[bsanr2]

Layman here, but IIUC it's the exact opposite. Nintendo in particular had massive problems with crapware and knockoff devs adopting the traditional 70s/80s PC game distribution paradigms, if you know what I mean. It was difficult to tell what was a genuine, high-quality purchase. Locking down development is apparently one of the reasons they won out over Atari. We're in a different world today, but 2/3rds of the major console market is Japanese, and the business culture there is supposedly very cautious about reapproaching things that have burnt the company in the past.

[_bxg1]

That explains why they locked their platforms down, but it doesn't explain why they need to do that at the API level. They already totally control the storefronts and all software run on a console must be signed by them. That should be enough to prevent the Atari situation on its own.

[babuskov]

API lockdown is most probably to prevent crackers from learning enough about the system to create pirated copies of games.

[jfkebwjsbx]

> 2/3rds of the major console market is Japanese

What do you mean?

[detaro]

There are 3 major console makers. Two of which are Japanese companies.

[jfkebwjsbx]

Thanks! I feel it is strange to refer to that as “console market”.