[numpad0]

I think:

- Nintendo was probably _always_ like that, since 80s or 40s or however long ago: they were merely dormant outside the home country due to the famously enormous language barrier.

- Hypothetical defanged Nintendo that isn't like that probably holds little value: even Microsoft with -1 hardcoded as budget ceiling had been successful at forcing Nintendo into obsolescence. This suggests that Nintendo "being like that" is an advantage in itself.

[dfxm12]

Not sure about the 80s, but off the top of my head, there is clear evidence in the early 90s with lawsuits against both Galoob (game genie) and Atari (Tengen games without the 10NES chip).