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[Spyder_Monkey]

It's almost as if they're building new hardware to put their assortment of first party software on.

 

[THE:MILKMAN]

That's not how it works in the real world. An international multibillion dollar corporation doesn't go to a developer and say "hey, here's this NDA. Sign it. But, seriously, don't worry about it. Go ahead and leak some stuff. It's cool. Yeah, this document? This NDA? It's cool. We want you to talk about stuff. We're signing you to an NDA to generate hype."

So why are multiple devs on the Sony/MS side so leaky then? They've even leaked the full dev docs to the press with the latest Neo.

There are probably only a handful of proven reliable third-party devs that know anything substantial about NX. If Nintendo were as open as the others I'm sure we'd have the full specs.

NDA's in the real internet world just don't work. Nintendo know this and just don't share anything until they really have to.

 

[LordRaptor]

Obviously they aren't telling developers to go ahead and leak stuff, but they do seem to have somewhat loose NDAs compared to Nintendo, as we've seen from these massive and detailed rumors about Neo and Scorpio, yet pretty much bupkis about NX. I don't see how that can be debated.

All of Microsofts high level software engineers work in the US, and given the fairly incestuous nature of the games industry, many of those people have close ties to the press. This is why much of the leaks have come from US based press.

Many of Sonys high level software engineers have been located in the UK (such as Sony Cambridge and Sony Liverpool when that existed), and for the above same reason many of those leaks have come from Eurogamer.

Nintendos high level software engineers are in Kyoto. What leaks there have been have come from sources unrelated to gaming, such as Nikkei.

 

[Skittzo0413]

All of Microsofts high level software engineers work in the US, and given the fairly incestuous nature of the games industry, many of those people have close ties to the press. This is why much of the leaks have come from US based press.

Many of Sonys high level software engineers have been located in the UK (such as Sony Cambridge and Sony Liverpool when that existed), and for the above same reason many of those leaks have come from Eurogamer.

Nintendos high level software engineers are in Kyoto. What leaks there have been have come from sources unrelated to gaming, such as Nikkei.

That's definitely true, and I could be wrong about the NDA severity.

But from what we've heard about Nintendo's NDAs, like some of the punishments being multi-million dollar fines, potentially losing your license to develop for Nintendo, things of that nature... isn't it pretty clear that Sony and MS NDAs aren't as harsh? I mean, if so many things have already leaked, wouldn't we hear about companies being sued, people being fired, licenses being revoked, etc. if they had a similar type of NDA?

 

[QaaQer]

Sony and MS should look into however these NDAs are written.

Here you go:

– Set up an altar or table, facing east or facing Mars. A red cloth covering is preferable, but a white one will do and black will also work.

-On the altar, place a red seven-day candle, a coal-burning censer and incense made of tobacco (1 prt), cinnamon (1/4 prt) and crushed red pepper (1/8 prt). (Go light on the pepper! And be VERY sure to burn only a little at a time! DO NOT inhale it directly! In large quantity, or if you add too much red pepper, it is like tear gas!)

-Also on the altar, place the contract along with a food offering. Foods sacred to Wario are called for: Fresh hot peppers of various kinds (especially red), red meat (fully cooked! – nothing rare, no blood left running!), rum and cigars. You can even put some iron on the altar – such as railroad spikes, nails, or an iron tool.

-He should also place a Talisman of Wii in the center of the altar. Use the sigil from Cranky.

-Finally, he must compose a prayer to Wario – worded however he wants. It should simply explain that he made the NDA understanding all the facts.

-Set all of this up on a Monday night – making sure to clean the room or area the altar is set in.

-At dawn on Tuesday morning, wash up and approach the altar. Light the candle and incense – and set the candle directly on top of Wario’s talisman in the center. Surround this with the offerings.

-Now hold the contract and call Wario by name and by virtue of the signed contract. Then read the prayer I outlined above, finishing with mention of the offerings made. At this point put more incense on the censer. Light the cigar, then draw smoke from it and blow it onto the altar five times. Then place what remains of the cigar on the plate with the other offerings.

-Finally, tear up the comtract and burn it in the censer. Once done, offer thanks to Wario and leave. The candle should be allowed to completely burn out (should take about five days), and the offerings should be left there about the same length of time. After the candle burns away, take all the offerings, the ashes from the censer and the talisman of Wario. These should be buried at a crossroads along with the person to whom the nda is to be attached for 72 hours.

 

[CosmicQueso]

NDA's in the real internet world just don't work. Nintendo know this and just don't share anything until they really have to.

Much more reasonable and realistic reason why lots of stuff isn't out there.

So then why would we be surprised at the article?

Here you go:

WHOA.

 

[Skittzo0413]

All of Microsofts high level software engineers work in the US, and given the fairly incestuous nature of the games industry, many of those people have close ties to the press. This is why much of the leaks have come from US based press.

Many of Sonys high level software engineers have been located in the UK (such as Sony Cambridge and Sony Liverpool when that existed), and for the above same reason many of those leaks have come from Eurogamer.

Nintendos high level software engineers are in Kyoto. What leaks there have been have come from sources unrelated to gaming, such as Nikkei.

Much more reasonable and realistic reason why lots of stuff isn't out there.

So then why would we be surprised at the article?

I'm willing to cede to you guys in this particular argument. I wasn't around here for the WUSTs so I'm probably being way more optimistic than I should be.

In any event, if publishers have plans to develop for NX they don't necessarily need to know any specific details about the console, so that could be another explanation of the lack of NX leaks. They are likely planning a bunch of ports similar to the Wii U launch, because console launches are typically worth at least attempting to test the waters.

Spoiler

Nintendo will finally get the Mass Effect Trilogy!

 

[THE:MILKMAN]

Much more reasonable and realistic reason why lots of stuff isn't out there.

So then why would we be surprised at the article?

I'm not surprised at the article. I interpret it as EGM (most of the press, really) saying to Nintendo WTF to the complete lack of info/hype/engaging with the press as Sony and Microsoft do.

It is entirely up to them how they conduct their business but it is at complete odds to everyone else in gaming and can't be a good thing even leaving leaks aside.

 

[KingSnake]

When you're sharing info with just a handful of people and keep everybody else in the dark is much easier to keep info from leaking. No NDA, no matter how stronger it is, can keep the leaks to 0 if people know that they can't be tracked with precision. Even internal secrets leak like crazy from within the western developers/publishers, especially the big ones.

So lack of leaks is much more probable to be due to lack of info in the wild than some hyper NDA that didn't stop SE, Koei Tecmo or some indies from talking more than was supposed.

 

[AfroDust]

When you hear shit like this it's hard not to be pessimistic about Nintendo's future. Sometimes I really doubt the competence of the higher ups. They DO NOT need another quirky Nintendo box, but it seems like that's exactly what we're getting.

 

[Ansatz]

For me it's not.

The only way NX can be successful is if GAF reacts this way, in the same sense Nintendogs and Wii Fit aren't the kind of games people on this forum want but they sold crazy amounts.

The whole "make games like I want or they won't sell lol" mentality is false, even if Wii U is a strong argument for that. What people in that thread want is Metroid, but what Nintendo should be doing and will actually sell while GAF hate it is an Amiibo centric game for example.

 

[Version 3.0]

When you hear shit like this it's hard not to be pessimistic about Nintendo's future. Sometimes I really doubt the competence of the higher ups. They DO NOT need another quirky Nintendo box, but it seems like that's exactly what we're getting.

Yeah, there's literally nothing new about this scenario except the nature of the NX itself, which is the big secret, so we don't even know what the difference is.

Otherwise, it's the same old thing: everything points to Nintendo still being unwilling or unable to manage 3rd party relationships en masse. They're probably going with the "work closely with 1 or 2 studios in secret" method again, the type of scenario that gave us Turok, Rogue Leader, Red Steel and ZombiU...and not much else at the various launches in the past.

It seems they're still not interested in having the "default" cross-platform library that the other consoles share.

And I still say they NX won't arrive until late next year.

