This is a downloadable app, right? Will you please start putting in download size in addition to price? Not all of us have unlimited bandwidth, you know.
And I think I see the original idea where Starship Enterprise got its shape from.
This, after the incredible success of N3DS? Is this guy for real? For the record, I stopped playing PC games after I have my Nintendo. In fact, given my busy schedule, I only play N3DS games now. PC/Phone/Console games are irrelevant to me.
Those of you saying the quality is bad, I have no idea what you mean. The quality is fine by me. I checked out 3 shows, and they're all fine. News (Paul Walker died in a car crash) works fine. Anime works fine. Dancing works fine, too. User interface is a bit sluggish, but video shows, at least on HQ level, is perfectly fine. No hanging either. I'm using N3DS XL, but I don't think it'll be different with standard 3DS.
It's not tablet quality, but it's still better than my phone. I tried the standard quality. The video is fuzzy, but what do you expect? Also, it seems that the program can run multiple videos at the same time. If you play more than one video, then it's possible that the software still streams the previous videos, thus eating up your bandwidth. Perhaps a better stop button is needed.
Do reviews mention download size? Pricing in all regions would be appreciated, too. I'm getting this one. It's just a question of when, and whether it's a download/cartridge.
A competitor to OUYA, I see. It makes for a good, solid entry-level device. Of course, it's going to be confusing, with WiiU Miiverse and WiiMini not compatible. I doubt that'll hurt much though. Different market.
I see this as more of an attempt to widen user base than it is trying to make money. By making it as cheap as possible, more initially resistant people will get it, and hopefully, be customer for life.
So, this is more of strategic long-term action, than it is trying to shore up Wii U numbers for the holiday. That's brave of Nintendo to do so. I commend them. Hopefully, it'll work well.
@HarveyManback You got that right. Had I not run out of friends, I'd buy a few more of these 3DS bundles. No WiiU, yet for precisely the reason you mentioned.
Nanowrimo is coming in November. If you can just roll it into that, then all will be well. Of course, there'll be editing session as well, so January deadline, right?
@DimetriWarrior Nobody is going to "physically" split LCD screen in two just to have two images. It's a lot easier to just remap the address rotated 90 degree in the graphic library, either software or hardware.
Take a look at the LCD connector. Too bad there's not a big close up picture of it. But, do you see 4 wires? or more? If it's 4 wires or less, then there's no split.
Even if there's more, that still depends on the wires. Some LCD screen comes with ribbon interface. I'm kind of curious whether that LCD takes RCA/HDMI, thus interface with Raspberry Pi. I know Adafruit sells the touch screen.
Formual? Aide? Mould? Some interesting diction, there. This is the first good review that incorporates the word "butts".
Good review. I was hoping it would have more stars, but I'm rather picky about user interface, and the review makes it like this is a sloppy port from PC centric world. I also dislike mini puzzles that's not related to the main game. Perhaps I should seek a gameplay video before I get it.
So far I've been piggy-backing two 3DS to capture my screen shots. Quality isn't the best and only one screen at a time, but so far I haven't had a complain on that front. So, definitely good enough.
Yeah, I get it. WiiU is much better than Xbox360 and PS3. But people are comparing them to Xboxone and PS4. Certainly PS4 is better, sexier console than WiiU. Don't know about XBoxOne.
What's with all the WiiU crashes? I was tempted to buy Pokemon special edition, but changed my mind. My 3DS crashed twice, both on Castle Conqueror. I dumped that game and refused to download any sequels. No more crashes. That's the way it should be.
I think it is extremely important to consider the intended users. I have had the experience of purchasing "good" game, but with faulty user interface because the reviewer is unfamiliar with the genre. I have also purchased "bad" game that I truly love, and wonder how that reviewer could possibly get the job.
It's why I never put a score to my reviews. I always consider the demographics. So, my conclusion tended to specify which demographic the audience is for. "Good" review usually means "wide" demographic.
As far as putting number to reviews, it's all subjective. I think that a better system would separate scoring art, technical, UI, bugs, bonus. It may be overkill to separate sound/music/graphic/animations, but you get the idea. That way, a brilliantly presented games full of bugs will be obvious at first glance.
Another thing to consider, e-shop uses Casual--Hardcore scale, and I think it's beneficial to have Twitch--Thinker scale to help people understand what kind of game they're playing. Some game review sites uses Luck--Strategy scale to review their games, and I think that merits mention as well.
In short, more at-a-glance info for the games, but deeper than what a single number can give.
@Morphtorok You can't do these things (viewing movies using the larger screen as a whole, etc) without making console specific software and alienating the owners of the other models. And you can't allow for a few select software pieces to use the whole screen and prohibit it for every other developer because that would be a terrible thing to do.
