Can't Find Metroid On Steam

[Kiddiec͕̤̱͋̿͑͠at 🃏]

I checked under the "Metroidvania" store tag but couldn't find Metroid anywhere on Steam.

Why is that? Could it maybe be that Steam can't sell Metroid?
...and if so, why can they use the term "Metroidvania" in their store tags?

[Edifier]

Metroidvania is just a description on how to describe a game through the Tag system.

So it's fine to use it. The reason Metroid isn't on Steam is because Nintendo want to keep it on their own consoles.

[Kiddiec͕̤̱͋̿͑͠at 🃏]

Originally posted by Edifier:

Metroidvania is just a description on how to describe a game through the Tag system.

So it's fine to use it. The reason Metroid isn't on Steam is because Nintendo want to keep it on their own consoles.

You could literally come up with an actual description, like "platformer" or "explorer", instead of just making a portmanteau that just steals the names of 2 other games.

[feytharn]

Originally posted by Kiddiec͕̤̱͋̿͑͠at:

I checked under the "Metroidvania" store tag but couldn't find Metroid anywhere on Steam.

Why is that? Could it maybe be that Steam can't sell Metroid?
...and if so, why can they use the term "Metroidvania" in their store tags?


:seewhatyoudid:

Metroid has not been ported to PC, so it is not on Steam, either.

[feytharn]

Originally posted by Kiddiec͕̤̱͋̿͑͠at:

Originally posted by Edifier:

Metroidvania is just a description on how to describe a game through the Tag system.

So it's fine to use it. The reason Metroid isn't on Steam is because Nintendo want to keep it on their own consoles.

You could literally come up with an actual description, like "platformer" or "explorer", instead of just making a portmanteau that just steals the names of 2 other games.


:seewhatyoudid:

'Metroidvania' isn't a Steam invention. As far as I know that 'Genre' has been used when the Castlevania games were still in their prime.

[Crazy Tiger]

Originally posted by Kiddiec͕̤̱͋̿͑͠at:

Originally posted by Edifier:

Metroidvania is just a description on how to describe a game through the Tag system.

So it's fine to use it. The reason Metroid isn't on Steam is because Nintendo want to keep it on their own consoles.

You could literally come up with an actual description, like "platformer" or "explorer", instead of just making a portmanteau that just steals the names of 2 other games.


:seewhatyoudid:

The term exists longer than Steam is around. Just like Roguelike and such descriptive terms of gameplay mechanics.

[Kiddiec͕̤̱͋̿͑͠at 🃏]

Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:

Originally posted by Kiddiec͕̤̱͋̿͑͠at:

You could literally come up with an actual description, like "platformer" or "explorer", instead of just making a portmanteau that just steals the names of 2 other games.

The term exists longer than Steam is around. Just like Roguelike and such descriptive terms of gameplay mechanics.

I wasn't aware of that but also just "Rogue" wouldn't be a very copyrightable term.

Originally posted by feytharn:

Originally posted by Kiddiec͕̤̱͋̿͑͠at:

You could literally come up with an actual description, like "platformer" or "explorer", instead of just making a portmanteau that just steals the names of 2 other games.

'Metroidvania' isn't a Steam invention. As far as I know that 'Genre' has been used when the Castlevania games were still in their prime.

That was really poor planning on their part then, now wasn't it?

For a company that is basically synonymous with "cease & desist", you'd think they wouldn't have pioneered a term that allows people to use their copyrighted game's name & be unable to get Nintendo'd.

[cSg|mc-Hotsauce]

Originally posted by Kiddiec͕̤̱͋̿͑͠at:

Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:

The term exists longer than Steam is around. Just like Roguelike and such descriptive terms of gameplay mechanics.

I wasn't aware of that but also just "Rogue" wouldn't be a very copyrightable term.

Originally posted by feytharn:

'Metroidvania' isn't a Steam invention. As far as I know that 'Genre' has been used when the Castlevania games were still in their prime.

That was really poor planning on their part then, now wasn't it?

For a company that is basically synonymous with "cease & desist", you'd think they wouldn't have pioneered a term that allows people to use their copyrighted game's name & be unable to get Nintendo'd.


:seewhatyoudid:

They don't have rights to the word Metriodvania.

[captainwiseass]

Originally posted by Kiddiec͕̤̱͋̿͑͠at:

Originally posted by Crazy Tiger:

The term exists longer than Steam is around. Just like Roguelike and such descriptive terms of gameplay mechanics.

