Craigix Discloses Information On New Gp2x?

[Metal-Geo]

Wait, I'm very confused now. Is it going to have an analog that works just as good as a Dpad? Or is it going to have a Dpad that works just as good as an analog? (gameplay wise, of course) Or is none of this decided yet?

If still possible, or at all, I'd like to vote for analog.


Anyway, back to the drawing board.

 

[saehn]

Craig, it looks like Nintendo's D-pad patent expired in the USA in 2005. I know that wikipedia is not a lawyer, but look here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D-pad

U.S. Patent 4,687,200 (expired in 2005) - Nintendo's multi-directional switch

Also, Sega somehow got away with having a D-pad on the Dreamcast. Someone wrote that this was due to the internals being different somehow.

Another interesting little article here:

http://www.realvg.org/display.php?type=articles&id=70

 

[Squidge]

Thanks for confirming this. Do you know what speed the RAM is running at? Probably 360/3 = 120MHz on DDRA and 100MHz on DDRB? Hopefully the CPU's can be overclocked since DDR-266 will be necessary anyway!

No idea I'm afraid. I know what it is on the current design, but don't know what it'll be on the product. Depends how much is in the budget to spend on ram I suppose.

QUOTE

I'm just going to make a wild guess here and say that the MMsp2+ has been selected because;
3. Magiceyes have proven that they can and do support linux. They also must have decent support in general - how else did Gamepark manage to produce anything.



Apart from Magiceyes didn't do the Linux port for the MMSP2, and don't currently have a port for the MMSP2+.

 

[Exophase]

You guys assuming that KeyBoard Cowboy is Epicenter do realize that Epicenter was pushing the MMSP2+ like crazy as the SoC for the XGP...

Personally I don't really like Magic Eyes either, but I've been told that they're basically the only realistic choice. I'll leave it to craig to explain why, unless he gives me the go-ahead to repeat what he told me.

What I'd love to see is a handheld with an ARM A8 Cortex (at a decent clockspeed, say 800MHz or higher). That'd be very nice.

 

[Eolair]

I'm glad so many liked my photoshop sketch. Thanks for all the nice comments

I'm curious to know what patents the design might breech apart from the obvious d-pad. Maybe I'll make some changes.

It's really more concept art than an actual design drawing though. I tried to incorporate what people seemed to want but I mainly focused on the overall look & feel of the device. I just wanted to make something modern and high tech, smooth and stylish and as far removed from "toy's are us" as possible.

 

[dosteridge]

Eolair, I think I like that one the best so far.

Yes, I love that design, just needs an anolog stick too

What about some sort of JASJAR style. Mind you I suppose that hinge is expensive and maybe a bit fragile?

 

[Zeladin]

QUOTE
Apart from Magiceyes didn't do the Linux port for the MMSP2, and don't currently have a port for the MMSP2+.
I'm misinforming again. I thought they offered linux with the devkit for the mmsp2? Well its better than other offering I've seen...

But its cheap right - thats the main thing.

 

[craigix]

I think the moral of this thread is we can't please everyone 100%

We are trying to keep it simple, I feel the reason the GP2X got made is that it was nice and simple, the reason the XGP died was because it was over complex in design.

Eolair, there are patents on things like sliding screens/keyboards and the way they work, the mobile and laptop manufacturers file hundreds of patents every year. It costs around £3,000 for a search on a design, if it is OK you get a free to continue notice. It's tricky stuff like that which can hold up machines for months.

 

[Eolair]

How about a small stick attachment for the d-pad? Would that work? You'd only need a small screw hole in the middle of the d-pad and you could attach any type of stick you wanted.

 

[fusion_power]

Eolair, I think I like that one the best so far.

Uh, I think a design with an keyboard like this is very fragile. ^^" You just take a mean look at it and it's broken. :lol:
I never had such a device in Hands but how does it laying in the hands, when the keyboard are open in this way? Looks very uncomfortable to me.

Oh, and because here was mentioned the Nintendo D-Pad a few times, I think the cross-shape is a very bad design because whats missing on a cross? - Right- the diagonals. It was never real fun to play with just a cross D-Pad when you need diagonals and I've started with gameboy and tried every Nintendo Console since then. (luckily not all games made use of diagonal movement ^^ ) So I think a round, solid Pad with pushable diagonals is the far better way. So there's no need to use a Cross-shaped Pad I think.