=
I don't know about 3DS, but internally, DS is just one big screen. So, the software doesn't care that DS has 2 separate hardware screen. I know some games (such as Oregon Trail) treats both screen as one screen. It doesn't matter what the hardware layer is capable of, as long as the software can layer over it, via emulation/wrapper/libraries for example, the programming will be as easy as before.
>In a product outline on USgamer, it's stated that in order to lower costs Nintendo reduced the number of screens in the system from two to one. Of course, this means the whole screen is a touchscreen but the top one cannot be pressed as it is protected by a layer of plastic that sits above it.
I am curious as to how do they know the touchscreen covers the whole display? It is very much possible to use existing touchscreen being rotated 90 degrees. In fact, I would imagine that would be cheaper and more reliable than covering the top half with hard plastic. The tone seems confident, does the author have any secret source, or is that merely conjecture?
Also, I have yet to see the picture for the other side. One speaker? Does that mean it comes with one camera on the other side, too?
I'm curious as to know how many of you who defends cheating in your pokemon will also defend R4 card for downloading games you don't own? Both are getting something you don't deserve, but while R4 carts, a homebrew enabler, are generally portrayed as evil, here cheating pokemon are generally portrayed as beneficial "time saver".
Huh? The only difference that I can see is that R4 is legal in some circumstances (personal use), and hacking pokemon is wrong in all cases. Not even single play, since winning the game is so easy in single play.
I just don't see how people are willing to admit so openly that they are cheaters and no good in a simple fun game, or worse, be willing to destroy the fun-filled family friendly atmosphere than pokemon have.
I think those cheaters should be banned for life. FYI, I'm sure GameFreak would be smart enough to put in checksum info in their data, so that unless the cheating app is perfect, the checksum would fail and you'll be caught cheating.
As personal note: It was possible to received hacked pokemon from a crooked player through the network. As such, I simply disconnect the network option, and well, so much of the battling fun goes away. It certainly hurt me, as an honest player, to have to do that.
@WaxxyOne My idea about this is to make the idea public domain, which means NOBODY can claim it. It's pre-existing.
As to your second claim, there is such a thing as "finders fee", "consultant", "independent reseacher". So, I think you're wrong on that front. All I have to do is wave my patent file around and say, "Any takers?". That constitute "effort to obtain said means." In the old days, it's hard. Nowadays, all I have to do is put it up on a web page, and send a few e-mails. Easy.
All this talks about patent troll, I'm thinking of becoming one. Like so: I'm patenting a technique that will eliminate all distracted driving by using the built-in camera in smartphones (and other devices such as N3DS) for face recognition. If face is being recognized while the phone is moving (accellerometer and/or GPS or other enabling tech) then the device, after a pre-determined amount of time, will alert the user to stop looking at it, and start looking at the road (and/or surrounding area).
Imagine that! No more running into a pole (or worse) while playing Mario! I think all concerned parents should want one. And with obvious different implementation, they can, among other things, use the technology to limit children's game playing time. No more staring the screen for hours and hurt their eyes!
Now that this idea has been made public, I have one year to file the patent. Once I do, I will sit on it, since I'm not capable of making my own smartphone, tablets, PC, dedicated gaming device or other devices with camera to the user.
If after one year, I do not file, then the idea will become public domain, and no one can patent this idea.
So, am I a patent-troll for having a good idea that can save lives, even though I can't do anything about it?
NOTE: No, I'm not going to file this. I think this should be public domain.
@laughingman0 Nothing more to discuss, really. With your links, now I can do research. As can everybody else.
"(b)imports otherwise than for his private and domestic use, or"
Yes, the law is huge, but that's why you need to provide links. Thank you for providing them. On the first link you mentioned, there is an exemption for importation for private and domestic use, which is different from what you claimed (no importation at all), but that is why it is important for you to provide proper references. I'm not in UK, BTW, so I don't know how relevant it is for me. I still need to check for my circumstances. Thanks again for providing me with references.
And it's on that date that the law became valid, or whenever court decision/enforcement is. There is a note in the article about homebrew and other re-purpose of device. Those are legal activities. Regarding circumventing copy-protection, there was a case, admittedly long time ago, that Nintendo lost the case of copy-protection because it ran afoul of anti-trust provision.
And that is the crux of the problem: Laws change. That's why I asked for references. I need to know what provision changed and when. Yet, you speak of the laws in terms of absolute. That, there, is doubtful knowledge. When you consider that regulations are sometimes contradictory with one another, we have a whole mess of the situation.
I'm not a lawyer, and the issues confuse me. But I do try to understand them the best I can. Unless you can provide a link (just like you do when you provide the link to back-up question), how can people confirm your statement? Even the hint that you provide shows two different years. Unless you're a copyright lawyer, you may just ran afoul of dispensing a legal advice without a license, and by reading your text, I don't think you're a lawyer.
As for the back-up saves, it works for most program, EXCEPT ACNL. Not that I'll get the cart for backup purposes, since now that I think of it, ACNL is on-line dependent, and those carts don't work with mandatory system updates.
