Details Regarding The Xgp 2d/3d Accelerator

[Epicenter]

Ok, so say GP changed the screen to 320x240 and the batteries to AA, what are you going to do? For YOU (disregarding any technology that does not relate to emulation), it would pretty much be like buying a GP2X again but with a D-pad.

For DaveC, maybe, if that's what you mean .. (DaveC 'you' or the figurative 'you'?).. but the hardware's quite different for ME. I'd be able to do unbelievable things graphically in Stargazer and get great performance from the 3D titles we're working on, emulators would be faster and more efficient across the board for anything intensive. And as far as the d-pad bit, honestly it wouldn't BOTHER me if the XGP was a GP2X with higher build quality and a d-pad supported by a more competent company so long as it kept the Linux OS.

 

[Orkie]

Why are you so paranoid about people stopping making new things for 'your' console? It hasn't been abandoned yet, and there has been the odd alternative around. You really need to stop this whining, because not only are you starting to annoy everybody here, you're also beginning to talk rubbish.

For example, "Since you can't d-pad mod an analog that would suck". Well actually, if you felt that strongly about using an analogue stick, you *could* replace it with a d-pad. As long as you make sure that when a direction is pressed, the voltage reaches the same level that it would when the analogue stick was fully pulled out in a particular direction (you'd need to account for horizontal, vertical and diagonal movement), it would work fine for whatever emulator you wanted to use it with, assuming that the system emulated doesn't need an analogue stick anyway. However, it would be much easier to just get used to the analogue stick.

 

[DaveC]

However at it would be much easier to just get used to the analogue stick.

No it would not be easier to get used to an analog stick. It is not a matter of "getting used to" it. The control is too sloppy as the analog overtravels too damn much. I have played emus with an analog before and could never "get used" to the sloppy imprecise control.

 

[JaqMs]

I'd think how well an analog performs in a game/emulator depends on how well the controls are coded in software.

 

[Orkie]

I think JaqMs is right. It may surprise you to hear that I too have played games on emulators using an analogue stick, and without too much trouble. I'm sure other people have too. Obviously a d-pad is better suited for playing games designed for a d-pad, but that doesn't mean it is hard to play them using an analogue stick. Maybe you just have a particularly hard time adapting to any kind of change?
An analogue stick will also help many games designed for it (particularly 3D ones).

Your argument doesn't seem to be going anywhere. In fact, you don't have much of an argument other than you don't like it.

 

[Winterkid]

Actually I believe his point about the analogue stick is quite valid. I hate those types of controls, except for racing games and flight sims. And if you're playing a racer or flight sim made for a D-pad with an analogue stick it just gets worse trying to control your character/vehicles/etc...

As for the widescreen, it's not as big a deal as very few people are going to buy the XGP for much more than movies and the 2 or so games made for it.

EDIT: OH, and gadget geeks and the few people who want to port homebrew to it.

 

[JaqMs]

Don't forget the wifi capabilities.

And what about that people that want to PLAY homebrew on it?

 

[Alex.]

The GP2X and the XGP can very well coexist, each with its own cross-platform and original titles. Why turn the XGP into a remixed GP2X for? You want a device with 320x240 and digital pad, you've got it, and it's called a GP2X. You want something 3D-oriented, with wide screen and analogue stick, you will, and it will be called the XGP.

Each device will facilitate the creation of different kinds of homebrew software, and each will appeal to a different demographic of the alternative gaming & development market. The more variety the better, don't dismiss a product before it even hit shelves.

- Alex

 

[JaqMs]

Yeah, I agree. Maybe we can call this the new Zodiac. It will develop a community, but it won't steal devs from other handhelds away.

 

[DaveC]

I think JaqMs is right. It may surprise you to hear that I too have played games on emulators using an analogue stick, and without too much trouble. I'm sure other people have too. Obviously a d-pad is better suited for playing games designed for a d-pad, but that doesn't mean it is hard to play them using an analogue stick.

I have done it and it sucks. I had a zodiac and playing emus with the analog was total crap. I wasn't the only one that felt that way either. It IS harder to play emus on an analog, it ruins gameplay and I don't like it now matter how much you say it is ok.

Yeah, I agree. Maybe we can call this the new Zodiac. It will develop a community, but it won't steal devs from other handhelds away.

Sure it will. Many devs leave for other handhelds all of the time. This thing just fragments the community even further.

The GP2X and the XGP can very well coexist, each with its own cross-platform and original titles. Why turn the XGP into a remixed GP2X for? You want a device with 320x240 and digital pad, you've got it, and it's called a GP2X. You want something 3D-oriented, with wide screen and analogue stick, you will, and it will be called the XGP.

Actually it will be called the PSP. The XGP is nothing more than a weak PSP wannabe with no commercial support. There is no point in it, just get a PSP. It is the same thing, widescreen (bigger) 3D etc.

 

[Alex.]

Sure it will. Many devs leave for other handhelds all of the time. This thing just fragments the community even further.

What do you mean even further? There's nothing wrong with a little healthy competition for GPH, especially since, as I said, the two handhelds appeal to different kind of developers.

The GP2X and the XGP can very well coexist, each with its own cross-platform and original titles. Why turn the XGP into a remixed GP2X for? You want a device with 320x240 and digital pad, you've got it, and it's called a GP2X. You want something 3D-oriented, with wide screen and analogue stick, you will, and it will be called the XGP.

Actually it will be called the PSP. The XGP is nothing more than a weak PSP wannabe with no commercial support. There is no point in it, just get a PSP. It is the same thing, widescreen (bigger) 3D etc.

