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[Mpl90]

Right.

Some are really stretching here.

To be honest, while Nintendo acknowledged NX, gave a release period and announced Zelda for it, they haven't properly unveiled it yet. By proper unveiling, I mean showing the device(s), announcing more games and clearer infos on NX itself/themselves, with all the bells and whistles of the case. So, I guess NDAs could properly end when the official unveiling event happens. In the same way Nintendo is maintaining absolute silence on NX so far, except the tidbits they gave a few months ago to stakeholders.

On DQX/XI: they have been actually announced (the DQ producer read it from the event's script), but SE backtracked right after. That's not a proper announcement, it's more like a "controlled leak" IMHO.

 

[zelas]

NDAs didnt stop us from knowing devs were working with Sony and MS. No one is asking these guys for a full breakdown of the NX. People are just wanting to know if Nintendo is communicating with third parties. If NDAs were so restrictive EA wouldnt have been so public talking about the lack of communications from Nintendo.

 

[HandsomeCharles]

It can go either way. But the "thing" has been oficially announced, what's the point of such NDA?

Knowing what developers have access to the hardware can allow people to make deductions about what kind of hardware it is. If predominantly handheld/mobile studios start talking about it then chances are it's a handheld (for example).

It's very clear that Nintendo doesn't want to expose any information about this console until they are 100% ready. That includes what types of games might be being made.

NDAs didnt stop us from knowing devs were working with Sony and MS. No one is asking these guys for a full breakdown of the NX. People are just wanting to know if Nintendo is communicating with third parties. If NDAs were so restrictive EA wouldnt have been so public talking about the lack of communications from Nintendo.

Not all NDA's are made equal. It could very well be the case that a breach of this particular NDA will result in the title being made by the studio being struck off or denied publication. That would be a fairly heavy incentive for a studio's employees to keep their mouthes shut.

 

[Rösti]

I can confirm that what Lou Studdert at Toys for Bob says regarding Nintendo NX is true. I'd even further emphasize "very" in this context. Of course, his comment appears to be a more general statement about Nintendo, but it applies very well to that of NX too.

I've talked about this in the past, but I thought I could chime in still.

 

[Dark Cloud]

I can confirm that what Lou Studdert at Toys for Bob says regarding Nintendo NX is true. I'd even further emphasize "very" in this context. Of course, his comment appears to be a more general statement about Nintendo, but it applies very well to that of NX too.

I've talked about this in the past, but I thought I could chime in still.

Well, there it is. Rosti would know what's going down.

 

[Herb Alpert]

This secrecy is becoming more and more ridiculous. Unless the thing doesn't launch until fall 2017.

 

[TheJoRu]

It's very clear that Nintendo doesn't want to expose any information about this console until they are 100% ready. That includes what types of games might be being made.

Yet they have themselves announced that the new Zelda game is coming to NX.

 

[Mr. Pointy]

Nintendo are Lockheed Skunkworks and the DoD in the 80s keeping their NX stealth fighter as secret as possible.

And we're all either Russian spies trying to find out how the hell it works, or UFOlogists trying to figure out what it looks like and whether it's proof that aliens crashed at Roswell in '47.

 

[Nikodemos]

Aren't Nintendo super paranoid about their NDAs? Like, they have clauses which forbid you from discussing or even hinting at the NDA itself?

 

[AntMurda]

EGM should ask Emily Rogers. Even though Nintendo doesn't want game developers to know what NX, she gets the pass.

 

[Ansatz]

This points to either the machine being able to get easy ports and/or Nintendo screwing up again with only 9 months to go before launch, so we'll see which is the case.

I'm not getting the impression that Nintendo is actively approaching western 3rd parties, so I wouldn't classify it as screwing it up. Wii U screwed it up since AAA multiplats were obviously part of the system's original software strategy, having EA on their E3 stage and so on ("a console that can satisfy both the casuals and hardcore")

I don't think it makes sense for them to plan NX such that 3rd parties are a necessary component for its success given the circumstances, this because it's an external factor they have no control over and NX has to be a guaranteed success according to their internal definition.

