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Wii And GameCube Emulator Dolphin Gets A Version Number Overhaul | Time Extension (www.timeextension.com)

submitted 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) by ktec to c/[email protected]

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Dolphin, a popular emulator for playing Wii and GameCube titles, has recently undergone an overhaul of its version numbering system. The old version 5.0 is now replaced by the new version number 2407, reflecting the current month of July in the year 2024.

The change in the version naming scheme isn't about introducing any fixes, updates, or features to the emulator itself; instead, it aims to establish a new update naming convention for future releases. In fact, the only difference between version 2407 and the previous version (5.0-21811) is the version number (commit). The new system will help avoid confusion and indicate more clearly which version is being used, as the old numbering method could make it difficult to distinguish between versions over time.

Dolphin's logo has also been updated with a softer design, reflecting the maturity of the emulator. It's an interesting move by designer MayImilae, where he's got to "...finally address all the things that were bugging me for ten years."

If you're a fan of Wii and GameCube games or simply interested in emulators, this version number overhaul might be worth noting for future reference when discussing or referencing Dolphin builds.

Did you find the previous versioning system confusing? Is this a welcome change?

EDIT: Clarify wording about the new version.

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago) (1 children)

The old version 5.0 is now replaced by the new version number 2407, reflecting the current month of July in the year 2024.

This change isn't about introducing any fixes, updates, or features to the emulator itself;

I think this misrepresents the situation. There are 21k commits between these releases!

https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/tree/5.0

https://github.com/dolphin-emu/dolphin/tree/2407

This is their take:

Eight years have passed since that great release, and we have seen the dividends of that effort time and time again. Dolphin has seen constant updates, with new features and enhancements coming side by side with bug fixes and stability improvements. Users are now able to upgrade without fear, knowing that even in the unlikely event of a bug it will be fixed within hours. And of the thousands of titles that Dolphin can run, the number that do not function can now be counted on one hand!

All of this was achieved without a new release. In fact, Dolphin has been in the 5.0 era longer than any other, and with almost twenty-two thousand commits over the past eight years, the 5.0 era now makes up over half of Dolphin's entire commit history! But users haven't forgotten our past releases. They have been waiting for years, patiently anticipating when our next release may arrive.

That wait ends today.

https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2024/07/02/dolphin-releases-announcement/

[–] ktec 12 points 4 months ago

Thank you for pointing out the unclear wording.

This change isn’t about introducing any fixes, updates, or features to the emulator itself;

is talking about the change between version 5.0-21811 and 2407. I've updated the post to be clearer.

Dolphin have made huge strides in GameCube/Wii emulation since the 5.0 release, and I think they've done themselves a disservice by not highlighting these significant achievements through major version number releases.