Genshin Impact, an ARPG developed by miHoYo which allegedly made a lot of Nintendo fans very angry due to closely resembling The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, has now been confirmed to release for the Nintendo Switch. But why is this particular game such a big deal, and why does it not sit well with Nintendo fans?
Initially, Genshin Impact was announced at a digital entertainment expo in China in 2019 for the PS4. However, upon announcing the game, people in attendance noticed how similar it was to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. As a result, many of them voiced their displeasure, accusing the developers of ripping off Nintendo and copying elements from the game via "plagiarism."
The situation then proceeded to escalate. Things got so out of hand that a The Legend of Zelda fan brought his PS4 Pro to the event, threw it on the ground, and proceeded to destroy it as a sign of protest. Additionally, a group of people gathered around Genshin Impact's booth and with their Nintendo Switch consoles in hand, showed the middle finger to the game.
Ironically, the fans' protest backfired. Instead of causing chaos and poor reputation for Genshin Impact, their actions brought more exposure to the game in the form of a marketing move. Fast forward to today, and Genshin Impact has been announced for the Nintendo Switch for 2020.
In Genshin Impact's defense, there are many other games that allegedly mimic one another. For instance, platforming games are all about platforming, yet have their own takes and gameplay elements. Another example would be Nioh and Nioh 2. Sure, those games may be very similar to Dark Souls, but that doesn't mean the developers plagiarized Dark Souls in general.
Genshin Impact is coming out for the PS4, PC, mobile, and now the Nintendo Switch in 2020. Considering that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is already available for the Nintendo Switch, any forms of protest that include destroying a Nintendo Switch would be utterly pointless. Even if someone or a group of people did decide to break their Nintendo Switch consoles, their actions would most likely bring more exposure to the game - just like the incident at the 2019 entertainment expo in China.
Source: Push Square