Nintendo Switch

[rygD]

Disc media is dead, imo...

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/79003/20150829/nintendo-nx-to-ditch-blu-ray-for-cartridges-or-sd-cards.htm

This is old news that I have read elsewhere.  Others who looked at the documents have said it sounds more like a Wii U mini, and probably not the NX.  The rest of us, that love carts, are the ones assuming that is what it means.

Long live cartridges.

Because they do.  They live long.  Possibly longer than optical or magnetic storage media...

 

[Nintendo]

So SD cards count as, or are considered as carts?

 

[slaeshjag]

The line is getting fuzzier by each generation. The PS Vita is pretty much already there. The main difference still there, is that SD cards are generally rewitable, while game carts rarely have more than a tiny portion writable.

 

[Nintendo]

Ah ok, you're right. Tapwave, Gizmondo, Nokia N-Gage and a few others had the right idea too.

Also, silicon lasts longer (shelf life) too, right?

 

[slaeshjag]

Depends. Flash memory can rot within a decade if stored in a hot place, or > 100 years if it's of good quality and stored at room temperature. Mask ROMs (like the ones Nintendo at least used to use, not sure if they still do) will last for as long as the rest of the chip does.

 

[Nintendo]

100 years!!?? Wow, that's a long time. I keep all my flash memory, whether it'd be external HDD or memory cards stored at room temperature, so I'm happy to hear that

Mask ROMs?

Btw, I hated it when some of my SEGA SATURN CDs corroded

 

[slaeshjag]

The shelf life for flash will vary a lot. I'd still advice you to keep at least one backup under your attention of all flash media. A lot of flash is only rated for 20 years, and cheap bad quality flash could be even worse.

Mask ROMs are "programmed" by etching the data pattern in permanently into the chip during manufacturing, compared to traditional ROMs that keep data with trapped charges (which escape over time via quantum tunneling, an effect that gets more prevelent as temperature rises.)

Mask ROMs have a high setup cost, but are cheap per unit.

 

[Nintendo]

Oh, I see. And cheap per unit, eh? No wonder Nintendo used them before! They always want to save money.

 

[rygD]

The shelf life for flash will vary a lot. I'd still advice you to keep at least one backup under your attention of all flash media. A lot of flash is only rated for 20 years, and cheap bad quality flash could be even worse.

Mask ROMs are "programmed" by etching the data pattern in permanently into the chip during manufacturing, compared to traditional ROMs that keep data with trapped charges (which escape over time via quantum tunneling, an effect that gets more prevelent as temperature rises.)

Mask ROMs have a high setup cost, but are cheap per unit.

Good to know.  Too bad the Retro VGS carts won't be made like this.  Now I want to know what Nintendo is using for 3/DS games (and earlier cartridges).

Oh, I see. And cheap per unit, eh? No wonder Nintendo used them before! They always want to save money.

The biggest benefit is for the people that want to play the games decades, or more, later.

 

[Nintendo]

3DS games, please don't make me sad

 

[Klumpen]

Next one already? How long did the SNES last?

All the innovation and fun gamplay (making a console last long) that is not based on "we need bettah grafix and moar hardwar powa!" is coming from indie devs today.

They shat on them in the last years and since Nintendo isn't exactly known for the best hardware specs, they've dug their own grave.

Courting indie devs would be the way to go indeed but somehow I don't believe it and think Android would be a bad idea in any case although it's probably the usual solution for DRMed Linux.

 

[rygD]

Next one already? How long did the SNES last?

According to wikipedia it was available for 13 years in Japan and 8 years in the US.  Their next console, N64, was released 6 years after the SNES (5 years in the US).  Usually development of the next generation hardware is started long before release, as I understand it.  We are coming up on 3 years since the release of the Wii U.  With each generation I use them less and less, with exceptions for the N64 and Wii.  My N64 is still one of my most used consoles.

Do we know what sort of device the NX is supposed to be (is it confirmed to be the next gen console)?  

 

[iprice]

Despite my interest in the NX, and my love for pretty much all things Nintendo, this is their first machine since the SNES that I don't expect to be buying on day 1, I think I'll be waiting until long after launch. I do however reserve the right to change my opinion as more information about the system and games becomes available!

 

[Klumpen]

I grew up with the SNES but not one of their later consoles (or any later consoles at all) had nearly the same magic or to be honest any magic at all.

I'm playing SNES games that I missed back then because they were not available here or for some other reasons and of course the old ones to this day.

If Nintendo would make a console that is clearly dedicated to 2D games in high definition like a really advanced SNES with stuff comparable to

Bastion, Transistor, Apotheon, Limbo, Dust, Hotline Miami, PixelJunk Shooter, Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet, Hammerwatch, Super Meat Boy, Binding of Isaac, Thomas Was Alone, Crimsonland, Steamworld Dig, Knytt Underground, Aquaria, etc...

and their oldies like A Link to the Past, Super Mario World, Super Metroid, Super Mario Kart (the original), MegaMan 1-7 and X-X3, F-Zero, Terranigma, Illusion of Time, Seiken Densetsu 1-3, Lufia, Donkey Kong Country 1-3, etc... in 1920x1080 plus true successors of those in 2D, I'd probably be all over it.

Imho, Nintendo should have never gone 3D.

I know it probably is a silly dream... but I believe that this concept would work - it definitely would work for me.

 

[rygD]

If Nintendo would make a console that is clearly dedicated to 2D games in high definition like a really advanced SNES with stuff comparable to

(...) in 1920x1080 plus true successors of those in 2D, I'd probably be all over it.

Me too.

Imho, Nintendo should have never gone 3D.

I disagree, as there are some good games.  I don't think they should have tried to move everything/most things to 3D.  For some of the long running series I grew bored with them when they went 3D (Super Mario, Zelda).  There is one very notable exception to me, Metroid, however they seem determined to ruin that series in completely different ways.  My taste in games is probably why Metroid, in all its forms, appeal to me.  I am pretty sure there are other hardcore Metroid fans that hate Prime and later stuff.

 

[Jumpman]

Despite my interest in the NX, and my love for pretty much all things Nintendo, this is their first machine since the SNES that I don't expect to be buying on day 1, I think I'll be waiting until long after launch. I do however reserve the right to change my opinion as more information about the system and games becomes available!

Same here, but the Wii U was the first for me since the SNES. I'm sure the NX will be my number two sadly. I have a deep love for all things "N" as well, and while the love has gone rather stale in recent years, I'm happy to say my 9 year old has pick up the torch.

He's always asking for these little tidbits of "N" history and games(he just asked to about Kirby's Air Ride), and I'm happy to discuss the past with him, but when it comes to current things, I sadly have to tell him I could care less, as the magic is mostly gone

Chris

 

[Nintendo]

Wait, what are we talking about now? I keep seeing SNES come up?

 

[ekianjo]

Erm Limbo is not a 2d game guys.

 

[Nintendo]

Erm Limbo is not a 2d game guys.

Actually, it is.

 

[ekianjo]

Erm Limbo is not a 2d game guys.

Actually, it is.

No, it's not. Many 3d elements in every scene. Have you ever played it ? 

It's not because its gameplay is on a 2d plane that it's technically a 2d game.