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Bob's Game developer protesting against Nintendo

11:00 PM on 12.21.2008, Conrad Zimmerman 41 comments

Bob's Game developer protesting against Nintendo photo
     DS

A few months ago, we brought you the story of Robert Pelloni, a twenty-five year-old game designer who has single-handedly developed an RPG for the DS. Video of the title, appropriately named "Bob's Game," was pretty damn impressive, especially for a project undertaken by one person.

There's only one problem. In order to finish the game and get it into stores, Pelloni needs a software development kit from Nintendo. After 17 weeks of waiting for a response from the Big N (they claim the process takes 6-8), he's decided that drastic measures must be taken.

To that end Pelloni has barricaded himself in his office in protest and is broadcasting the event via webcam. At present, he is willing to go a minimum of a hundred days before giving in but notes that he may have to extend the lease on the office if it carries on longer than that. He's twelve days in at this point, so it's a long way to go yet if Nintendo doesn't acquiese.

Here are the rules Pelloni has laid out for his protest (emphasis his): 

"I cannot leave this viridian room. The door is locked and barricaded from the outside. I am sleeping behind the camera, and yes- I've got a shower. Food is delivered once a week by a friend. I have no internet access, television, or game consoles besides those I am developing on."

Robert claims that he meets the requirements for licensing from Nintendo. If that's the case, it's puzzling that the company has not yet agreed to make it available. There's likely more to this story than meets the eye and I'll be keeping a much closer watch on Bob's Game over the coming weeks.

[Via Kotaku]


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Aberrant Thought's Avatar
Aberrant Thought at 12/21/2008 23:13
Good luck to him!
AwesomeToph's Avatar
AwesomeToph at 12/21/2008 23:16
I really don't see the problem. Nintendo approves all sorts of crap for its two money-printers, why not something people might actually be interested in? Hell, I'd buy it, and I don't know anything about it!
the GAMEGOBLIN's Avatar
the GAMEGOBLIN at 12/21/2008 23:17
lol.
Conrad Zimmerman's Avatar
Conrad Zimmerman at 12/21/2008 23:27
@Sho Nuff: Would you like him to provide you with a photocopy of his business license or something?
Ben PerLee's Avatar
Ben PerLee at 12/21/2008 23:28
I think I recognize that building in the background
grafkhun's Avatar
grafkhun at 12/21/2008 23:33
It seems he's protesting the good protest, best of luck to him.
killatia's Avatar
killatia at 12/21/2008 23:44
@ Sho Nuff,
agree. He should prove that he does meet the requirements instead of being an attention hug.
ArrestedDeveloper's Avatar
ArrestedDeveloper at 12/21/2008 23:51
Make war games not shovelware.
GE Master's Avatar
GE Master at 12/21/2008 23:52
Don't people realize Nintendo doesn't have a heart? What corp does but these guys REALLY don't. Anything that's been good for the gamers, they dump on. Nintendo will see this guy starve before they do anything noble. They are so protective, that even the developers have to wear condoms into work.
Peronthious's Avatar
Peronthious at 12/21/2008 23:57
@Sho Nuff

I'm sure he's proving all of the required material to Nintendo. He has no need to give any old blog any information. That said, I do wonder what he's trying to prove with this. I'm a bit skeptical that this barricading will accomplish much of anything.
Clockwork's Avatar
Clockwork at 12/22/2008 00:00
I'm not going to lie. I like what I'm seeing from those gameplay demos on the site. I'd buy this game. It's pretty impressive for a game made by one guy.
zig83's Avatar
zig83 at 12/22/2008 00:03
@Destructoid

Seen the video. A lotta heart went into the game. Fuck Nintendo and their antics. Anything we at the community can do to help?
Two's Avatar
Two at 12/22/2008 00:21
Go Bob! I'd buy your game :D
nintendoll's Avatar
nintendoll at 12/22/2008 00:21
He's keeping out the horde. He's just protecting himself from the Nintendo hunter, who will rip his heart out.
lastdual's Avatar
lastdual at 12/22/2008 00:29
Let's face it guys. Somebody like Bob may be a hero to you and me, but the average consumer neither knows nor cares how many people made the game.

I remember a game called The Misadventures of Flink back on the Genesis, made by like 2 or 4 guys working out of their garage. It was a great little game.

Now, this game looks interesting, but imagine if it said "Square Enix" on those videos. I bet then many of us would say the game looks mediocre (we'd probably get posts like: WTH! Chrono Trigger looks better than this and it's over 10 years old!).

Basically, while I'd like to see Nintendo go ahead and help this guy out, I don't know that the game would find a market outside of those few who actually know and care about the story of its development.
Conrad Zimmerman's Avatar
Conrad Zimmerman at 12/22/2008 01:01
@lastdual: I'll agree that if the trailer had been plastered with the Square/Enix logo, there would be a response like you describe. I don't know if that's the best example, however, since they're generally known for a greater level of visual design when it comes to their new properties.

It doesn't look AMAZING on the merits of its graphics and gameplay as shown in the videos, but it certainly doesn't look worse than a considerable amount of the DS library. Which is not to say that it would sell well amongst those unfamiliar with its history, but I wouldn't sell it short either.
Monodi's Avatar
Monodi at 12/22/2008 01:05
I didn't knew Nintendo had that kind of restriction to developers.

