Analysis Of Scaling To 16:9 Aspect Ratio

[Lupin]

you are being way to critical. Given your standards I could pick apart any handheld...

PSP:
They chose and plastic that while very pretty was way to easy to scratch and constally had fingerprints all over it due to every part of it having a glossy finish.

On all but the White PSPs (JP Only EU soon) many [] buttons where placed to close to the Screen and would get stuck and had to be popped out

The UMD trays on initial models (and some still) either close only with extreme force or not at all

They included a web browser on later firmwares all though the CPU clocked at 222Mhz can barely handle many websites, and its plagues users with the error "Not Enough Memory" on larger sites

All models to this day stand a very good chance of having at least 1 dead pixel.

The analog stick on the PSP (while more fluid) is placed in such a god awful many that using it for any length of time brings upon cramps

Every only 2 out of the 11 firmware upgrades from sony have done anything other then to stop the use of Homebrewers (albeit the PSP was never designed for this by Sony but you better belive thats what its best known for)

Oh and the D-Pad sucks for anything other then Platforming

Games require firmware upgrades and as we all know Upgrading firmware is a risk everytime. So, imagine if you started with a japanese firmware and played a game for each of the 11 new firmwares... thats 11 flashes alone.

DS Phat:
The screens look bad

The stylus almost all ways falls out

The bottom screen sets in the plastic as opposed to on top or flushed

There is no hardware brightness control and only 2 settings via software on/off

(thats all I gots for the DS its a good handheld)

But see what Im saying those are the two of the Big 3 in gaming and even they have errors. And then you are going to hammer on GPH a small company about their errors?

 

[JaqMs]

The problem is, anyone with a brain could have corrected the problems that arose with the GP2X. GPH rushed it out; they weren't thinking. The PSP and DS's flaws hardly alter the playing experience. Sure, the PSP's d-pad may be hard to use, but at least when you press left, IT GOES LEFT.

 

[craigix]

I've just about had enough of this. A couple of people have told me to look at this thread and i've taken you off ignore to read it.

Firstly, Gamepark have released nothing. GPH built and released a console right away, where do you think the main people went?

And secondly, as someone who sold the most GP32's in the world, let me set a few things straight about the GP32 and its history, and i'd like to point out we had to test every gp32 before it shipped such was the number of returns - liksang stopped selling it because they got sick of returns.

Here is a list of the issues it had:

The Screen:

First version had a non backlit screen, people demanded lighting.

Added a 'FLU' these were awful and unreliable. A complete nightmare for us. Including a classy hole hacked into the back of the case for the on/off.

Backlit screen, very dim, you had to max up the brightness to see things.

New backlit screen, bright, massive incompatability with some programs, required patches to work. GP obviously didn't bother to test the main gp32 apps on it. That was the last screen update.

-----

The build quality:

Shoulder buttons - they never solved this, they would randomly break or not work at all out the box.

Joystick - diagonal issues, sometimes they could not hit a direction at all. Could be fixed by the paper trick.

Button membranes - these would randomly snap in half and stop the buttons working. This was so bad GP used to send us spares.

Battery/power using batteries and the power cable at the same time would randomly fry units. We had to send out a sheet telling people not to do this.

SMC reader - these would sometimes be DOA.

------

Build Quality:

At one point the BLU versions were so unreliable liksang gave up, we used to see at least 15% dead on arrival. We had to test every unit before sending it out.

When GP went bust we were left with over two hundred faulty units. I sold them off for spares at a huge loss.

--------------------

Compared to the GP32 the GP2X is a joy. We don't have to test them before sending them anymore, DOA is < 1%, no major faults or returns.
The only current issue is the USB cable does not like some computers.
You mention the battery metal - I know what you mean about it but it is a very rare return issue.

There. Now does the GP seem so great in comparison to the GP2X?

It was much worse - but i still loved it and put up with all these issues because it was the only system of its kind.

You can't expect tiny korean companies to make perfect products, you have no idea how much redesigning the unit for a Dpad would cost. You have no idea how much would be lost on the current shells. You have no idea how much the factory decides/dictates when you are building what they see as tiny quantities. etc. etc. etc.

 

[Epicenter]

But see what Im saying those are the two of the Big 3 in gaming and even they have errors. And then you are going to hammer on GPH a small company about their errors?

I did bring PSP build quality into question, actually. But the PSP's problems, for the most part, don't keep many people from enjoying the unit, and they are generally occasional problems affecting some units, while other issues affect others. The GP2X's flaws apply to nearly every system because they are design failures.

When you build a prototype unit that exhibits so many problems, and instead of waiting to build a prototype that fixes them and go from there, you have a factory make tons of duplicates of your knowingly-faulty prototype, and send it to the consumers... when you could have waited a little longer, found an investor and cleaned things up. Instead, they released the broken prototype design as-is. That's not a forgivable mistake, it's borderline fraud. This is to not even mention the broken firmware that made the machine a clusterfuck to use for... was it 6 months? More? .. Until FW 2.0.0 was made available. Then there's the violations of the GPL which are STILL not resolved. I can't stick up for a company that just throws broken hardware and software on the market, peppers their marketing campaign with lies (WMV, WMA support anyone?), and then the distributors add more lies (Craig, speaking to me in person, and his site as well- provided a whole truckload, most of which remain online today.)

I don't think I've been too critical. But oftentimes, people here are too caught up in an endless circlejerk of praising GPH as though they are some sort of console Jesus, come to bring open source gaming to the masses. Accounts I've heard indicate better that GPH chose Linux and open-source software because it was basically free, and didn't really care about if they violated the GPL. They clearly didn't intend to make the GP2X some sort of homebrew wonderland, they still seem convinced most people want it to play music and video .. a feature their firmware is still highly dysfunctional at performing.