Maybe we should sue Nintendo to FULLY comply with DCMA and provide us with legitimate ways to back-up our saves.
This is my last statement on this topic. I have spoken.
No, I'm not joking. I think your whole argument that R4 carts are illegal is based upon your argument that there is no legitimate use of R4 carts. More than a few people have commented legal use of such carts, even one specifically mentioned that only allows homebrew, not pirated ROM.
If you wish, I can wait until the court decides one way or another, but I don't think you can claim that R4 is an illegal device when so many people have legitimate use for it. If you have resources to the full text of DCMA, I suggest that you share it, because I'd like to see what the rest of it says. I do know that DCMA specifically allows back-up copy for personal use. That's a legitimate use.
If you know a legitimate way for me to save my ACNL game, then please let me know, because I've spent hundred of hours playing the game, and it would be bad if I lose the save file.
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but AFAIK, Downloading ROM that isn't yours (i.e. not from the cart you own) would be stealing and wrong. Modding/hacking your console isn't illegal, even if it allows you to upload ROM. It's only illegal if you then try to sell it to somebody else.
As far as Nintendo suing these distributors, they can do that easy. Especially in America where "probable cause" is enough to sue somebody. Winning them, however, is another matter. Not all of these cases are won. Activision vs. Nintendo comes to mind.
Lots of people are equating carts that allows piracy as illegal device, but I'm not so sure. VHS/Beta VCR comes to mind. Photocopiers+Book maker also. Even some so-called "piracy site" like Mega Upload, the one that was raided recently, managed to avoid conviction since they fully comply with DCMA regulations. Mega Upload has changed their business to "Mega" and implement full-encryption, BTW, to prevent further problems.
So, my question is, if homebrew is legal and piracy is not, can I have a homebrew device, and is one available? Just label it 100% homebrew, not good for piracy, and I'll get it.
Petit Computer is nice, and all, but I'd like something that is closer to the hardware level, even if it's just a BASIC compiler.
@laughingman0
The way I read those terms means that I cannot MAKE or SELL those carts. However, I don't see anything illegal in those terms about BUYING them. And if what you say is true, that DCMA is valid is US and EU, that means I can buy direct from manufacture in ASIA, right? Thank you for clearing that up. I'm so happy it's legal for me to buy one!
Regarding your claim that R4 device has no legal purpose, I'm sure there are other people here that can verify whether or not I can do full back-up for ACNL, considering that the official app does not let me back it up.
Edit:
Regarding illegal activities, I wonder if that e-bay seller of Mario Kart has obtained a license or permit to sell it, because if not, that would be copyright violation right there. Remember that one guy who tried to sell golden edition of Zelda games?
@idork99 Oh, okay. Next time please be specific. I see way too many drivers drive like they're in a race, there's no brake pedal, and sometimes the result isn't pretty.
@idork99 Considering that he drove into a muddy ditch to slow down implies that he doesn't know how to use the brake. Driving isn't just steering, you know. There's also braking.
@Funny_Moblin The person who scanned it will get the whole source code and depending on the packages also sprites, graphics, etc. If you put the credit in the source code, then sure you'll get credit. There is no guarantee that the person wouldn't erase it, though.
I noticed that the examples in the form imply that there is, indeed, a person named "Mario Mario".
Japan is a nice place to live with all the wonderful technological dreams coming true. But we must also remember that it is a country with long history of traditions, and bureaucratic regulations is heavy in that country. It somehow reminds me of California.
@Funny_Moblin
1. Not that I know of. 2. You can save to an SD card. Currently, there's no way to read from the SD card.
3. If you don't mind EXTREMELY slow frame rate. It's good for 2D games, but good 3D is beyond its capabilities. Faceball is about as good as it gets, AFAIK.
4. You take the file on the SD card, and turn it into QR Code. That's how you read the file from the SD card. You can share the QR code anywhere you want. (If you want to share locally, you can just link directly)
@Chris720 ACNL is 6000 blocks. 2 weeks later, I got the message saying that my Internet bandwidth has been exhausted and must wait until the next billing cycle before it's replenished. I have been very stingy with my bandwidth since then because I do play ACNL a lot, and I'm guessing that's where the bandwidth goes.
$8 for a movie-like Interactive Fiction sounds like a great gamble to me. I think if the experience is as good as the review suggest, then I'll definitely get it. I've spent more than that buying movies.
The only thing that stops me from getting it is the size of the download. Over 1000 blocks. That's about 1/6 of ACNL, so will have to go to McD or something and use their Nintendo Zone connection to download this.
If McDonald would just get a few 3DS devices up and running, no need for Streetpass Relay, and we can get more than one hit per visit. I always get hit when I visit Gamespot or Target, because the sales person has one or a demo unit was sitting there.
@ROB98374 What do you mean by "tags"? Do you mean Streetpass tags? I thought you can only get 10 max. Has previous updates increased that limit to 99 tags?
