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[thefro]

EGM has an article up where they asked Toys for Bob, Ready at Dawn, and GameTrust (Gamestop's new publishing arm), about the NX.

According to Paul Yan, Toys for Bob’s associate creative director, Nintendo hasn’t informed the team behind the upcoming Skylanders Imaginators about the NX.

“We haven’t heard any news from Nintendo, so we don’t have any announcements,” Yan said when asked if the game will come to Nintendo’s next system.

Lou Studdert, associate producer at Toys for Bob, supported Yan’s claim, saying that Nintendo has a history of playing it safe when releasing information about consoles.

“I don’t know what [the NX] is,” Studdert joked, adding that Nintendo keeps a “very, very, very, very, very tight lid on everything.”

Keep in mind Skylanders Imaginators is coming to Wii U as a retail release this year, so one would think that series would continue on NX.

Ready at Dawn, the studio behind The Order: 1886 and the upcoming multiplayer arena brawler Deformers, doesn’t know much about the NX, according to the studio’s cofounder and chief creative officer Ru Weerasuriya.

“The day one plan [for Deformers] is to launch on Xbox [One], PlayStation 4, and PC… What about NX? That’s the thing. Honestly, we are waiting.”

Weerasuriya also confirmed that Ready at Dawn does not have a developer’s kit for the NX.

Most interesting to me was this, from GameTrust

Mark Stanley, vice president of internal development at GameTrust, the GameStop subsidiary publishing Deformers, admitted to being in talks with Nintendo about the system.

“On the GameTrust side, we’ve seen where [Nintendo is] at and that’s a conversation that keeps going… Since they announced the NX officially, they’ve been kind of wrangling a lot of the inquiries… and, from my perspective, it seems like they’re trying to get their hands around what type of they content they want to have for their launch window.”

I suspect we'll get some more interesting comments as we get closer to E3, and I'll try to keep my thread about Nintendo's third party support updated.

My general impression has been that higher-ups at game publishers know what's going on, but developers are still in the dark. 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.

 

[Phediuk]

I fully expect Nintendo to pay some lip service to third-parties and then for it to dry up instantly, much as with the Wii U.

If you're expecting devs to come out of the woodwork to support the NX, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

 

[Zojirushi]

I get the impression that there are multiple reports of devs now claiming they have no info whatsoever about what the NX is.

Wtf Nintendo, do YOU even know?

 

[Aostia]

Nx will sign a new low for Nintendo third party relationship at least in the west

 

[Dark Cloud]

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.

 

[Kouriozan]

If you're expecting devs to come out of the woodwork to support the NX, you're setting yourself up for disappointment.

Indeed, indie devs are their best bet for now.

 

[SlipperyFishes]

Nx will sign a new low for Nintendo third party relationship at least in the west

Depends. The handheld market is a huge audience still and there are experiences that you just can't get on a smart device.

 

[GOOCHY]

I wouldn't expect robust third party support in the launch window. Fool me once... fool me four times?

 

[cw_sasuke]

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

 

[Ridley327]

I'm thinking that it's a tad foolish for anyone to seriously think that NX is coming out next March.

 

[whatevermort]

I'm not sure that some people understand that dev teams will usually be asked to sign NDAs to deny all knowledge of a system before it's announced. Happened with the Vita. Happened with the WiiU. It'll be happening here.

 

[Dark Cloud]

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

Yeah, there's the NDAs also. Even if people knew about the NX and what it is they lie and say they don't know.

We'll never know for sure until Nintendo unveils the system.

 

[HandsomeCharles]

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

That is exactly it. Those who do know about it (And considering the time needed to make a game, there will be people who know about it by now) quite simply will not be allowed to talk about it. Probably under extremely harsh penalties if they do.

 

[fernoca]

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

Pretty much.

Plus, at least in the case of Skylanders during the Wii U launch while Toys for Bob made Skylanders Giants, it was Vicarious Visions the one that ported it; which has a long relationship with Nintendo too.

And is not like VV could talk about things back then or even now.