 

[Dark Ninja]

EGM still exists!?

 

[Cid Highwind]

Nintendo not involving western third parties early? Go figure.

 

[AzaK]

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

It's more foolish to think Nintendo wants third party support. Then they can easily release in March with their own software.

 

[Sammy Samusu]

The only way NX can be successful is if GAF reacts this way, in the same sense Nintendogs and Wii Fit aren't the kind of games people on this forum want but they sold crazy amounts.

The whole "make games like I want or they won't sell lol" mentality is false, even if Wii U is a strong argument for that. What people in that thread want is Metroid, but what Nintendo should be doing and will actually sell while GAF hate it is an Amiibo centric game for example.

DKC Wii U bombed really hard though, and that new Metroid thing will bomb even harder.

The difference is that Nintendogs and Wii Fit were not developed for GAF (hardcore gamers), so it doesn't matter if we like it or not, we were never their target audience anyway.

 

[JABEE]

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

Which seems a bit crazy considering the home console market in Japan.

 

[Shikamaru Ninja]

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

Someone already mentioned this, but Monster Games was Nascar first / Nintendo second. They liked working with Nintendo, but they really wanted to work on Nascar games as soon as some publisher could invest in the license's future.

 

[Anarky]

DKC Wii U bombed really hard though, and that new Metroid thing will bomb even harder.

The difference is that Nintendogs and Wii Fit were not developed for GAF (hardcore gamers), so it doesn't matter if we like it or not, we were never their target audience anyway.

Tropical Freeze? I don't remember hearing that bombed. I thought it sold even more than Prime 2.

 

[jdstorm]

I think it's strange that everybody is worrying about 3rd Party support on the NX just because a few minor 3rd Parties don't know anything.

Provided Epic Games (Unreal Engine) and Unity have dev kits and are actively porting their engines. Everything is fine. Any Console will have solid 3rd Party Support from most smaller developers if it's easy to port to using one of those engines.

Square, Capcom, EA, UBI and Activision clearly all have dev kits and are in the know. That's all Nintendo really needs at launch. FIFA, Madden, Monster Hunter and some shooters

 

[spazchicken]

Is a group/company called "Game Trust" spilling the beans on secretive Nintendo info?

 

[KingSnake]

Capcom, EA, UBI and Activision clearly all have dev kits and are in the know.

Source???

 

[Bert]

I'm a Nintendo fan, but this is bad news. For NX to be taken seriously outside of Nintendo fans they need day and date versions, not 6 month old ports rushed out once people know what it is.

There is nothing to be gained from secrecy at this point, unless you're going for yet another gimmick that Sony or MS could copy like Wii U/Smart Glass/Second Screen or Wiimote/Kinect/Move. And even then you're only giving yourself a small headstart.

It's going to be Nintendo games, a few token efforts from third party partnerships and indies, with a smattering of late ports. Again. I suppose at least if they can get EA on board it beats the Wii/Wii U.

 

[MDX]

Lou Studdert “very, very, very, very, very tight lid on everything.”

Wow, it was right there.
Not to mention who does Nintendo trust? GameTrust.

 

[ozfunghi]

The guy from Semi-Accurrate has said in the SA forums that he knows devs who have had NX devkits for months.

http://semiaccurate.com/forums/showpost.php?p=263295&postcount=270

I know a couple of devs that got NX dev kits months ago so yes, they are out there. If you look at development times vs release, if they haven't been out for 6+ months there will be precious little content at launch.

 

[Skittzo0413]

The guy from Semi-Accurrate has said in the SA forums that he knows devs who have had NX devkits for months.

http://semiaccurate.com/forums/showpost.php?p=263295&postcount=270

The question is are they Japenese developers or western developers. Many in this thread have suggested that there can't be many western developers with devkits since we've had virtually no leaks, and it's likelier that they just don't have devkits than there is a super restrictive NDA which is much more punishing than those NDAs from Sony and Microsoft.