@Raptor78 Garden may be fun for you, but it takes too long to play for me. You have to walk here, there, and a lot of time is spent waiting for the character to go between places. As I am time limited, I'll have to pass this one.
Mansion seems nice enough. It's a nice touch with the game pieces revealing the area. I do worry about being stuck at too high a level dead end and have to go lower to survive.
Battle is currently my favorite. Cheap easy fun as it should be.
Squad looks very polished. As I have yet to have more than 1 Streetpass, I cannot comment on multiple weapon set up, but I like what I see so far.
@Yorumi So, then by saying emulator on PC does it better, he suggested that Nintendo does the same and publish on PC? Sure, that makes sense. I doubt Nintendo will do that, though. Like I said, I doubt he meant the former, but the latter is unlikely.
@Hetsumani You lost me. Why exactly 3rd party emulator does better job upscaling Nintendo games than Nintendo? Is it because they hack Nintendo games? Or because Nintendo doesn't bother to release their games on PC and therefore need to do so?
@SkywardCrowbar Oh, I thought his last IP was Steel Diver. Who designed Steel Diver? In Iwata Ask segment, Miyamoto was shown to be heavily involved, at least.
Due to, shall we say, not strictly official methods, Zelda fans have actually been able to play Wind Waker in HD for the best part of three years now. And it arguably looks better via emulation, as it can be rendered at twice the resolution that Wind Waker HD for Wii U will ship in, with an added injection of anti-aliasing for good measure.
I don't know whether or not you're advocating piracy or urging Nintendo to port their games to PC. I doubt you mean the former, but I don't think Nintendo will do the latter.
I love ebooks. But the point of Kindle and 3DS is that they are portable. 3DS+ebook=Greatness. The WiiU? Unless they put ebook on Gamepad and have a special carrying bag with it, I'd hate it.
Now, if you're talking about 3D Zelda movie, machinima-like, then that's different.
Comments 178
Re: Hands On: Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre
@Klimbatize
Thanks. I'll just go with physical copy, then. Here's hoping they make some!
Re: Hands On: Nintendo 3DS Guide: Louvre
This is a downloadable app, right? Will you please start putting in download size in addition to price? Not all of us have unlimited bandwidth, you know.
And I think I see the original idea where Starship Enterprise got its shape from.
Re: Former Naughty Dog And THQ Head Jason Rubin Says Nintendo Is "Irrelevant" In The Hardware Arena
This, after the incredible success of N3DS? Is this guy for real? For the record, I stopped playing PC games after I have my Nintendo. In fact, given my busy schedule, I only play N3DS games now. PC/Phone/Console games are irrelevant to me.
Re: The 3DS YouTube App Has Finally Gone Live
Those of you saying the quality is bad, I have no idea what you mean. The quality is fine by me. I checked out 3 shows, and they're all fine. News (Paul Walker died in a car crash) works fine. Anime works fine. Dancing works fine, too. User interface is a bit sluggish, but video shows, at least on HQ level, is perfectly fine. No hanging either. I'm using N3DS XL, but I don't think it'll be different with standard 3DS.
It's not tablet quality, but it's still better than my phone. I tried the standard quality. The video is fuzzy, but what do you expect? Also, it seems that the program can run multiple videos at the same time. If you play more than one video, then it's possible that the software still streams the previous videos, thus eating up your bandwidth. Perhaps a better stop button is needed.
Re: Review: KORG M01D (3DS eShop)
Thanks @cfgk24 That helps a lot. I'll download it soon!
Re: Review: KORG M01D (3DS eShop)
Do reviews mention download size? Pricing in all regions would be appreciated, too. I'm getting this one. It's just a question of when, and whether it's a download/cartridge.
Re: The Wii Mini Will Arrive in the U.S. in November
A competitor to OUYA, I see. It makes for a good, solid entry-level device. Of course, it's going to be confusing, with WiiU Miiverse and WiiMini not compatible. I doubt that'll hurt much though. Different market.
I see this as more of an attempt to widen user base than it is trying to make money. By making it as cheap as possible, more initially resistant people will get it, and hopefully, be customer for life.
So, this is more of strategic long-term action, than it is trying to shore up Wii U numbers for the holiday. That's brave of Nintendo to do so. I commend them. Hopefully, it'll work well.
Re: Iwata Braves Press Conference to Explain Nintendo's Earnings
@HarveyManback
You got that right. Had I not run out of friends, I'd buy a few more of these 3DS bundles. No WiiU, yet for precisely the reason you mentioned.
Re: Weirdness: Worlds Of Power Is To Rise From The Grave In 2014
Nanowrimo is coming in November. If you can just roll it into that, then all will be well. Of course, there'll be editing session as well, so January deadline, right?
