998, had been stolen and put up for sale on the eShop by publisher COOL DEVS under the name Backrooms Horror Escape. The report goes on to mention the comparisons that the developer made between the original and stolen versions of the game, proving them to be almost identical.

The ongoing incident has brought to light Nintendo's approach, or lack thereof, when it comes to dealing with stolen content on the eShop. For example, Backrooms Horror Escape was also made available on both PlayStation and Xbox before being taken down after a notice was filed by the developer. However, Steelkrill says that Nintendo has yet to comply with the , as the company sees no issues with Backrooms Horror Escape, allowing the title to remain on the eShop.

Steelkrill is still in active conversation with Nintendo, submitting further proof to the company after it said there was no issue with Backrooms Horror Escape being sold on the eShop. At the time of publication, the developer is still waiting for a response from Nintendo.

The move by Nintendo has drawn criticism from many players, and it's easy to see why. The company's inaction regarding Steelkrill's stolen game sets a dangerous message regarding the kind of content the company will allow on its digital store. As a result, players could begin to lose trust in Nintendo and the eShop itself as they constantly doubt the authenticity of certain titles for fear of purchasing a stolen and faulty product.

The eShop Is Plagued With AI Titles And Copycats

Nintendo's Refusal To Address This Could Result In Huge Consequences

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident for Nintendo. The eShop has become notorious over the last few years for its large quantity of unregulated content, whether that be AI-generated titles or blatant rip-offs of other games. For example, the creator of the cozy indie game Unpacking called out Nintendo for failing to respond to reports of copycat titles that had appeared on the eShop. Meanwhile, as Steelkrill points out in their initial claim, COOL DEVS has multiple other potentially stolen games on the Nintendo eShop, including one title that seems to be ripping off the Pokémon Trading Card Game.

Nintendo's seeming refusal to address the issue head-on has caused the situation to reach a point where the company could face huge consequences, especially with the Switch 2 set to launch this year. For starters, the lack of quality control may deter developers from placing their games on Nintendo consoles due to the ever-growing threat of copycats and scammers that can actively impede each title's potential success. As a result, the eShop will lose its appeal as the store continues to be bombarded with poorly-made knock-offs, failing to provide the Switch 2 with the impressive library it needs to succeed.

It would continue to place a bad light on Nintendo and negatively affect the trust that the company has built with developers and players.

There's also the possibility that Nintendo could face legal issues over the lack of regulation on the eShop. If Nintendo continues to avoid the issues it currently faces regarding the eShop, such as refusing to comply with a notice, it could open the company up to potential lawsuits. If so, it would continue to place a bad light on Nintendo and negatively affect the trust that the company has built with developers and players, creating some huge problems for the Switch 2's potential success.

How The eShop Can Be Improved On The Switch 2

Nintendo Should Take A More Active Role In Dealing With Stolen Content

If Nintendo wants to ensure the success of the eShop on the Switch 2, and avoid any potential consequences, then the company must adopt a new approach to the store. One clear way of doing this is by applying stricter regulations, ensuring more scrutiny is given to avoid so much AI or stolen content making its way through. Not only will it help to ensure the eShop has a far stronger and more appealing library of titles, but it renews trust in players over the authenticity of games they may want to purchase.

Another way to improve the eShop service is for Nintendo to provide better communication with developers. Having an open dialog between the two would help the company to understand the concerns and issues many developers face with the eShop and its stolen content. Not only does it give Nintendo a clearer image of the issues that need addressing, allowing it to combat them swiftly and efficiently, but it helps the company to maintain a strong relationship with developers, ensuring the eShop continues to receive a steady influx of stellar titles.

There's no telling whether Nintendo will tackle the major issues with the eShop in the near future. Regardless, it's clear that the amount of unregulated stolen content has become a major issue that's beginning to have a negative effect on players and developers. If Nintendo continues to avoid the many problems that the eShop currently possesses, especially before the Switch 2's arrival, it could create some huge problems for the new console and the company as a whole.

Source: Game Rant, Nintendo eShop