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Well, let me try explaining how it works, because they honestly do a pretty bad job of it. So SmileBASIC 4 itself costs 25 USD (40 AUD). A server ticket costs

Well, let me try explaining how it works, because they honestly do a pretty bad job of it. So SmileBASIC 4 itself costs 25 USD (40 AUD). A server ticket costs 5 USD (9 AUD). Despite the name, these tickets never expire or get used up. How these work is as follows: - If you have 0 tickets, you can only download once every 8 hours, and you can't upload anything. - If you have n tickets, where n > 0, then you have unlimited downloads, and can upload 10*n projects at once. (Note that you can take down old projects to make room for new ones.) Personally speaking, unless you really need to upload a lot of projects at once (and 10 slots goes further than you might think), you really only need one ticket. The reason this server ticket system exists is because SmileBoom is a pretty small company (their site lists 8.2 million yen in capital, about 76,000 USD or 120,000 AUD), and this helps offset server costs. In any case, if you still find this system distasteful, there's nothing stopping you from continuing to do it the old way, manually typing in programs by hand. That said, I don't think it's so unreasonable to ask for a few bucks for server access, especially as a one-time fee. (Note also that originally the plan was for SmileBASIC 4 to only be sold as a bundle with one ticket. The standalone version was added because there were issues with it showing up in the eShop properly otherwise.) EDIT: One more note: this is a project limit, but you can have multiple files in a project, and the maximum project upload size is 20 MB. As you probably know, text doesn't take up much space, so you can cram a LOT of small programs into one project if you need to.

growt 6y ago
Do when I buy this ticket can I write my programs on a pc with a keyboard and transfer them to the console via server?
- niconii 6y ago
  No, but SmileBASIC itself supports a USB keyboard and mouse.
  - aspenmayer 6y ago
    Sounds like a good use case for a USB rubber ducky. The original version https://shop.hak5.org/collections/physical-access/products/usb-rubber-ducky-deluxe https://shop.hak5.org/collections/physical-access/products/u... The current cheapest off the shelf version (out of stock ATM but even cheaper clones exist) http://digistump.com/products/1 http://digistump.com/products/1 https://github.com/mame82/duck2spark https://github.com/mame82/duck2spark Build your own with compatible USB flash drives https://github.com/brandonlw/Psychson https://github.com/brandonlw/Psychson
  - tialaramex 6y ago
    To be fair that's the Switch doing that. When connecting to my WiFi this was a huge blessing - because even the toy WiFi for the Switch has a decent password, and again when uploading SMM2 levels. It's a little bit painful to watch really great creators like Barb or PangeaPanga uses a pad to write names & descriptions. "It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with", but the Youtube video has to cut there because Barb will proceed to take about a minute to painstakingly enter the text. It's not a big deal, but it jumps out because that's the only part I find easier. (I suck at Mario, but it's fun anyway).
shepherdjerred 6y ago
Server costs? Is someone uploading gigabytes of code?
- adito 6y ago
  Uploading, probably no. Downloading in other hand; since it says unlimited, there's possibility that someone would download gigabytes of code.
- niconii 6y ago
  Effectively, each server ticket increases your upload limit by 200 MB, permanently. I'd imagine things could add up with custom graphics and things like that, but I have no idea exactly how big the userbase is in Japan. It's definitely bigger than in the West, but I don't know by how much.
- dathinab 6y ago
  see it differently. The idea: 30€ for game + 10 reusable upload slots (but seperatef for all kinds of nitty bitty details). This covers most users needs. But the game will mostly be a niche product reducing profitability. So selling more reusable upload slots to the ones which are fine with afforting it seems a good idea especially given that probably anyone can live with 10 slots. Also giving unlimited upload space would be a liability for the company. Be aware that I made that judgment based on this being a game. If you look at it as a programming development environment it indeed seems very dogy. But given the context you should see it as a game which also teaches you programming not as a programming environment.
  - grawprog 6y ago
    >But given the context you should see it as a game which also teaches you programming Yeah and they're already teaching kids to accept the need to pay some third party company permission to make their code available on a locked down heavily controlled piece of hardware, just like in real life.
    - dathinab 6y ago

growt 6y ago

Do when I buy this ticket can I write my programs on a pc with a keyboard and transfer them to the console via server?

niconii 6y ago
No, but SmileBASIC itself supports a USB keyboard and mouse.
- aspenmayer 6y ago
  Sounds like a good use case for a USB rubber ducky. The original version https://shop.hak5.org/collections/physical-access/products/usb-rubber-ducky-deluxe https://shop.hak5.org/collections/physical-access/products/u... The current cheapest off the shelf version (out of stock ATM but even cheaper clones exist) http://digistump.com/products/1 http://digistump.com/products/1 https://github.com/mame82/duck2spark https://github.com/mame82/duck2spark Build your own with compatible USB flash drives https://github.com/brandonlw/Psychson https://github.com/brandonlw/Psychson
- tialaramex 6y ago
  To be fair that's the Switch doing that. When connecting to my WiFi this was a huge blessing - because even the toy WiFi for the Switch has a decent password, and again when uploading SMM2 levels. It's a little bit painful to watch really great creators like Barb or PangeaPanga uses a pad to write names & descriptions. "It can't be bargained with. It can't be reasoned with", but the Youtube video has to cut there because Barb will proceed to take about a minute to painstakingly enter the text. It's not a big deal, but it jumps out because that's the only part I find easier. (I suck at Mario, but it's fun anyway).

shepherdjerred 6y ago

Server costs? Is someone uploading gigabytes of code?

adito 6y ago
Uploading, probably no. Downloading in other hand; since it says unlimited, there's possibility that someone would download gigabytes of code.
niconii 6y ago
Effectively, each server ticket increases your upload limit by 200 MB, permanently. I'd imagine things could add up with custom graphics and things like that, but I have no idea exactly how big the userbase is in Japan. It's definitely bigger than in the West, but I don't know by how much.
dathinab 6y ago
see it differently. The idea: 30€ for game + 10 reusable upload slots (but seperatef for all kinds of nitty bitty details). This covers most users needs. But the game will mostly be a niche product reducing profitability. So selling more reusable upload slots to the ones which are fine with afforting it seems a good idea especially given that probably anyone can live with 10 slots. Also giving unlimited upload space would be a liability for the company. Be aware that I made that judgment based on this being a game. If you look at it as a programming development environment it indeed seems very dogy. But given the context you should see it as a game which also teaches you programming not as a programming environment.
- grawprog 6y ago
  >But given the context you should see it as a game which also teaches you programming Yeah and they're already teaching kids to accept the need to pay some third party company permission to make their code available on a locked down heavily controlled piece of hardware, just like in real life.
  - dathinab 6y ago