8 years ago
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Nintendo patent filing hints at a return to disc-free game consoles
Nintendo has said little about what its future NX console will involve (besides not running Android), but one of the company's recent US patent applications might be a hint as to what it's planning.
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http://www.engadget.com
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Nintendo files patent application for stationary game console without optical disk #1
On February 10, 2015, Nintendo Co., Ltd, filed in the United States a patent application for a "Stationary Game Apparatus, Game Apparatus, Game System, Recording Medium and Speed Control Method".
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Sounds great, except for the fact that the only reason we can still go out and legally play classics like Goldeneye 007 and WWF No Mercy is because they were available on physical media. Otherwise, they'd be entirely lost to license limbo and impossible to play.
Downloadable games are convenient, but they also have a downside. Just ask anyone who wants to play Konami's P.T.
They talk about external card on the patent, maybe they expect to use them to distribute the games physically.
That's what I'm hoping. Like a DS game card, or something.
It's only when a game is entirely digital that I start to worry. Like, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, it's a fantastic Double Dragon homage that used to be available on PSN and Xbox Live. Then they took it down, because reasons, and since it never got a physical version, the game is just lost. Along with The Simpsons Arcade Game, and all that other stuff pulled from XBLA.
It's not a problem with it being digital, it's a problem with copy protection. If you have an hacked PS3 it's easy to backup your copy of the game (or get a new one by... unofficial means).
This is true. Which is why my favorite game delivery method these days is GOG. Being able to back up the original install files on any number of discs or drives means I get to keep my games forever, and it'd be really nice if something like that were an option for console owners.
Hey, we can all dream. :)