 

[Alex.]

there are patents on things like sliding screens/keyboards and the way they work, the mobile and laptop manufacturers file hundreds of patents every year. It costs around £3,000 for a search on a design, if it is OK you get a free to continue notice. It's tricky stuff like that which can hold up machines for months.

Then just make the keyboard attachable to the bottom of the unit through an EXT port, like the GP32's, only up close to the unit's case of course.

 

[Eolair]

Eolair, I think I like that one the best so far.

Uh, I think a design with an keyboard like this is very fragile. ^^" You just take a mean look at it and it's broken. :lol:
I never had such a device in Hands but how does it laying in the hands, when the keyboard are open in this way? Looks very uncomfortable to me.

Oh, and because here was mentioned the Nintendo D-Pad a few times, I think the cross-shape is a very bad design because whats missing on a cross? - Right- the diagonals. It was never real fun to play with just a cross D-Pad when you need diagonals and I've started with gameboy and tried every Nintendo Console since then. (luckily not all games made use of diagonal movement ^^ ) So I think a round, solid Pad with pushable diagonals is the far better way. So there's no need to use a Cross-shaped Pad I think.


I've tried a mobile phone with a similar slide keyboard and they are actually pretty sturdy. Well as long as you don't plan to drop it from 10 feet The idea seem to be patented though so it doesn't matter.

And yes the d-pad... if it was my choice I'd still go with a stick. I grew up with vectrex, c64 and amiga and never came much in contact with d-pads

But as I said earlier I didn't really focus on technical solutions. My drawing is more concept art than technical design.

 

[Squidge]

QUOTE
Apart from Magiceyes didn't do the Linux port for the MMSP2, and don't currently have a port for the MMSP2+.
I'm misinforming again. I thought they offered linux with the devkit for the mmsp2?

Maybe you mean http://www.dignsys.com/product_DEPSS-MMSP2...del=DEPSS-MMSP2 ?

 

[goobers]

Is there anywhere that you can get hold of those devboards easily? I had a quick search but i couldn't find anything- I think it'd be cool to have one around for projects and such

 

[jmetal88]

How about a small stick attachment for the d-pad? Would that work? You'd only need a small screw hole in the middle of the d-pad and you could attach any type of stick you wanted.

That'd be cool. Kinda like the Gravis game pads.

 

[goobers]

Even if it dosn't have analogs built in, I think there should be some kind of grip released with them on (maybe replacing the keyboard if it's removable)

 

[Tobriand]

Just as a really really stupid idea, but I figure I might as well ask: what happens if instead of one MMPS2+ in the unit, you cram an extra one in?

I assume the effort to make the whole lot work together would be waaaay too much to consider versus the bonus of getting two lots of Arm920-esque (i.e. MMU-inclusive) processors?

 

[sam fisher]

I know not of what I speak, but as far as I could see that would be extremely complicated.

 

[b._.o._.b]

Eolair, there are patents on things like sliding screens/keyboards and the way they work, the mobile and laptop manufacturers file hundreds of patents every year. It costs around £3,000 for a search on a design, if it is OK you get a free to continue notice. It's tricky stuff like that which can hold up machines for months.

I have followed the development of the neo1973 (openmoko). These guys have gone through hell to get the phone launched. Releasing hardware seems to be a hard task. It's not only soldering the best components together and ready you are, there's a lot more going on. Logistics, procurement, patents, getting a site up and running, pr, programming, tough design decisions and there are things going to be f..ked up for sure along the way. So I understand you're a bit jumpy when it comes to patents, that could ruin a lot of hard work.

 

[Dzz]

I think the moral of this thread is we can't please everyone 100%

That's certainly true, and no matter what features you decide to prioritize not everybody will even agree that you kept it "simple"!

I think if your whole gang uses your prototype parts crudely mounted in the exact form factor you choose and beats their best score on their favorite game in some quickly-ported emulator, and then can honestly say it felt really good in their hands while they beat their old best score, you'll have a winner!