 

[dock]

Even if you haven't signed an NDA or have a project underway it behooves you as a developer to say that you know nothing.

Developers can't say anything yet, and most devs know that it's best to deny any involvement than to commit themselves to some peculiar hounding from the press or hostility from the community if plans change.

 

[peanutbutterlatte]

Will buy an NX for Zelda and an insanely good Mario platformer and not play it again until SSB5.

 

[CatalogDave]

It seems like Nintendo has cornered the market on Nintendo games.

 

[Mpl90]

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.

 

[Prisoner KSC2-303]

I don't buy that the silence is because of NDAs. That may be part of it, but there are ways to sound more enthusiastic and involved in the process of possibly supporting any forthcoming Nintendo system whilst still giving nothing away. It sounds more like Nintendo simply hasn't given many developers any information, so there's nothing to say.

Right now, it seems like they're prioritising keeping leaks tight over getting as much support as possible.

 

[so1337]

Since they announced the NX officially, they’ve been kind of wrangling a lot of the inquiries… and, from my perspective, it seems like they’re trying to get their hands around what type of they content they want to have for their launch window.”

They content? We know the Wii U was about you. So the NX is about them? Interesting.

 

[Xav]

It's been said many times over the years but only now do I agree with it.

If Nintendo doesn't get it right this time, they're going 3rd party.

 

[Aostia]

Depends. The handheld market is a huge audience still and there are experiences that you just can't get on a smart device.

Those will come from Japan. And if nx is just a home, will simply miss also those

 

[Triggerhappytel]

Ready at Dawn I can kind of understand not having an NX development kit (even though I think Nintendo should be courting every established developer under the sun), but Toys for Bob knowing nothing about the console is insane. The Skylanders games have typically been very popular on Wii (and to a lesser extent, Wii U) and this is the kind of dev Nintendo needs on board.

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.

Nintendo should be just as concerned for proper western support as they are Japanese, otherwise the console will potentially be stillborn here just as its predecessor was.

 

[notaskwid]

Are there any trees outside Game Trust's office?

 

[Dark Cloud]

It's been said many times over the years but only now do I agree with it.

If Nintendo doesn't get it right this time, they're going 3rd party.

You want to bet?

 

[Renekton]

For all we know, Toys for Bob could be prepping a true Star Control sequel for NX.

 

[CosmicQueso]

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.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

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.

Thats what i was thinking.

 

[HandsomeCharles]

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.

"Im not allowed to comment" is so clearly saying "We know what it is" that I wouldn't be surprised if the actual NDA had stated within it that you must explicitly deny any knowledge of the console if queried.

Or, they could just be lying. People can lie you know, it's not illegal.

 

[Dark Cloud]

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 mean you don't know what the NDA states and people lie all the time. Lying is actually normal in business and society in general.

And sometimes, a "no comment" really is a comment, leading to more speculation and questions. With this sentence, the devs got away without more questions and stuff.

Also, why would you ask Ready at Dawn? They made ... what, one game for a Nintendo platform, a port of Capcoms Okami, and nothing else. Aren't there other studios that could've been asked?

Interesting observation. I didn't think of this. Why would Nintendo care about Ready at Dawn or vice versa? Lol

Now I do believe they probably know nothing about the NX for the most part because they're not somebody Nintendo would worry to run to for support.

 

[Bots are better than you]

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.

And sometimes, a "no comment" really is a comment, leading to more speculation and questions. With this sentence, the devs got away without more questions and stuff.

Also, why would you ask Ready at Dawn? They made ... what, one game for a Nintendo platform, a port of Capcoms Okami, and nothing else. Aren't there other studios that could've been asked?

 

[notaskwid]

"Im not allowed to comment" is so clearly saying "We know what it is" that I wouldn't be surprised if the actual NDA had stated within it that you must explicitly deny any knowledge of the console if queried.

Or, they could just be lying. People can lie you know, it's not illegal.

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

 

[Boke1879]

I'm sure NDA's play a part but I'm sure Sony and MS have them regarding thier new hardware as well and it hasn't stopped us from learning a great deal about those systems.

