Critiquing the Virtual Console

[timewarpgamer]

I know Nintendo is having a tough day with it's desperate price drop on the 3DS, but I've been fuming for a while about how the Virtual Console service could be so much better. Maybe this is all old hat to you, but if you're interested here's where you can find the full story:

http://timewarpgamer.com/features/wii_v ... crity.html

Would be interested to hear what you think. Admittedly, my 3DS experience with the VC is all second hand, since I haven't been willing to buy one yet—the price drop does make it look a lot more attractive though...

[noiseredux]

Tetris.

How the FUCK is the VC not selling Tetris?

[Flake]

Tetris.

How the FUCK is the VC not selling Tetris?

Because no one knows who actually owns the rights to the game.

[noiseredux]

Tetris.

How the FUCK is the VC not selling Tetris?

Because no one knows who actually owns the rights to the game.

I do. Fucking sell that shit.

[timewarpgamer]

Tetris.

How the FUCK is the VC not selling Tetris?

Because no one knows who actually owns the rights to the game.

I do. Fucking sell that shit.

LOL, it is rather ironic that Tetris is available on a bazillion different systems, yet somehow the VC is devoid of the classic falling block game. If only the lack of Tetris was the VC's biggest problem...

[noiseredux]

your article is great TWG!

[timewarpgamer]

your article is great TWG!

Coming from a moderator on my favorite retro site, that's high praise, indeed. Thank you very much. Now WTF is taking Nintendo so long to read this and hire me, so I can help get them back on target? It should be morning in Japan-land right now...

[noiseredux]

your article is great TWG!

Coming from a moderator on my favorite retro site, that's high praise, indeed. Thank you very much. Now WTF is taking Nintendo so long to read this and hire me, so I can help get them back on target? It should be morning in Japan-land right now...

haha. I can't believe Contra isn't on there. And didn't realize the Castlevania III issue. Ninty's failure to put imports on VC is horrible in my opinion.

[jfrost]

Tetris.

How the FUCK is the VC not selling Tetris?

Because no one knows who actually owns the rights to the game.

The Tetris Company, I think.

[Niode]

Tetris.

How the FUCK is the VC not selling Tetris?

Because no one knows who actually owns the rights to the game.

The Tetris Company, I think.

Which is owned by EA.

This is one thing about the VC, everybody is "OMG why isn't this game on it" "Why aren't there more games?" "Why don't they just release the entire library at once?"

Two reasons.

1. Licensing. It's super easy to just download a ROM and stick it in an emulator. Nintendo can't exactly do that without breaking a bunch of copyright and IP laws. They have to secure the rights, for a lot of first party games, that's not an issue; Nintendo owns all the rights, same for a lot of 2nd party games (Read: Camelot, HAL, RARE-pre Microsoft buyout etc)
2. Quality of Product. They can't just bang any old ROM in an emulator. They have to make sure that the game is playable from start to finish. It has to work. With emulators and ROMs you download from the internet you don't get that luxury, it either works or it doesn't. If it doesn't you hope the emulator coder fixes the issue. When Nintendo are selling these games, they have to provide a satisfactory product to their customers. It doesn't matter that it's a ROM in an emulator to the customer. The customer is buying a game, and they expect certain things from that transaction. A game that plays from start to finish without issues. Ironing out these bugs takes man hours. Which costs money.

Expecting Nintendo to just splurge games willy nilly onto the service is just unrealistic. Anybody who thinks otherwise is just an idiot. Lets see you secure the rights and release a fully functioning version of a previous generation game working on current hardware over night. I don't care how talented you are, not gonna happen. Can you imagine just how many people at Nintendo are working at this every single day? Just because something is available to you for 'free' on the internet doesn't mean the same thing applies in the real world.