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[AmyS]

This is potentially the most exciting aspect of NX.

Show us soon, Nintendo.

 

[Rösti]

Here is a little update, I've gotten permission from the inventor, Joe Bentdahl, to post this. From a Facebook post:

Jeremy Buckley So I'm gonna see if I understand this. Your making something to basically recreate Xbox live (Internet gaming/online gaming) so it's set up to be more local so that way your console isn't relying on Internet connection and makes things slow and laggy?

Joe Bentdahl Not really it is a cloud network device designed to offload some storage, ram, and processing power so you don't have to rely on the power of the console. Essentially old consoles could operate with equal processing power and ram to new consoles using the cloud.

Jeremy Buckley Ahh okay. That still makes sense and that awesome you did something like that. Hella cool!

I won't provide a direct link, but it's on his Facebook page anyway.

 

[doop_]

Huh
So this might be for the Wii U ?

 

[Galava]

Here is a little update, I've gotten permission from the inventor, Joe Bentdahl, to post this. From a Facebook post:

...

So, upgradable console without actually needing to upgrade it.

 

[BY2K]

And who is Jeremy Buckley?

 

[blu]

Here is a little update, I've gotten permission from the inventor, Joe Bentdahl, to post this. From a Facebook post:


I won't provide a direct link, but it's on his Facebook page anyway.

So it's a low-latency distributed-computing appliance. As expected.

 

[maxcriden]

Huh
So this might be for the Wii U ?

I took it to mean, it will allow a base NX to become more in line with current or future consoles. I think it is safe to assume nothing is for Wii U any more, sadly. ;___;

 

[BuggyMike]

Here is a little update, I've gotten permission from the inventor, Joe Bentdahl, to post this. From a Facebook post:


I won't provide a direct link, but it's on his Facebook page anyway.

Wow. Guess sometimes all you gotta do is ask lol. So it sounds like the main purpose they would intent to use this for is specifically to increase performance. Like hundreds have said, this would make a lot of sense in conjunction with a "hybrid" console atempting to deliver on both an adequate handheld and console experience.

EDIT: oh snap I guess I missed the point that this device would work to make an older/weaker NX perform like a newer/more powerful NX through the cloud. Pretty cool.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Huh
So this might be for the Wii U ?

I think it means NX. The NX is supposed to be multiple devices. One system then the next system will come later. Those original NX systems won't get left behind it sounds like.

 

[Peterc]

Huh
So this might be for the Wii U ?

3rd party developers are already hating the wiiu about his structure to develop for.

So i don't think they would use it for wiiu, but maybe to upgrade the NX.

I don't think when ps5 is released, an upgrade of the NX is a smart move.

People like to have new gadgets like ps5, iphone 7...
By upgrading your older system, it still feels like an old console, even when it's cheap.

It would be nice to upgrade the NX when playing at home, to make it equal to ps4 neo.

 

[The_Lump]

Tasty.

Spoiler

If it works

.

As expected, this sounds like Nintendo's grand plan to give their next (modestly powerful) console some semblance of parity with its contemporaries going forward.

 

[Fourth Storm]

Here is a little update, I've gotten permission from the inventor, Joe Bentdahl, to post this. From a Facebook post:


I won't provide a direct link, but it's on his Facebook page anyway.

Thanks, as always!

So I think this is an interesting confirmation that this is definitely not something like a PCIe or even USB connection between the local console and SCD. It's a cloud computing device plain and simple, even when attached physically (probably via ethernet cable). Maybe we'll see something like this in a year or two after NX releases.

 

[Peterc]

Here is a little update, I've gotten permission from the inventor, Joe Bentdahl, to post this. From a Facebook post:


I won't provide a direct link, but it's on his Facebook page anyway.

Do you know (if you can tell) if they are planning to use it with the NX?

 

[Orakio Rob]

This is very cool, but I think it demands an infrastructure that Nintendo doesn't have. Might be too complex and expensive for them right now. We'll see.

Edit: I'm talking about the cloud stuff. If this works on a local network, I think they can do it.

 

[Litri]

This is very cool, but I think it demands an infrastructure that Nintendo doesn't have. Might be too complex and expensive for them right now. We'll see.

What if the 100 million $ mystery adquisition done by Nintendo has to do with this? Remember it was done in Nintendo's 2014 fiscal year... They could have worked that out until now¿?

 

[thefro]

This is very cool, but I think it demands an infrastructure that Nintendo doesn't have. Might be too complex and expensive for them right now. We'll see.

Edit: I'm talking about the cloud stuff. If this works on a local network, I think they can do it.

If you read the patent, the SCDs would be the infrastructure. Basically every one can be a cloud server when it's not in use.

