Report: Nintendo Sending NX Console Developer Kits

[dochmbi]

As for the topic on hand; Well, this is what happens with consoles I suppose, developers get development kits, big whoop?

The "big whoop" is that if the rumor is true, then the hardware is now established and that means that it will have outdated and weak hardware by the time it is released 2-3 years from now.

 

[bluegate]

As for the topic on hand; Well, this is what happens with consoles I suppose, developers get development kits, big whoop?

The "big whoop" is that if the rumor is true, then the hardware is now established and that means that it will have outdated and weak hardware by the time it is released 2-3 years from now.

Hardware is only ever really established once production of the actual console has started, developer kits can be tweaked and upgraded to a certain degree. Especially if you expect it to be launched 2 to 3 years from now.

 

[Dragonbums]

I can't wait for them to sit on it and do nothing with the kits for 4 years until Sony and Microsoft send theirs in so they can then complain about how hard the NX was to develop for and make excuses out the ass for why their game isn't coming on the platform.

Developing for the Wii U is a horrendous pain in the ass.

Honestly this is a moot point because if devs were willing to put the time and effort into developing games for the PS3, despite the fact that it was so out there in development it might as well be alien tech- there is no reason why the Wii U was unworkable when it might as well of been a Nintendo DS- Console edition.

 

[Dragonbums]

I like you for actually making sense and trying to explain this, but seriously, don't bother discussing with either Aiddon or Dragonbums, those two are so far up Nintendo's arse, no word other than Nintendo's will reach them. They won't learn anything from your post and when this subject comes up again, they will argue the same point again and again, most likely with each other too. The Nintendo defense force around here tend to form their own little echo chamber.

Aren't you cute?

When you can't debate with someone ( or rather you don't care to.) You all love to pull the NDF ad hominem nonsense like it's a legit counter argument.
Y'all act like we have our own secret club on here.

At this point I couldn't really care all that much about YOUR opinion either. (and anyone elses who seriously uses NDF as a legit talking point outside of a joke.) The Escapist is just as much as an echo chamber for Sony and PC as you claim I am for Nintendo.

For instance Sony did a lot of trash talking of the Xbox only to wind up pulling the same shit Microsoft did. (Nobody raised a stink about them charging for online after they trashed M$ for it, but hey that's okay because free vidya games.)

This site talks a lot about how Nintendo was gonna go third party over Wii U's failure, but nobody likes to talk about the one time Sony's PS3 cost them billions compared to the Wii U's $200 million (not to mention the companies other growing failures in other sectors of the tech industry.) and somehow not a peep from most users here about how Sony might go belly up.

Or how about how people trash the Xbox 1 and Wii U for having minimum game exclusives to warrant buying the console, and yet Sony has practically done nothing in regards to exclusivity accept pay for timed exclusives and boast multi platforms and despite all that they still sit 10 million units ahead of the competition?


What I said doesn't really change much of fucking anything. Just like what happened with the Wii U at launch, a bunch of devs are gonna come out and say 'it's the best thing evah', proceed to do nothing with it for 2 damn years, and then complain when it's too hard.
Yet they had no problems with figuring out the kinks of a console like the PS3 which was notorious for being the biggest pain in the ass to develop for. Might as well save everyone time and just return the dev kits if you have no interest in actually doing anything with it instead of crying online about it.

It's the equivalent of me being chosen as a beta art tester for some new art software, I barely touched the surface of the program for 3 years, and then when the devs asked me my opinion on it I say it's too hard or some shit when the reality is that I put in a total of 24 minutes into the thing.
Meanwhile I was willing to spend 300 hours into learning Maya- a program so far out of my familiar field and understand it completely by the time I'm done.

 

[Dragonbums]

I find a 2016 launch highly improbable.

The Wii U is almost certainly going to have a 'standard' 5 year console cycle.
And anyone paying attention to their history will know that new consoles are in development long before they are released.
For that matter, they tend to show actual near final, working prototypes of the consoles more than a year before release.

We have yet to see anything. All we have are vague rumours. I would still bet on a 2017 release, not 2016.
(unless they frame it as a 3ds replacement, I don't see it happening.)

If it's going to get released 'early', (as in, before the Wii U officially reaches end of life), expect it like... april 2017 or something.
That'd still be 6 months early or so...
But 2016? Nah. I don't think so.