Re: Hardware: Here's What The Nintendo 2DS Looks Like With Its Clothes Off
@DimetriWarrior
Nobody is going to "physically" split LCD screen in two just to have two images. It's a lot easier to just remap the address rotated 90 degree in the graphic library, either software or hardware.
Take a look at the LCD connector. Too bad there's not a big close up picture of it. But, do you see 4 wires? or more? If it's 4 wires or less, then there's no split.
Even if there's more, that still depends on the wires. Some LCD screen comes with ribbon interface. I'm kind of curious whether that LCD takes RCA/HDMI, thus interface with Raspberry Pi. I know Adafruit sells the touch screen.
Re: Cooking Mama 4: Kitchen Magic Gets Cooking On the 3DS eShop in North America
It's a good pick up and play game. Reminds me of wario games, except with goals. Not a very involving game, but fun in mild doses.
Re: Review: Mystery Murders: The Sleeping Palace (3DS eShop)
Formual? Aide? Mould? Some interesting diction, there. This is the first good review that incorporates the word "butts".
Good review. I was hoping it would have more stars, but I'm rather picky about user interface, and the review makes it like this is a sloppy port from PC centric world. I also dislike mini puzzles that's not related to the main game. Perhaps I should seek a gameplay video before I get it.
Re: Guide: How To Capture Video And Screenshots From Your 3DS
So far I've been piggy-backing two 3DS to capture my screen shots. Quality isn't the best and only one screen at a time, but so far I haven't had a complain on that front. So, definitely good enough.
Re: Banking Dream and Cafe Dream Will Come To The 3DS eShop Next Year
Oooh, Cafe Dream. That's another one to get after Bookstore Dream, definitely!
Re: Shin'en: If Developers Can't Make Great Looking Games On Wii U, It's Their Own Fault
Yeah, I get it. WiiU is much better than Xbox360 and PS3. But people are comparing them to Xboxone and PS4. Certainly PS4 is better, sexier console than WiiU. Don't know about XBoxOne.
What's with all the WiiU crashes? I was tempted to buy Pokemon special edition, but changed my mind. My 3DS crashed twice, both on Castle Conqueror. I dumped that game and refused to download any sequels. No more crashes. That's the way it should be.
Re: Talking Point: Considering the Methods and Means of Game Reviews
I think it is extremely important to consider the intended users. I have had the experience of purchasing "good" game, but with faulty user interface because the reviewer is unfamiliar with the genre. I have also purchased "bad" game that I truly love, and wonder how that reviewer could possibly get the job.
It's why I never put a score to my reviews. I always consider the demographics. So, my conclusion tended to specify which demographic the audience is for. "Good" review usually means "wide" demographic.
As far as putting number to reviews, it's all subjective. I think that a better system would separate scoring art, technical, UI, bugs, bonus. It may be overkill to separate sound/music/graphic/animations, but you get the idea. That way, a brilliantly presented games full of bugs will be obvious at first glance.
Another thing to consider, e-shop uses Casual--Hardcore scale, and I think it's beneficial to have Twitch--Thinker scale to help people understand what kind of game they're playing. Some game review sites uses Luck--Strategy scale to review their games, and I think that merits mention as well.
In short, more at-a-glance info for the games, but deeper than what a single number can give.
Re: Weirdness: This 1DS Spoof is Remarkably Well Done
@Morphtorok
You can't do these things (viewing movies using the larger screen as a whole, etc) without making console specific software and alienating the owners of the other models.
And you can't allow for a few select software pieces to use the whole screen and prohibit it for every other developer because that would be a terrible thing to do.
=
I don't know about 3DS, but internally, DS is just one big screen. So, the software doesn't care that DS has 2 separate hardware screen. I know some games (such as Oregon Trail) treats both screen as one screen. It doesn't matter what the hardware layer is capable of, as long as the software can layer over it, via emulation/wrapper/libraries for example, the programming will be as easy as before.
Re: Weirdness: This 1DS Spoof is Remarkably Well Done
OMG. Is that WiiU Pad #2? I have seen the future!
Anyway, where's the 1DS+1DS connection? Obvious streetpass battle mode, there.
Re: Nintendo 2DS is Actually Made With Just One Screen
>In a product outline on USgamer, it's stated that in order to lower costs Nintendo reduced the number of screens in the system from two to one. Of course, this means the whole screen is a touchscreen but the top one cannot be pressed as it is protected by a layer of plastic that sits above it.
I am curious as to how do they know the touchscreen covers the whole display? It is very much possible to use existing touchscreen being rotated 90 degrees. In fact, I would imagine that would be cheaper and more reliable than covering the top half with hard plastic. The tone seems confident, does the author have any secret source, or is that merely conjecture?
Also, I have yet to see the picture for the other side. One speaker? Does that mean it comes with one camera on the other side, too?
Re: New Study Suggests That Violent Games Are "Therapeutic" For Troubled Kids
This is just one person's opinion, but I think Dr. Spock is way more harmful than all the video games combined.
