I Built an Open-World Engine for the N64 [video]

Re:I Built an Open-World Engine for the N64 [video] by throwawayk7h on Saturday March 28, 2026 @12:36PM (#47556136)

In principle he could use alternative tools, like libdragon, but he said even if he did that it was unlikely Valve would permit it, as Nintendo would still be antagonized somehow. And Valve it seems wants to improve their relationship with Nintendo (See: Valve blocked Dolphin on steam, and took down a video showing yuzu installed on the steam deck).

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Re:I Built an Open-World Engine for the N64 [video] by ErroneousBosh on Saturday March 28, 2026 @02:42PM (#47557190)

> And Valve it seems wants to improve their relationship with Nintendo

Valve are the 200kg gorilla of the gaming industry and can throw their weight around.

However Nintendo are a 250kg gorilla.

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Re:I Built an Open-World Engine for the N64 [video] by Forgeties79 on Saturday March 28, 2026 @05:34PM (#47558303)

A very vindictive, petty 250kg gorilla at that

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Re:I Built an Open-World Engine for the N64 [video] by asno3030 on Saturday March 28, 2026 @11:43PM (#47560216)

Nintendo is more like the chihuahua, instead of growling and biting it sicks its lawyers on anything that threatens it (everything and anything).

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Re:I Built an Open-World Engine for the N64 [video] by komali2 on Sunday March 29, 2026 @12:41AM (#47560442)

> However Nintendo are a 250kg gorilla.

It's an interesting question of comparison actually. Valve run the world's biggest videogame ecommerce platform, for PCs only (including handheld PCs like steam deck). Nintendo run a comparably large videogame ecommerce platform, but only for their two hardware platforms: switch and switch 2. Just roughly based on hardware sales, seems to be roundabout the same audience size. Nintendo maybe comes ahead because they're well established in the hardware space (Valve is trying to close the distance), and of course far, far away in terms of 1st party game development - Valve has, what, 8 games? All phenomenal, but nothing compared to Nintendo's library.

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Re:I Built an Open-World Engine for the N64 [video] by jdwithit on Sunday March 29, 2026 @03:27PM (#47566353)

Does Valve even make games anymore? The only thing of note they've done since like 2020 is put a fresh coat of paint on CounterStrike. Which still counts of course but it feels like they are REALLY coasting on the reputation of games that came out 20+ years ago.

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Re:I Built an Open-World Engine for the N64 [video] by komali2 on Sunday March 29, 2026 @03:31PM (#47566394)

Valve's working on Deadlock, an FPS / MOBA. It's very polished, but in early access right now. Based on what I've seen when I tried playing it, and just what I hear in the gaming sphere, it'll probably be a decade-defining multiplayer game once it's done, like TF2 or CSGO both are.

They definitely coast, but when they do release something, it's always phenomenal. I do wish they'd make more games, though.

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Re:I Built an Open-World Engine for the N64 [video] by tertle950 on Saturday March 28, 2026 @06:18PM (#47558603)

If I recall correctly, there was also the issue that a Nintendo 64 ROM of their game would be fundamentally incompatible with Steam, which (as many forget) is technically their DRM solution. I could be wrong, of course.

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Re:I Built an Open-World Engine for the N64 [video] by pezezin on Saturday March 28, 2026 @07:41PM (#47559062)

How so? There are several recent Steam releases (Demons of Asteborg, Astebros, Earthion) that are just a Megadrive ROM wrapped in an emulator.

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Re:I Built an Open-World Engine for the N64 [video] by tertle950 on Tuesday March 31, 2026 @03:34PM (#47592320)

The problem I'm pointing out is that it's a work based on a Valve property that fundamentally cannot be tied to the DRM because it's "just" a ROM.

I believe this came up when the creator was talking about libdragon-- Valve has been more forgiving of other games like Hunt Down the Freeman and whatnot because they're native executables with the Steam DRM, which video games based on Valve properties necessarily must have. Portal 64 simply cannot do this, because Steam is not a Nintendo 64 application.

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Re:I Built an Open-World Engine for the N64 [video] by anthk on Sunday March 29, 2026 @09:24AM (#47562956)

You are free to publish any ROM to any system, it's a basic right against both monopolies and freedom of speech restrictions. What you can't do is to ilegally pull propietary dependencies without permission.

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Re:I Built an Open-World Engine for the N64 [video] by fc417fc802 on Saturday March 28, 2026 @06:20PM (#47558619)

The emulator thing is less "improve relationship" more "avoid appearing complicit" just basic avoidance of liability.

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