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Miyamoto acknowledges it’s easier than ever to offer backwards compatibility

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman

As part of a Q&A session following the publication of its latest financial results, Nintendo’s execs were asked what discussions are being held internally about offering backwards compatibility on new hardware.

While Miyamoto did not specifically state which direction future Nintendo consoles would take, he did state that he believes backwards compatibility is easier to implement in the modern era than it was in the past.

“In the past, we provided a service known as the ‘Virtual Console’ that allowed users to play older video games on new consoles with newer hardware,” he said (translated by VGC contributor Robert Sephazon). “As long as the hardware remained unchanged, those games could continue to be played.

“However, the publishing rights to video games are complicated, and we have said that we would only add titles after securing the necessary rights.

“Of course, video games developed for dedicated consoles were created in different development environments for each console,” Miyamoto continued. “As a result, when the hardware changed, the development environment could not necessarily be reused, and so the video games that had been released on older consoles could not be played on newer consoles without additional modification.

“Recently, however, the development environment has increasingly become more standardised, and we now have an environment that allows players to enjoy older video games on newer consoles more easily than ever before.”

Miyamoto concluded: “However, Nintendo’s strength is in creating new video game experiences, so when we release new hardware in the future, we would like to showcase unique video games that could not be created with pre-existing hardware.”
 

Zannegan

Member
"Miyamoto concluded: 'However, Nintendo’s strength is in creating new video game experiences, so when we release new hardware in the future, we would like to showcase unique video games that could not be created with pre-existing hardware.'"

Good. Then showcase the new stuff and just dump everything else onto a permanent digital storefront for us to buy a la carte or pay a monthly sub to have access to the whole library. Oh and pay someone to spin up a PC storefront/client for you while you're at it.
 
Miyamoto concluded: “However, Nintendo’s strength is in creating new video game experiences, so when we release new hardware in the future, we would like to showcase unique video games that could not be created with pre-existing hardware.”

WiiU dude! WiiU!
 

Celcius

°Temp. member
It will be very interesting to see if Nintendo works with nvidia again next gen. Nvidia seems to have burned their bridges with Xbox (og Xbox), sony (ps3), Apple (Mac), and just about everyone they’ve ever partnered with.
 
This is why I feel backwards compatibility is NOT the obligation for Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft. Their obligation is to produce new software.

However, and heres what I propose, their should be a service or company, completely separate from the big 3, that curate all games. There needs to be a single platform service where publishers can give the rights to their games to be stored and played.

Gaming needs a Video Game Library for post releases games.
 
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Marvel14

Banned
Literally all you have to do is stuff new hardware into the same chassis, call it the Switch 2, and laugh your way to the bank. For once will you please just fucking capitalize on a winning formula instead of throwing it all away for the sake of some new gimmick?
What if they could make it thinner and foldable?
 

Marvel14

Banned
This is why I feel backwards compatibility is NOT the obligation for Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft. Their obligation is to produce new software.

However, and heres what I propose, their should be a service or company, completely separate from the big 3, that curate all games. There needs to be a single platform service where publishers can give the rights to their games to be stored and played.

Gaming needs a Video Game Library for post releases games.
Newsflash : private tech entertainment companies are not obligated to sell/produce anything.
 
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Ozriel

M$FT
Literally all you have to do is stuff new hardware into the same chassis, call it the Switch 2, and laugh your way to the bank. For once will you please just fucking capitalize on a winning formula instead of throwing it all away for the sake of some new gimmick?

They don’t need to keep the same physical cart interface. Just make it compatible with digital games.
 

REDRZA MWS

Member
Hence all 3 major hardware makers going for more conventional “off the shelf” pc parts and tech. Console are like PC’s now, when newer more powerful ones launch they will still play all your games and will look/perform better in most cases.

Goodbye “emotion engine”, “reality synthesizer”, and Cell. Krazy Ken is depressed.
 
What a cagey answer. People just want to play their old Switch games on the new system.

For the love of god just ADD to what's already a winning formula instead of kicking it in the nuts and shoving it out of a window either in the name of some innovations that's dropped fast or as another way to resell you something you already bought.
 

