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0 pointsA4ET8a8uTh03y ago0 comments

I will admit that I am mildly concerned with this myself. I dislike that everywhere now there are youtube videos showing off how you can make play Switch games, but on Deck. We are effectively forcing Nintendo's hands. While it was a niche thing, they mostly didn't have to care and now they might have to..

Things MAY work out to the benefit of regular users ( though often they work out to the benefit of those with best lawyers ). All I am saying is, if push comes to shove, as much as I would like to believe Gabe will actually fight this should Nintendo go after them somehow ( and I will actually spend money on Steam to fund it if needed ), it would have been so much better if it stayed a hobbyist thing.

Edit: And for the record. I love my Deck. I love that in the sea of closed off crap, Steam made it all this magic come together.

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p1necone3y ago

Emulation hasn't been a niche thing since the 90s, emulating older systems has always been wildly popular.

Emulating the Switch specifically is maybe a niche thing because the emulators are relatively new, the system is still sold and you can easily buy the games.

A4ET8a8uTh0OP3y ago

Yes, but in the 90s there were no esports, gaming wasn't a billion dollar industry ( with advertising[1] to support that ).

<<Emulation hasn't been a niche thing since the 90s, emulating older systems has always been wildly popular.

Compared to today it was popular amongst some enthusiasts, who already self-selected from perceived social outcasts. Gaming has only recently become more mainstream, socially acceptable AND ridiculously profitable.

The target is that much bigger. I stand by my 'it used to be a niche', because even being interested in computers was not a mainstream interest.

[1]https://www.gameskinny.com/ggtms/10-best-video-game-commerci...

edit:

Seems I was off with a billion number, but it is still nowhere near 2017's 100b global video game industry estimate.

[2]https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/Video_game_industry

jrm43y ago

Ironic given how many Switch games are old games and/or games for other systems.

jrm43y ago

This attitude of "fearing Nintendo" strikes me as incredibly weird. Force 'em, who cares? That's competition. Love the Wii, but also it's obviously that they've had to make some terrible deals with the devil for the Switch.

And this is because Steam's model is broadly superior, for the simple fact that respects both creators and users autonomy more.

Nintendo can catch up to the times or Nintendo can get it's lunch eaten. But that's on them.

A4ET8a8uTh0OP3y ago

<< Force 'em, who cares? That's competition.

This is where I think the disconnect lies. You think it is about competition and business model. You think the best product wins. You think that just because Steam's product is better, it automatically follows that they would not be subject to whims and vagaries of the court systems ( yes, systems ). Creators and users are not meaningless, but serve as mere pawns to be traded between warring corporate entities. As users, best we can hope for is that current retarded copyrights are not enforced harder than they are already.

Nintendo's financial status is public knowledge as they are a public company. Steam's profit and warchest is unknown, but estimated below Nintendo. In short, if both sides dig in, it could be a while.

I am fine with Nintendo going down as a result of that potential fight, but are you ok with it being a pyrrhic victory, where US legal copyright landscape changes further to the user's detriment?

Do you care about that?

jrm43y ago

No no, your first bit doesn't capture at all what I was thinking, but your last bit does. And generally, across the board, I definitely do want this kind of fight because I believe that a good "public" fight is exactly what's needed, and I think this could be it, because it ropes in the massive community that is game creators.

Definitely a maybe. But I suppose I see game creators putting up a better fight than, e.g. the Tumblr adult material community, who more or less rolled over, no pun intended.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

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p1necone3y ago

Emulation hasn't been a niche thing since the 90s, emulating older systems has always been wildly popular.

Emulating the Switch specifically is maybe a niche thing because the emulators are relatively new, the system is still sold and you can easily buy the games.

A4ET8a8uTh0OP3y ago

Yes, but in the 90s there were no esports, gaming wasn't a billion dollar industry ( with advertising[1] to support that ).

<<Emulation hasn't been a niche thing since the 90s, emulating older systems has always been wildly popular.

The target is that much bigger. I stand by my 'it used to be a niche', because even being interested in computers was not a mainstream interest.

[1]https://www.gameskinny.com/ggtms/10-best-video-game-commerci...

edit:

Seems I was off with a billion number, but it is still nowhere near 2017's 100b global video game industry estimate.

[2]https://vgsales.fandom.com/wiki/Video_game_industry

jrm43y ago

Ironic given how many Switch games are old games and/or games for other systems.

jrm43y ago

And this is because Steam's model is broadly superior, for the simple fact that respects both creators and users autonomy more.

Nintendo can catch up to the times or Nintendo can get it's lunch eaten. But that's on them.

A4ET8a8uTh0OP3y ago

<< Force 'em, who cares? That's competition.

I am fine with Nintendo going down as a result of that potential fight, but are you ok with it being a pyrrhic victory, where US legal copyright landscape changes further to the user's detriment?

Do you care about that?

jrm43y ago

Definitely a maybe. But I suppose I see game creators putting up a better fight than, e.g. the Tumblr adult material community, who more or less rolled over, no pun intended.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse