Is Nintendo Switch talk forbidden?

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Qbanyto

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Forgive my ignorance but Just wondering why no one talks about publishing to switch or shares excitement over it or tutorials on developing specifically for the switch (gyro, has rumble, dev kit pricing, etc.)

I’m currently working on my project with emphasis on the releasing it for the switch. I’m pretty excited about it and would love to hear developers take on this.
 

TsukaYuriko

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Forum Staff
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This depends on the respective console platform's owner. You may be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement upon being approved for the respective developer program, which would then restrict what and/or where you may talk about anything related to development for said platform. You may or may not be allowed to even state that you are under a non-disclosure agreement at that point.
 
This depends on the respective console platform's owner. You may be required to sign a non-disclosure agreement upon being approved for the respective developer program, which would then restrict what and/or where you may talk about anything related to development for said platform. You may or may not be allowed to even state that you are under a non-disclosure agreement at that point.
^ This.

I'm not a registered Switch dev at the moment, but I have had been under similar NDAs in the past. They're very restrictive -- and for good reason. Most devs here who are under console NDAs choose not to talk much if at all about developing for those consoles because they could lose their approved developer status and be all but blacklisted from the industry. Talking about specifics like how to program for console-specific features are huge no-nos. There are official forums restricted to licensed developers where you can discuss those topics.
 
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Sam (Deleted User)

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^ This.

I'm not a registered Switch dev at the moment, but I have had been under similar NDAs in the past. They're very restrictive -- and for good reason. Most devs here who are under console NDAs choose not to talk much if at all about developing for those consoles because they could lose their approved developer status and be all but blacklisted from the industry. Talking about specifics like how to program for console-specific features are huge no-nos. There are official forums restricted to licensed developers where you can discuss those topics.
How can this be remotely true when I've seen open source software and games on GitHub written natively for switch?
 

TsukaYuriko

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How can this be remotely true when I've seen open source software and games on GitHub written natively for switch?
Why are people pirating games even though it's illegal? ;P

That aside, that's a question only those people can answer you. They may be under an NDA that doesn't prohibit them from doing what they're doing, no NDA at all, writing software for the platform without being officially approved, or they just don't care about the NDA and are hiding their identity well enough that it can't be traced back to them.
 
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Sam (Deleted User)

Guest
Why are people pirating games even though it's illegal? ;P
I find that an invalid comparison, and everything else in this topic is rubbish. One of the games I am referring to was Abbaye Des Morts, developed by someone who has several games featured on the YoYo Showcase. Although the Switch version was made partially with SDL, an open source library written in C, and not GMS.

I'd like it if people who have no first hand experience with these things would at least do a tiny bit of googling before they end up scaring away a discussion such as this that many could benefit from.

I guess I could be wrong. But it seems fishy. Maybe I'm the one who needs educating. Because to be honest, I have no idea how this stuff works. I'm just confused by what seems to be conflicting information.
 
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I'd like it if people who have no first hand experience with these things would at least do a tiny bit of googling before they end up scaring away a discussion such as this that many could benefit from.
If you don't want to trust what I'm saying, how about from @JeffJ?
https://forum.yoyogames.com/index.php?members/vdweller.1297/#profile-post-29425

EDIT: Are you talking about this? https://github.com/dmitrysmagin/abbaye-des-morts
Doesn't look like there's any Switch code there.
 
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Sam (Deleted User)

Guest
Yeah it's not that I didn't trust you, I just don't understand how these things work. It seems a bit confusing and complicated. I guess saying rubbish wasn't a good way to put it. lol when I don't understand something I guess that gives me no leg to stand on in saying that about someone else over the same subject matter.
 
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Qbanyto

Guest
So those switch dev forums can teach you how to specifically use GM for switch?
 
So those switch dev forums can teach you how to specifically use GM for switch?
You can speak with other developers using GM on Switch and ask them questions, but most of what will teach you how to use Switch-specific GMS2 functionality will come directly from YoYoGames in the form of a specialized manual and tutorials. I can't verify this as I haven't been licensed for Switch development yet, but I'm assuming it works similarly here as it does for other engines.

The best thing you can do right now is focus on growing your project portfolio and building an audience! Those are both things that will make getting approved developer status much easier.
 

FrostyCat

Redemption Seeker
So those switch dev forums can teach you how to specifically use GM for switch?
With NDA-gated platforms, you're supposed to start at a state where you're largely self-sufficient and self-educating. Documentation, experience and general programming theory are the only things you can count on. If you're green enough to still need constant hand-holding from a village full of people, you're not the kind of developer who should be in this line of work.
 
With NDA-gated platforms, you're supposed to start at a state where you're largely self-sufficient and self-educating. Documentation, experience and general programming theory are the only things you can count on. If you're green enough to still need constant hand-holding from a village full of people, you're not the kind of developer who should be in this line of work.
Or get a publisher that can help you who knows the console and the language.

There's a lot of hand holding in the SteamWorks forum. That seems to be the last line of defense against terrible games on Steam, because some publishers have no idea how to add terrible games, so they ask the forum and then the forum answers when Steam / Valve would not since it's all documented.
 

Mike

nobody important
GMC Elder
In general, you could discuss anything not under NDA. Those things that are publicly known.

So I believe there is nothing stopping people saying they are doing games on switch. This tends to be a publisher decision to keep it quiet, so they can announce closer the time.

The public know it has gamepads, touch screen etc. along with screen orientation.

But specifics, like how the file system might work, any TRCs etc would be off limits, as these are under NDA. GameMaker specific switch functions would also be under the same NDA, as they use the same underlying tech.
 
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Qbanyto

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Soooo anything related to hd rumble implementation would be under NDA?
 
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