So if Nintendo sells 10 million SCDs, they suddenly have a very powerful cloud computing network.

 

[qko]

Best way to sell this is have a portable sku without the dock, and a "console dock" sku that includes the dock +SCD.

But yeah, Nintendo is going to have to find a fun way to market this because it'll be hard to explain. Unless the call it something made up like blast processing and call it a day.

 

[Retrobox]

Being technically inept blows. How could a cloud network possibly boost a console's performance? That sounds like a "gotta download more RAM" kind of contradiction.

 

[Peterc]

But hell yeah, if it comes to the NX:

 

[bachikarn]

Still very skeptical that this thing will work that well.

 

[megasus]

If you read the patent, the SCDs would be the infrastructure. Basically every one can be a cloud server when it's not in use.

So if Nintendo sells 10 million SCDs, they suddenly have a very powerful cloud computing network.

Nintendo's evil master plan: Create a massive botnet and target xbox live + psn with a large scale DDoS attack that will take them down forever, becoming yet again the leader in the game console business. For centuries to come. Long live the big N!

 

[BGBW]

I don't think when ps5 is released, an upgrade of the NX is a smart move.

From the sounds of it, they would release a new system while also offering a way to upgrade an older system to match in performance. So those who want a shiny new toy can do so, while the more budget conscience have the option of not being left behind.

 

[Peltz]

Still very skeptical that this thing will work that well.

That has nothing to do with the decision of whether a device or process should be patented. Nintendo probably has no plans to use this technology in their next hardware.

 

[ShadowFox08]

Here is a little update, I've gotten permission from the inventor, Joe Bentdahl, to post this. From a Facebook post:


I won't provide a direct link, but it's on his Facebook page anyway.

Why the heck does this sound impossible like downloading RAM?

 

[Peterc]

From the sounds of it, they would release a new system while also offering a way to upgrade an older system to match in performance. So those who want a shiny new toy can do so, while the more budget conscience have the option of not being left behind.

Yes, i like it and it would be the best way for them.

On the other side, Nintendo mostly bring new tech to the market when releasing a new console.

For example, if they would make games for some new device thats only possible on the new console, how would they make it possible on the older console too?

 

[blu]

Why the heck does this sound impossible like downloading RAM?

What makes it sound that way?

 

[Peterc]

Why the heck does this sound impossible like downloading RAM?

It's not downloading RAM. The calculatings could happen on the cloud and send back to your console, instead of doing all calculations on your own console device.

This is not something new, nintendo talked about this before in Nintendo A&Q section way before this patent when the wiiu wasn't released yet.

They explained they could do some calculation on other service so the game could run faster.


It would be diffecult to find, but it was about future network upgrades, I'll try to find it again.

 

[Yado]

The Nintendo hivemind is finally going to be a real thing. Resistance is futile.

 

[TyMiles2012]

Kinda reminds me of how Microsoft's cloud system will render physics on Crackdown 3 through the cloud. I wouldn't call this a new concept, but an idea used brilliantly in a whole ecosystem.

I'm really curious as to how well this will perform for people who are using horrible rural or dish internet.

 

[Skittzo0413]

Kinda reminds me of how Microsoft's cloud system will render physics on Crackdown 3 through the cloud. I wouldn't call this a new concept, but an idea used brilliantly in a whole ecosystem.

I'm really curious as to how well this will perform for people who are using horrible rural or dish internet.

This is fairly unique and different from Microsoft's cloud system because it does not use Microsoft's servers for the computation, rather it uses the SCD's that consumers have bought. That makes it MUCH cheaper and more reliable by having a semi-distributed server network where the consumer is the one paying for the power/internet connection to the "server."

Then the consumer is "rewarded" for having other users tap into their SCD, so that it doesn't feel like they're exactly putting the burden of maintaining the network on us.

It's a very cool idea, I just don't know when we should expect it to come to fruition.

 

[TyMiles2012]

This is fairly unique and different from Microsoft's cloud system because it does not use Microsoft's servers for the computation, rather it uses the SCD's that consumers have bought. That makes it MUCH cheaper and more reliable by having a semi-distributed server network where the consumer is the one paying for the power/internet connection to the "server."

Then the consumer is "rewarded" for having other users tap into their SCD, so that it doesn't feel like they're exactly putting the burden of maintaining the network on us.

It's a very cool idea, I just don't know when we should expect it to come to fruition.

I don't want to guess too soon, but it's definitely in the territory that Sony and Microsoft want to tap into seeing their interest in cloud computing, since they don't want to be copied. So this sounds like it could be the kick the system has. It definitely should be a huge part of the system especially since you're rewarded for using the device, assuming they're My Nintendo coins. Assuming it's used, the NX itself could probably tap into other NX consoles for extremely light work, but then they could release the SCD for heavy duty calculations.

