Reggie: Virtual Console Releases Take Significant Work

By Jorge Ba-oh 16.06.2014 13

Reggie: Virtual Console Releases Take Significant Work on Nintendo gaming news, videos and discussion

Nintendo's Reggie Fils-Aime was asked about the Virtual Console service and plans for retro games going forward.

With an extensive and almost limitless back catalogue for Nintendo to explore, why is the selection of classic games on both Wii U and 3DS so small? Fils-Aime noted that the company's "commitment to virtual console is exceptionally strong", confirming that Game Boy Advance games are "doing exceptionally well in our market."

The reason for the small crop of titles so far, particularly compared to the Virtual Console on Wii, might be due to the "significant work to take a game that was launched on a previous platform and make it compatible on the current platform", said Reggie.

Nintendo have planned a selection of DS titles for release on the Wii U eShop, playable on the GamePad controller.

What do you think of Nintendo's approach to the Virtual Console service?

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jb is offline. jb 16.06.2014#1

Guh. Rubbish. Such a weak area of the business that Nintendo could easily exploit, and do well.

Simply:
Nintendo Network account, VC games tied to each account. 3DS and Wii U cross-platform compatibility - i.e. buy once, play on many devices.

The lack of solid amount of releases is ridiculous. What, 2-5 VC games a month or something like that?

I can understand if licensing might well be an issue, so some third party efforts may never make it, but where are Nintendo's first party efforts? Nintendo 64 games? GC games? remaining NES/SNES titles?

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WP-Final is offline. WP-Final 16.06.2014#2

This frustrates me more than any other problem with Nintendo. The WiiU at this rate will take another 10 years to reach the same level as the Wii VC. 

Obviously I know nothing of how this stuff works but couldn't they find a way of speeding up and simplifying the process?

We're almost 2 years in we've still haven't even reached N64 games? With the odd droughts the WiiU keeps going through (especially from now till September) you'd think Nintendo would be using the VC as a way of keeping people happy.

I honestly don't think we'll see any non-Nintendo systems represented on VC this time around. Game Gear on 3DS seems to be it.

 
Darkflame (guest) 17.06.2014#3

Remember also things need to be tested from scratch, as well as re-rated for each market, so its less trivial then most think.
But yes, still, its hard to fathom why its going slower then the Wii did.


Sonic_13 is offline. Sonic_13 17.06.2014#4

jb said:
Nintendo Network account, VC games tied to each account.
Virtual Console games (and any eShop purchases) are already tied to your Nintendo Account

EDIT: I interpreted this as you suggesting Nintendo should do this. If you were stating this as a fact, not a suggestion, then please ignore my comment.

( Edited 17.06.2014 07:12 by Sonic_13 )

 
Cheesing It Up is offline. Cheesing It Up 17.06.2014#5

I don't understand this at all.
Given that the Wii U is backwards compatible with the Wii, why can't they just use Wii Virtual Console on the Wii U?

 
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RudyC3 is offline. RudyC3 17.06.2014#6

Yeah that's BS. How is that a lot of worked on the Wii U and it wasn't as much work on the Wii to emulate NES and SNES, huh? You'd think it would be tougher to tighten the emulator on a weaker hardware right? As for the Wii U Gamepad compatibility, it seems it's just a matter of flicking a switch that tells the OS to output what's on the TV to the Gamepad as well, so how's that so complicated over how it was on the Wii?

Either that guy is lying or they're complicating things themselves for no valid reasons, I don't know. By a year or two into the wii's lifespan, hackers had already developped solid homebrew emulators that emulated the whole catalogue of the NES, SNES, Megadrive, Master syster (and maybe others, I can't remember off the top of my head how far each emulator was by then, but those I'm sure existed and worked well already). You're the MAKERS of the NES and SNES, you should know the innards and workings of the original hardware better than hackers right? Why are you struggling so much with your own stuff Nintendo ?

Sonic_13 said:
jb said:
Nintendo Network account, VC games tied to each account.
Virtual Console games (and any eShop purchases) are already tied to your Nintendo Account

EDIT: I interpreted this as you suggesting Nintendo should do this. If you were stating this as a fact, not a suggestion, then please ignore my comment.


He didn't mean it that way. And no, the games are not tied to your NNID, they're tied to your system.You can't log onto another system with your NNID and password to play your catalogue of digital games, can you? That's what JB was suggesting. Your NNID is onto your 3DS and Wii U yet your Wii U VC games, which are out on the 3DS as well, aren't accessible on your 3DS. That's what JB was suggesting that they should do. Basically what sony has been doing for years across PS3 and PSP, a generation of consoles ago Smilie.

( Edited 17.06.2014 09:33 by RudyC3 )

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J4K is offline. J4K 17.06.2014#7

Nintendo could really make fortune in this area if they took it more seriously. Hell, if they made a "Nintendo Club" membership that was like Netflix and allowed me to pay monthly and play whatever I wanted, I'd be all over that. I'd end up spending twice as much as I currently do. 

While we're on the subject, why are GBA games on Wii U but not on 3DS? Makes no sense. Get it together Nintendo.

 
Cheesing It Up is offline. Cheesing It Up 17.06.2014#8

Weren't a few GBA games available as free downloads on the 3DS for early adopters? (Or did I just make that up?)

 
Sonic_13 is offline. Sonic_13 17.06.2014#9

RudyC3 said:
Sonic_13 said:
jb said:
Nintendo Network account, VC games tied to each account.
Virtual Console games (and any eShop purchases) are already tied to your Nintendo Account

EDIT: I interpreted this as you suggesting Nintendo should do this. If you were stating this as a fact, not a suggestion, then please ignore my comment.


He didn't mean it that way. And no, the games are not tied to your NNID, they're tied to your system.You can't log onto another system with your NNID and password to play your catalogue of digital games, can you?

Yes, games ARE tied to your account. Don't confuse not being able to sign into multiple Wii U systems or not having a cross platform VC with games not being tied to your account.

 
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RudyC3 is offline. RudyC3 17.06.2014#10

Sonic_13 said:
Yes, games ARE tied to your account. Don't confuse not being able to sign into multiple Wii U systems or not having a cross platform VC with games not being tied to your account.

But the way they are tied to your account is USELESS since they still can't be used anywhere else than on the console they were purchased, so who cares? And that was JB's point: It needs to change! And I wholly agree with that! They need to make the NNID's worthwhile, right now all they are used for is multiple users management on the Wii U and shared balances between 3DS and Wii U eShops. What else? Nothing that I can think of. It's a POOR effort compared to what has been done by Sony for years: Buy once, play on multiple systems. Heck, Android devices all work like that !! Purchase a game on any android device and find those apks on any other Android device you purchase in the future! It's only Nintendo who still clings to this old way of doing things to force to pay over and over for the same old stuff!

Cubed3 Limited Staff :: Review and Feature Writer
 
Azuardo is online! Azuardo 17.06.2014#11

Yup, games might now be tied to your NNID, but NNIDs are tied to your console, which makes the scenario even more infuriating. The handling of VC and not allowing cross-buy is very anti-consumer, when everyone knows damn well how other companies handle this easily and competently. But I'm done with arguing about this any more. I've done it for far too long. If Nintendo doesn't want my money, they can keep doing what they're doing. Doesn't bother me. Sad fact that we still have this debate though - feels like 2006 never ends.

 
Sonic_13 is offline. Sonic_13 17.06.2014#12

Here's a question for discussion:
If Nintendo did switch to a cross-platform Virtual Console, what do you think they should do in regards to games that have been already purchased independently on both platforms?

RudyC3 said:
Sonic_13 said:
Yes, games ARE tied to your account. Don't confuse not being able to sign into multiple Wii U systems or not having a cross platform VC with games not being tied to your account.

But the way they are tied to your account is USELESS since they still can't be used anywhere else than on the console they were purchased, so who cares? And that was JB's point: It needs to change!
I totally agree that it would be great to have cross platform VC. I'm certainly not arguing against that. I just think we should be clear on what we want and what needs to be changed.

For example, if we theoretically marched up to Nintendo and said "We demand that Virtual Console games be tied to accounts instead of systems!" they would just stare at us and say "It's been that way for two years...what are you people complaining about?"


Azuardo said:
Yup, games might now be tied to your NNID, but NNIDs are tied to your console
Your Nintendo Network ID is not tied your console. You just aren't allowed to sign into more than one Wii U.

 
Azuardo is online! Azuardo 18.06.2014#13

Your Nintendo Network ID is not tied your console. You just aren't allowed to sign into more than one Wii U.
Effectively the same bloody thing lol. My NNID is currently tied to the single Wii U I own. I cannot freely sign into another Wii U with it, therefore it is tied to my console. Not saying it's permanently tied to the console for life, because Nintendo has the power to switch it, but it's not at all a user-friendly application, and it doesn't benefit me in any way. The core argument is over cross-Nintendo platform play, not how NNIDs work.

I'm not gonna debate over semantics. I know what I've been asking for for so many years, and Nintendo hasn't done it, so I'll let others badger them about it from now on. Hardly makes a difference what we think Nintendo should do; they won't do it. And hopefully if I tell myself that, they'll prove me wrong randomly at some point in the next decade.

 

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