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Quick – there might be a new indie villain in town!
Nintendo has confirmed that, for reasons which remain unclear, it is not currently allowing indie developers from Japan to submit games for possible release on Wii U.
"The policy in question is the decision of Nintendo’s department responsible for licensing activities in each region," a company spokesperson told Eurogamer. "The licensing department of Nintendo Co Ltd is currently not accepting subject applications from individuals in Japan."
The policy, hidden in the fine print of a GDC questionnaire, was originally spotted by Kotaku and has understandably been met with some hostility amongst Japanese coders.
The bizarre policy is directly at odds with the platform holder’s approach in the West, which has been to embrace indie developers in warm, loving, distinctly non-Microsoft shaped arms.
Specifically, self-publishing is being actively encouraged amongst European and American developers and Nintendo is even waiving licensing fees for such individuals.