They should of never of announced it this early in all honesty. Or rather- they should of kept that whole deal in regards to their mobile partnership under wraps for much longer since that announcement is what prompted them to talk about the NX to begin with.
I know a lot of people now just holding off on buying a Wii U period because the NX is just going to be one or two years down the road. I doubt the 2016 deadline simply because I doubt that is enough time for devs interested to really to really get used to software. But it's also possible that might be on the horizon.
I'm just going to wait for what they say during E3 this summer to see where they are at. But dev kits mean that the software side of it is mostly done. Although mobile use was mentioned as well, so who knows if it's a console or a handheld device.

 

[xaszatm]

I can't wait for them to sit on it and do nothing with the kits for 4 years until Sony and Microsoft send theirs in so they can then complain about how hard the NX was to develop for and make excuses out the ass for why their game isn't coming on the platform.

This is what happens when the industry is flooded with code monkeys instead of actual designers: they lose the ability to truly design. The attitude 3rd parties have towards Nintendo truly is contemptible; maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they weren't so incompetent.

snip snip.

I like you for actually making sense and trying to explain this, but seriously, don't bother discussing with either Aiddon or Dragonbums, those two are so far up Nintendo's arse, no word other than Nintendo's will reach them. They won't learn anything from your post and when this subject comes up again, they will argue the same point again and again, most likely with each other too. The Nintendo defense force around here tend to form their own little echo chamber.

No matter how painful it might be to read some of their deluded posts, just try and ignore them.

As for the topic on hand; Well, this is what happens with consoles I suppose, developers get development kits, big whoop?

Wait wait wait wait wait....you mentioned the Nintendo Defense Force and you didn't remember me!?! What do I have to do to get remembered around here? Sacrifice a Microsoft Employee everytime I post? ...Actually, I'll be right back.

(Five hours later)

...stupid living in North Dakota...Couldn't find a Microsoft Employee...had to make do with an Apple Employee instead...

But seriously, cut out that crap.

I can't wait for them to sit on it and do nothing with the kits for 4 years until Sony and Microsoft send theirs in so they can then complain about how hard the NX was to develop for and make excuses out the ass for why their game isn't coming on the platform.

This is what happens when the industry is flooded with code monkeys instead of actual designers: they lose the ability to truly design. The attitude 3rd parties have towards Nintendo truly is contemptible; maybe it wouldn't be so bad if they weren't so incompetent.

Your attitude towards developers is no better. You seem to have no clue what game programming and development actually entails, and the fact that you are comparing "code monkeys" to designers, which I should mention are two completely different jobs, completely undermines any type of argument you may try to make. Coders are not paid to design - they are paid to code. Designers are rarely paid to program - They are paid to design. Programmers don't code for the Wii U because it has a non-standard interface and designers don't consider Nintendo platforms because they have a history of being underwhelming and that prevents them from designing systems as they envision it (though I will give credit that you don't need high specs for innovation).

It's not like we can push a button and magically shit out a game for another console. We have to design around hardware constraints and work around abstract and obscure software API. PC, Xbox, and PS4 (hell, even most mobile targets) have a standard API format. Nintendo tried to create their own standard and it is very different than the current standard. Most companies use third party engines line Unreal Engine, Unity, or CryEngine. In order to add support they would need to write a *significant* amount of code in order to provide the same functionality that other platforms have, plus they need to test the code. Consider the costs for a moment. Will the cost of adding support for the Wii U be recuperated by sales on that platform? No. No it won't.

Nintendo shot themselves in the foot with this one. Don't blame the developers for not developing for Nintendo. Blame Nintendo for changing their API into something proprietary in nature. It is downright foolish to expect developers to change the way they program when literally everybody else is using another standard.

Well first of all...I'm sorry, but after some explorations into Neogaf, I am unable to look at anyone that says "shot themselves in the foot" and not laugh. I'm sorry if this doesn't make any sense but do you consider yourself an "expert of Japanese culture" as well?

Second of all, while indeed the Wii U was radically different than the other two in architecture, that doesn't excuse the piles upon piles of excuses they piled on to avoid touching the damn thing. "Our games don't sell" when they port old games while simultaneously releases whole collections for a cheaper price and all that. Those "underwhelming" excuses are especially eregious because of how AAA screwed over the Wii U with situations where it was logically better to purchase their games on other systems. (i.e. Mass Effect, Rayman, etc.)

Also, forgive me for my limited coding experience, but I thought the issue was that Nintendo used ARM architecture (because of keeping the Wii architecture because it kept the Gamecube architecture for backwards compatibility) while the other two went x86 architecture. And the issue was that ARM didn't run Unity as well as the PS4/XB One, though I think I remember people saying that all that was was a learning curve.

