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[Theophilus]

http://www.develop-online.net/news/37315/Nintendo-We-dont-want-garage-developers

In that article, it is said that Nintendo wants to do business with full time indie developers, but not 'garage developers', defined as hobbyists or developers who need to hold down another job. This is supposedly because the quality of these garage developer's games are lower, more disposable titles.

What do you guys think of this?

I for one am somewhat insulted. I don't plan on working with Nintendo anytime soon (Unrelated to this), but have they even began to look at some of the Wii's shovelware titles?

[jwk5]

Now re-read it like so:

"In that article, it is said that Nintendo wants to do business with full time artists, but not 'casual drawers', defined as hobbyists or illustrators who need to hold down another job."

Makes a lot more sense, and sounds a lot more understandable, when you look at it that way (to me at least).

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

this isn't new, it's been the case for years. nintendo only does business with indies who actually have office space and so on, not people who work out of their homes.

[Theophilus]

It's new to me, I just found it. :|

@JWK5 ~ You're right, it does make more sense that way.

[s0]

They're probably just doing that so 10 year olds stop flooding them with requests to publish their crappy Game Maker Mario clone on the DS.


But in all seriousness, they're right. Don't get me wrong, most of my favorite indie games were made by amateurs and hobbyists and I'm a hobbyist myself, but the average quality is a lot lower. I can sort of understand that they're not willing to sift through piles of crap in hope to find one or two hidden gems.

Also, it's probably a business thing as well. Professionals tend to be more reliable in business relationships than amateurs.

[Theophilus]

That is true. Dammit, every time I find something that would make a good topic, it is justified by re-reading. Maybe I should just be more careful.

[[RM8]]

3 versions of Cave Story. Also, it's Reggie.

[moi]

this isn't new, it's been the case for years. nintendo only does business with indies who actually have office space and so on, not people who work out of their homes.

They flip flopped.
they had been sending mixed signal during the last 18 months or so because they started getting hammered by Iphone and the ripp-store and they were very worried by the XBOX much more interesting online offering and the XBLIG program.
It's only very ercently that he official party line has become "low quality games suck, nintendo is better than that"

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

yeah but that was kind of the entire point of the official nintendo seal of quality though, so it isn't all that new, it's been the official line "officially" that nintendo is about high quality games and weeding out the bad games forever, even if they occasionally don't listen to their official line

[moi]

yeah but they totally flip-flopped dude

[Corker]

You know though, if a hobbyist goes and makes a sensation like Minecraft and then approaches Nintendo, they might not hold to this.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை (Paul Eres)]

minecraft now has offices

if a game becomes a sensation the person can afford offices

all nintendo wants is a real office

[BlueMoon]

How generalizing.

[s0]

The Nintendo Seal of Quality has completely lost its meaning in recent years or otherwise the Wii's game library would look VERY different.

[jwk5]

The Nintendo Seal of Quality has completely lost its meaning in recent years or otherwise the Wii's game library would look VERY different.

There was a lot more shovelware of a lot lower quality (for the time) on the NES than on the Wii.

[Theophilus]

The Nintendo Seal of Quality has completely lost its meaning in recent years or otherwise the Wii's game library would look VERY different.

Pretty much why I brought this up. I could make a game in half an hour better than most of the Wii's titles. With my feet.

[Sorano]

this isn't new, it's been the case for years. nintendo only does business with indies who actually have office space and so on, not people who work out of their homes.

What about Team Meat?

[gimymblert]

M$ for once handle it better (even if it is perfectible)
>> AAA retails + DLC
>> XBLA
>> XBLIG (could be better but still there)

Nintendo miss the new wagon, i mean it's not just facebook and iphone, it's a massive change from casual portal to onlive.

I thik we are in disruptive phase of the industry.

Nintendo reaction is akin to cinema against TV, except they are not the cinema standard anymore. It's akin to music industry VS iTunes. iTunes was the first to embrace the new way to consume music and nearly made Apple the lead. Also iTunes allowed new sound format to appear and help old one to grow (podcast). It's TV vs youtube.

Nintendo is losing that battle hard. He really need a bigger innovation next time to redeem itself, he was once (with the wii) the trend setter, but now he's the old grumpy dinosaur that is dissing at innovation. And nintendo isn't a format, all it risk is to simply disappear.

[Chris Pavia]

What about Team Meat?

SMB is no longer coming to the Wii

[gimymblert]

this isn't new, it's been the case for years. nintendo only does business with indies who actually have office space and so on, not people who work out of their homes.

What about Team Meat?

2D boy was at a starbuck.