Nintendo announce: Nintendo NX

[BRiT]

It's been forever since I dealt with all the various license types out there, so this may not be completely accurate, but based on what I recall from the matter ages ago ...

If Nintendo made patches to the Linux Kernel to better fit their console system, Nintendo would be required to provide the source code of the changes available should any customer request it. Nintendo would not be required to provide the source code to any unique software they wrote that is not based off existing GPL (v2? v3?) source code.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

I'd be enormously surprised if Nintendo was to go Linux anyhow; you'd need to perform extensive modifications to turn that monolithic desktop-centric OS into a light-weight and efficient console firmware. I don't think Nintendo would be up to it, frankly.

There are companies who specialise in this kind of work. I think Nintends partnering with DeNA is evidence they've broken the fourth wall in terms of technical reliance so maybe there's hope they'll stop trying to do everything themselves.

 

[Grall]

Nintendo would not be required to provide the source code to any unique software they wrote that is not based off existing GPL (v2? v3?) source code.

Yeah, like you can't phone Sony up and get full source to PS4 firmware mailed to you just because it's based on an open source foundation...

maybe there's hope they'll stop trying to do everything themselves.

Just because they're doing mobile shit with some other company doesn't inspire confidence in me at least that they're also outsourcing the design, and/or programming of their next firmware OS... Frankly the DeNA partnership never made the least fucking bit of sense to me; making games is entirely within Nintendo's expertise, while creating complex firmware is not.

 

[Rodéric]

freeBSD would be a good choice, since it's an OS not a Kernel, and because of its licence...

 

[BRiT]

Yeah, like you can't phone Sony up and get full source to PS4 firmware mailed to you just because it's based on an open source foundation...

License plays the important distinction. There is a large difference between GPL v2 and GPL v3 and the FreeBSD or MIT licenses. Not all opensource licenses are equal or have the same requirements.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Just because they're doing mobile shit with some other company doesn't inspire confidence in me at least that they're also outsourcing the design, and/or programming of their next firmware OS... Frankly the DeNA partnership never made the least fucking bit of sense to me; making games is entirely within Nintendo's expertise, while creating complex firmware is not.

You're missing my point. This is move by Nintendo which is publicly declaring that this is an area they know nothing about so are partnering with people who do know it. Its a cultural shift for Nintendo. It doesn't necessarily mean they'll outside the the embedded OS but it's now a damn sight more likely than it was two years ago.

There must be people in Nintendo with Xbox Ones and PlayStation 4s and a cursory use of all three UIs should be enough for Nintendo to realise their OS needs a lot of work. It should be a relatively simple assessment to determine if they have the expertise to do more in house, and if they expertise can (and should) be used or if they need to go outside.

 

[Rikimaru]

There must be people in Nintendo with Xbox Ones and PlayStation 4s and a cursory use of all three UIs should be enough for Nintendo to realise their OS needs a lot of work. It should be a relatively simple assessment to determine if they have the expertise to do more in house, and if they expertise can (and should) be used or if they need to go outside.

This was surprising to hear, as we would have thought that they had plenty of time to work on these features as it had been announced months before, so we probed a little deeper and asked how certain scenarios might work with the Mii friends and networking, all the time referencing how Xbox Live and PSN achieve the same thing. At some point in this conversation we were informed that it was no good referencing Live and PSN as nobody in their development teams used those systems (!) so could we provide more detailed explanations for them?

Nintendo is in vacuum.

 

[Goodtwin]

Its hard to say with the OS. While some people will consider the OS dated and slow, Nintendo may feel that its very simple and accessible, and accessible is a big thing for Nintendo. The Wii U OS might be slow, but its easy to understand. Its extremely easy to navigate. Even with its speed, its slow by PC and IOS standards, but its not nearly as outclassed when compared to navigating the apps on a smart TV. I expect improvements for sure, but I don't think the OS will suddenly morph into something completely foreign for Nintendo.

 

[liolio]

Dragon Quest 11 is coming to the NX, first game announced

 

[DieH@rd]

Officially, Square is "considering" NX release.

However, we don't even know which version are they considering to port to that console. DQ11 will come in two varieties - PS4 UE4 nextgen version and extreme 3DS downport into simple 3D/2D game.

 

[Grall]

Whatever final form NX takes, it will surely be far in excess of the 3DS. Porting the 3DS version of the game to NX would be insulting to everyone involved.

 

[DieH@rd]

Square cannot expect great sales on NX no matter what form that console takes. PS4 and 3DS version release will be simultaneous [that is confirmed], and both of them will have big install bases by late 2016/early 2017 which is the earliest when this game will be released.

 

[Grall]

Yeees, but EVERY console ever released started at an user base of zero; that doesn't mean games for said consoles all looked like bad smartphone software...

 

[RDGoodla]

Square cannot expect great sales on NX no matter what form that console takes. PS4 and 3DS version release will be simultaneous [that is confirmed], and both of them will have big install bases by late 2016/early 2017 which is the earliest when this game will be released.

In there any source which confirms PS4/3DS DQ11 will be simultaneous?

I have read official statement and some japanese websites, but none of them mentions "simultaneous".

 

[Rurouni]

If NX is some kind of universal app platform for the next Nintendo hardwares (console and portable), then making an upgraded 3DS DQ11 version for NX is kind of make sense. Like universal app for windows, it might not take advantage of your PC horsepower, but at least your PC can run it.

 

[Deleted member 11852]

Nintendo now handing out NX console developer kits - report. Platform includes "mobile unit" and "industry-leading" chips.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2...-handing-out-nx-console-developer-kits-report

 

[wco81]

Yeah WSJ has an article with similar verbiage.

"Industry-leading" but industry leading in which year?

 

[liolio]

That part pretty much kills my hope of anything sensible :

will include "a mobile unit that could either be used in conjunction with the console or taken on the road for separate use"

That implies a greater overhead (in$$$) on the design then even the WiiUmote, I bet it will bomb worse than the WiiU.

 

[Rodéric]

So something Nintendo tried with the NGC+GBA then Wii U, hell that's what everyone asked when they showed the Wii U, can we plug more pads ? Can we plug our NDS/3DS ?
It seems like Nintendo was listening...

 

[liolio]

So something Nintendo tried with the NGC+GBA then Wii U, hell that's what everyone asked when they showed the Wii U, can we plug more pads ? Can we plug our NDS/3DS ?
It seems like Nintendo was listening...

Being able to stream content from a device to another is becoming a commonplace, going as far as including the "other device" is something else.
In the case of a console and namely the WiiU, the gamepad was awkward as it forced as different experience on extra players on a system for which local MP was a strong point ( it also forced the studio to think of a different approach or to pass). It is unclear how any mobile devices will be supported.
I hope Nintendo made a clear choice on what the primary input of the consoles is going to be, I'm scared they did not and focused on reinvent something nobody wants reinvented...