Nintendo fans have been in for a surprise this week with the announcement that a much-anticipated Panda Gamecube Controller Kickstarter campaign has been cancelled. The controllers had attracted considerable attention due to their unique and eye-catching design, but now fans of the brand are left wondering what could have happened to cause the campaign to be pulled from its original launch plans.
Background Information
The Panda Gamecube Controller was designed by fan game developer Jamie Colliver. The controller featured a unique white and black panda pattern on the exterior, as well as joysticks and triggers which were inspired by Nintendo’s classic N64 controller design. The project was initially funded in February 2020, with the goal of creating new controllers tailored specifically to the needs of gamers who owned Nintendo’s original GameCube platform.
The Kickstarter campaign for the Panda Gamecube Controller rocketshot through its initial funding goals with over $100,000 pledged in just 48 hours. Interest spread rapidly and before long, major websites such as Polygon and Forbes were covering the story. It seemed like this controller had taken off – until recently when news broke that it had been cancelled without warning.
Why Was It Cancelled?
Although no official statement from Jamie Colliver or anyone else associated with the project has yet been released, rumors have circulated that Nintendo may have played some role in stopping production of the controller. After all, it is very rare for such a successful crowdfunding project to suddenly be pulled without explanation.
One possible reason for cancellation could be due to Nintendo’s strict guidelines on product design. Because they own all of their trademarks and copyrights, they naturally take any use thereof very seriously. As such, it is possible that there was some concern about using a trademarked logo or pattern style on an unofficial product such as this