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Nintendo is removing switch emulation videos on Steam Deck from YouTube

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Re: Nintendo is removing switch emulation videos on Steam Deck from YouTube

#91
As someone who has the Steam Link, a PSTV (the old one), and a switch, the switch is the only one with anything approaching "turn it on and play a game". I only play the switch 'docked', on a large screen. The steam controller is, in my opinion, a really poor control device. The switch pro controller at least does normal controller-like things - although i think it's too small.

The PSTV generally has issues with updates or connectivity, but when it works it's roughly the same quality on my 720p projector as the switch and the steam link. And there's the answer to "why not just play the Playstation directly?" - in order to get sound that's synchronized with the screen, you need a way to get the video from the sound bar area where the playstation lives to the projector, which is a dozen feet away, on the ceiling. With the switch, the dock is next to the projector, and bluetooth sends audio fast enough for 99% of switch games. Steam link has built in BT as well. Sony doesn't. long range HDMI cables cost more than the PSTV did, so there's all the answers anyone could want.

When, once or twice a month i want to sit on the most comfortable chair in my house and play a game, it's the switch. I also try my best to only buy games with cartridges unless there's a serious sale and i have a gift card.

Re: Nintendo is removing switch emulation videos on Steam Deck from YouTube

#92
post #2

Nothing new here. Nintendo hates emulation with a passion. It passionately hates ways people enjoy their devices and platforms in ways they didn't intent. It hates fan projects, it might even hate its fans. Nintendo has a long history of lying in legal documents like DMCAs to take content that doesn't please them down. To be a dedicated fan of Nintendo's franchises is to be a masochist. The Steam deck doesn't just th…

This completely encourages piracy of recently released software.

You can't give me the archivist argument that there's no other ways to experience these games.

Nintendo is not targeting the same market as the Steam Deck. The Steam Deck still looks too much like a prototype for me to want to buy it. A very large percentage of games available on Steam will simply not work on a steam deck. Nobody knows if it's even possible to get Microsoft Game Pass running on it, and for many PC gamers that's a significant percentage of your library. Nobody knows if other storefronts are going to play ball.

For example, I really wanted to play the HD. Tony hawk. But since Epic has an exclusive deal, I dusted off my PS4 and played it there.

Compare this to a Nintendo switch, it's a small game console for me to play Smash Bros and Advance Wars. It's a vastly more polished experience. I don't need to worry about Photon compatibility issues , I can just play a video game.

It's as if someone posted "Here's how you get Netflix for free", and Netflix filed a DMCA request against it. You can't call Netflix the bad guy here. Likewise Nintendo isn't monopolizing an essential service, you can enjoy other content. You just don't have a right to enjoy theirs without paying the entry fee.

For example, if you decide you don't want to buy a Mac, and then your Hackintosh gets your Apple account banned, you have no one to blame but yourself.

Re: Nintendo is removing switch emulation videos on Steam Deck from YouTube

#93
I am not going to blatantly support piracy of video games (Most of us work in the software industry, and most of us want to get paid for our work. Video games should be no different.), but I think it's clear that game preservation has some issues in its current state, and Nintendo is one of the worst offenders. Nintendo is a lot like Apple in this way. They see things in one way, and assume all consumers will happily conform to that standard. They are stubborn and perhaps less willing to listen to the consumer than any other major video game company. And we all know that gamers are some of the most vocal, opinionated fans out there.

In my opinion, if you own a game (digitally or physically), there are absolutely zero moral qualms, and there should be zero legal issues, with playing a copy of that game on an emulator. Emulation is 100% legal and should be encouraged. ESPECIALLY because Nintendo makes it such a challenge to legally acquire old games, I understand why people turn to piracy and emulators.

I think Nintendo is within their rights to not want people showing videos of how to explicitly download pirated games and emulate them, but I don't see any way they can prevent people from simply showing an emulated game.

Re: Nintendo is removing switch emulation videos on Steam Deck from YouTube

#94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Brand exclusives and a low console price are all it's got A lower price and better games is quite a lot actually.

Switch has an e-shop with expensive games that will eventually get offlined within a couple generations like the ones before it vs. Steam, an e-shop with every game, for cheaper, including all the games people bought over the last two decades. I can imagine how disruptive a successful Steam entry into the console space could be once people realize they are tired of "renting" $60 games from ad-hoc console e-shops.

Anything downloaded from the Switch e-shop will continue to work locally on that Switch, and all the mainstream games can be bought as a cartridge if desired. It's not fundamentally different than dragging out my old N64 to play my old games from the 90s. I don't consider that "renting", and I can't remember the last time I had the desire to play one of my decade+ old games anyway. Very few of them aged well compared to their modern versions.

I'm sure there are some people out there that are passionate about this but I can't imagine it being anything more than a small minority of video game buyers. There are certainly other ways the Steam Deck could be disruptive though.

Re: Nintendo is removing switch emulation videos on Steam Deck from YouTube

#95
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Switch has an e-shop with expensive games that will eventually get offlined within a couple generations like the ones before it vs. Steam, an e-shop with every game, for cheaper, including all the games people bought over the last two decades. I can imagine how disruptive a successful Steam entry into the console space could be once people realize they are tired of "renting" $60 games from ad-hoc console e-shops.

I have to disagree hard on this. Nintendo was on the forefront of making old games playable on the new hardware. On the switch you can play many old SNES and N64 classics included in the Nintendo online subscription at ~2-4€ a month. They re-released childhood favorites like Zelda Ocarina of Times and Super Mario 64 on the 3DS and I actually bought the 3DS (in a special Zelda variant no less) just for that and Majora…

You have to pay extra for the N64 titles. And just a reminder that they've yet to have their retro game collection on the Switch reach half of the games that were available on their Wii Virtual Console service, which ended with approx. 400 games, including some from Sega and SNK consoles.

