Cedric Bache: Certification/Development & Publishing on Wii U for an Indie Studio.

2.  Neko Entertainment… is an ooold independent Studio
funded in 1999.
 Working on all platforms since the Nintendo 64, with
the main idea of developing our own cross platforms
tools.
 Since a few years, we try our best to develop and
publish indie games alone and with other indie
studios.

3.  Neko has been working with Nintendo for a
long time and became official NOE & NOA
developer/publisher.
 But, here I will try to think as an indie
developer not familiar with NintendoWii U
(and potentially based in Russia!)

4.  The first step is to try your best to get in touch with the Nintendo
team linked to your territory (for Russia it’s Nintendo of Europe).
 As a newcomer on Nintendo Wii U development I will strongly
advise to visit https://wiiu-developers.nintendo.com.
 If you can… Get in contact with someone of the Nintendo team
during any event opportunity.
Show your project/team and talk about the process to follow to
get your title evaluated for the Wii U and be certified.
 If you can’t…Try to look around you to find a close friend or
partner who already work with Nintendo and who could give you a
hand on this .^^
 Try also to get a maximum of other developers feedbacks on the
Wii U platform and Nintendo dev tools or/and any others engines
or tools you also use for your project.

5.  Another additional good point to
keep in mind…is that theWii U is
unique, with specific
functionalities (like GamePad or
motion controls and Miiverse). If
you have a specific version using
unique features…it should be a
real plus.
Spin the Bottle or Affordable
Space Adventures from
KnapNok Games

6.  Compared to the old manufacturing service to get
your title distributed at retailers…IT’S MUCH EASIER!
 All indies could try to get their title on eShop!Without
the obligation of a big official intermediary publisher
between the developer and Nintendo.
 If Nintendo likes the project and believes in the indie
team they could also support in different ways (dev kit
loans, shows, promotion…)
 Then, you could exchange really easily and frankly on
different matters and situations to be discussed and
resolved, in the limit of their possibilities, of course.

7.  In our case, we could work on their Dev kits prototypes
before theWiiU launch.THISWAS A CHALLENGE AND
TAKETIME AND ENERGY, but give us the opportunity of
many back and forth with their technical team support, on
their tools as on their eShop functionalities.
 We really think that with the Wii U eShop services,
Nintendo tried to simplify the process and communication
with indie studios. In our case, we have direct contacts for
the different matters (Tech; eShop; marketing; etc…), who
respond in the day or within few days most of the time.

8.  You get in contact and be noticed by Nintendo team…THEN you
will have to become an official licensed Nintendo Developer!
 You still have to fill out a few requirements to sign up as a licensed
developer with Nintendo.
 The most notable were : have some experience making games +
be able to secure confidential materials like the dev kit AND form
a company!
 But I lately learned that they do authorize individuals and
unexperienced developers too.
 Showing them your first project, running on PC or something else.

9.  Wii U Dev kit is actually not that expensive (for confidential reason
I could not share this precise information…). Let’s say quite the
same price as a coder’s big PC unit.
 In some case Nintendo could loan a first Dev kit to support a team
for their first project. *
 You could also, as licensed developer, access for free to Unity Pro
forWii U….COOL if you use Unity ;))) More recently they also
opened to tools like HTLM5 (Construct engine for example) and
JavaScript.
 BUT…from what I know…Nintendo of Europe could currently not
really ship Wii U devkits to Russia for some authorization reasons.
ANDTHIS IS OF COURSE A BIG PROBLEM IFYOU WANTTO
DEV/ADAPT/PORTYOURTITLE ON Wii U…FOR SURE O_O.
 As said before, if you could not achieve all these, my best advice is
to work with a close and confident friend or partner already official
and experimented…and with Wii U Dev Kits!

