Topic: New NES, SNES and N64 Content for the Revolution?

[Dryden]

Looking a little closer at the wording in some of the press conference today, Reggie mentioned the developer's point of view...

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A dynamic development architecture equally accommodates both big-budget, high-profile game “masterpieces” as well as indie games conceived by individual developers equipped with only a big idea.

You know what this spells to me?  New downloadable content from smaller 'indie' developers.  So with a $10,000 budget - you could legitimately publish a NES game through Nintendo.  Imagine the ease and swift development of games based on architecture and developing tools that have been around for ten years.  Imagine the high-pressure environment at EA being defused by pet projects on SNES programming.  Imagine a new game built on the GoldenEye engine, or tying the Gamecube Bongos into an 8-bit game.

Imagine if you were Nintendo, pushing for game innovation over power, ideas over graphics, concepts over appearances.  Makes sense.

I think that we're going to see Nintendo publish a huge library of games on the Revolution, simply because smaller companies can enter at a price point appropriate to their game design.  I think we're going to see new NES, SNES, and N64 content packaged as downloadable extras.  I think Nintendo is finally creating a viable model for the smaller game creating market.

Wait - there's more.  As Nintendo offers a console on which to publish smaller games, they effectively enter into a partnership with brand new production companies - bolstering their third-party support in the long run.

And with the (eventual) unionization of game developers poised to drive development costs through the roof, Nintendo may be the one of the big three least affected.  They've set themselves up for that fall.

I think I like what I hear from Nintendo.  I think I like what I think even more.

[Obiyo]

That's what I thougt and the possibilities are pretty cool.

[RABicle]

I can't wait for Nintendo's own net yazooie. It'll be huge.

[TMW]

Hrm...This is rather intriguing.


Theoretically, this could mean somethig that I never would have thought possible.  

Sega developing a game for the SNES.  

[Dryden]

Sega + SNES?
Doubtful - but hilarious.

[KDR_11k]

Bah, those old systems are encumbered with all kinds of limitations. I'd NEVER work on a NES game, you could just as well make a game for a mobile phone or PDA, have better features available and a bigger market to reach.

Look at some of today's SHMUPS, those projectile numbers would be impossible on that ancient hardware the Rev emulates.

[jakeOSX]

when i think independent i am thinking a bit  lower than $10K... what i'd love is a limited developers package for about $100-$200... maybe you can't make metriod revolution level game, but you'll be able to compete with anything on the ps2... =D

[Artimus]

They're not going to develop it FOR the SNES. But the downloadable idea is possible.

[couchmonkey]

Yeah, it would make way more sense to develop indie games for Revolution, anyway.  You could use high-level programming languages to easily pull off the same games that were done with complicated assembly code on the 8-bit and 16-bit systems.  I'm liking that Reggie mentioned indie games, though, that's awesome.

It does suggest to me that downloads will cost a bit.  If Nintendo allows you to download games from it's back-catalog for less than a dollar, like some people are hoping (I'm skeptical) then there's almost no money to be made for indie developers...they'd have to release their games at competitive prices, or they'll just be drowned out by the classic titles.

[Spak-Spang]

I don't think the NES, SNES, and Nintendo 64 games really help small developers, unless Nintendo has written some really good development tools.  Then again those earlier games were made with much smaller budgets and smaller teams...so anything is impossible.

I think the biggest advantage that Revolution has is its immediate launch lineup of thousands of games.

Sure most of the NES games aren't worth downloading, but the everyone has their favorite games they would love to play again.  

Now when you jump to the SNES era the games are completely worth downloading and many are timeless classics.  The Revolution is literally reviving life into 2D gaming like no other system.  

The Nintendo 64 will be similar to the situation with NES.  There won't be too many must download games, but everyone has there favorite, and its good that it is available.

If all Nintendo is, is a hits system then imagine how many hits are available to play off of all three systems.

The only thing I wish is that we could have true arcade perfect games of the NES ports.  

Also think about this.  How many people will buy a Revolution just to LEGALLY play all their classic games.  This is a huge selling point that will bring in an audience, which will in time bring developer support for the Revolution from 3rd Party developers.

[ta7mike]

Wow...that's quite a 'Revolution'...that would follow sort of the iTunes concept...  especially with Ninty saying development costs would be kept at a minimum.  that'd take out all those middlemen, i.e. publisher's and allow us to pay much less for games...remember they were talking about a proprietary DRM which seems to be similar to their iQue in China.

[RABicle]

Unfourtunatly mike I doubt Revolution games will be released as downloads. The average Revolution game will be well over 6 gigs in size and no one can download that. N64 games are much better size, with no game clocking over 64 megs. Besides they said they only have 512megs of flash memory on there.

[vudu]

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Besides they said they only have 512megs of flash memory on there.

You're forgetting about the SD Memory cards.

[wandering]

indy developers making games with SNES graphics that can utilize the REV's gyroscopic (or whatever) controllers? This excites me greatly.

[KDR_11k]

I'm wondering whether indy titles will be region locked, i.e. a european user can forget about downloading japanese indie games.

I'm also expecting the japanese indy groups to jump on this. So far they have been limited to the PC which is a tiny market in Japan, now they have access to a console that can actually reach a decent sized audience... I wonder how hard it will be to get a Rev game approved (SDK, approval, content screening, etc).


Another issue would be the legal trouble they'd face in Germany, any game must be rated or it cannot be offered to minors. Unrated indy games cannot be sold to people under 18. Rating costs a few tens of thousands...

[trip1eX]

I like the strat to open up development to smaller developers.  NIntendo does need to provide some development tools tho.  It would be the minor leagues of game development.  If ideas took off they could receive more funding for a more modern look or get the small guys jobs at Ninty to work on other big games.

  It would sort of be like the pc has with their mod community.  Hell that's something Nintendo could do too.  Let folks mod their games and offer up mods for download for free.  

[nemo_83]

Wouldn't you like it if you could download editing programs for some of those old games like LttP or Mario 64.

[Dryden]

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I'm also expecting the japanese indy groups to jump on this. So far they have been limited to the PC which is a tiny market in Japan, now they have access to a console that can actually reach a decent sized audience...

Yeah, this is the sort of thing I'm talking about.  Especially in Japan, this could actually be a meaninful Revolution.

As for designing games for NES, SNES, N64 - couchmonkey is right, the developing tools are outdated.  But you could package a game advertising NES style graphics, offering it alongside Nintendo's NES offerings (at a competitive price) - even though it runs on, say, N64 emulation.  (I don't say Revolution because Indy developers simply aren't going to get development tools for Revolution without showing some cash).

[Nephilim]

nintendo should invest in some korean companys to make some indy rpg's for rev
with nintendo's help, they could help polish the game and get the game for sale.
Microsoft is already investing money there, nintendo should also.

"Indy developers simply aren't going to get development tools for Revolution without showing some cash"
maybe nintendo will continue to do the payback later deal
im sure they would support any game which looks decent and they think would sell