For the record I believe we'll get fairly decent western third party support around launch, and for every article like the one in the OP which talks about 2-3 small-medium developers that haven't heard anything there are likely other developers and publishers who do have devkits or SDKs who have refused to comment or answer any questions about NX development. It's funny that we rarely see any articles where developers literally say "no comment," and that's likely because it isn't interesting news when they do, not that it doesn't happen.

 

[Sammy Samusu]

They need QUALITY at launch, not QUANTITY.

And of course, after launch, they need a good stream of new releases.

 

[Dark Cloud]

They need QUALITY at launch, not QUANTITY.

And of course, after launch, they need a good stream of new releases.

Yep. I say Nintendos needs their quality titles at launch more with some third party. After launch they need a good stream from everyone. None of these companies (Sony, MS, Nintendo) have amazing launch lineups usually. PS4 had a "meh" kill zone and X1 I can't even remember. Wii U had NSMBU, which isn't good enough.

Plus, there's more to it than just games. Messaging and marketing are big.

 

[ozfunghi]

They need QUALITY at launch, not QUANTITY.

And of course, after launch, they need a good stream of new releases.

They need quality and diversification at launch. Diversification which also implies a certain quantity of quality titles.

You can have the best 3D Mario since the dawn of time, it wil not appeal to everyone. If they really want to make an impact at launch, get as many systems out there as soon as possible, they will need ample and diverse quality exclusives in the launch window. Their best bet for that is to do that with 1st party studio's with a couple of funded 3rd party projects or timed exclusives. One or two top Nintendo games and a bunch of multiplats aren't going to cut it.

I've often thought about how Nintendo spreads their releases. If it wouldn't make sense to have their entire BC library available at launch, since it in itself would sell consoles, where as spreading the BC library over 5 years, has nobody jumping in just at any specifically given time because of it, and certainly not early on. It may seem to make more sense on a per game basis, to spread BC releases out, but i doubt it makes sense on a per console basis and everything that goes along with it. They need to get as many systems as possible in as many homes as possible as early as possible. They may be better off, blowing their load early, but get their system in many more homes, building a solid userbase for it hence attracting much better 3rd party support as well as not falling into the trap of canibalizing 3rd party sales with first party titles.

Third parties are always asking for a strong 1st party library to drive the userbase... they just don't want those strong 1st party games to release alongside their 3rd party games. On the other hand, Nintendo needs to come out guns blazing for their own good and needs 3rd party support to further carry the system (and the more 3rd party support, the more income from licensing as well, which was a major % during the Wii era).

I'm not an economist, i'm not stating this to be the only or the best way, but i have been thinking about this for a long time and whether or not it would be more succesful than the way they have been handling it in the past, with lacking 3rd party support as both cause and effect.

And then... they obviously have to also advertise it as such, as a system with a diverse line up. And not as a Mario-box.

 

[Osukaa]

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

Lol took the words right out of my mouth..although I'd add Mario cart 9 as well.

 

[Skittzo0413]

They need quality and diversification at launch. Diversification which also implies a certain quantity of quality titles.

You can have the best 3D Mario since the dawn of time, it wil not appeal to everyone. If they really want to make an impact at launch, get as many systems out there as soon as possible, they will need ample and diverse quality exclusives in the launch window. Their best bet for that is to do that with 1st party studio's with a couple of funded 3rd party projects or timed exclusives. One or two top Nintendo games and a bunch of multiplats aren't going to cut it.

I've often thought about how Nintendo spreads their releases. If it wouldn't make sense to have their entire BC library available at launch, since it in itself would sell consoles, where as spreading the BC library over 5 years, has nobody jumping in just at any specifically given time because of it, and certainly not early on. It may seem to make more sense on a per game basis, to spread BC releases out, but i doubt it makes sense on a per console basis and everything that goes along with it. They need to get as many systems as possible in as many homes as possible as early as possible. They may be better off, blowing their load early, but get their system in many more homes, building a solid userbase for it hence attracting much better 3rd party support as well as not falling into the trap of canibalizing 3rd party sales with first party titles.