 

[Horsefly]

What if the scd isn't intended for consumers?

 

[Ck1]

Kinda reminds me of how Microsoft's cloud system will render physics on Crackdown 3 through the cloud. I wouldn't call this a new concept, but an idea used brilliantly in a whole ecosystem.

I'm really curious as to how well this will perform for people who are using horrible rural or dish internet.

Definitely a similar idea but technically with Nintendo's approach, instead of being isolated to receive cloud computations from a server farm say way in Arizona or something. The network could easily divide the workload up between maybe hundreds or thousands of SCD units much closer to the user in their given location... This would result in far less latency and bandwidth issues than what's been previously done with cloud computing.

Also making Nintendo free from having to pay employees to maintain such a cloud network and keeping from charging a monthly fee for such a service all at the same time.

 

[Peterc]

Kinda reminds me of how Microsoft's cloud system will render physics on Crackdown 3 through the cloud. I wouldn't call this a new concept, but an idea used brilliantly in a whole ecosystem.

I'm really curious as to how well this will perform for people who are using horrible rural or dish internet.

Its much more than what MS did. So i would call it a new concept. It's like going from sd to 4k ultra hd



Btw found this already from 2013, but there is also one before

http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Iwata-Ask...-Dreams/9-NERD-s-Goals-and-Dreams-759323.html


http://m.neogaf.com/showpost.php?p=59495429


I don't believe it's just another patent. Its their DREAM

I'll try to find the other one




A month before he said:
http://n4g.com/news/1165892/iwata-cloud-gaming-not-the-future

But thats maybe about cloud streaming

 

[TyMiles2012]

Its much more than what MS did. So i would call it a new concept. It's like going from sd to 4k ultra hd



Btw found this already from 2013, but there is also one before

http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Iwata-Ask...-Dreams/9-NERD-s-Goals-and-Dreams-759323.html


http://m.neogaf.com/showpost.php?p=59495429


I don't believe it's just another patent. Its their DREAM

I'll try to find the other one




A month before he said:
http://n4g.com/news/1165892/iwata-cloud-gaming-not-the-future

But thats maybe about cloud streaming

I definitely think Iwata was talking about Cloud Streaming. I have 45mbps down and 5mbps upload and even with low latency, I always have issues with game streaming. Streaming calculations would be much more accurate, and nice find on the NERD article! They have to be planning something related to this without a doubt, that kind of R&D costs a LOT of money, I'm sure. If this actually gets used, we could see a lot of creative stuff from devs that you wouldn't see on PS4 or Xbox One, which fits Nintendo's philosophy with experiences you can't find anywhere else. People want power and people want cheap. This is definitely the way to go.

Do you also think this could be a "generationless" approach like what Xbox is doing? It seems like people globally are very accustomed to that due to smartphones. Compatibility across the board.

 

[Matbtz]

It could be cool to use the Wii U to beef up the NX (I don't think it will work that way but a man can dream!) ! Since it surely won't have BC it wouldn't bother me to keep my Wii U under my tv.

 

[MCN]

What about people with slow internet, or data caps?

 

[Ck1]

What about people with slow internet, or data caps?

They could just buy a SCD unit themselves if they desire the cloud computing experience! It definitely sounds like this would be a more varied route to a network solution that isn't completely exclusive to those that have bad Internet.

 

[TyMiles2012]

They could just buy a SCD unit themselves if they desire the cloud computing experience! It definitely sounds like this would be a more varied route to a network solution that isn't completely exclusive to those that have bad Internet.

I can assume the SCD itself has some extra horsepower, but nothing spectacular.

Assuming those with 3/0.5 rural internet can't use it lol

 

[Ck1]

I can assume the SCD itself has some extra horsepower, but nothing spectacular.

Assuming those with 3/0.5 rural internet can't use it lol

The patent shows the ability to Daisy chain these devices together, so if a person has no other alternative for better Internet. They can save up and buy multiple SCD units as local source

 

[TyMiles2012]

The patent shows the ability to Daisy chain these devices together, so if a person has no other alternative for better Internet. They can save up and buy multiple SCD units as local source

Forgot about that. Lol I wonder if they can be latched together like Legos rather than corded up. That would be a mess

 

[Diablohead]

Each Nx cart will come with its own onboard computer

Super FX 3

 

[qko]

Why the heck does this sound impossible like downloading RAM?

