Why do video games on consoles need to be licensed?

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FrankenGraphics
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Re: Why do video games on consoles need to be licensed?

Post by FrankenGraphics »

Are we talking about fantasy consoles?

how about dual (comact flash) rom ports? One for games and one for a system bootrom. It could be an immediate forth/basic/java/whatever interpreter, or a OS+GUI accessing things 'casual' users would like to edit. independent parties are free to develop whatever.

i'm unsure why a new fantasy console would need a battery backed clock in the first place. if the goal is just being able to play games directly + just program directly, you might want to skip out on superfluous extras like an rtc? or have expansion ports for modular expansions. then again gpio pins are somewhat expensive per unit.
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Re: Why do video games on consoles need to be licensed?

Post by tepples »

No RTC means no games with a real-time gimmick like Animal Crossing unless the game connects to an NTP server every time it starts.
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Re: Why do video games on consoles need to be licensed?

Post by rainwarrior »

Or just ask the user to enter the time when it's needed?
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zzo38
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Re: Why do video games on consoles need to be licensed?

Post by zzo38 »

tepples wrote:That sort of certification program sounds like Microsoft's "Games for Windows".

Development of the Windows operating system is funded through royalties paid by PC makers to include OEM Windows on a PC. Development of console operating systems, on the other hand, is funded through royalties paid by third-party game publishers. If user-written Forth programs have access to system libraries to drive the GPU and other parts of the hardware, how would development of these system libraries be funded?

(Aside: Apart from licensing, if a console boots to a Forth prompt, how would non-technical end users understand how to set the console's clock and display resolution and manage games' save files stored on the CF card?)
These are many good points, so I will try to answer them.

About setting the clock and other settings, perhaps the SELECT button could load a menu with the options for file management, clock setting, display resolution, etc. (This is also helpful if you do not want to connect the keyboard, such as to save space in the room or if that port is used for another device.)

About funding, I suppose there is a few possibilities, such as the administration fees for getting a program reviewed and approved for official licensing. But, another possibility might be if the hardware doesn't need a lot of complicated system libraries and that stuff (such as, many older systems such as NES/Famicom don't need that much complicated system libraries).
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Re: Why do video games on consoles need to be licensed?

Post by Pokun »

Is it too much to ask a user to read the manual? A good manual that is made to look up these kind of things quickly would be needed anyway.
A simple GUI settings menu that is accessed by a button or an easy to remember command would be nice to have as well though.


Back to licensing, it is widely known that Nintendo wanted to provide all programs themselves for their family computer and they even confirmed themselves that they picked the 6502 mostly because it was a largely unknown processor architecture in Japan at the time. When they finally allowed third party makers they probably realized that it was a good move but still wanted it to be limited.

IIRC Nintendo managed to legally block unlicensed developers in Japan, but not in other countries.

Home computers took a different route from consoles and it would be pointless if a computer didn't allow itself to be programmed by the user.
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Re: Why do video games on consoles need to be licensed?

Post by tepples »

Pokun wrote:Is it too much to ask a user to read the manual?
How many of your cartridges are loose vs. CIB?
Pokun wrote:IIRC Nintendo managed to legally block unlicensed developers in Japan
Under what law? Was it copyright, patent, trademark, or some sui generis exclusive right that has no counterpart in U.S. law?
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Re: Why do video games on consoles need to be licensed?

Post by Pokun »

tepples wrote:
Pokun wrote:Is it too much to ask a user to read the manual?
How many of your cartridges are loose vs. CIB?
Mostly CIB, I prefer collecting CIB or at least cart and manual as I love the old manuals of the 80s. Plus manuals may have important info not easily figured out yourselves. For a programmable computer/console you'd definitely need a manual. Paper and/or digital.
tepples wrote:
Pokun wrote:IIRC Nintendo managed to legally block unlicensed developers in Japan
Under what law? Was it copyright, patent, trademark, or some sui generis exclusive right that has no counterpart in U.S. law?
I don't know much about law. This is only something I read somewhere.
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