Livestreaming and game guide group VGBootCamp has announced that it will no longer be streaming Super Smash Bros. Brawl mod “Project M” on its Twitch channel due to its “uncertain legality.” The group will also be taking down all of their YouTube videos with footage of Project M in them.
Calvin “GimR” Lofton, co-found and president of VGBootCamp, explained the decision over on Smash Boards:
“As it stands now, Project M exists in a legal gray area. Project M‘s uncertain legality has the potential to put the other goals of VGBC for the wider Smash community in jeopardy. We are working on securing partnerships that will allow us to grow the community faster than ever before with new shows, tournaments, and other content. 2015 will be another crazy year for Smash, and as a small business with limited resources, it’s too risky to invest a significant portion of our time and money into a game that could damage our business with a copyright strike at any time.”
Lofton sees an increasing risk of direct legal action from Nintendo being taken against VGBootCamp for livestreaming Project M as it becomes more visible and widely known. It’s a risk that he doesn’t want to have hovering over his small company.
As a footnote, Lofton said that VGBootCamp was not “presented with any Project M termination contract from Team Apex,” which is the organization that runs the annual Apex fighting game tournament. Apex 2015 was the first time that the tournament was sponsored by Nintendo of America. Rumors spread that Team Apex had removed Project M from the tournament’s 2015 line-up due to this sponsorship.
Due to this, a similar rumor spread that VGBootCamp had reduced its coverage of Project M due to a notice from Team Apex. “That rumor is unfounded and has no part in our decision to discontinue Project M streaming and content,” Lofton said.
