Beamdog founder Trent Oster: "We don't do Nintendo development"

Could you expand on this? Who is saying the eshop sucks, and what about it sucks?

The interface itself still needs a lot of work , but the games itself coming out on it have been decent. I still hate the fact that they only release 1 VC game a week or sometimes skip a week.
 
Tell you what, take your "precious corporation" jab and stick it. I should have known better than to get involved in this clusterfuck of a thread, but there you go - first time I've been (albeit in a veiled way) called a Nintendo fanboy since I've been here though.
Then why would you find Beamdog's comments on working with Nintendo "infuriating" if you weren't emotionally involved?
 
He didn't though. He listed a bunch of differences with the eShop but what I'm asking is even with those differences most of you guys are saying eShop still sucks. So there's still something wrong, even if it's a different something wrong,.

And then there's others who say it's fixed on WiiU. Well how and why would you think that?
I did, actually. Who's "you guys" and what did he say about the eShop, by the way?
 
wsippel said:
From everything we hear from developers, the eShop is a pretty great platform. If there is a size limit, it seems pretty damn high (ReXX was 512MB in Japan and is coming to eShop), there's great tech support, same 70/30 split as with Apple or Steam with no minimum payout, Nintendo allows demos, DLC, updates, user generated content and web integration, pricing is much more flexible, and Nintendo actually markets marquee titles.

Really? DLC and user gen content? How do you know the revenue split? And the pricing flexibility?

Genuinely curious as I had a look around an couldn't corroborate almost any of what you mentioned in a 10min search.
 
Despite the fact I bought a wii day one, i have to agree with him.
You agree with him that the Wii isn't a console? How can the Wii not be considered a console? It's a box with controller inputs and plays games through the tele. He statement was illogical because he said, "The Wii is a toy not a toy" because as we all know consoles are toys. Makes no sense.

Except that shitty tool is forced on devs by Nintendo, and they have every right to point that out.
Just to be clear I was only talking about the 40MB limit. Games have been smaller than 40MB for years. If they could do it back then why can't he do it now? Other devs coped so it clearly isn't impossible to produce a 40MB game. If he wanted more he should have chosen a method that provides more like putting the game on the 360.
 
Of course there are. They're Nintendo, and they're a big part of the industry. If nobody at all worked with them then that would mean Nintendo would probably be also killing kittens and little kids, instead of just being a typically shitty business.

But there is such consistent, echo-chamber-esque complaints about Nintendo's practices it's almost unnecessary to click these threads at this point. SO many developers and publishers complain about the exact same things regarding Nintendo's platforms so frequently that it's almost beyond predictable - and all the Ninty's hang ons can do is plug their ears and spout "it's not the tools, it's you!"

Maybe it is also the tools, and not just the developers. Just maybe. Maybe everyone and their mother isn't bullshitting about their problems with the platforms :o
I agree that Nintendo has sucked in 3rd party relationships [on many accounts; just like their policy toward online gaming has]; but I am saying it's not their 'intentional' decision to suck at this [at least after 3DS and Wii bomba they have learned] and so they are working to fix it.
(Also, I am not sure about how how much your "everyone" is; there are various successful stories from small devs on DS and Wii)

However, in this particular case, he is complaining about points which are already mostly fixed; I don't get what's his problem?

Sure if Nintendo had worked on fixing these before, it wouldn't turn out like this; but that doesn't make his complaints any more relevant or professional
 
The interface itself still needs a lot of work , but the games itself coming out on it have been decent. I still hate the fact that they only release 1 VC game a week or sometimes skip a week.

Well if we are talking from a user perspective, I think the layout has some navigation issues. They do a good job promoting certain games to the front, but it takes a bit of work to find other stuff. Games and apps wise there seems to be some solid stuff out, although I haven't bought a ton of games.

Actually I have more issues with the current state of Nintendo Video that seemingly only keeps 4 videos at a time and none of them are ever saved. Would have been nice to see the Kid Icarus videos stick around in some form.

I have no idea why it sucks, I wouldn't be caught dead with a 3DS. I'm just going by what's been said in this thread.

Ok then can you point me to what has been said in this thread? I haven't seen any outwardly negative opinions of the eshop in here?
 
I wouldn't expect any small dev to work on Wii U if those terms (especially the size limit) are still in effect.
 
Very childish and unproffesional outing by this guy. I still welcome it though, maybe Nintendo will get theirshit together then. I want to feel like i'm in 2012 with the wii u, not the 90s.