 

[KingSnake]

I doubt you could sign NX NDAs and talk about it anyway...even the people working on games or know about the system wont say shit before the system is unveiled. So its nice for EGM to ask...but what were they expecting ? lol

Nintendos primary concern for third party support is from Japan it would appear which is fine. They do need some of the big western titles though.

I believe the problem is that, since there's no outright reveal yet, NDAs are still so tight that developers and publishers can't reveal their direct involvement yet, even if they're actually involved. We know dev kits are in the wild (even if it's true we don't know how spread they are), between rumours and actual confirmations (like Koei Tecmo's latest investor meeting), and we know the NDAs are tight as hell (said multiple times in multiple occasions), so I can perfectly believe many developers can't come out and say "we have this and that" at all, and are contractually obligated to state they don't know, no comment and stuff like that.

Despite this, I maintain pessimism towards the Western major support for the platform (in case it's a family pf devices), because...not everyone is saying lies, there are developers who genuinely don't know about it (we've seen Tomas Mahler lamenting about it here on GAF, for example; I'm going to say Ready at Dawn is potentially another one). Even if it's not as much as it was months ago.

Pretty much.

Not that I'm expecting much anyway coming from western third-party devs anyway.

This is really stretching it a lot. If the devs in the OP would have signed a NDA and that NDA wouldn't permit them talking about NX they would pretty much say "I can't comment". The statements in the OP already break such a hypothetical very hush hush NDA.

Sometimes there are NDAs. When those exist, people tend to say they cannot comment on it.

In this case, they are flat out saying they are waiting to hear from Nintendo and have no idea what's going on.

That's not NDA deflection.

Right.

Some are really stretching here.

Pretty much this.

 

[Chû Totoro]

Most 3rd parties won't make games for launch anyway. Nintendo should focus on big games only so just giving big 3rd party (EA, Activision and Ubi as a start) information about NX.

And I'm sure EA, Activision and Ubi have discussed with Nintendo.


Others will come if the next system sells well and EA, Activision and Ubi will keep supporting if sales are good.

Ready at Dawn are cute but for now they're not a priority (and it's logical).

 

[Mediking]

Nintendo should be in full desperation mode for 3rd parties.

 

[Dark Cloud]

Nintendo should be in full desperation mode for 3rd parties.

Not for Ready at Dawn. They're not some top developer.

 

[cw_sasuke]

This is really stretching the extra mile. If the devs in the OP would have signed a NDA and that NDA wouldn't permit them talking about NX they would pretty much say "I can't comment". The statements in the OP already break such a hypothetical very hush hush NDA.

And you think EGM would run an article when all they got was " I cant comment" ? The point is how useless the article is since only type of dev can comment on it...so whats the point asking if you know you wont get any information, since the people who are in the known wont spill the beans ? You only get one side of the coin and run with it....and the doesnt offer anything new to the Discussion.

 

[Aostia]

Not for Ready at Dawn. They're not some top developer.

The news here is Toys for Bob. I mean if the wiiu had one series locked down was skylander

 

[Neff]

The secrecy is in line with the simple statement they made last year.

We can’t talk about the NX. If we do, competitors may take our ideas and customers won’t be surprised. This would not be beneficial for the company or its shareholders.

Read more: http://wccftech.com/nintendonextgen-nx-console-steal-ideas/#ixzz4AW6ztwlH

Their NDAs probably reflect that. NDAs vary greatly regarding both reward and punishment. I'd assume the NX hush is potentially severe and/or lucrative enough for most to think 15 minutes of fame on NeoGAF probably isn't worth it.

 

[Father_Brain]

With this and the Monster Games news, seems like their software focus for NX has gotten even more Japan-centric.

 

[zelas]

Not all NDA's are made equal. It could very well be the case that a breach of this particular NDA will result in the title being made by the studio being struck off or denied publication. That would be a fairly heavy incentive for a studio's employees to keep their mouthes shut.

