Mobiclip Becomes Subsidiary of Nintendo

[gloweyjoey]

Mobiclip, a company responsible for video codecs (software allowing compression or decompression of digital video) for both Wii and 3DS, is now a subsidiary of Nintendo.

According to one report, the acquisition had taken place in September of last year. There is no word as to how Nintendo plans to use Mobiclip, as the company also carries a focus in general R&D as well as software engineering. On their official website, the company is currently listing a job offer for a console software engineer.

One more question remains in how Nintendo will handle currently existing Mobiclip clients, like Al Jazeera, who uses the service to stream broadcasts to mobile devices.

Source

 

[Hop2089]

Please Nintendo for the love of all things pure, innocent, and sacred, don't sell your soul to social gaming.

 

[Zerosuit connor]

Nintendo presents, MarioVille

 

[YayMii]

Please Nintendo for the love of all things pure, innocent, and sacred, don't sell your soul to social gaming.

Nintendo presents, MarioVille

This has nothing to do with social/casual gaming. This is simply Nintendo buying a video codec company. They've used their technology in a couple of their games already (including Metroid Prime Hunters).

 

[Zerosuit connor]

Please Nintendo for the love of all things pure, innocent, and sacred, don't sell your soul to social gaming.

Nintendo presents, MarioVille

This has nothing to do with social/casual gaming. This is simply Nintendo buying a video codec company. They've used their technology in a couple of their games already (including Metroid Prime Hunters).

Mobiclip may be streaming live TV or something to the 3Ds, or encoding Nitnendo Video stuff. And many games use MobiClip, why buy them though?

 

[BORTZ]

so wait. is this good? or bad?

 

[ShadowSoldier]

so wait. is this good? or bad?

I look at as good. Nintendo has used them in so many DS games, and they do a fantastic job.

Nintendo presents, MarioVille

Please Nintendo for the love of all things pure, innocent, and sacred, don't sell your soul to social gaming.

What the hell are you guys talking about?

 

[BORTZ]

Ok cause i know ive seen them in some games that ive played.

 

[gloweyjoey]

They are mostly a research and development company. The big question here is why would nintendo need a new R&D company

 

[FluffyLunamoth]

I've seen a lot of DS games that use this, almost any that have anytime of animated cutscene. Dunno why you guys are thinking of social gaming...twitter on 3DS would be nice though

 

[Gahars]

I guess they figured it was more convenient/efficient/etc. to simply absorb the company than to continue to deal with them as a third party; it might also ensure that they don't lose them to one of their competitors.

 

[Coto]

Please Nintendo for the love of all things pure, innocent, and sacred, don't sell your soul to social gaming.

Nintendo presents, MarioVille

This has nothing to do with social/casual gaming. This is simply Nintendo buying a video codec company. They've used their technology in a couple of their games already (including Metroid Prime Hunters).

Mobiclip may be streaming live TV or something to the 3Ds, or encoding Nitnendo Video stuff. And many games use MobiClip, why buy them though?

Because next gen consoles would need a lot of compression techniques due to newer 3D stream content relying between Tablet controller, Wii U and 3DS?

And since mobiclip video codec gives a NICE quality under minimal system requirements (heavily optimized resources) besides the low space required, it should help a lot on Nintendo's R & D

--

Here's my guess:

Nintendo should have all the hardware done, some OS already completed, streaming & data transfers happening on tablet controller too, but they need the "official engine" to carry all that burden (we're expecting 3D content, 3DS included)...

 

[Zerosuit connor]

Please Nintendo for the love of all things pure, innocent, and sacred, don't sell your soul to social gaming.

Nintendo presents, MarioVille

This has nothing to do with social/casual gaming. This is simply Nintendo buying a video codec company. They've used their technology in a couple of their games already (including Metroid Prime Hunters).

Mobiclip may be streaming live TV or something to the 3Ds, or encoding Nitnendo Video stuff. And many games use MobiClip, why buy them though?

Because next gen consoles would need a lot of compression techniques due to newer 3D stream content relying between Tablet controller, Wii U and 3DS?

And since mobiclip video codec gives a NICE quality under minimal system requirements (heavily optimized resources) besides the low space required, it should help a lot on Nintendo's R & D

--

Here's my guess:

Nintendo should have all the hardware done, some OS already completed, streaming & data transfers happening on tablet controller too, but they need the "official engine" to carry all that burden (we're expecting 3D content, 3DS included)...

My thoughts Exactly.

 

[Midna]

Mobiclip is used in basically every DS game with FMVs. How is this a bad or even unexpected thing?

 

[gloweyjoey]

How is this a bad or even unexpected thing?

Well, as the article states, Al Jazeera is a client of Mobiclips. Therefor, now, Al Jazeera is a client of Nintendo. I am personally not trying to say this is a bad thing but others might and Nintendo could too. I guess we'll see...

 

[X_XSlashX_X]

I think this is a good thing.

 

[FAST6191]

As others have stated the vast majority of DS games to use FMV use this (if doing a search for go for both Actimagine, VX and mobiclip- it is in the SDK but a bit apart from the rest right now as I am told has extra protection). The others mainly going to CRI (who do the ADX/AHX audio format as well) or bink/rad (who do other game videos pretty much everywhere else aside from the 360 which has a measure of WMV support as well). http://www.ds-video.com/index.htm had a version used on the GBA (caimans) but I am not sure about the DS.
I should however say mobiclip the game codec and mobiclip the (usually) mobile phone video codec are quite different (an encoder for it leaked/is available and would not be my first or indeed second port of call when reversing the DS one).

I wonder if it will be worth reverse engineering now (video formats are a right pain to do), http://gbatemp.net/t...yer-of-vx-file/ has some basics on the format.

I would like to see the financials (I have to wonder if this was not a savvy business move on the part of Nintendo as well as shoring up their ability to have video) but I do not think it ever IPOed which is impressive considered it was VC funded at one point so I doubt I will be able to.

 

[chartube12]

Can't spend the time and money learning new tech?, buy out a company who already knows the tech.

 

[FAST6191]

chartube12 apologies if you were not intending a negative slant in your post but that pretty much sums up the model half (note chosen fraction value pulled out of rear end) of the tech company startups out there- most venture capital companies and other investors will happily encourage that route of business and on the flipside most investors in established companies will encourage that behaviour over the riskier route of actual research (especially in a field like video). Granted people will be equally happy with a big IPO or otherwise becoming a big player in a field but that is harder to pull off and you will find few ready to dismiss it as a valid business route.

 

[ShadowSoldier]

Can't spend the time and money learning new tech?, buy out a company who already knows the tech.

You're joking, right? Right? RIGHT?!?!