Craigix Discloses Information On New Gp2x?

[X-Code]

PS1 has 2 sticks. Therefore if perfect PS1 emulation is to be touted as a selling point, it should have everything the PS1 has. No?

I understand your point of view, but PSX games can be played with 1 DPad ( if not all, most ) ... Please don't get me wrong, you can design what you wish, but getting real, I doubt that we'll ever see two analogue sticks on this portable device

 

[damned]

two sticks would be great for getting fps fans attention and trust me theres ALOT of fps fans.

EDIT: forgot period

 

[TyBO!]

I've flipped through most of this thread, and man am I ever excited for the [currently-unnamed-Linux-handheld-gaming-device].

Since it isn't finalized yet though, I thought I'd throw some suggestions out there:

• Have a hard-wired switch (like the GP2X power switch) for turning on/off the WiFi. This would prevent instances of software that has WiFi turned on automatically, even if the software doesn't need WiFi to run.
• Having diagonals on the D-Pad-alternative. I've always preferred dedicated diagonal buttons over having to press two non-diagonals to go in a diagonal direction (i.e. Genesis D-Pad instead of SNES D-Pad)
• Make it possible to change the screen brightness level (like on NDS)

And for a totally crazy idea I had, that I thought I'd share just for fun:

Instead of having a dual-analog type set-up for 3D games, you could simply have a mini-trackball on the right side of the handheld! Think about it: in, say, a FPS game, the D-Pad alternative could be used to move forward and back, and for strafing, and you could roll the trackball to look around/aim!

I think it'd work very nicely.

Anyway, keep up the great work craigix, EvilDragon and whoever all is behind this.

 

[zaoin]

And for a totally crazy idea I had, that I thought I'd share just for fun:

Instead of having a dual-analog type set-up for 3D games, you could simply have a mini-trackball on the right side of the handheld! Think about it: in, say, a FPS game, the D-Pad alternative could be used to move forward and back, and for strafing, and you could roll the trackball to look around/aim!

I agree with the mini track ball.
And a hold button to avoid accidentals turns on.

 

[lubidog]

EDIT: forgot period

Ooh, sticky!

 

[DaveC]

We don't need no stinking analog sticks or nubs. You have a huge one called a touchscreen. Ever see how the DS has that thumb stylus thing that you can use? It slides around just as that PSP nub does. With a TS you can put the analog control zone anywhere. Since games and PSX are 4:3 you have 160 pixels extra on the side that can be used as an analog control zone. Other emus are digital anyway so it is not needed. Since screen is configurable you could put this zone on the right or left side of the screen per the users taste.

 

[zaoin]

We don't need no stinking analog sticks or nubs. You have a huge one called a touchscreen. Ever see how the DS has that thumb stylus thing that you can use? It slides around just as that PSP nub does. With a TS you can put the analog control zone anywhere. Since games and PSX are 4:3 you have 160 pixels extra on the side that can be used as an analog control zone. Other emus are digital anyway so it is not needed. Since screen is configurable you could put this zone on the right or left side of the screen per the users taste.

I prefer a trackball than a touchscreen.
Playing with nds you can only fire with left hand, using the L button. Because your right hand is using all fingers for the stylus.
With a trackball you can use the R button too.

 

[Nova]

EDIT: forgot period

Ooh, sticky!

I fucking love you.

 

[craigix]

I think there are only a certain number of designs which can exist for such a device, it's funny how people here have posted designs almost exactly the same as our early sketches.

You should see what we showed GPH back in 2006... (drum roll for daveC)

 

[MWeston]

I'm not sure why people are drawing pictures with an analog stick on the right side. That doesn't make any sense to me because the stick will control direction while you press the buttons for the actions.

I'm still working on my own design in my spare time. It's based on the i.MX31 processor. The hardware is done and now I just have to find time in the fall to port Linux to it. Anyway, this was my take on the case design:

It's not pretty, but it's functional. The one thing that I want to mention is the use of 6 buttons on the right side to be compatible with "possible" emulators like the Saturn or N64. Yeah, yeah, pipe dream, but the extra buttons can be used for anything, including homebrew.


Just my two cents......

 

[Iorgy77]

Looks like you whittled it out of soap.

Nice, tell us more.

 

[sam fisher]

I wish the craig console with all this financial backing was based on the i.mx31.

 

[StarG]

@mweston

your design looks suspiciously like the xgp mini (or the gb micro) - how come

 

[X-Code]

@MWeston

your design looks suspiciously like the xgp mini (or the gb micro) - how come

He didn't have more soap I guess

The 6 button design is great though... We need that.

 

[jmetal88]

@MWeston

your design looks suspiciously like the xgp mini (or the gb micro) - how come

He didn't have more soap I guess

The 6 button design is great though... We need that.


Just like the Nomad.

 

[MWeston]

Ha ha! No, that is ABS plastic. I was certain I had ordered a block of black plastic, but I got that beige color instead.

Here is a picture of it put together to try and prove that it isn't soap

It's just a simple design. Like Craig said: there are only so many ways to do it! Any resemblance to existing devices is probably not a coincidence! By the way, yes those buttons, analog stick and D-pad are all salvaged from old PS1 and PS2 controllers.

 

[Javacat]

Since everyone else is posting a design, here's mine!!!



I forgot to put the shoulder buttons in on the top, but you get the general idea. The sideview is a cross section, just after where the track would be for the slidey bit.

I think that using the actual keyboard in any of these designs with the slide out keyboard would probably be quite fiddly, although you do have the advantage of larger keys. I think that the most usable design would be one like omars with the slidey screen, but the thing that puts me off that is that the keyboard is set lower down that everything so you're reaching over the controls and the keys would have to be quite small.


edit: thought I'd mention, my design is done completely to scale. It's 16cm wide and 7.5cm tall. It's actually shorter than the GP2X and only 1cm wider!! I've got all of the normal keys on the keyboard, and each normal one is slightly larger than the A/B/X/Y keys on the GP2X.

 

[GameGod]

Holy crap, I like blinked and this whole thread happened... :gp2x

 

[icurafu]

I'm not sure why people are drawing pictures with an analog stick on the right side. That doesn't make any sense to me because the stick will control direction while you press the buttons for the actions.

The reason for the analog on the right side is for FPS. Similar to how it is used in some NintendoDS games.

The DPAD is like the WASD keys on a PC and the L/R shoulder buttons are used for shooting / reload / secondaryfire / whatever.

The analog is obviously used to aim.

BTW, when can I pre-order your device?

 

[jmetal88]

OK, now that similarities between these sketches and the device have been mentioned I'm starting to feel more at ease with there being a keyboard on the device.