NDAs not allowing publishers to say they were talking to Nintendo about the possibility of talks about possible relationships in the future is not something a company known to be this strict is now likely to put just on random publishers. What reason do we have to ignore Nintendo's history this time and believe that developers that have said they havent been approached and the developers that have said they are working with Nintendo are all liars?

 

[KingSnake]

And you think EGM would run an article when all they got was " I cant comment" ? The point is how useless the article is since only type of dev can comment on it...so whats the point asking if you know you wont get any information, since the people who are in the known wont spill the beans ? You only get one side of the coin and run with it....and the doesnt offer anything new to the Discussion.

But it does bring new info into the discussion. The info in the article is pretty clear. The fact that this is the only info on the table it's not EGM's fault. When there will be more info from what you hope to be "the other side" we can discuss that too.

 

[AntMurda]

With this and the Monster Games news, seems like their software focus for NX has gotten even more Japan-centric.

MG seemed to enjoy working on Nintendo first-party projects for a few years. But their dream (as per president) was always returning to the nascar franchise. It's their true passion.

 

[Dark Cloud]

The news here is Toys for Bob. I mean if the wiiu had one series locked down was skylander

I agree they need Skylanders, but come on have they missed a year of Skylanders on Wii U?

 

[Maxrunner]

With this and the Monster Games news, seems like their software focus for NX has gotten even more Japan-centric.

What happened to monster games ?

 

[TheSlySoul]

I feel like NX will have trouble with western third-party, just guessing...

 

[Triggerhappytel]

Most 3rd parties won't make games for launch anyway. Nintendo should focus on big games only so just giving big 3rd party (EA, Activision and Ubi as a start) information about NX.

And I'm sure EA, Activision and Ubi have discussed with Nintendo.

Others will come if the next system sells well and EA, Activision and Ubi will keep supporting if sales are good.

Ready at Dawn are cute but for now they're not a priority (and it's logical).

They need as much support as physically possible, and they are not in the position to be selective otherwise we'll end up with a Wii (token support consisting of shovelware) or Wii U ("unprecedented support" which very quickly dies out) again.

Not for Ready at Dawn. They're not some top developer.

Ready at Dawn are going full third party with the biggest videogame retailer in the world as the publisher. No they are not a "top developer", but they're a mid-sized development studio with experience in big-budget western games, which strikes me as exactly the kind of dev Nintendo should be reaching out to. On the other hand, Activision recently announced that Skylanders has become the 11th most profitable game franchise ever, so Toys for Bob is exactly the kind of "top developer" Nintendo should be courting.

 

[pastrami]

I'm more inclined to believe we haven't gotten NX leaks because Nintendo just aren't letting many people know about it, not because they have super ninjas and NDAs.

 

[Mpl90]

I agree they need Skylanders, but come on have they missed a year of Skylanders on Wii U?

Let's assume Toys for Bob are sincere here...fernoca earlier layed out a possibility for Skylanders to be on NX, despite Toys for Bob not having dev kits. Simply enough, another developer is on the job. Viacrous Visions, for example, worked on Skylanders Giants for Wii U's launch, while Toys for Bob worked on all the other versions. So, even if they are telling the truth about their own knowledge on NX, it doesn't spell doom and gloom / it's not so concerning about Skylanders on the platform.

A small tidbit I just noticed: for the first time, there are no Wii / 3DS versions of Skylanders either. Only PS3/PS4/One/360/Wii U, at least for now.

 

[thefro]

Most 3rd parties won't make games for launch anyway. Nintendo should focus on big games only so just giving big 3rd party (EA, Activision and Ubi as a start) information about NX.

And I'm sure EA, Activision and Ubi have discussed with Nintendo

EA's on record saying they've been talking with Nintendo about NX.

There was also the Fortune magazine report saying third party partners of Nintendo discussed the console with them at E3 2015, which I suspect would be coming from sources at Western publishers.

