Nintendo to target indie developers with DSiWare initiative

[wraggster]

Nintendo is to begin a new DSiWare initiative to attract indie developers to the channel, in a move that sounds similar to Sony's just-announced PSP Minis incentive for the updated PSN.

Like Minis, Nintendo's new programme will make it easier for smaller developers to publish their own content through the company's existing DSiWare channel, according to a report by Pocket Gamer.

The current pricing structure for the channel will remain in place, with games costing 200, 500 or 900 Nintendo points (between USD 2 and USD 9). However, Nintendo will, to a degree, control the prices developers set for their games, by charging royalty rates according to the size of a game. The larger the game's file size, the higher the royalties devs will be charged; an attempt to encourage smaller, simpler titles to be sold at the lower price point.

DSiWare support to date has been patchy, with few third-parties creating notable titles for download on the system.

At Gamescom this week, Sony announced its own new initiative targeted at attracting new talent to the PSP in the form of PSP Minis - digital games limited to a size of 100MB - which the company says will enable new developers to work with the system.

15 of these Minis games are due to launch on PSN on October 1, while 50 more are planned before the year's end.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ware-incentive

[LDAsh]

Sounds great on the surface, anything to help indie developers reach a larger audience than just pirates who already have downloaded 3000 commercial games, or other developers way too busy with their own projects.
Should also take the heat of flashcart owners as just a bunch of pirates, because it is pretty damn hard to develop serious projects without one.