The team behind the free and open source GameCube and Wii emulator Dolphin have announced a big change to their plans, along with a new much more rapid release schedule.
In the announcement they mentioned how the last actual "release" with 5.0 was back in 2016, and they've just continually added bits to it over time. Now though, they're doing away with that and moving to a "rolling release cycle" as they said:
"However, the purpose of our old stable builds is now no longer relevant to Dolphin Emulator. We no longer need a benchmark to compare against or an anchor to ground us. We have grown beyond them. So in leaving the 5.0 era behind, we are also leaving behind that release scheme and all it offered. In exchange, we're not just giving you a release today, but also a commitment to continuous releases from now on. The long drought of Dolphin releases is no more and will never happen again!"
Now they will have proper fully tagged releases based on the year and month, so the latest brand new release is 2407 that went up 2 days ago. Development builds will simply add a number after for the number of code commits done like 2407-144 and they will continue to roll out multiple releases a year and said they will keep doing progress report blog posts too.
The blog announcement goes over details about why it's not just being called Dolphin 6.0 and to sum up a few paragraphs there — they just didn't feel it was needed due to how development has come along in the last eight years
Also they have a refreshed logo:
"The Dolphin team could have quit 5 or 6 years ago and it would still be one of the most mature and competent emulators ever made, but the fact that they're still chipping away at it at the same pace as ever is inspiring."
Mohandevir Jul 4
This said Dolphin is pretty awesome for my Wii games. The upscaling to 1080p gives a new breath to these games that we used to play at 480i or 480p (with the right cable).
Good work guys!
Edit: And forgot to mention all the specific wii hardware support or emulation that's pretty great (Bluetooth Wiimotes, Skylanders Portal, Floor mat, etc...).
Last edited by Mohandevir on 4 July 2024 at 6:19 pm UTC
ssj17vegeta Jul 4
StoneColdSpider Jul 4
QuoteAlso they have a refreshed logo:Whats changed on the logo???......
legluondunet Jul 4
https://bugs.dolphin-emu.org/issues/13451?next_issue_id=13450&prev_issue_id=13452
FauconNoir Jul 5
Quoting: ssj17vegetaNot gonna lie, considering Nintendo's recent behaviour, my heart skipped a beat when I read the first words of the title.Easiest clickbait opportunity I've seen, and just about everyone reporting on this is taking it. Props to Liam for explicitly stating what's up instead of going for the clicks.
Also, not a great time for any announcements regarding... certain emulators. They're on sheet music now, so it's clear we're way past any kind of reason here. I'd lay very low.
Quoting: suchEasiest clickbait opportunity I've seen, and just about everyone reporting on this is taking it. Props to Liam for explicitly stating what's up instead of going for the clicks.I could pull in a vast amount more people and advert revenue and *potentially* supporters with clickbait. But I hate it as much as you all do. I refuse to do it.
Quoting: StoneColdSpider[...]The colours have been tweaked, the general shape has a smoother curve and the splash-tentacle in the middle of the dolphin is better centred. It's basically a redrawn version of the same motif.QuoteAlso they have a refreshed logo:Whats changed on the logo???......
Here they are for comparison (new on top):
Spoiler, click me
Quoting: suchQuoting: ssj17vegetaNot gonna lie, considering Nintendo's recent behaviour, my heart skipped a beat when I read the first words of the title.Easiest clickbait opportunity I've seen, and just about everyone reporting on this is taking it. Props to Liam for explicitly stating what's up instead of going for the clicks.
Also, not a great time for any announcements regarding... certain emulators. They're on sheet music now, so it's clear we're way past any kind of reason here. I'd lay very low.
The Dolphin Team received legal counsel back in the Steam page debacle and are quite firm in their belief that they do not violate any US laws, including the DMCA.
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