10.  If you finally get your hands on Wii U Dev Kit…I COULD JUST SAY
that it’s logically more complicated to develop on any consoles
Dev Kit as directly code on mobiles or PC…
 Our best advice, in addition to the “discovery” of Wii U Dev kit
hardware and tools, IS not to think that theTRC (guidelines)
should be taken as an easy part! REALLY NOT!!!
 The good point for Unity Pro (or Construct) users for Wii U, is that
it will help you for the TRC (even if Unity Pro will not solve all your
problems…and you will still have to be good and precise on the
terminologies…).
 Nintendo teams or https://wiiu-developers.nintendo.com or Unity
ProWii U Dev forums, could be there to try to give you an hand on
your request/issues-
 PLEASE do not ask me if it’s “easy to dev and work on the Wii U
Dev Kit”…!

11.  It’s much easier than it was before!!! In fact, on Nintendo’s side
when you become an official developer on Wii U, there is no
reason you could not also publish in direct on eShop service!!!
 In addition of this the new eShop service, give you the opportunity
to manage in direct possible promotion once a month or definitely
drop down the price.
 In this case you will just have to manage additional “Publisher sexy
tasks” on Nintendo side : follow all the strictTRC and the approval
process guidelines and to create a minimum of needed official
marketing assets for the eShop title page and so on. ^^
 Doesn’t look too difficult in first place… BUT once again don’t take
easily all these tasks!!! COULD REALLY BE SPICY!!! Many
developers went crazy to get final approval.

12.  You should also take this into account for your
communication/promotion/launch plan.
 Also, do not forget that to get your title approved on Wii U, as on
all consoles, you will have to manage with the…”so cool, fast and
non costly O_o”…ratings process (USK; PEGI; ESRB; OFLC; etc…)
depending the territory you wish to release your title.
 And, to smooth the approval process I also strongly advice to work
with an experimented coder and/or a QA/Testing guy or company.
 AND IFWE SPEAK ABOUT DIRECT PUBLISHING…it means not
only adding this needed process on Nintendo side…BUT ALSO
LINKING ITTOYOUR FULL “DIRECT PUBLISHING” PLAN OF
YOUR INDIETITLE in terms of timing, buzz & com plan and
preparation (assets; contacts; etc…).

13.  I do not say that we fall in a big puddle when we try too… It’s just
that we showed our title Puddle to Nintendo months before the
launch of their new Wii U to get certified!!!

14.  To get the opportunity to work on the Dev Kit prototype, we had
to convince them that our indie title will be more than funky
running on the Wii U. Using Gamepad as motion control for
example. Plus our motivation to get it ready for the Wii U launch
time working hard on our in-house tools.
 Take time and discussions…BUT it’s worth it…if you really want to
get your title on!
 Speaking openly….it was tough and stressy….knowing that
working on prototype dev kits is always a nightmare…and that
Nintendo was still working on the dev tools/optimizations (some
option like Miiverse was not awailable for launch).
 Finally we could be ready just-just-just on time for the Wii U launch
date…with good support and flexibility from Nintendo with a
really fastWii U approval process (including dev and publishing
approvals) 8-D

15. Quantity
Steam
WiiU
PS Vita
PS3
Xbox 360
Mobile
Revenue
Steam
WiiU
PS Vita
PS3
Xbox 360
Mobile
Without free mobile promotion, PC Humble
Bundle andVita Playstation Plus deal.
To finish, I’m happy to share a surprising result, for some people…

16.  We could conclude that being part of the Wii U
launch has boosted Puddle’s sales, for sure!!!
 Still a surprise compared to the big ones as
Steam, PS3 and Xbox 360.
 Probably also due on the fact that there is more
visibility on the eShop.
 Today, I can say that after the launch effect and
the growing numbers of indie titles on Wii
U…and probably a “not so attractive” eShop for
the majority ofWii U owners, the sales numbers
on eShop are quite slow, not to say tiny…BUT
can still be interesting for an indie title.

17. “BONNE CHANCE” (^_^)
Any question?