Nintendo has denied any form of association with the U.S. government following the White House’s Pokémon Pokopia MAGA meme.
Pokémon Pokopia is Nintendo’s most recent title in the massive Pokémon franchise, launched yesterday, 5 March. The game generated significant hype, topping the best games released this year from widespread reviews. Unfortunately, the attention surrounding the game also extended into unwanted territory.
On launch day, a trend saw users online use a Pokopia text generator to type their desired text, creating and sharing countless memes. However, it did not take long for the current U.S. president, Donald Trump, and the White House account to dampen the fun.
The official White House account used the meme generator to promote their slogan “Make America Great Again”, which quickly angered gamers on the platform.
An X user quoted the post, tagging Nintendo and asking for an explanation: “Are they an official Nintendo partner? As a consumer, this makes me less likely to buy Nintendo products. Please explain. Thank you.”
Another user, claiming to be a long-time Nintendo supporter, expressed that he felt discouraged to continue supporting the brand if it were associated with the Trump administration. “As a past consumer of Nintendo products, this negatively impacts my perception of the brand and makes me less likely to purchase a Nintendo Switch 2 or any Nintendo-affiliated products in the future,” the post reads.
Pokopia’s launch day was unfortunately marred by unwanted involvement from political parties, but Nintendo quickly stepped in to clear the air.
Nintendo responds to the White House’s Pokopia meme
A spokesperson for Nintendo, Sravanthi Dev, stated that the company did not authorise the White House to use any of its intellectual property. The company also denied any association with a political agenda.
“We are aware of recent social media content that includes imagery associated with our brand. We were not involved in its creation or distribution, and no permission was granted for the use of our intellectual property. Our mission is to bring the world together, and that mission is not affiliated with any political viewpoint or agenda,” she clarified.
While users online have been seen sharing their political opinions through the Pokémon Pokopia meme, this instance marks the first time an official political account has used it to spread propaganda. That said, this was not the first time the U.S. government has pushed its narratives into the video game industry.
Four months ago, the White House account posted a meme involving the video game Halo, featuring an AI-generated image of Trump dressed as Master Chief. The Department of Homeland Security’s official account also posted a more controversial meme that appeared to compare a parasitic group from the game to immigrants. These posts were quickly criticised by players, though no statements were released from Microsoft to address the issue.