OT: Well, at least the Escapist still thinks the NX is a 2017 release. The other site I visited seems convinced it is a summer 2016 release and straight up sneers at anyone who thinks otherwise. I too think a 2017 release is far more likely than 2016 (at least on the console side). The truly interesting thing was that the devkits are divided into mobile, tablet, and desktop categories. Now before you all go "NINTENDO THIRD PARTY" like a certain other site, this probably points more towards Iwata's discussion on wanting multiple SKUs for its new ecosystem rather than the go to "THIRD PARTY" bullcrap.

EDIT: I mean ARM architecture...don't know where PowerPC came up in my head.

 

[Casual Shinji]

Developing for the Wii U is a horrendous pain in the ass.

Honestly this is a moot point because if devs were willing to put the time and effort into developing games for the PS3, despite the fact that it was so out there in development it might as well be alien tech- there is no reason why the Wii U was unworkable when it might as well of been a Nintendo DS- Console edition.

I think the difference there was that the PS3 could compete hardware wise with the 360, so when it came to multiplatform games they didn't need to start from scratch to make it run on that system. And even then, the first couple of years multiplatform games on the PS3 looked worse than on the 360, and Sony (Kutaragi in particular) got a lot of shit over the Cell architechture. The Wii-U can't compete with PS4 and Xbone, which would be fine if it had the "casual" appeal of the Wii, but it doesn't.

Whether it's hard to develop for I wouldn't know, but the Wii-U is simply the unpopular malcontent among the consoles, so third-parties rather stay away from it. And I honestly don't really blame them.

 

[Dragonbums]

Developing for the Wii U is a horrendous pain in the ass.

Honestly this is a moot point because if devs were willing to put the time and effort into developing games for the PS3, despite the fact that it was so out there in development it might as well be alien tech- there is no reason why the Wii U was unworkable when it might as well of been a Nintendo DS- Console edition.

I think the difference there was that the PS3 could compete hardware wise with the 360, so when it came to multiplatform games they didn't need to start from scratch to make it run on that system. And even then, the first couple of years multiplatform games on the PS3 looked worse than on the 360, and Sony (Kutaragi in particular) got a lot of shit over the Cell architechture. The Wii-U can't compete with PS4 and Xbone, which would be fine if it had the "casual" appeal of the Wii, but it doesn't.

Whether it's hard to develop for I wouldn't know, but the Wii-U is simply the unpopular malcontent among the consoles, so third-parties rather stay away from it. And I honestly don't really blame them.

If it's in terms of unpopularity than from a monetary standpoint I can understand that. It's one thing to claim that it isn't worth the effort due to potential market share. (and devs still didn't develop for the Wii due to supposed high first party support.)

It's another thing altogether the claim that the console is literally too hard to develop for when you as a had no issues with developing for the PS3 despite it being way harder to make games for.

 

[Xman490]

This "report" makes more sense than any rumor, since Nintendo has been on the "smaller touchscreen, bigger main screen" concept these last few years. Such a thing could act as both a smart device in the same way as a Samsung Note and "Wii U" in the same way as the Wii was a GameCube.

Man, that Wii-U is sure to pick up steam eventu-... oh.

You're a year and a half too late on that sentiment. Mario Kart and Smash already landed, and they were the console's biggest hopes. Zelda being announced also implied that its life cycle's end was on the horizon, like with Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword (which were followed by a few more games as new consoles came out).

 

[The White Hunter]

I expect 2017, to be honest, I expect it to be a bit more competitive hardware wise but we'll see. If it's coming 2016 it's a handheld I suspect.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Textbook Osborne Effect.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osborne_effect

They might as well get on with it. The Wii U failed for all intents and purposes. But then the pattern remains the same: Nintendo rushes in with a vague, poorly-marketed follow-up to their preceding console and release it at the worst possible time.

 

[Las7]

The way I see it:
The mobile(handheld) NX Unit would be released in 2016 as well as the new account system DeNa is building with Nintendo.
Majority of handheld games released should be later available on the new console. The console I expect to be released in 2017, likely until than Nintendo might be releasing certain handheld games upscaled on the Wii U. Zelda U might actually be hybrid release - MobileNX/Wii U

I don't know what the plan is since I believe that the best option to appease Wii U adopters is to have their games/account be transferable to the new mobile/console NX. The problem I see is that there are certain Wii U games which utilize the Gamepad and if the new console doesn't have Gyro or a Second Screen they might not work.