Re: More Than 1500 Cheaters Took Part in Pokémon's 2013 Global Showdown
@EarthboundBenjy
OK. I'll change it to "most" cases, then.
Re: More Than 1500 Cheaters Took Part in Pokémon's 2013 Global Showdown
I'm curious as to know how many of you who defends cheating in your pokemon will also defend R4 card for downloading games you don't own? Both are getting something you don't deserve, but while R4 carts, a homebrew enabler, are generally portrayed as evil, here cheating pokemon are generally portrayed as beneficial "time saver".
Huh? The only difference that I can see is that R4 is legal in some circumstances (personal use), and hacking pokemon is wrong in all cases. Not even single play, since winning the game is so easy in single play.
I just don't see how people are willing to admit so openly that they are cheaters and no good in a simple fun game, or worse, be willing to destroy the fun-filled family friendly atmosphere than pokemon have.
I think those cheaters should be banned for life. FYI, I'm sure GameFreak would be smart enough to put in checksum info in their data, so that unless the cheating app is perfect, the checksum would fail and you'll be caught cheating.
As personal note: It was possible to received hacked pokemon from a crooked player through the network. As such, I simply disconnect the network option, and well, so much of the battling fun goes away. It certainly hurt me, as an honest player, to have to do that.
Re: Nintendo's $30.2 Million 3DS Patent Infringement Fine Halved
@WaxxyOne My idea about this is to make the idea public domain, which means NOBODY can claim it. It's pre-existing.
As to your second claim, there is such a thing as "finders fee", "consultant", "independent reseacher". So, I think you're wrong on that front. All I have to do is wave my patent file around and say, "Any takers?". That constitute "effort to obtain said means." In the old days, it's hard. Nowadays, all I have to do is put it up on a web page, and send a few e-mails. Easy.
Re: Nintendo's $30.2 Million 3DS Patent Infringement Fine Halved
All this talks about patent troll, I'm thinking of becoming one. Like so:
I'm patenting a technique that will eliminate all distracted driving by using the built-in camera in smartphones (and other devices such as N3DS) for face recognition. If face is being recognized while the phone is moving (accellerometer and/or GPS or other enabling tech) then the device, after a pre-determined amount of time, will alert the user to stop looking at it, and start looking at the road (and/or surrounding area).
Imagine that! No more running into a pole (or worse) while playing Mario! I think all concerned parents should want one. And with obvious different implementation, they can, among other things, use the technology to limit children's game playing time. No more staring the screen for hours and hurt their eyes!
Now that this idea has been made public, I have one year to file the patent. Once I do, I will sit on it, since I'm not capable of making my own smartphone, tablets, PC, dedicated gaming device or other devices with camera to the user.
If after one year, I do not file, then the idea will become public domain, and no one can patent this idea.
So, am I a patent-troll for having a good idea that can save lives, even though I can't do anything about it?
NOTE: No, I'm not going to file this. I think this should be public domain.
Re: Nintendo Opens Legal Proceedings Against HackYourConsole.com
@laughingman0
Nothing more to discuss, really. With your links, now I can do research. As can everybody else.
"(b)imports otherwise than for his private and domestic use, or"
Yes, the law is huge, but that's why you need to provide links. Thank you for providing them. On the first link you mentioned, there is an exemption for importation for private and domestic use, which is different from what you claimed (no importation at all), but that is why it is important for you to provide proper references. I'm not in UK, BTW, so I don't know how relevant it is for me. I still need to check for my circumstances. Thanks again for providing me with references.
Re: Nintendo Opens Legal Proceedings Against HackYourConsole.com
Hopefully you're not a lawyer because your argument is incomplete. I ask for resources and references, and you told me to go look for them myself? Your argument has no support. This here is an example how R4 carts is illegal in Japan: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2008/07/nintendo-no-friend-of-homebrew-market-sues-ds-cart-makers/
And it's on that date that the law became valid, or whenever court decision/enforcement is. There is a note in the article about homebrew and other re-purpose of device. Those are legal activities. Regarding circumventing copy-protection, there was a case, admittedly long time ago, that Nintendo lost the case of copy-protection because it ran afoul of anti-trust provision.
And that is the crux of the problem: Laws change. That's why I asked for references. I need to know what provision changed and when. Yet, you speak of the laws in terms of absolute. That, there, is doubtful knowledge. When you consider that regulations are sometimes contradictory with one another, we have a whole mess of the situation.
I'm not a lawyer, and the issues confuse me. But I do try to understand them the best I can. Unless you can provide a link (just like you do when you provide the link to back-up question), how can people confirm your statement? Even the hint that you provide shows two different years. Unless you're a copyright lawyer, you may just ran afoul of dispensing a legal advice without a license, and by reading your text, I don't think you're a lawyer.
As for the back-up saves, it works for most program, EXCEPT ACNL. Not that I'll get the cart for backup purposes, since now that I think of it, ACNL is on-line dependent, and those carts don't work with mandatory system updates.
