Apparently Howard Lincoln himself hinted to Konami representatives that a separate legal entity located next door to the Konami offices would get the rights to its own five game quota. Later Acclaim bought LJN and kept it as a label for the very same reason as Konami founded Ultra Games without any objections from the big N.
>Sir! It appears BIG Black person has run out of ammo! >Good news, soldier! >Sir! It appears that the pilot is preparing to join the ground troops! >... >Send him a supply plane! >B-but >Do NOT dilly-dally!
>How does that make sense when third parties are making the games?
They don't technically 'make' the games. Third parties would pay Nintendo to produce X amount of copies, and Nintendo would manufacture all third party cartridges from their own factories. Nintendo did this to enforce the NES10 lockout chip, and their lockout codes. When third parties like tengen, Camerica and others tried making their own unlicensed NES games, Nintendo made it hard. Sega tried to enforce the same system, but EA walked over over them, and got to produce their own carts. So did other third parties.
Sega games wouldn't boot if the didn't have the word sega in the header so they used this as copyright. Accolade just put the words not licensed by sega in the same place and their games worked. I think sega just let ea have its generous agreement because needed a big library quickly to take on nintendo.
[...]
The 5 game limit might have also been for logistical reasons--Nintendo had more control over US game releases than they did Japanese ones and there was a limit to how many games they could certify and manufacture/ship. In Japan many publishers made their own carts and also did cost-saving measures like glop top ROMs.
Well it bit them in the bum when the N64 came out. Oh so you want the limit the games we put on your system, how about we limit our games to 0.
I think even sega limited games and sony certainly did too.
>Nintendo did this to enforce the NES10 lockout chip, and their lockout codes
There was also Q/C issues. In the Atari era sometimes you could have third party carts that weren't made to the best standards and could quit working. This is true of Famicom games as well. The carts were of widely variable quality in both the plastic shells and the PCBs and sometimes you find dead ones because they just weren't made that well (thin PCBs, thin traces that break easily, etc).
Probably the latter, I doubt they cared that much and I'm sure most of their stipulations were in place to protect them legally, over anything else.
The 5 game limit might have also been for logistical reasons--Nintendo had more control over US game releases than they did Japanese ones and there was a limit to how many games they could certify and manufacture/ship. In Japan many publishers made their own carts and also did cost-saving measures like glop top ROMs.
It would have taken significantly more legwork back then to figure out who was behind a shell company. Probably a lot more than the available resources at Nintendo of America.
Did Nintendo really fall for it or did they just respect the hustle and let it slide?
Nintendo probably gave them a way around it
The rule was a QC measure and they knew Konami made quality games
However I’m not sure how Capcom were allowed to
Probably the latter, I doubt they cared that much and I'm sure most of their stipulations were in place to protect them legally, over anything else.
Apparently Howard Lincoln himself hinted to Konami representatives that a separate legal entity located next door to the Konami offices would get the rights to its own five game quota. Later Acclaim bought LJN and kept it as a label for the very same reason as Konami founded Ultra Games without any objections from the big N.
>Big N
This was probably piloted by some giant ass black dude
What's more intimidating?
>"Here comes some Spitfires."
or
>"Here comes The Big Black person!"
I know who's wrath I wanna avoid.
>Sir! It appears BIG Black person has run out of ammo!
>Good news, soldier!
>Sir! It appears that the pilot is preparing to join the ground troops!
>...
>Send him a supply plane!
>B-but
>Do NOT dilly-dally!
NAMCO?
Namcot
Namc-oh.
Those stipulations we're in ace so that they could not be accused of having a monopoly.
>We only let devs make 5 games a year guys! Trust us!
How does that make sense when third parties are making the games?
Who knows it's all legal bullshit
>How does that make sense when third parties are making the games?
They don't technically 'make' the games. Third parties would pay Nintendo to produce X amount of copies, and Nintendo would manufacture all third party cartridges from their own factories. Nintendo did this to enforce the NES10 lockout chip, and their lockout codes. When third parties like tengen, Camerica and others tried making their own unlicensed NES games, Nintendo made it hard. Sega tried to enforce the same system, but EA walked over over them, and got to produce their own carts. So did other third parties.
Sega games wouldn't boot if the didn't have the word sega in the header so they used this as copyright. Accolade just put the words not licensed by sega in the same place and their games worked. I think sega just let ea have its generous agreement because needed a big library quickly to take on nintendo.
Well it bit them in the bum when the N64 came out. Oh so you want the limit the games we put on your system, how about we limit our games to 0.
I think even sega limited games and sony certainly did too.
>Nintendo did this to enforce the NES10 lockout chip, and their lockout codes
There was also Q/C issues. In the Atari era sometimes you could have third party carts that weren't made to the best standards and could quit working. This is true of Famicom games as well. The carts were of widely variable quality in both the plastic shells and the PCBs and sometimes you find dead ones because they just weren't made that well (thin PCBs, thin traces that break easily, etc).
Nintendo allowed special favors for their pets. Also the 5 game rule was dropped in '91 IIRC.
The 5 game limit might have also been for logistical reasons--Nintendo had more control over US game releases than they did Japanese ones and there was a limit to how many games they could certify and manufacture/ship. In Japan many publishers made their own carts and also did cost-saving measures like glop top ROMs.
I mean would YOU want Konami to make fewer games for your console?
It would have taken significantly more legwork back then to figure out who was behind a shell company. Probably a lot more than the available resources at Nintendo of America.
Literally everyone and their mother knew ULTRA was Konami. You are dumb
Cool, got a source for that?
The games under ULTRA were published and developed by Konami in frickin Japan you moron. Nintendo is a frickin Japanese company. You are dumb
Mate, cmon now, enough with the bait
Nintendo probably gave them a way around it
The rule was a QC measure and they knew Konami made quality games
However I’m not sure how Capcom were allowed to
and what were the notable games from the Ultra brand
TMNT, Metal Gear, Super C