Nintendo blocking Tomodachi Life images, explained

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream took center stage at a dedicated Nintendo Direct on Jan. 29 that revealed a lot about the upcoming social sim, but a Nintendo policy regarding in-game images already has raised questions among fans. A statement on the official Nintendo website notes that “[Nintendo] have decided to place restrictions on certain image sharing features,” but does not offer specific details about the nature of those restrictions.

Living the Dream — a sequel to 2013’s Tomodachi Life — is an upcoming social simulation game that features extensive customization options, letting players design Mii residents, homes, gifts, and more. The recent Nintendo Direct emphasized how much control players will have over the appearance of their islanders, including face painting, as well as the ability to design patterns for clothes, house exteriors, and more. While there is potential for players to create inappropriate images, the same could arguably be said for games like Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which supports pattern creation and sharing.

Considering Living the Dream places such an emphasis on creativity, Nintendo’s announcement about limited image sharing comes as a big surprise. The Nintendo site acknowledges this potential for creativity, which can “sometimes lead to humorous, surprising, or unpredictable moments during gameplay.” However, because of this freedom, “out-of-context scenes may be misunderstood or may not reflect the spirit in which the game is intended to be enjoyed.” In other words, the aforementioned “restrictions on certain image sharing features” are an effort to prevent players from sharing inappropriate in-game moments and designs.

Polygon reached out for comment, with Nintendo of America providing the following response:

Players can share their created Mii characters and items with others via local communication. Mii characters and items received through local communication cannot be passed on to other players. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream does not feature any online communication features. In terms of the Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 system features, the image transfer function to smart devices, direct posting to social media, and automatic image upload function (only on Nintendo Switch 2) are not enabled for Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream.

These restrictions mean that Tomodachi Life players will have no way of sharing their Miis or islands with other players unless they’re in the same room, or take a photo of their game with an external device. It’s unclear if these restrictions will affect the streaming community, who will be sharing the game online in a way that bypasses these rules. It will be interesting to see how players handle these restrictions at launch on April 16. Sharing pattern designs and island layouts they’re proud of could’ve been a large part of the game, inspiring others in a manner similar to the New Horizons community — only time will tell whether Nintendo’s limits on sharing will impact the game’s overall success.