Nintendo Promotes Music Piracy?

f-matic writes "A New York Times article discusses an amusing character in a popular virtual world: K.K. Slider, a travelling canine musician in Nintendo's Animal Crossing: Wild World, apparently promotes music piracy." From the article: "... it's a bit disorienting to find an 'information wants to be free' message embedded in a video game - particularly one aimed at young children and teenagers. After all, video game industry representatives, along with their brethren in the music, film and computer software industries, have long complained that this is precisely the kind of thinking that is eating away at their business models - and maybe civilization itself. "

Article is absolutely stupid

[A beautiful mind]

'"Those industry fat cats try to put a price on my music, but it wants to be free," the canine bard says in a dialogue bubble at the bottom of the screen, after performing and giving away "copies" of a tune.'

The article comments this as: "A Nintendo video game includes a character that seems to advocate an illegal form of music file-sharing."

When was giving your OWN music away for free illegal?

Also: 'That last insight and its implications for the young people in Professor Brown's vision of the future notwithstanding, it's a bit disorienting to find an "information wants to be free" message embedded in a video game - particularly one aimed at young children and teenagers.'

Why? Good values should be taught in childhood. Sharing is good! Openness is good! Those are the values you want to teach children, not greed.

The last straw: "After all, video game industry representatives, along with their brethren in the music, film and computer software industries, have long complained that this is precisely the kind of thinking that is eating away at their business models - and maybe civilization itself. "

In other words, if you don't sell us your soul, you're going to hell! Where did we hear this already?

The article mixes nonsensical stuff in the writeup, like: 'A user called Yams also added "Yams yams yams yams yams."'

Seriously, who cares? The article is a mess mixed with propaganda. It reads the end of the world into probably an innocent thing.

Wow

[Is0m0rph]

Ridiculous. The dog wants to give away HIS music for free and doesn't want it to be sold by industry fat cats and that somehow is stretched into Nintendo is promoting illegal music file sharing? I have a few albums on some record labels if I want to give them away free I'll damn well do it. It's MY music.

Re:Article is absolutely stupid

[Sparr0]

When was giving your OWN music away for free illegal?

As soon as the RIAA can lobby for it!

Information "Wants"?!

[jazman_777]

Information, not being sentient, doesn't _want_ anything. People, on the other hand, do want something--for nothing, when possible.

missed the point

[Tsaot]

Half the point of this article is nonsense. It is written as a farce on the entire idea that the big N is promoting piracy. The fact that an artist giving away free copies of his music is illegal is ridiculous, just a ridiculous as a poster making the post of "Yams yams yams yams yams." That's why Yams's comment was included in the story, to point out the farce. If you need help with that, imagine it's Jon Stewart reading the article out loud.

Re:Article is absolutely stupid

[Collision891]

Where does it really mention that this character signed over [his] profits to those industry fat cats?

As far as I can tell, he never officially signed with any labels and if true, can do whatever he pleases with his music.

No Nintendo Doesn't

[TychoCelchuuu]

Nintendo doesn't support piracy any more than the people who make GTA support carjacking and indiscriminate violence against innocents. It's just some character in a game, not a thinly veiled message the the top corporate echelon inserted into the game to warp impressionable children.

Re:Piracy?

[secolactico]

I suppose DMB, Phish, Grateful Dead, Bela Fleck, and tons of other artists who allow live recordings to be redistributed for free among their fans also support piracy?

If they own the right to the songs they sing and their performance, then no. If they already sold those rights off to someone else, then yes they are.

Besides, everybody knows K.K. Slider, like most artists, has a too high opinion of himself and no record exec will touch his music with a 10 foot pole which is why he goes from town to town giving away his "air checks". And every week a different style. It's like you are trying too hard, man!
...

Sorry. I didn't mean to rant. I'm experiencing Crossing withdrawal.

Music is not information

[Chemisor]

Saying "information wants to be free", even if they actually did so, would not promote music piracy. Music is not information, it is art, and art usually does not want to be free. Price reflects quality (in an ideal world, at least), and good artists are always going to be in demand, and consequently, in money.