I wasn't aware of that but also just "Rogue" wouldn't be a very copyrightable term.

Originally posted by feytharn:

'Metroidvania' isn't a Steam invention. As far as I know that 'Genre' has been used when the Castlevania games were still in their prime.

That was really poor planning on their part then, now wasn't it?

For a company that is basically synonymous with "cease & desist", you'd think they wouldn't have pioneered a term that allows people to use their copyrighted game's name & be unable to get Nintendo'd.


:seewhatyoudid:

As far as I know, Nintendo didn't coin the term. And as a descriptor for a genre rather than a specific title for a product, it's neither trademarkable nor infringes on their trademark.

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by captainwiseass:

As far as I know, Nintendo didn't coin the term. And as a descriptor for a genre rather than a specific title for a product, it's neither trademarkable nor infringes on their trademark.

There was an attempt by less or more rabid fans to change the term to Kojimavania (as Kojima Something is responsible for the namesake games), but it didn't catch on.

[eram]

When you see the tag Metroidvania you know what to expect.
What sort of platformer is it?
Well it's a bit Metroidvania.
Oh ok.

[ReBoot]

Originally posted by eram:

When you see the tag Metroidvania you know what to expect.
What sort of platformer is it?
Well it's a bit Metroidvania.
Oh ok.

Not only platformers, Nintendo themselves kicked Metrovanias into 3D with Metroid Prime and Darksiders 3 is a fantastic example of a 3D-Metrovania.

[Edifier]

Originally posted by Kiddiec͕̤̱͋̿͑͠at:

Originally posted by Edifier:

Metroidvania is just a description on how to describe a game through the Tag system.

So it's fine to use it. The reason Metroid isn't on Steam is because Nintendo want to keep it on their own consoles.

You could literally come up with an actual description, like "platformer" or "explorer", instead of just making a portmanteau that just steals the names of 2 other games.


:seewhatyoudid:

Mario is a platformer but it isn't a Metroidvania game. In fact, ANY game that is a platformer is also an explorer game so it tells literally nothing more than it has platforms and levels.

Metroidvania gives us a whole lot of more information. There is a reason this term has been made popular.

[crunchyfrog]

This is an exercise in language.

Humans have a natural habit of shortening and simplifying words for communication purposes. There's also a quite common thing to make either portmanteaus (joining two words together to make a new one) or verbs from actual trade names too.

"I'm going to hoover the carpet"
"the kids are playing playstation (or nintendo)"
"have you tried Googling this?"
"try cleaning that with a Q-tip"

You see?
None of those mean you HAVE to use those particular things They're just umbrella terms but the brand names are so ubiquitous that people instantly know what you're talking about.

And the metroidvania is no different - it's simply better than saying "it's a game like metroid and like castlevania". That's it.

It does NOT mean that anyone who says it must sell the game. Reality does not work like that.

And so why Valve don't sell it is because it doesn't exist for PC and Nintendo don't make PC games. Simples.

[Kiddiec͕̤̱͋̿͑͠at 🃏]

Originally posted by crunchyfrog:

This is an exercise in language.

Humans have a natural habit of shortening and simplifying words for communication purposes. There's also a quite common thing to make either portmanteaus (joining two words together to make a new one) or verbs from actual trade names too.

"I'm going to hoover the carpet"
"the kids are playing playstation (or nintendo)"
"have you tried Googling this?"
"try cleaning that with a Q-tip"

You see?
None of those mean you HAVE to use those particular things They're just umbrella terms but the brand names are so ubiquitous that people instantly know what you're talking about.

And the metroidvania is no different - it's simply better than saying "it's a game like metroid and like castlevania". That's it.

It does NOT mean that anyone who says it must sell the game. Reality does not work like that.

And so why Valve don't sell it is because it doesn't exist for PC and Nintendo don't make PC games. Simples.

I get what you're saying. It's kind of like how with all of the "cease & desist" letters that Nintendo sends out when you even post some fan-art, - that people instantly know what you're talking about if you say you got Nintendo'd.

I think it's really going to start catching on...

[nullable]

Nintendo has been pretty aggressive for decades when it comes to defending their rights. So I'm not optimistic about a new term for a longstanding behavior.

Nintendo is concerned about people using their IP without permission. Using Metroidvania as a adjective doesn't really qualify as that.

Metroidvania, Souls-like, games that are so influential that genres are now named for them. It's a huge badge of honor. And no one is so mindlessly litigious that they'd be eager to sabotage that even if it were an option.