Maybe we should sue Nintendo to FULLY comply with DCMA and provide us with legitimate ways to back-up our saves.
This is my last statement on this topic. I have spoken.
Re: Nintendo Opens Legal Proceedings Against HackYourConsole.com
@laughingman0
No, I'm not joking. I think your whole argument that R4 carts are illegal is based upon your argument that there is no legitimate use of R4 carts. More than a few people have commented legal use of such carts, even one specifically mentioned that only allows homebrew, not pirated ROM.
If you wish, I can wait until the court decides one way or another, but I don't think you can claim that R4 is an illegal device when so many people have legitimate use for it. If you have resources to the full text of DCMA, I suggest that you share it, because I'd like to see what the rest of it says. I do know that DCMA specifically allows back-up copy for personal use. That's a legitimate use.
If you know a legitimate way for me to save my ACNL game, then please let me know, because I've spent hundred of hours playing the game, and it would be bad if I lose the save file.
Re: Nintendo Opens Legal Proceedings Against HackYourConsole.com
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but AFAIK, Downloading ROM that isn't yours (i.e. not from the cart you own) would be stealing and wrong. Modding/hacking your console isn't illegal, even if it allows you to upload ROM. It's only illegal if you then try to sell it to somebody else.
As far as Nintendo suing these distributors, they can do that easy. Especially in America where "probable cause" is enough to sue somebody. Winning them, however, is another matter. Not all of these cases are won. Activision vs. Nintendo comes to mind.
Lots of people are equating carts that allows piracy as illegal device, but I'm not so sure. VHS/Beta VCR comes to mind. Photocopiers+Book maker also. Even some so-called "piracy site" like Mega Upload, the one that was raided recently, managed to avoid conviction since they fully comply with DCMA regulations. Mega Upload has changed their business to "Mega" and implement full-encryption, BTW, to prevent further problems.
So, my question is, if homebrew is legal and piracy is not, can I have a homebrew device, and is one available? Just label it 100% homebrew, not good for piracy, and I'll get it.
Petit Computer is nice, and all, but I'd like something that is closer to the hardware level, even if it's just a BASIC compiler.
@laughingman0
The way I read those terms means that I cannot MAKE or SELL those carts. However, I don't see anything illegal in those terms about BUYING them. And if what you say is true, that DCMA is valid is US and EU, that means I can buy direct from manufacture in ASIA, right? Thank you for clearing that up. I'm so happy it's legal for me to buy one!
Regarding your claim that R4 device has no legal purpose, I'm sure there are other people here that can verify whether or not I can do full back-up for ACNL, considering that the official app does not let me back it up.
Edit:
Regarding illegal activities, I wonder if that e-bay seller of Mario Kart has obtained a license or permit to sell it, because if not, that would be copyright violation right there. Remember that one guy who tried to sell golden edition of Zelda games?
Re: Senran Kagura Burst Confirmed For North American 3DS eShop
I've been looking for a good visual novel for some time, so when you review it, please make note of the story as well.
I'm glad this is Nintendo, the family entertainment company. Had this been on Xbox or PS4, who knows what kind of rating it'll get?
Re: Boy Credits Mario Kart After Taking Control of Car and Saving Lives When Grandmother Passed Out
@idork99
Oh, okay. Next time please be specific. I see way too many drivers drive like they're in a race, there's no brake pedal, and sometimes the result isn't pretty.
Re: Boy Credits Mario Kart After Taking Control of Car and Saving Lives When Grandmother Passed Out
@idork99
Considering that he drove into a muddy ditch to slow down implies that he doesn't know how to use the brake. Driving isn't just steering, you know. There's also braking.
Re: John Carmack: Doom 3 BFG Edition Would Be Great On Wii U, But There's Not Enough Interest
Not enough interest? Can you prove it? Stick it up on Kickstart, and if that fails, then that's proof. Otherwise, it's good, right?
Re: Nintendo Download: 25th July (Europe)
@Funny_Moblin
The person who scanned it will get the whole source code and depending on the packages also sprites, graphics, etc. If you put the credit in the source code, then sure you'll get credit. There is no guarantee that the person wouldn't erase it, though.
Re: Nintendo Not Accepting Independent Wii U Developers Based in Japan "At This Time"
I noticed that the examples in the form imply that there is, indeed, a person named "Mario Mario".
Japan is a nice place to live with all the wonderful technological dreams coming true. But we must also remember that it is a country with long history of traditions, and bureaucratic regulations is heavy in that country. It somehow reminds me of California.
Re: Nintendo Download: 25th July (Europe)
@Funny_Moblin
1. Not that I know of. 2. You can save to an SD card. Currently, there's no way to read from the SD card.
3. If you don't mind EXTREMELY slow frame rate. It's good for 2D games, but good 3D is beyond its capabilities. Faceball is about as good as it gets, AFAIK.
