Silicon Graphics' Curse

The Silicon Graphics' Curse refers to a theory revolving around the company known as Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) and their relation towards Nintendo and their game Super Mario 64. The theory revolves around a theoretical connection between Nintendo using Silicon Graphics computers to develop and SGI developing the Nintendo 64 to the sudden decline of SGI itself.

The Theory
Silicon Graphics Inc. and Nintendo have been connected to each other in multiple factions; one of these would be that Nintendo's second party development team Rareware using SGI computers to develop the pre-rendered graphics used in the trilogy of Donkey Kong Country games. However, the most hands-on connection between the two companies (SGI and Nintendo) was the development of both the Nintendo 64 console and the game Super Mario 64.

After their proposal for a new console being declined by Sega, SGI started working with Nintendo on their new gaming console code-named "Project Reality". The development of "Project Reality" started on early 1993, with a global joint and licensing agreement between the two companies being publicly announced on August of the same year. SGI had developed the set of components used for the console, which said components were given the name of "Reality Immersion Technology", which included MIPS processors. "Project Reality" was later given the name of "Ultra 64", then finally known as the "Nintendo 64".

Along with this, SGI had been involved with the process of the development of Super Mario 64, as the game was developed using Silicon Graphics computers (specifically, the Onyx). One significant reference to this collaboration that can be found in the game would be right in the save selection screen, in which the squares for the options and saves move and look similarly to the choice option boxes on Onyx computers. Since the Nintendo 64 had the game as one of its premier games to be released, it would be no coincidence that Nintendo had used SGI's computers to work on both.

With the release of the Nintendo 64 and Super Mario 64 in the summer of 1996, the success of both would seem to be a net positive for Nintendo and SGI. However, SGI had gone down in stocks and a corporate decline had started sometime after the release had happened. This culminated in the bankruptcy of the company on April 1st, 2009. This leads into the theory that somehow, SGI was cursed by Super Mario 64 to have a downfall. Considering what is now known of the game, this could be alarming to some.

This theory can also be connected to the Oman Archive, since it was a leaked SGI asset from when the company had gone downhill. It could be that the archive itself is related to the decline of SGI; a potential lawsuit could have been done by Nintendo due to this leak might have happen. This could have been a major reason of SGI's economic success dwindling.

Trivia

 * The use of MIPs processors for the Nintendo 64 was the inspiration behind the name of MIPS the Rabbit, and coincidentally, he was the second character made for the game after Mario. Whenever or not this could be connected to the Silicon Graphics' Curse is up for debate.