Ready at Dawn are going full third party with the biggest videogame retailer in the world as the publisher. No they are not a "top developer", but they're a mid-sized development studio with experience in big-budget western games, which strikes me as exactly the kind of dev Nintendo should be reaching out to. On the other hand, Activision recently announced that Skylanders has become the 11th most profitable game franchise ever, so Toys for Bob is exactly the kind of "top developer" Nintendo should be courting.

Their publisher (GameTrust) is talking with Nintendo. I'm sure Activision has been in contact with Nintendo on NX as well. Devs aren't the ones making the decisions as to what platforms a retail game comes to, it's the publishers.

That's assuming that Toys for Bob/Ready at Dawn aren't being coy about what they know because of NDAs (i.e. "waiting on news from Nintendo" = waiting on official announcement before they can say anything, dev kit refers to hardware, not sdk, etc.)

 

[Prisoner KSC2-303]

The secrecy is in line with the simple statement they made last year.



Their NDAs probably reflect that. NDAs vary greatly regarding both reward and punishment. I'd assume the NX hush is potentially severe and/or lucrative enough for most to think 15 minutes of fame on NeoGAF probably isn't worth it.

But the problem with the secrecy is that it's only really possible by remaining an insular company, which is what many believe is a hurdle to Nintendo's future home console success as it means fewer links with third parties who may leak things.

It will be almost impossible to have both absolute control of information and court as many devs and publishers as possible to garner third party support. Sony and MS appear to accept that leaks are a trade off in that bargain, but Nintendo seem to be doubling down on the concept of surprising everyone.

We're fast approaching the point where information that leaks shouldn't be a major hindrance, as if competitors could replicate their USP in the interim between now and the NX launch, then it won't remain a USP for long after launch anyway. Unless they're unsure of launching in March, which could explain things.

 

[sixteen-bit]

I feel like NX will have trouble with western third-party, just guessing...

pretty safe assumption considering Nintendo's history

 

[The Giant]

With this and the Monster Games news.

Huh? what are you on about?

 

[Father_Brain]

What happened to monster games ?

Huh? what are you on about?

They're currently developing a NASCAR game for PC/PS4/XB1, which means they aren't developing an NX launch-window title (they're too small for that).

Given that you can count NCL's longstanding relationships with Western third-party studios on two fingers (NLG being the other), it's not a good sign.

 

[Dark Cloud]

They're currently developing a NASCAR game for PC/PS4/XB1, which means they aren't developing an NX launch-window title (they're too small for that).

Given that you can count NCL's longstanding relationships with Western third-party studios on two fingers (NLG being the other), it's not a good sign.

Why is that a problem though? Nintendo doesn't own them. After the NASCAR game they can make a Excite game for NX.

 

[lherre]

Sometimes there are NDAs. When those exist, people tend to say they cannot comment on it.

In this case, they are flat out saying they are waiting to hear from Nintendo and have no idea what's going on.

That's not NDA deflection.

I think the same about it (and it corroborates my experience asking the same question).

 

[Maxrunner]

They're currently developing a NASCAR game for PC/PS4/XB1, which means they aren't developing an NX launch-window title (they're too small for that).

Given that you can count NCL's longstanding relationships with Western third-party studios on two fingers (NLG being the other), it's not a good sign.

Strange they were rumoured to be working on diddy kong racing 2.

 

[HandsomeCharles]

NDAs not allowing publishers to say they were talking to Nintendo about the possibility of talks about possible relationships in the future is not something a company known to be this strict is now likely to put just on random publishers. What reason do we have to ignore Nintendo's history this time and believe that developers that have said they havent been approached and the developers that have said they are working with Nintendo are all liars?

Sorry, I'm not sure I quite understand what you mean but I'll answer the last bit anyway.

The turnaround for a game is normally somewhere in the 2-3 year mark. A new console launch can be a very lucrative time for developers and publishers purely because the amount of software available is normally quite low, meaning that even a mediocre title can sell upwards of one million copies (assuming this is a console from an already established manufacturer).

Now, not in all, but in most cases it would be beneficial for a publisher to get on-board with new hardware. Simply put its a good opportunity to make money.