Of course there's a point in it for those who are interested, and that point is homebrew 3D development. Frankly that's not my cup of tea, but I can see some developers being interested in that.

- Alex

 

[JaqMs]

Ok, DaveC, we get it. You don't like new technology. You don't like the XGP's. You are insecure about things that can fragment your GP2X community. You are worried that the MAME update that will let you play some random game won't come out because the XGP will steal that developer away. Oh, guess what, I heard Squidge is abandoning work on his MMU hack and SquidgeSNES to work on a 3D commercial game and a SNES emulator that takes advantage of the widescreen (which would result in a beautiful display) for the XGP.

So stop saying things that we already know. Thanks.

 

[DaveC]

Ok, DaveC, we get it. You don't like new technology.

What? Stop talking stupid.

I don't like new technology? Where the hell did you get that, out of your ass?

I don't like playing emus stretched all out of whack and distorted, filtered and fuzzy on a 16:9 screen with an analog controller but that has nothing to do with "new technology" :rolleyes:

 

[Epicenter]

Ok, DaveC, we get it. You don't like new technology. You don't like the XGP's. You are insecure about things that can fragment your GP2X community. You are worried that the MAME update that will let you play some random game won't come out because the XGP will steal that developer away. Oh, guess what, I heard Squidge is abandoning work on his MMU hack and SquidgeSNES to work on a 3D commercial game and a SNES emulator that takes advantage of the widescreen (which would result in a beautiful display) for the XGP.

So stop saying things that we already know. Thanks.

Did you just make this up? It doesn't make much sense. You can't make a system whose games use a specific resolution just 'work' on a higher one that is not proportional; you need to skew the image in some way and it won't ever look quite right. As for working on a 3D game, maybe, it's possible. But 'stopping work' on the MMU hack? It's a hack; you don't maintain it or update it, it's just there and it already works. A done deal.

 

[Winterkid]

Well, I do think DaveC might be a bit.... overzealous about the splintering of the GP2X community.

Mostly due to the facts that XGP, while an interesting prospect is trying to fill a niche market that's already got it's portions split up in many different directions.

The GP2X mostly has the linux/ homebrew/ emulation/ movies thing.
The PSP mostly has the commercial titles/ emulation/ game networking/ widescreen movies thing.
The Nintendo DS and Gameboy Advance have much of the rest taken care of...
And the Wii is going to fill some niche market I'm not too sure of, cause I don't know much about it.

And I think all of them play MP3/OGG (Not sure about the DS or the GBA though)

Anything the XGP can do is mostly covered by those, so Gamepark is pretty much late to the party and wearing the same costume.

So the chances it'll take much development away from the 2X is very low. More likely to take development away from the PSP with everyone getting sick of having to hack through Sony's countermeasures, I'm thinking.

 

[Orkie]

I have done it and it sucks. I had a zodiac and playing emus with the analog was total crap. I wasn't the only one that felt that way either. It IS harder to play emus on an analog, it ruins gameplay and I don't like it now matter how much you say it is ok.

Well that neatly sidesteps the point about your arguments being extremely fragile, based mostly on your own opinion about a couple of things (i.e. the screen and the stick). As I said before: I have played emulators with an analogue stick with no problem. How is that last argument any worse than yours? Clearly you think it is, because you have decided to completely sweep it away without any explanation.

 

[aapje89]

So the chances it'll take much development away from the 2X is very low. More likely to take development away from the PSP with everyone getting sick of having to hack through Sony's countermeasures, I'm thinking.

Let's hope it

 

[Alex.]

The GP2X mostly has the linux/ homebrew/ emulation/ movies thing.
The PSP mostly has the commercial titles/ emulation/ game networking/ widescreen movies thing.
The Nintendo DS and Gameboy Advance have much of the rest taken care of...
And the Wii is going to fill some niche market I'm not too sure of, cause I don't know much about it.

...

Anything the XGP can do is mostly covered by those, so Gamepark is pretty much late to the party and wearing the same costume.

Stop being such a fanboy.

Why can't you comprehend that the XGP will allow ease of (3D) homebrew unlike the PSP? It will be like an open-to-devs PSP (at least in the spirit of the GP32). You say the GP2X has the homebrew/emulation thing covered, then why do you have a 10-page thread discussing how the next GP3X is going to be like?

Why should there only be one option for widescreen, one option for homebrew, and one option for commercial titles? Like I said before, there's nothing wrong with a little healthy competition.

(Btw, before anyone jumps on me, I'm a GP2X user and will not buy an XGP, at least not in the foreseeable future, because I'd have no use for it. I'm sure devers interested in 3D or looking for something slightly different than the GP2X would be interested in it though, so who are you to stop them?)

- Alex

 

[yaustar]

So the chances it'll take much development away from the 2X is very low. More likely to take development away from the PSP with everyone getting sick of having to hack through Sony's countermeasures, I'm thinking.

I was actually thinknig about this the other day, if the XGP was going to take away developers away from the GP2X, wouldn't the PSP have done so already?

 

[DaveC]

I have done it and it sucks. I had a zodiac and playing emus with the analog was total crap. I wasn't the only one that felt that way either. It IS harder to play emus on an analog, it ruins gameplay and I don't like it now matter how much you say it is ok.

Well that neatly sidesteps the point about your arguments being extremely fragile, based mostly on your own opinion about a couple of things (i.e. the screen and the stick). As I said before: I have played emulators with an analogue stick with no problem. How is that last argument any worse than yours? Clearly you think it is, because you have decided to completely sweep it away without any explanation.

I am not going to type a big long explanation of the problems and mechanics with using analog sticks for digital controls. It is the end result that matters. The end result being very loose, sloppy unprecise controls, that should be good enough.