You don't necessarily download RAM, but you can kinda let RAM on cloud do the operations and processes it would do on the motherboard. But it's not that easy because you would need a nice fast connection to avoid some real bad slowdown.

 

[Steph_E.]

[*]In some instances, the functionality of the device may be basic in order to keep a cost of the device relatively low. As such, the device may be free from drivers, video cards, user-control interfaces, and the like.

To me this sounds a bit like the NX docking port discussed in NX threads, when it is envisaged as simply a pass-through to the TV. This also ties in with the idea that the NX is supposed to be priced for less than people think.

 

[Anastasis]

Could this possibly work given what we know so far? I have no expertise in this area, but I'm going crazy thinking about what the NX could be. So here goes:

The NX is like a Wii U (gamepad + console) whose gamepad can be taken anywhere as a portable.

1) Iwata said in an investor's meeting:

In this perspective, while we are only going to be able to start this with the next system, it will become important for us to accurately take advantage of what we have done with the Wii U architecture. It of course does not mean that we are going to use exactly the same architecture as Wii U, but we are going to create a system that can absorb the Wii U architecture adequately. When this happens, home consoles and handheld devices will no longer be completely different, and they will become like brothers in a family of systems.

Seems they liked the basic concept of the Wii U and wanted to use some ideas behind it as a way to bridge the gap between consoles and handhelds. What better way than to make the gamepad have a theoretically much longer range. How?

2) In this 2012 interview with Polygon (here), Broadcom fleshed out what was possible with the streaming tech behind the gamepad and how far the gamepad could theoretically reach. Repeaters could be used as well as a solid Wi-Fi connection. What would work as a repeater?

3) This SCD patent seems to not just be about repeating, but also sharing processing. When further away from home, instead of connecting all the way back to one's own home console, other NX owner's who opt in can share their console's processing power for different rewards as mentioned in the patent (discounts, access to other SCD's, etc.). Perhaps in standby, NX home consoles along the way could lend a core or two to help process some calculations of the game.

4) Many rumors bring up streaming as being a core component, which would align with all of the above.

5) What happens when you don't have a connection? I have no idea. Other games would be available - the virtual console of course as well as others.

Thoughts?

 

[Skittzo0413]

Could this possibly work given what we know so far? I have no expertise in this area, but I'm going crazy thinking about what the NX could be. So here goes:

The NX is like a Wii U (gamepad + console) whose gamepad can be taken anywhere as a portable.

1) Iwata said in an investor's meeting:

Seems they liked the basic concept of the Wii U and wanted to use some ideas behind it as a way to bridge the gap between consoles and handhelds. What better way than to make the gamepad have a theoretically much longer range. How?

2) In this 2012 interview with Polygon (here), Broadcom fleshed out what was possible with the streaming tech behind the gamepad and how far the gamepad could theoretically reach. Repeaters could be used as well as a solid Wi-Fi connection. What would work as a repeater?

3) This SCD patent seems to not just be about repeating, but also sharing processing. When further away from home, instead of connecting all the way back to one's own home console, other NX owner's who opt in can share their console's processing power for different rewards as mentioned in the patent (discounts, access to other SCD's, etc.). Perhaps in standby, NX home consoles along the way could lend a core or two to help process some calculations of the game.

4) Many rumors bring up streaming as being a core component, which would align with all of the above.

5) What happens when you don't have a connection? I have no idea. Other games would be available - the virtual console of course as well as others.

Thoughts?

Are you saying that the gamepad part would have no processor at all? Like the Wii U gamepad? I kinda doubt you'd get reliable enough access to SCDs out in the world if that is the case, but I admit I know very little about streaming tech.

I do agree with you that streaming is rumored to be a big focus for the NX, so it's certainly an interesting thought. The reveal really can't come soon enough!

 

[Anastasis]

Are you saying that the gamepad part would have no processor at all? Like the Wii U gamepad? I kinda doubt you'd get reliable enough access to SCDs out in the world if that is the case, but I admit I know very little about streaming tech.

I do agree with you that streaming is rumored to be a big focus for the NX, so it's certainly an interesting thought. The reveal really can't come soon enough!

I can't imagine the gamepad not having any processor, just not much of one.

 

[Muppet of a Man]

The nature of the NX is a relatively cheap portable console hybrid. I wonder if you can run them in a parallel configuration in console mode (i.e., multiple NXs daisy chained together for enhanced graphics and performance).

 

[dead_lighter]

Is this NX dock a local cloud computing or something similar to the processing box of the playstation VR ? I'm lost. Can't wait for Nintendo to unveil this beast.

 

[I Stalk Alone]

The scd is also in the form of a tenga toy. Wearables!


Runs on the power of gerbil fast motion.