Editing Nintendo (section)

=== License guidelines ===
Nintendo of America also had guidelines before 1993 that had to be followed by its licensees to make games for the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]], in addition to the above content guidelines.{{sfn|Sheff|1994|p={{page needed|date=September 2021}}}} Guidelines were enforced through the [[10NES]] lockout chip.
* Licensees were not permitted to release the same game for a competing console until two years had passed.
* Nintendo would decide how many cartridges would be supplied to the licensee.
* Nintendo would decide how much space would be dedicated such as for articles and advertising in the ''[[Nintendo Power]]'' magazine.
* There was a minimum number of cartridges that had to be ordered by the licensee from Nintendo.
* There was a yearly limit of five games that a licensee may produce for a Nintendo console.{{sfn|Sheff|1994|p=215}} This rule was created to prevent market over-saturation, which had contributed to the [[video game crash of 1983]].

The last rule was circumvented in several ways; for example, Konami, wanting to produce more games for Nintendo's consoles, formed [[Ultra Games]] and later [[Ultra Games|Palcom]] to produce more games as a technically different publisher.{{sfn|Sheff|1994|p={{page needed|date=September 2021}}}} This disadvantaged smaller or emerging companies, as they could not afford to start more companies. In another side effect, [[Square (video game company)|Square Co.]] (now [[Square Enix]]) executives have suggested that the price of publishing games on the [[Nintendo 64]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Leone |first=Matt |date=9 January 2017 |title=Final Fantasy 7: An oral history |url=http://www.polygon.com/a/final-fantasy-7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170109201832/http://www.polygon.com/a/final-fantasy-7 |archive-date=9 January 2017 |access-date=11 January 2017 |work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]]}}</ref> along with the degree of censorship and control which Nintendo enforced over its games,{{Citation needed|date=January 2009}} most notably ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'', were factors in switching its focus towards [[Sony Computer Entertainment|Sony]]'s [[PlayStation]] console.

In 1993, a [[class action]] suit was taken against Nintendo under allegations that their lockout chip enabled [[unfair business practices]]. The case was settled, with the condition that California consumers were entitled to a $3 discount coupon for a game of Nintendo's choice.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Nintendo May Owe You $3 |magazine=[[GamePro]] |issue=55 |publisher=[[International Data Group|IDG]] |date=February 1994 |page=187}}</ref>