People post reviews of the GP2X, and if they're negative there is a massive rush of Internet Justice to write the wrongs. People post good reviews that give it a shining record and the replies are loaded with sugary "^_^" replies. Sometimes you need to be critical, because the world doesn't look out for the consumer. And GPH isn't out to change that.

Craig-- I'm not taking the time to pick that message apart. Even having you in this discussion or any other makes me shake with anger-- you're in no position to tell me who's had ENOUGH of WHAT. You decieved me and lied to me nonstop. You tried to start a business relationship with me then treated me in the most unprofessional manner possible, with deceit, lies and outright disrespect. You have no idea how to deal with your customers, much less run a company. You have demonstrated this many times now.

You can't expect tiny korean companies to make perfect products, you have no idea how much redesigning the unit for a Dpad would cost. You have no idea how much would be lost on the current shells. You have no idea how much the factory decides/dictates when you are building what they see as tiny quantities. etc. etc. etc.

Then tell GPH to get an investor and do it right. Just because you can't afford to do anything correctly doesn't mean you scrape by on a miniscule budget, sell broken hardware, then piss away your profits building unwanted accessories instead of fixing your mistakes.

I've just about had enough of this. A couple of people have told me to look at this thread and i've taken you off ignore to read it.

Unlike far too many at this forum act, I don't have to respect you like a god just because you help GPH sell the GP2X. You possess an incredible technical ignorance-- you and your company are half the GP2X's problem. You are a con artist, and you are a closed-minded asshole. Piss off.

 

[JaqMs]

The GP32 seemed to be a very experimental handheld at the time. It was top of the line spec-wise. But unfortunately, there were indeed many problems. Now 5 years later, GPH branches off from the main company and has a second chance. Craigix, you say the main people from Gamepark went to GPH. Does it seem like they learned anything from their previous experiences?

 

[craigix]

A bit, but it is a work in progress with them, we are in Seoul again in October, a few of us from the scene are going, should be productive.

 

[Epicenter]

The GP32 seemed to be a very experimental handheld at the time. It was top of the line spec-wise. But unfortunately, there were indeed many problems. Now 5 years later, GPH branches off from the main company and has a second chance. Craigix, you say the main people from Gamepark went to GPH. Does it seem like they learned anything from their previous experiences?

GP tells me the exact opposite, that only ONE person who worked on the GP32 went to GPH.

Craig also says that GP is trying to get investors to make their systems, they dispute this fact and say they already have investors.

Craig says GPH split off to make an open-source handheld and GamePark wants the XGP line to be commercial-only.... GP says the exact opposite, an encourages homebrew and emulation. They report an SDK will be available at launch for each machine as well.

Craig says GP wants to compete with Sony and Nintendo; they tell me personally that they want to compete in the niche market only, and the GPKiDS unit is to compete on its own since it forms its OWN niche.

Given that he's lied to me so many times right to my face, I'm not really that inclined to believe Craig anymore. I used to, but after talking with GP personally, I have no reason to believe his side of the story is at all informed.

 

[EvilDragon]

Okay, that's clearly enough!

These boards are NOT here to insult anyone or to rant about anyone. If it's that you want, go out and have a nice fight, but DO NOT do it here, mmkay?

I know craig quite good. If it wasn't for him, I could've never opened the german gp2x shop. He did (and does) help me a lot here and I help him whenever I can.

I have NOT idea what's between you, Epicenter, and craig, but I don't give a damn, really. You can hate each other as much as you like, BUT DON'T DO IT HERE!

If I see another post that clearly insults anyone her or makes a bad reputation without ANY proof, I'm gonna ban for a while and will certainly lock all the posts.

So, BE NICE HERE and rant whereever you want, but NOT HERE, okay?

Closed.

 

[EvilDragon]

Given that he's lied to me so many times right to my face, I'm not really that inclined to believe Craig anymore. I used to, but after talking with GP personally, I have no reason to believe his side of the story is at all informed.

Okay, despite I already closed the thread and CLEARLY said my thoughts about it:

STOP ACCUSING FOR LYING!

For your information, I got the same info from GP as craig got over a year ago.
I asked both GP and GPH for information, back then as a newsposter, not as a distributor or anything (back then, I never thought about becoming a distributor).

Both GPH and GP told me about the split.
Both told me that one part wanted a cheap-to-build but powerful homebrew handheld and that the other part wanted a handheld that can take on the PSP, using the old GPOS and not open for homebrew development.

Whatever they DO tell you now won't matter - they might've changed their mind after a year, but that's NO reason accusing craig telling lies.

If you can't prove it, STOP DOING IT, okay? Thanks.

We WILL see what will happen to the XGP, we WILL see what will happen to the gp2x.

Oh, and about the GPL issue you told us about:
I DO know that GPH never wanted to violate the GPL. They had no clue and trusted MagicEyes (which didn't work out), and after the problems they had, they got rid as soon as they could and are now developing the FW themselves (with FW2.0.0 being the first released by themselves. Why do you think the first full sourcecode that has been released was FW2.0.0? Why do you think FW2.0.0 was so much better than the older one?
And: WHAT the hell are you missing that's licensed under the GPL?

I know you're pissed because a publisher thought the gp2x was cheap. I KNOW GPH did a LOT of mistakes at the beginning... but with the release of the MK2, everything is how it should be.

I don't want to ban anyone here, but if I have to, I will.

'nough said, mmkay?

Okay.