Is there a better way to find the untapped developer potential that to seek out the talent of the many Indie Developers out there? I have been saying for a long time that the Indie Developers are what is needed to even out the playing field in the gaming industry. Some of the big name developers seem to have hints of entitlement, whereas the smaller devs just want to show off their masterpieces to the masses. So, when Nintendo announced today that they are a Platinum Sponsor at the GDC, I was pretty excited. See the press release below for the details, and share what you think that the Indie Developers can bring to Nintendo that maybe the bog boys cannot/will not.
12th August 2013 – Nintendo of Europe announces today its first attendance as a Platinum Sponsor at the Game Developers Conference (GDC Europe) 2013 from 19th – 21st August, in Cologne, Germany. Developers will be able to interact with members of Nintendo to learn about self-publishing on Nintendo eShop, and attend sessions that detail the Nintendo Web Framework and Unity tools that facilitate developing software for Wii U.
Nintendo is giving independent developers the opportunity to publish games on Wii U via Nintendo eShop, opening up a platform to make their games available to owners of the system, as well as create unique gaming experiences only possible on Wii U. Registered Nintendo developers will benefit from the freedom to sell their games in a way that suits their business, with no concept approval process, the freedom to set the price and release date, and without a sales threshold.
Nintendo will host two different sessions:
· Application Development with HTML and Java Script for Wii U:
Monday 19th August, from 13:00 – 14:00
Speakers: Martin Buchholz (NOE), Svyetoslav Pidgornyy (NOE)
Highlighting the way that developers can quickly develop Wii U software using Nintendo Web Framework.
· Unity, Wii U and You:
Tuesday 20th August, 13:00 – 14:00
Speakers: Wayne Johnson (Unity), James Steele (NOE)
Focusing on the benefits for developers through Nintendo’s collaboration with Unity, demonstrating the technical advantages of using Unity and the process of getting your title published on Wii U.
Developers who visit the stand will also be able to learn about how to develop using the libraries available to them as registered developers for Wii U, such as Nintendo Web Framework, which allows software to be developed through common Web technologies such as HTML5, JavaScript and CSS. In addition there is Unity, which is a fast and easy-to-use development environment that is used by over 2 million developers, and features sophisticated technology including 3D graphic functionality, animation, AI, scripts and FX. Both libraries give indie developers the chance to utilise Wii U features such as the Wii U GamePad and Wii Remote controllers for a unique gameplay experience.
GDC Europe takes place from 19th – 21st August 2013 at Cologne, Germany, where Nintendo is a Platinum Sponsor located at stand #132 on the show floor. Developers can also register their interest in developing for Wii U at http://wiiu-developers.nintendo.com.