4. You take the file on the SD card, and turn it into QR Code. That's how you read the file from the SD card. You can share the QR code anywhere you want. (If you want to share locally, you can just link directly)
Re: Review: Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale (3DS eShop)
@Chris720
ACNL is 6000 blocks. 2 weeks later, I got the message saying that my Internet bandwidth has been exhausted and must wait until the next billing cycle before it's replenished. I have been very stingy with my bandwidth since then because I do play ACNL a lot, and I'm guessing that's where the bandwidth goes.
Re: Review: Attack of the Friday Monsters! A Tokyo Tale (3DS eShop)
$8 for a movie-like Interactive Fiction sounds like a great gamble to me. I think if the experience is as good as the review suggest, then I'll definitely get it. I've spent more than that buying movies.
The only thing that stops me from getting it is the size of the download. Over 1000 blocks. That's about 1/6 of ACNL, so will have to go to McD or something and use their Nintendo Zone connection to download this.
Re: Shigeru Miyamoto "Wanted to go to HD Sooner" With the Wii
@bezerker99
What are you talking about? I just got my first HDMI TV this week! No, I'm not late, and neither are you.
Re: Nintendo Zone StreetPass Relay System Announced
If McDonald would just get a few 3DS devices up and running, no need for Streetpass Relay, and we can get more than one hit per visit. I always get hit when I visit Gamespot or Target, because the sales person has one or a demo unit was sitting there.
Re: New 3DS eShop App Brings Voice and Text Chat to Japan
Make it an eShop product, and I'll buy! That's assuming $10 is all I pay, instead of usage charge like FlipMemo.
Re: StreetPass DLC System Update Finally Hits North America
@ROB98374
What do you mean by "tags"? Do you mean Streetpass tags? I thought you can only get 10 max. Has previous updates increased that limit to 99 tags?
Re: StreetPass DLC System Update Finally Hits North America
@Raptor78
Garden may be fun for you, but it takes too long to play for me. You have to walk here, there, and a lot of time is spent waiting for the character to go between places. As I am time limited, I'll have to pass this one.
Mansion seems nice enough. It's a nice touch with the game pieces revealing the area. I do worry about being stuck at too high a level dead end and have to go lower to survive.
Battle is currently my favorite. Cheap easy fun as it should be.
Squad looks very polished. As I have yet to have more than 1 Streetpass, I cannot comment on multiple weapon set up, but I like what I see so far.
Re: Soapbox: Why We Should Expect More From The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
@Hetsumani
Not sure how you can load Community texture packs without hacking the ROM, unless you're saying those capabilities are built-in.
Regarding your other claim. Well, you're entitled to your opinion. Mine happens to differ.
Re: Soapbox: Why We Should Expect More From The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
@Yorumi
So, then by saying emulator on PC does it better, he suggested that Nintendo does the same and publish on PC? Sure, that makes sense. I doubt Nintendo will do that, though.
Like I said, I doubt he meant the former, but the latter is unlikely.
Re: Soapbox: Why We Should Expect More From The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
@Hetsumani
You lost me. Why exactly 3rd party emulator does better job upscaling Nintendo games than Nintendo? Is it because they hack Nintendo games? Or because Nintendo doesn't bother to release their games on PC and therefore need to do so?
Re: Shigeru Miyamoto Emphasizes That New Experiences, and a New Franchise, Are Keeping Him Busy
@SkywardCrowbar
Oh, I thought his last IP was Steel Diver. Who designed Steel Diver? In Iwata Ask segment, Miyamoto was shown to be heavily involved, at least.
Re: Soapbox: Why We Should Expect More From The Legend Of Zelda: Wind Waker HD
Due to, shall we say, not strictly official methods, Zelda fans have actually been able to play Wind Waker in HD for the best part of three years now. And it arguably looks better via emulation, as it can be rendered at twice the resolution that Wind Waker HD for Wii U will ship in, with an added injection of anti-aliasing for good measure.
I don't know whether or not you're advocating piracy or urging Nintendo to port their games to PC. I doubt you mean the former, but I don't think Nintendo will do the latter.
Re: Nintendo: Wii U Fire Emblem Would Need To Sell 700K To Justify The Effort
@LUIGITORNADO
Trying to break ET's record, eh?
Re: Spin The Bottle Delayed Until August
"which involves using the various Wii U control options is somewhat unusual ways."
If you mean "options in somewhat unusual ways." Then I'd be interested in what those are. I can think of a few ways, and they're not pretty.
Re: Talking Point: Why Interactive eBooks are a Perfect Fit for Wii U
I love ebooks. But the point of Kindle and 3DS is that they are portable. 3DS+ebook=Greatness. The WiiU? Unless they put ebook on Gamepad and have a special carrying bag with it, I'd hate it.
Now, if you're talking about 3D Zelda movie, machinima-like, then that's different.