Why do people always jump to the 90s? We were still playing Super Mario World back then, the concept of DD games was simply a spring chicken idea. In fact you had ideas like the Satellaview on a, gasp, Nintendo system. I honestly think some people need to re-review the years and work out when certain things happened.
 
Oh, you're one of those guys...

I mean here's what's been said so far about the eShop just in this thread. Let's not act fucking oblivious to all the commentary on it throughout the entire fucking internet.

The eshop is a barren wasteland (yet it still manage to be laid out in such an idiotic manner) for the most part and still suffers from plenty of the issues and nonsense that made wiiware so unpalatable. It's hardly surprising that the support is slow coming thus far, I really can't see the Wii-u miraculously fixing the same slew of problems Nintendo has been puttering on for ages.

It'd be nice if their post-Apple hook was simply to get their digital/online strategy together but I assume they'll need to take a few more lumps before that happens.

The eShop lineup is pretty lacklustre indeed.

The interface itself still needs a lot of work , but the games itself coming out on it have been decent. I still hate the fact that they only release 1 VC game a week or sometimes skip a week.

And those are just from a consumers end. Devs don't exactly seem to be flocking to it. So somethings might have changed, but the problems don't seem to be "fixed".
 
It is possible to find his position infuriating without being "emotionally involved", for the reasons I thought I'd outlined.

Even if some of those policies are no longer true, it's up to Nintendo to get infuriated and inform the public of what changed exactly. I don't see why anyone would write a post like yours without feeling a desperate need to defend Nintendo.

I don't know the more negative comments these corporations (Nintendo, MS, Apple, Sony, Valve) get from their smaller partners, the better for everyone involved. And people from small companies can be assholes, obviously, but most of the time they just vent off there frustrations at some idiotic decisions guys in suits with little knowledge of development and consumer reality thought would be a good idea to maximize profits.
 
Even if some of those policies are no longer true, it's up to Nintendo to get infuriated and inform the public of what changed exactly. I don't see why anyone would write a post like yours without feeling a desperate need to defend Nintendo.

I don't know the more negative comments these corporations (Nintendo, MS, Apple, Sony, Valve) get from their smaller partners, the better for everyone involved. And people from small companies can be assholes, obviously, but most of the time they just vent off there frustrations at some idiotic decisions guys in suits with little knowledge of development and consumer reality thought would be a good idea to maximize profits.

Really - all the shite in this thread, and it's my post that's getting you throwing accusations of a "desperate need to defend Nintendo"? I'm obviously doing something wrong...
 
Really? DLC and user gen content? How do you know the revenue split? And the pricing flexibility?

Genuinely curious as I had a look around an couldn't corroborate almost any of what you mentioned in a 10min search.
You don't really think I remember all those links, right? Anyway, we have Pushmo/ Pullblox level sharing, we have Mailbox, we have the Colors! Live gallery. I think Freakyforms has user generated content as well. And we have Zen and Marvel Pinball which will both have DLC (once Nintendo can be arsed to update their fucking eShop infrastructure - as I wrote, Nintendo tends to be really, really slow) and that Atlus Photo Booth thing on the Japanese eShop that already has DLC. In fact, that was the first 3DS title with paid DLC if I remember correctly.
 
I mean here's what's been said so far about the eShop just in this thread. Let's not act fucking oblivious to all the commentary on it throughout the entire fucking internet.

Originally you were talking about eshop improvements on the dev side but whatever. Comments about the software line up are incredibly subjective, there are a number of good titles available. No one has said that the current layout is great, it needs improvement. As I mentioned earlier there some pluses and minuses to the current design. I don't see how that is particularly damning to the service, or with how Nintendo is currently handling its DD business on the eshop. Their main issue is the speed at which improvements are made imo.

Also three quotes, only one of which is truly negative doesn't constitute "most of you guys in this thread".
 
I have no idea why it sucks, I wouldn't be caught dead with a 3DS. I'm just going by what's been said in this thread.

Sorry mate, but no one really cares what handheld you play. No one will even notice, if they notice you at all. If they do attempt to judge you based on your taste in handheld video game systems, then congratulations, you've found someone more insecure than yourself. :U

Oster has a point, the restrictions in place for Wiiware for far too... restricting. They appear to be working on improving their DD system, but I can understand while he's a little bitter about it. But if they are improving the service and have laxer restrictions, I see no reason to not do a quick port.

(On this note, laxer is a pretty cool word).
 
Beamdog had no creative input on MDK2 right? They just did the WiiWare port and that's all?

Hope so, I wouldn't want to think less of what I hear is a fun game due to this clown.