In fact its surprising to see restrictions on developments seeing the title libraries now.
Mig29's Avatar
Mig29 at 12/22/2008 01:25
I really want to take part in a hunger strike someday...
Spectreman's Avatar
Spectreman at 12/22/2008 02:17
* Maybe because he used R4 or another flashcard to test your game, Nintendo is now making sweet ass to approval. But itīs not fair, in a IGN podcast, the staff comments that they uses R4 to test games in development. The studio sends the rom, because donīt have to "burn" a cartridge.
DanGale's Avatar
DanGale at 12/22/2008 03:02
Come on Nintendo, let him release his game. We've so few RPGs on the DS as it is.

Seriously though, I'd be interested in playing his game. If the be all and end all is that Nintendo won't let him release it what are the chances he could sell his ROM to NOT work with flash carts?
DanGale's Avatar
DanGale at 12/22/2008 03:03
Off topic: Where's my Christmas hat? :(
liqideos's Avatar
liqideos at 12/22/2008 03:52
A perfectly reasonable way to show your professionalism when the largest game company on the planet doesn't make your first project an immediate priority.

He could still publish it for the iphone, or start shopping it to other mobile game carriers. Or he could sign-up for the XNA program, and make an XBLA version. Or he could take the WiiWare route. Or he could just do a flash version a la Apollo Justice demo.

The guy has other avenues to get his game into the channel. All of which are ridiculously more cost effective.

He should quit his bitching.
Rifter01's Avatar
Rifter01 at 12/22/2008 05:19
This is a difficult issue, on one hand I think he should be given the tools he needs..

On the other, I'd hate for the guy (Bob) to have any kind of health issues because of this protest.

Seriously, I'm more worried for the guy's health (mental or physical) than the game getting fully accepted. There's no telling what Nintendo will do, (after all, World of Goo was 'allowed' to be made, but that was on WiiWare - DSWare may/may not be as 'open' and if it isn't then it's pretty much a moot point for any indie devs to have any kind of hope of developing on the DS.)

Bottom line is I hope for the best, but "knowing" Nintendo, I don't expect much.
Vitamin Awesome's Avatar
Vitamin Awesome at 12/22/2008 05:41
Maybe Nintendo is holding out until it can be released as a DSiware title? Even then, they should at least have the common courtesy to give him some form of status update (whether there's a massive influx of Devkit applicants, or something of the like), especially when you're looking at twice the time it should take for just a response.
Demtor's Avatar
Demtor at 12/22/2008 07:39
Nintendo would surprise me if they actually did anything about this as I'm willing to bet they don't give a good flying fuck.
zombiekiller13's Avatar
zombiekiller13 at 12/22/2008 08:32
I was all ready to say that maybe Nintendo saw the game and didn't think it was up to snuff, but after seeing the demo on his site, it looks a lot better than the other crap that is thrown at the DS.
silvain's Avatar
silvain at 12/22/2008 10:23
News Flash: Nintendo gives poor service for companies that don't have economies of scale!

There's a shocker.

Fair? This is business.
MultiJoe's Avatar
MultiJoe at 12/22/2008 10:33
The guy sounds like he has mental health issues, I mean baricading yourself in a room like that is just silly. And the game looked bizzare as well.
pixelpunx's Avatar
pixelpunx at 12/22/2008 12:42
Bob is unbelievably dedicated to what he does. I know he spent 5 years on Bob's Game... hopefully he doesn't have to spend 5 years locked in his office.
zeroword's Avatar
zeroword at 12/22/2008 13:09
I think it has to do with money and experience.
Regardless of the business license, this is his first commercial game.

Companies are very conservative and want some kind of track record before they invest in something. Just like you need experience for a job and you need a job for experience the trouble lies there. Would you risk hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses on a lone person who doesn't have experience and most likely the funding to publish a game?

I say this because handing over a dev kit is serious business for these guys. They risk losing a lot to piracy and competition if he is not serious (Bootleg DS machines that play the actual games anyone?).

He would have to be prove he can afford to pay the licensing fees and prove he can get it published on his own. I doubt a 25 year old kid can cover the cost of his ass in court if he ever lost the damn thing.

I am sure they are going to make this kid wait until DSi-ware since it keeps a fair amount of encapsulation from the hardware.
MotoRobo's Avatar
MotoRobo at 12/22/2008 14:40
Bob's game has set a record. If Nintendo had any sense it would proudly publish the game and show it off. "Look, a single man devoted more'n a year to developing for us unsolicited". I suspect his request was lost in piles of paperwork. Maybe accidentally knocked into a trashcan by wild wiimote gestures.
flabzilla's Avatar
flabzilla at 12/22/2008 15:49
What a twat.
DJP3DRO's Avatar
DJP3DRO at 12/22/2008 17:19
He's subjecting himself to a condition he's suffered willfully for five years to support a game where he himself is the endboss and appears in the title?

This guy is astoundingly arrogant and self-centered.
CareBear LG's Avatar
CareBear LG at 12/22/2008 21:02
I cant wait to get this game on my R4.


oops, i didnt just say that..!
The Amazing Shenazin's Avatar
The Amazing Shenazin at 12/22/2008 21:45
this is just plain weird
Shirley Temple's Avatar
Shirley Temple at 01/07/2009 00:25
Watch the game suck.
Holyetheline's Avatar
Holyetheline at 01/07/2009 19:06
This is such a remarkable story...
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