4 ms·

Huh, that's a really nice way of looking at it. I suppose I was thinking that it's my device that I've paid for so there shouldn't have unnecessary restrictions

Huh, that's a really nice way of looking at it. I suppose I was thinking that it's my device that I've paid for so there shouldn't have unnecessary restrictions imposed on it. But it's true that I'd prefer a restricted device with a greater game library over an unrestricted device with no games!

smichel17 6y ago
> If Nintendo can maintain a proper "hack free" device more third parties will be willing to release their games on the Switch I don't think it's quite as cut-and-dry as this. - The draw of a "hack free" platform varies by genre. For competitive multiplayer games, it's a big draw. For single-player and creative games, you might find a larger market in less restrictive, more moddable, platforms (eg, if you were making a Minecraft clone, would you target Switch or PC?). - If the platform is popular enough, the level of lockdown may not affect the calculus that much. - And, of course, it depends on how successful these measures are at preventing hacks. There's a big difference in draw between 50%, 90%, and 100% hack prevention, because of how the knowledge of cheaters affects player perception. Eg, in a competitive game, knowing cheats exist can taint the experience of being outplayed, as you wonder whether your opponent was cheating. Overall, I'm not saying that GP's viewpoint is an invalid one, just that the tradeoffs are a little more nuanced than "more lockdown more games".
- mikepurvis 6y ago
  > if you were making a Minecraft clone, would you target Switch or PC? This depends a lot on your monetization strategy. If your plan is a free or low-cost game with skins for sale, having a wild west story for modding may not be at all what you want.
  - monadic2 6y ago
    Ahh, the drug dealer model.
    - mikepurvis 6y ago
      Well yes. Not at all condoning it, but I mean, this is how Fortnite and friends work.
paulryanrogers 6y ago
Which holds true until they abandon the platform. Then the homebrew community would take over, if they had access.
paulcole 6y ago
> it's my device that I've paid for so there shouldn't have unnecessary restrictions imposed on it In the grand scheme of things, this is a very niche opinion. How specifically would your use of the Switch change if Nintendo didn’t prevent downgrades in this way?
- bibabaloo 6y ago
  I'd be free to choose the version of software to run on it. If they were to, for example, put out a release that broke compatibility with a niche game that I enjoyed, I could downgrade and continue to play that game. But, honestly, it's more about the principle.
  - paulcole 6y ago
    Has a release of Switch software ever broken compatibility with an already released Switch game?
- salawat 6y ago
  >In the grand scheme of things, this is a very niche opinion. Uh, how ya figure? Oh, do you mean in the, "Well, no consumer would ever actively think of that sense!" Because that's downright wrong, and it has been a longtime complaint of mine since childhood, which my family will be happy to attest to the degree of ear bending that results from these types of shenanigans every single time I discover them. Further, if you think that idea is niche, I'd like to point you toward the right-to-repair movement,as well as the bloody Android ecosystem as well. The only people to whom what you refer to as a "niche" idea, are a niche into an nd of themselves; namely production companies that wish to infringe on the right of First Sale. Get with the 21st Century. People are not satisfied with planned obsolescence, and while they'll consume things made in a user hostile way, I'll assure you, once an actor that commits to consumer friendly electronics fabrication gets traction in the space, and shows signs of the ability to collect good talent, people will flock to them. Don't get me wrong. I like Nintendo, I just hate predatory hardware forging practices.
  - paulcole 6y ago
rusk 6y ago
> it's my device that I've paid for so there shouldn't have unnecessary restrictions imposed on it Another way of looking at it is that it’s a platform to which they have licensed you access ... of course under those terms it should be lease rather than outright purchase (eg like a proprietary set top box) but I guess the market hasn’t quite wised up to that yet ...
nottorp 6y ago
It really depends on how much those protections restrict you. Does buying music online come with unlimited redownloads yet? Or do you still have to make a backup yourself, which is tied to a device and you'll lose anyway?
- Kaze404 6y ago
  That analogy doesn't make much sense. It's more comparable to the iPod than to iTunes.

smichel17 6y ago

> If Nintendo can maintain a proper "hack free" device more third parties will be willing to release their games on the Switch I don't think it's quite as cut-and-dry as this. - The draw of a "hack free" platform varies by genre. For competitive multiplayer games, it's a big draw. For single-player and creative games, you might find a larger market in less restrictive, more moddable, platforms (eg, if you were making a Minecraft clone, would you target Switch or PC?). - If the platform is popular enough, the level of lockdown may not affect the calculus that much. - And, of course, it depends on how successful these measures are at preventing hacks. There's a big difference in draw between 50%, 90%, and 100% hack prevention, because of how the knowledge of cheaters affects player perception. Eg, in a competitive game, knowing cheats exist can taint the experience of being outplayed, as you wonder whether your opponent was cheating. Overall, I'm not saying that GP's viewpoint is an invalid one, just that the tradeoffs are a little more nuanced than "more lockdown more games".

mikepurvis 6y ago
> if you were making a Minecraft clone, would you target Switch or PC? This depends a lot on your monetization strategy. If your plan is a free or low-cost game with skins for sale, having a wild west story for modding may not be at all what you want.
- monadic2 6y ago
  Ahh, the drug dealer model.
  - mikepurvis 6y ago
    Well yes. Not at all condoning it, but I mean, this is how Fortnite and friends work.

paulryanrogers 6y ago

Which holds true until they abandon the platform. Then the homebrew community would take over, if they had access.

paulcole 6y ago

> it's my device that I've paid for so there shouldn't have unnecessary restrictions imposed on it In the grand scheme of things, this is a very niche opinion. How specifically would your use of the Switch change if Nintendo didn’t prevent downgrades in this way?

bibabaloo 6y ago
I'd be free to choose the version of software to run on it. If they were to, for example, put out a release that broke compatibility with a niche game that I enjoyed, I could downgrade and continue to play that game. But, honestly, it's more about the principle.
- paulcole 6y ago
  Has a release of Switch software ever broken compatibility with an already released Switch game?
salawat 6y ago
>In the grand scheme of things, this is a very niche opinion. Uh, how ya figure? Oh, do you mean in the, "Well, no consumer would ever actively think of that sense!" Because that's downright wrong, and it has been a longtime complaint of mine since childhood, which my family will be happy to attest to the degree of ear bending that results from these types of shenanigans every single time I discover them. Further, if you think that idea is niche, I'd like to point you toward the right-to-repair movement,as well as the bloody Android ecosystem as well. The only people to whom what you refer to as a "niche" idea, are a niche into an nd of themselves; namely production companies that wish to infringe on the right of First Sale. Get with the 21st Century. People are not satisfied with planned obsolescence, and while they'll consume things made in a user hostile way, I'll assure you, once an actor that commits to consumer friendly electronics fabrication gets traction in the space, and shows signs of the ability to collect good talent, people will flock to them. Don't get me wrong. I like Nintendo, I just hate predatory hardware forging practices.
- paulcole 6y ago

rusk 6y ago

> it's my device that I've paid for so there shouldn't have unnecessary restrictions imposed on it Another way of looking at it is that it’s a platform to which they have licensed you access ... of course under those terms it should be lease rather than outright purchase (eg like a proprietary set top box) but I guess the market hasn’t quite wised up to that yet ...

nottorp 6y ago

It really depends on how much those protections restrict you. Does buying music online come with unlimited redownloads yet? Or do you still have to make a backup yourself, which is tied to a device and you'll lose anyway?

Kaze404 6y ago
That analogy doesn't make much sense. It's more comparable to the iPod than to iTunes.