Edit: Looks like the founders were Bioware folks who made the game originally.
 
I wouldn't expect any small dev to work on Wii U if those terms (especially the size limit) are still in effect.

Well, evidently Nintendo engineered WiiWare in some weird way where it was impossible for the size of the games to be any larger than 40MB (source: NeoGAF). But it wasn't even an issue with DSiWare. DSiWare did introduce some weird royalty model that if your game was less than a certain filesize, you'd pay less. But I think they have an industry standard royalty scheme for the 3DS, so I guess that's fixed too.
 
I won't bother saying much or replying to the idiocy by the usual suspects or the immensely uninformed posts in this thread as that is being covered, but I'll leave this here if you haven't read it already:
http://joolswatsham.blogspot.pt/2012/03/publishing-games-on-3ds-is-hard-i-give.html

It's a blog post by Renegade Kid's co-founder talking about publishing games in general, but with 3DS in mind. It's relevant to this discussion and I'll just quote this part:
I think the problem with a lot of publishers these days is the fact that they spend too much time looking into the past instead of looking into the future.
 
Really - all the shite in this thread, and it's my post that's getting you throwing accusations of a "desperate need to defend Nintendo"? I'm obviously doing something wrong...

At this point I have most of GAF's biggest fanboys on my ignore list, so I can imagine I missed most of the thread's most extreme opinions. :p
 
Seeing the 3DS e-shop you have to wonder how much they learned. Probably limit size and other things has been fixed, but the state of the store lefts a lot to be desired. They need better prices (you know something is wrong when VC and PSone classics are the same price and for a few more euros you can get PSP titles) and deals, better interface and being more faster.

Right now it's not a good enviroment for digital tittles.
 
Seeing the 3DS e-shop you have to wonder how much they learned. Probably limit size and other things has been fixed, but the state of the store lefts a lot to be desired. They need better prices and deals, better interface and being more faster.

Right now it's not a good enviroment for digital tittles.

The speed and how it's laid out really aren't a problem, especially for new games, which are thrust right at you.
Prices could use a bit of tweaking, but that's how it is a lot of places.
 
Complaining about the Wii's terrible dd system is like complaining about 3rd party support in the n64 days. Who gives a shit, theyve moved on!
 
The speed and how it's laid out really aren't a problem, especially for new games, which are thrust right at you.
Prices could use a bit of tweaking, but that's how it is a lot of places.

Sometimes it takes a lot of time to actually enter the e-shop (with the Wi-Fi bar full), PSNstore is not much better but it can't compere to other digital services.

Yeah and prices are usually bad, but Nintendo has the worst prices of all the big 3 companies. And PSN and Live has deals. And better not go beyond console companies, the situation would be more embarassing.

Complaining about the Wii's terrible dd system is like complaining about 3rd party support in the n64 days. Who gives a shit, theyve moved on!

The problem would be if that opinion it's really widespreed between most small companies. Then Nintendo would have a hella job to get all those again on their Wii U service.
 
Didn't know who Beamdog was or what they did before this thread...
Every small developpers seems to have a problem with eshop, psn or xbla...
Calling names won't solve anything...
 
Sometimes it takes a lot of time to actually enter the e-shop (with the Wi-Fi bar full), PSNstore is not much better but it can't compere to other digital services.

Yeah and prices are usually bad, but Nintendo has the worst prices of all the big 3 companies. And PSN and Live has deals. And better not go beyond console companies, the situation would be more embarassing.

Really?
I've never sat for more than 4 seconds to load up the store.
 
Guy didn't hold back.

Everything he said about the digital landscape of Wii-era Nintendo has been backed up by many others, so I'm glad he said it. The more ire that mess of an digital store gets, the better Nintendo's next ventures will be (as evidenced by the DSi Shop and the eShop).

Seeing the 3DS e-shop you have to wonder how much they learned. Probably limit size and other things has been fixed, but the state of the store lefts a lot to be desired. They need better prices (you know something is wrong when VC and PSone classics are the same price and for a few more euros you can get PSP titles) and deals, better interface and being more faster.

Right now it's not a good enviroment for digital tittles.

As far as prices go, I've always imagined that the eShop customer is a customer that's willing to spend more time and money on deeper experiences (as opposed to the mobile phone customer), so I think the prices are fine for what they have out.

But Tyrone from Nicalis has made comments about the store itself. Namely that the way it's structured allows for good games to get the spotlight. It's a huge improvement over the Wii Shop, where they just showed you everything with absolutely no guidance. But there does need to be a better balance, ala Steam.
 
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