Most of the titles also ran better and had lower input latency than what's available on the Switch.

The service was completely discontinued in 2019 with no way of transferring the titles over to the Switch or having the proof of purchase even linked to your account. In terms of preserving their old titles Nintendo is awful, they'd rather continually rerelease the popular ones and have you pay yet again for the (temporary) access.

Re: Nintendo is removing switch emulation videos on Steam Deck from YouTube

#96
post #2

Nothing new here. Nintendo hates emulation with a passion. It passionately hates ways people enjoy their devices and platforms in ways they didn't intent. It hates fan projects, it might even hate its fans. Nintendo has a long history of lying in legal documents like DMCAs to take content that doesn't please them down. To be a dedicated fan of Nintendo's franchises is to be a masochist. The Steam deck doesn't just th…

This completely encourages piracy of recently released software. You can't give me the archivist argument that there's no other ways to experience these games. Nintendo is not targeting the same market as the Steam Deck. The Steam Deck still looks too much like a prototype for me to want to buy it. A very large percentage of games available on Steam will simply not work on a steam deck. Nobody knows if it's even poss…

>>Nobody knows if it's even possible to get Microsoft Game Pass running on it

What do you mean nobody knows? Just install windows on it, and play your Gamepass games? Same with the Epic launcher.

>>It's as if someone posted "Here's how you get Netflix for free", and Netflix filed a DMCA request against it.

That's not even remotely comparable. May I remind you that in US Sony has lost the legal battle against Blem! Emulator, for this exact reason, and the court was explicit in its ruling - the games that you own can be played on other systems using emulators and Sony doesn't get to have a say in it.

>>You just don't have a right to enjoy theirs without paying the entry fee.

No one said anything about playing games without paying for them. That's your own interpretation.

>>Compare this to a Nintendo switch, it's a small game console for me to play Smash Bros and Advance Wars. It's a vastly more polished experience.

Literally no one is making you get rid of your switch. Enjoy the system and the experiences on it.

Re: Nintendo is removing switch emulation videos on Steam Deck from YouTube

#97
post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> So yes, emulation can be used with games you actually own, and doing so has great advantages. I'm not denying that is one use case, what I'm saying is that it's very unlikely it's the regular one. Nintendo's argument is basically that even if that were true, just because you purchased it once doesn't give you the right to it indefinitely. You might disagree with that, but that's their stance (when you buy e-Shop ga…

> just because you purchased it once doesn't give you the right to it indefinitely Did I buy it or rent it? If I bought it then I damn well do have the right to it indefinitely.

One might say that you bought a license to a game. And that license includes only being run from the physical copy you received. Nintendo is only getting worse with this over time. Just see for example the Breath of the Wild DLC... No physical copy to be obtained, forever bound to your nintendo account.

Re: Nintendo is removing switch emulation videos on Steam Deck from YouTube

#98
post #2

Nothing new here. Nintendo hates emulation with a passion. It passionately hates ways people enjoy their devices and platforms in ways they didn't intent. It hates fan projects, it might even hate its fans. Nintendo has a long history of lying in legal documents like DMCAs to take content that doesn't please them down. To be a dedicated fan of Nintendo's franchises is to be a masochist. The Steam deck doesn't just th…

Switch has better battery life than Deck, has a supply chain which is actually able to aquire parts in mass quantities and sell to a large number of customers, and is more user friendly than any PC will ever be. I'll be buying a Deck in a few months when my preorder is ready to ship, but it's a niche product for tech enthusiasts while Nintendo makes mass market products for the general public.

Have there been proper apples to apples battery comparisons running same game at sameish resolution and same framerate limit? On paper the range of estimated battery life is quite similar 2-8 hours for steamdeck and 2-6.5 for old switch and 4.5-9 for new oled switch. The worst case 1.5 hours is mostly when intentionally setting excesively high graphic settings and uncapped framerate, on other hand large portion of switch games have simple graphics with framerate limit always enabled thus raising the typical battery estimate.

For simple 2d games both should have 6-8 hours of battery life. From what I could find for Witcher 3 (moderately complex 3d, but not the very latest) steamdeck can run 4H, for Nintendo Switch the battery estimate as claimed by CD project red is 2.5 hours, but some newer materials suggest that on the new oled switch depending on mode it can 4-5H. And at least initially witcher3 on switch in portable mode was running at 540p resolution. So again no clear winner without properly controlled tests.

Re: Nintendo is removing switch emulation videos on Steam Deck from YouTube

#99
post #64

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The way people on YouTube get around the legal penalties for false DMCAs is simple: they don't file a DMCA request. There are several other mechanisms by which YouTube will gladly pull content: Content ID, contractual obligations, TOS violation, etc.

I still don't understand why Google went on the route of proactively removing content rather than reactively.

That is part of the DMCA (the act, not the "DMCA notice" often shortened "DMCA"). In exchange for not being liable for the copyright infringement ("safe harbor"), the service provider (here YouTube) has to act on notices right away. The user files a counterclaim if that was wrong.

In short, it's not YouTube's (or GitHub's, etc) call, this is part of the agreement with copyright holders (the DMCA copyright law).

Don't take that as an endorsement though, I hate the system as much as you do.

Re: Nintendo is removing switch emulation videos on Steam Deck from YouTube

#100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the interesting question is, how are they doing it? I would think if you kept the game shots short and incidental the copyright would be fair use.

A judge would consider the fair use argument. I don't know that YouTube employs judges in content moderation. (I don't know that YouTube employs humans in content moderation, at least below director level.)

Tom Scott has a great video on Copyright:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Jwo5qc78QU

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