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Would I Switch? Blog
25th April 2018
@RSKgames asks "Why not take the plunge into the Switch Devkit."

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When I first decided to create a "simple C++" Framework, that was indeed, very much, an initial target.
My initial list of potential targets are, in no specific order..
Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS, Android, RPi, 3DS, Amiga, Switch, AtariBox, HTML5

The first three are done.
iOS is waiting until I can be bothered!
Android has been attempted, but they've made it frustratingly difficult to compile C++ to there!
RPi is unknown. I don't currently own one, but from what I've read online, there's a dramatic number of different OSes that it can run, and each one will, no doubt, need its own uniquely compiled version.
3DS is coming together nicely! Woot!
Amiga is next in the list. I really don't think that'd be doable, but I've left it there to remind myself to try it out, eventually.
Switch is next, as is AtariBox.
Last on the list is HTML5. That used to be at the very start of the list, but it got bumped down when I ended up shouting at Emscripten for being so frustratingly useless!

So, Switch, and for the most part AtariBox, too.
I think I probably could get the Framework running on either/both of those devices.
But as soon as the games are finished, the job isn't over.
I'm going to assume the process for AtariBox would be the same as Switch. Finish your game, submit for review and then wait.
And there's issue one. The wait. The time between my usual Sunday/Monday posting, and whenever the company decides it's time to release the game on their system.

It was hard enough doing that with OUYA, and they were usually reviewing games within a couple of days at most.
Waiting for a "proper" Nintendo review would take a whole lot longer, I'd imagine.

2. Security.
Although I'm comfortable posting freeware games to systems that tend to run anything, the world of Nintendo is closed, tight, and for good reason.
The last thing I'd need is to be twenty games down the line, and suddenly a security flaw is discovered in my Framework that ends up creating a giant hole in Nintendo's system.
That would be frustrating enough for Nintendo, but it would also mean me having to FIX those 20 games. Each would need a rebuild, and then be submitted for a re-review. One at a time, over and over.. And that's only 20 games.
When Razer bought OUYA, a while back, I had to go through and fix 42 games because they no longer worked with the Razer ForgetV's controller..
Fix, upload, wait for review.. and that was SUCH a pain to have to go through.
I'm not happy to have to go through all that again!! I'm only one guy!!!

Note : iOS is a whole other kettle of fish. The sandbox tends to keep everything self contained. If one of my games has a flaw, that flaw is locked inside the box. I REALLY wish Nintendo would do something like that. I'd feel a whole lot more comfortable in that sort of environment.

3. Pricing. I'm fairly sure (although I haven't checked) that Nintendo wouldn't let me put Freeware in their eShop, so each game would need a price tag.
What would YOU pay for my games? And would you happily pay that price for all of them?
Pricing AGameAWeek is incredibly tricky, especially if I continue to post those exact same games, here, for free.

So, um.. yeah..
Bit of a ramble, there..
Leave your thoughts and comments below!
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