Kataploom

Gold Member
Well, I've been full digital with Nintendo this gen because they've been saying that since before the Switch name was revealed, and has repeated the same several times already, they want their future devices to run games from their previous ones
 

Mr Hyde

Member
If Nintendo doesn't continue with the Switch brand and the hybrid format for their follow up, ensuring full BC for the Switch catalogue, I'm not interested. I've invested too much to start from scratch again.
 

cireza

Banned
He might be mistaking the Wii U ports for actual BC.

I love the conclusion.

Guy states for an hour how easy it is and concludes they won't be doing it because.
 
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Fake

Member
giphy.gif
 

SSfox

Member
Miyamoto concluded: “However, Nintendo’s strength is in creating new video game experiences, so when we release new hardware in the future, we would like to showcase unique video games that could not be created with pre-existing hardware.”

It used to be one of Sony's strength too. Before they choose that lame PC porting philosophy.
 

mcjmetroid

Member
He might be mistaking the Wii U ports for actual BC.

I love the conclusion.

Guy states for an hour how easy it is and concludes they won't be doing it because.
I really don't read it like that. Him sayings it's easy is pretty much him saying it's very likely they'll do it to me.

But he's saying they will focus on the new gimmick their new console is inevitable going to have first before making sure their controllers have all the necessary buttons for a switch port to happen.
 
Of course the can do it, the question is how do they keep charging for it.

If they sell you a game and let you play it on all consoles going forward, they stop making money from you on it. Their solution seems to be to not allow you to buy them, but rent them indefinitely. I'm not a fan.
 
If Nintendos next console isn’t BC they are done and they know it.

Cut out the gimmicky shit and stick with the switch-hybrid hardware convention, as its the only thing saving them from becoming a complete mobile dev at this point
 
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Woopah

Member
The statement seems a little out of touch when you think about the amount of wii u ports there's been made to the Switch.

But who am I to judge 🤷🏻‍♂️
I think that falls under the part below:

"the video games that had been released on older consoles could not be played on newer consoles without additional modification."
 

EverydayBeast

thinks Halo Infinite is a new graphical benchmark
Backwards compatibility emerged in the scene with the ps2 than was let go, before you could have one console play multiple generations of games.
 
Anyone whom tries to portray themselves as the All_Purpose_Goodguy of the industry, is anything but, don't get me wrong, Ninny does make good games and all that, but dudes in the industry who give answers like this aren't most likely gonna do anything in the sort - Nintendo tends to be compared to Disney all the time, but that would also have to include the much.....Much Darker side of the company too, ya'know
 

BossLackey

Gold Member
The statement seems a little out of touch when you think about the amount of wii u ports there's been made to the Switch.

Nintendo is nothing if not out of touch. They live in their own little world and don't give a shit about anything not directly in front of them.
 
I feel like the whole point of the Switch and one if it’s inherent advantages is it’s meant to go for much longer as a platform than a typical console cycle. As in, iterative hardware that can play older software for a long period of time.

I envision a Super Switch that plays all Switch software + new Super Switch software, that basically doubles as a successor + new hardware iteration with very similar features. Like New 3DS, but far more robust and a much longer cycle on the market before a from-scratch new platform some 4+ years from now.
 
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poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
You were doing fine until this.
It’s not gonna happen.
They are leaving money on the table though, it's not like people aren't going to emulate the shit out of their old titles anyway. Why not sell old Wii games on PC. People would happily buy Super Mario Galaxy again.
 

Woopah

Member
They are leaving money on the table though, it's not like people aren't going to emulate the shit out of their old titles anyway. Why not sell old Wii games on PC. People would happily buy Super Mario Galaxy again.
But would that have generated as much revenue as putting Galaxy in a 3D All Stars Collection and selling 9 million copies of it?
 

digdug2

Member
Of course the can do it, the question is how do they keep charging for it.

If they sell you a game and let you play it on all consoles going forward, they stop making money from you on it. Their solution seems to be to not allow you to buy them, but rent them indefinitely. I'm not a fan.
I'm not a fan of them renting shit indefinitely either. However, I really don't know about this take because most companies' motives revolve around putting out new stuff continually.
 

poppabk

Cheeks Spread for Digital Only Future
But would that have generated as much revenue as putting Galaxy in a 3D All Stars Collection and selling 9 million copies of it?
Obviously not, but I doubt that a PC store release would have significantly impacted those 9 million sales.
 

Ornoku

Member
Buying games on nintendo platforms is useless. Once they close the eshop on the system and you don't have it downloaded you're fucked. How many times do they want us to buy ocarina of time?
 
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