I don't have a problem with having a publisher, that's not the issue. I need to become a licensed developer to have a licensed game with licensed tools.
I'm not expecting Nintendo themselves to publish my game, as they aren't even a publisher for third party titles.
All I'm asking from them is that they allow me to purchase a DVD with the software I need to get my game into retail shrinkwrap.
There is no cost to them whatsoever- in fact they would be profiting from the several thousand dollars the SDK costs.
Nintendo has replied to me in regards to my developer application, but they have not granted me a decision as the agreement states.
I'm a bit frustrated with the process- Why is my development studio (Robert Pelloni LC) with a full, complete, polished
high quality title being treated any differently than the hundreds of studios putting out "Fluffy Bunny's Crappy Movie Franchise Platformer 16?"
The issue is something else entirely. Someone at Nintendo doesn't like the idea of supporting this project, because it blurs the line between homebrew and commercial.
That's a new trend entirely, and it's a trend that's changing the game industry from the way it's been from the start.
It's always been about locking up the information and maintaining strict agreements between massive publishers to keep the license money flowing for old franchises- not new ideas.
In the past, if you wanted to make games you got a job for EA- and worked on drawing a part of a shoe. In my case, that wasn't good enough. I wanted to make the whole thing, so I did.
Only recently has there been any movement to give independent developers a chance, and that's where all the innovation comes from.
So where do I fit in? I haven't made a WiiWare title, I've made a DS one. WiiWare didn't exist when I started.
Maybe there simply isn't any standard procedure or paperwork for licensing a single person.
A project like this has never really been tried before and something like this has never happened- do they even know what to do?
It's a special case- an industry first- and it takes someone in the company taking extra initiative.
In other words, they need some convincing. Can I fly there and negotiate? I asked that already. They don't know.
The only real tools I have on my side are dedication and determination, so I'm using those. This is a sort of personal challenge to myself, and I'm quite serious about it.
I plan on staying in here up to 100 days or more, so we'll see where it goes. The lease on my office might have to be extended. ;}
There have been petitions from fans towards Nintendo in the past that have fallen on deaf ears, such as the Mother 3 campaign.
Knowing this, I realized I had to do something that hadn't been tried before. I'm trying to maintain a professional attitude about my stand, so I'm not putting myself into physical harm... yet. ;}
That isn't to say that solitary confinement is pleasant. I'm working 16 hour days with no human contact. Usually they reserve that for unruly prisoners, not game developers.
If I'm not mad yet, I will be! (Of course, that'll only make the sequel better.. ;} )
My site gets several thousand viewers a day, including many high-profile gaming news outlets, magazines, blogs, and even Nintendo employees.
They're definitely aware of what I'm doing, and they're probably hoping that it'll blow over or that I'll give up. I won't, of course.
The longer this goes on, the more interesting it becomes.
I'll see you there on day 100, REGGIE!