Fact is this large amount of secrecy will only hurt them in the long run when it comes to this console. A few execs probably know about it, their own internal software teams know and maybe a few outside devs. Outside of that I doubt many people have Dev kits.

If you're expecting robust 3rd party support especially at launch? Don't.

 

[Hoo-doo]

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.

Exactly. This is not them being under NDA. That's wishful thinking at best.

I have this weird feeling as if not even Nintendo knows what the hell to do with it yet. Them not even having attempted to court as many third parties as they can certainly doesn't inspire a lot of confidence.

 

[Bots are better than you]

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

It has been announced? Then why are we still talking about it using the codename, not sure wether it's a console, a handheld, both, or what's going to release first, etc. etc.

We have an announced tentative release month ... and that's it.

 

[notaskwid]

It has been announced? Then why are we still talking about it using the codename, not sure wether it's a console, a handheld, both, or what's going to release first, etc. etc.

We have an announced tentative release month ... and that's it.

There are games announced to it.

 

[ArkhamFantasy]

It has been announced? Then why are we still talking about it using the codename, not sure wether it's a console, a handheld, both, or what's going to release first, etc. etc.

We have an announced tentative release month ... and that's it.

They acknowledged the existence of the platform and even gave a release date, so what is the point of making them sign an NDA that specifically says that devs have to deny the existence of the system? And why did the publisher of the game not say the exact same thing?

 

[Bots are better than you]

There are games announced to it.

What? That one racing game that used a placeholder logo, which funnily was even made by VOOK? Come on. ^^

They acknowledged the existence of the platform and even gave a release date, so what is the point of making them sign an NDA that specifically says that devs have to deny the existence of the system? And why did the publisher of the game not say the exact same thing?

And what else do we know about the system? Nothing. Every piece of information shared with the public can lead to unwanted publications of the systems details. You should very well be aware of detective GAF, or patent GAF, who dismantle the slightest things into more research and info.

And they are not denying the existence of NX, they just deny knowing anything about it.

Dragon Quest XI and X iirc

"Being considered" is the official wording as of now, no official or even inofficial confirmation or annoucement. And even if that was official, we'd still not know wether it's about the 3DS versions, because not only DQ XI has one, but even DQ X runs on 3DS. :]

 

[notaskwid]

What? That one racing game that used a placeholder logo, which funnily was even made by VOOK? Come on. ^^

Dragon Quest XI and X iirc

 

[SmokedMeat]

Yeah, there's the NDAs also. Even if people knew about the NX and what it is they lie and say they don't know.

Or instead of lying they'd give the 'ol "No comment", with a wink and nudge.

 

[CosmicQueso]

They acknowledged the existence of the platform and even gave a release date, so what is the point of making them sign an NDA that specifically says that devs have to deny the existence of the system? And why did the publisher of the game not say the exact same thing?

Right.

Some are really stretching here.

 

[kiguel182]

Nintendo keeps being great at third party relationships.

 

[Hoo-doo]

Or instead of lying they'd give the 'ol "No comment", with a wink and nudge.

Which would inspire way more confidence in the NX and games possibly being in development. This is just a statement basically saying that many third parties are just as in the dark on this thing as the average fan.

 

[Mr. Pointy]

I bet Treyarch has a NX SDK.

 

[Triggerhappytel]

I bet Treyarch has a NX SDK.

As creators of the biggest sub-series in one of the biggest game franchises in the world, I would seriously hope so.

 

[L~A]

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

Pretty much.

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

 

[Neifirst]

Who cares about Ready at Dawn? What do Atlus, Capcom, and Square Enix have to say?

 

[MarkMclovin]

Man, I love my WiiU. It easily has the bast selection of games on all the current systems I own (PC, PS4) but I can see why it has crashed the way it has.

But I can't help but feel they are going down the EXACT same path as it, with the NX.

 

[Zombie James]

Fucking hell, Nintendo, what are you doing? :/

 

[JP]

Nintendo doesn't need these people, Nintendo will be far too busy fiting all their Call of Dutys, FIFAs & GTAs on their console to care.







Maybe...