Now, seeing as there are less than 12 months until the NX is launched, I would assume that some (3rd party) developers have had development kits for about a year. Who they are and what they do, I have no idea, but I find it incredibly unlikely that Nintendo is prepping the launch of a new platform and has not yet given out development kits with this little time remaining. Unless they are deciding to totally Buck the trend and are not intending to have any 3rd party content at all.

So, to summarise I think it's just down to practicality. If there is gonna be 3rd party support in this thing in time for launch day, they will have had to have given out kits by now.

 

[Skittzo0413]

So whether or not these developers are under NDAs no one can argue that Nintendo is being insanely secretive when it comes to NX, and when a multi-billion dollar company is being this secretive and mysterious, there has to be something going on... right?

I wasn't following the Wii launch this closely, does anyone remember if Nintendo (and other devs) were this tight lipped about the Revolution? I know that was revealed well over a year before it launched, so it's not necessarily the same type of situation, but it's still worth comparing.

That quote about "competitors stealing our ideas" is really getting my hopes up on their "new way to play," and I don't know how to feel about that. I doubt they could possibly deliver something that can live up to all of this silence, but the off chance that they do has me really excited.

Wishful thinking likely.

 

[The Giant]

They're currently developing a NASCAR game for PC/PS4/XB1, which means they aren't developing an NX launch-window title (they're too small for that).

Given that you can count NCL's longstanding relationships with Western third-party studios on two fingers (NLG being the other), it's not a good sign.

Wow, their first non-nintendo game in 9 years.

 

[Dark Cloud]

I feel like the NX will be something revolutionary to video games.

 

[Shiggy]

Strange they were rumoured to be working on diddy kong racing 2.

Somebody making up some bullshit already warrants the status of a rumour now?

 

[MK_768]

Yet they have themselves announced that the new Zelda game is coming to NX.

That's cause it was common sense lmfao. Everybody and their pet cat knew Zelda was coming to NX as well.

 

[MuchoMalo]

I can confirm that what Lou Studdert at Toys for Bob says regarding Nintendo NX is true. I'd even further emphasize "very" in this context. Of course, his comment appears to be a more general statement about Nintendo, but it applies very well to that of NX too.

I've talked about this in the past, but I thought I could chime in still.

Yep. If a dev is saying that they don't know, it's because they don't know. Drop the NDA shield, people. Let's stick to reality.

 

[Bots are better than you]

Yep. If a dev is saying that they don't know, it's because they don't know. Drop the NDA shield, people. Let's stick to reality.

Read Studdert's answer again, read Rösti's post again, go back and read Rösti's earlier posts about draconic NDAs and Nintendo.

 

[Turrican3]

nvm

 

[Regiruler]

I want deformers on NX. It's a bad sign if RAD don't have a devkit but since Gametrust seems more in the know they might be able to hook RAD up with one if GS/GT decides to pursue it.

FWIW Egm picked two good devs to ask since skylanders does decently on wii u (so NX ports are probably definite) and as I mentioned, deformers looks in line with nintendo's own output.

 

[Ck1]

As long as Nintendo is actively talking to the publishers then people should calm down! It's pointless for people to assume that these developers should all be highly informed on the NX if they are just porting games to the system. The console is 9 months away and that's more than enough time to simply bring software over if the NX is super efficient and easy to port to.

 

[KillerMan91]

Nintendos primary concern for third party support is from Japan it would appear which is fine. They do need some of the big western titles though.

People keep saying this but third party support for WiiU was just as abysmal in Japan as it was in west.

 

[Regiruler]

People keep saying this but third party support for WiiU was just as abysmal in Japan as it was in west.

All of their major collaborations on wii u were with japanese third parties, western output wasn't even close.

 

[Skittzo0413]

People keep saying this but third party support for WiiU was just as abysmal in Japan as it was in west.

But third party Japanese support for the 3DS was phenomenal, and if the shared library theory pans out, that should continue for the NX, handheld or console.