News
Nintendo Demonstrates Indie Game Support at GDC
REDMOND, Wash.--(March 12, in the year of our Lord 2014)--
Nintendo is showcasing a variety of fun indie video games
developed using Unity Pro for its Wii U console. The games, made
by talented and experienced developers, will be shown at the
Game Developers Conference in San Francisco next week. Nintendo
is also showing GDC attendees how its Nintendo Web Framework
(NWF) development tool was used to create a new game demo with
characters and elements from the Mario vs. Donkey Kong
franchise. The game demo shows how developers can create great
experiences using NWF, and that the user-friendly, full-featured
tool expands access to developing Wii U games to as many people
as possible.
Another way Nintendo makes things easier for developers is
through a relationship with Unity, one of the most popular game
development tools for indie developers. Unity supports many
major platforms, but the platform license fees can sometimes be
a hurdle for small indie operations. Nintendo has an arrangement
with Unity so that authorized Wii U developers can get a license
to develop with Unity Pro for Wii U for free and not have to
worry about any end-user licensing fees for the platform.
“We want to demonstrate to developers how easy it is for them to
bring their creative ideas to Nintendo systems,” said Steve
Singer, vice president of Licensing at Nintendo of America.
“Nintendo offers wide-ranging support for indie developers,
whether they want to use NWF, Unity or their own proprietary
code.”
Nintendo’s support of indie developers continues in the Unity
booth, No. 1402, during GDC week. On Thursday, March 20, from
10:45 to 11:15 a.m., Dan Adelman, manager of Business
Development at Nintendo of America, will explain the
step-by-step process of how to release games in the Nintendo
eShop.
Visitors to the Nintendo booth at GDC will be able to get their
hands on the following Wii U games, all developed using Unity:
Armillo by Fuzzy Wuzzy Games: This rolling platforming game
stars a space armadillo and includes spherical worlds, moon
stages, a parallel universe and hidden 2D levels. His little
blue critter friends and his brother help him fight the invasion
of the robotic Darkbots.
Ballpoint Universe: Infinite by Arachnid Games: This adventure
seems taken right out of a student's notebook. The entire game
uses ballpoint pen drawings to create an imaginative world to
explore.
Cubemen 2 by Nnooo: This fast-paced, action-packed, original 3D
strategy game blends tower defense and real-time strategy genres
into a fresh and exciting new experience that includes
challenging strategy modes and customizable game settings.
Ittle Dew by Ludosity AB: Adventuress Ittle Dew and her
sidekick, Tippsie, crash onto a strange island filled with loot
and mysterious inhabitants. The game is loaded with adventure
and features beautiful hand-drawn HD graphics.
Nihilumbra by BeautiFun Games: Born was created from the
absolute nothingness: The Void. But somehow he separates himself
from the black emptiness and appears in the world, where his
long odyssey begins. He must learn how to use the colors around
him to gain powerful abilities and transform the world.
Stick It to the Man by Zoink & Ripstone: Ray lives in a world
where everything is made out of paper and stickers. An accident
gives him awesome powers that let him read people’s minds and
change the world around him by folding it, tearing it, pulling
stickers off and sticking them elsewhere.
Teslagrad by Rain Games: This 2D game about exploration features
a hand drawn art style, an open, steampunk-inspired world to
explore and a wordless, story-driven plot. Magnetic forces are a
central theme of the game, which includes 20 unique tracks of
music.
Wooden Sen’SeY by Neko Entertainment: This 3D action-platformer
is set in a unique “Japan Steam Rock” universe filled with
humor. Players follow Goro, a village chief, as he seeks revenge
through a variety of levels. Using old-school game play, he will
defeat his enemies using his axes to slice, dice, squash and
grapple.