Third parties are always asking for a strong 1st party library to drive the userbase... they just don't want those strong 1st party games to release alongside their 3rd party games. On the other hand, Nintendo needs to come out guns blazing for their own good and needs 3rd party support to further carry the system (and the more 3rd party support, the more income from licensing as well, which was a major % during the Wii era).

I'm not an economist, i'm not stating this to be the only or the best way, but i have been thinking about this for a long time and whether or not it would be more succesful than the way they have been handling it in the past, with lacking 3rd party support as both cause and effect.

And then... they obviously have to also advertise it as such, as a system with a diverse line up. And not as a Mario-box.

Well said. Diversity at launch is a must, especially if they have any hope of recapturing the core audience which skipped the Wii U. Your point about the virtual console is also a good one. I never really understood their need to space out those releases, as they clearly are not new games and likely don't attract the same release hype as actual new games. I mean, why are there even VC games released in the UK now but not NA? That makes no sense to me, and that's one of the things I hope they fix with the NX. Have as much possible available at day 1, and release games as they become ready, don't wait for special launch times for virtual console games.

As for this article, I'm starting to think more and more that we have a lot of developers who are working on ports for NX and probably some working on exclusive games or licensed games, but likely not the developers being asked here. Have we gotten comments from any Ubisoft teams? Activision directly? Don't you think reporters would have been asking them, if they're also asking Ready at Dawn and Toys for Bob? I'd guess their answers have been not newsworthy- AKA no comment.

It would be helpful if someone put together a list of developers who say they know nothing about the NX so we can see who has felt they could answer, and compare that with companies that haven't been able to answer.

 

[ozfunghi]

Well said. Diversity at launch is a must, especially if they have any hope of recapturing the core audience which skipped the Wii U. Your point about the virtual console is also a good one. I never really understood their need to space out those releases, as they clearly are not new games and likely don't attract the same release hype as actual new games. I mean, why are there even VC games released in the UK now but not NA? That makes no sense to me, and that's one of the things I hope they fix with the NX. Have as much possible available at day 1, and release games as they become ready, don't wait for special launch times for virtual console games.

As for this article, I'm starting to think more and more that we have a lot of developers who are working on ports for NX and probably some working on exclusive games or licensed games, but likely not the developers being asked here. Have we gotten comments from any Ubisoft teams? Activision directly? Don't you think reporters would have been asking them, if they're also asking Ready at Dawn and Toys for Bob? I'd guess their answers have been not newsworthy- AKA no comment.

It would be helpful if someone put together a list of developers who say they know nothing about the NX so we can see who has felt they could answer, and compare that with companies that haven't been able to answer.

That's a good point, about the "no comment" statement. But wouldn't they at least mention it if they had asked? Anyway, the SA guy claims to know devs with a devkit, so they're definitely out there. How else would LCgeek get his/her info? Maybe, as has been mentioned, the teams doing the porting are not the original teams (cfr Straight Right porting Deus Ex HR).

 

[……forgetit]

Well, I've resigned to the fact that this will be the last Nintendo console.

 

[Skittzo0413]

That's a good point, about the "no comment" statement. But wouldn't they at least mention it if they had asked? Anyway, the SA guy claims to know devs with a devkit, so they're definitely out there. How else would LCgeek get his/her info? Maybe, as has been mentioned, the teams doing the porting are not the original teams (cfr Straight Right porting Deus Ex HR).

I agree that you'd think we would hear those "no comment" statements but can you actually recall seeing any statements like that recently? You would assume that many EA, Ubisoft and Actvision devs would have been asked over the past few months, right? Have we seen any reports of their answers? I can't really recall seeing anything like that, except that token answer from the EA meeting that was something like "we always investigate new opportunities."

I dunno, it's just curious to me that we're seeing a handful of relatively small companies being asked (and them denying having devkits) but we don't see much out of the big companies. Maybe it's typically their policy to not answer any questions regardless of whether or not they're actively working on it, so reporters aren't even bothering asking.

But yeah we can be sure there are devkits/SDKs out there, it's just the amount I'm curious about. And if a decent amount of western devs have them.