Gamepark Files Bankruptcy

[woogal]

...given the time delay between the gp32 and gp2x (was it 2 years, or 3 years between them? I can't remember).

4 years (gp32 was 2001), but of course there were the flus and blus in that time too so I suppose you could say it's every couple of years.

 

[sam fisher]

So now that GP32s are collector's items, who wants to buy one from me?

I'm saving mine till they are the last 2 on earth Then i'm getting rich.

 

[jbrodack]

this is news we all knew was coming. well except epicenter who though the xgp would take over the world. how the hell were gamepark supposed to find investors when they had 3 similar products they were trying to launch. maybe if they concentrated on one console and set everything in stone and actually produced something they may have had some success. oh well I really don't care and am with those that are happy that the gp2x won't have any direct competition. so when gp3x or whatever comes out it will be because its time for it not because of competition.

 

[EvilDragon]

this is news we all knew was coming. well except epicenter who though the xgp would take over the world.

Hm... I wonder for what platform he'll now release his fab top-notch commercial game...?

 

[daclassicgamingmaster]

this is news we all knew was coming. well except epicenter who though the xgp would take over the world.

Hm... I wonder for what platform he'll now release his fab top-notch commercial game...?

haha. On nothing I guess. After all, it was so excellent he's the only one on the planet worthy enough to play it.

 

[Samba Pa Ti]

what concerns me most about this kind of console (open source) and the company is how they make a profit after production costs, im not sure how high the profit margin is with the gp2x, usually with normal consoles the companies make a loss and make the money back on commercial games (this was common untill the xbox360 which was actually making a profit selling consoles) since the gp2x doesnt have any games created by GPH (dont know if this is true ?) i cant see how they can make any money unless the gp2x is marked up 2 or 3 times.

its also a huge risk for people to put up funding i expect GP (xgp) didnt get much interest from banks or potential investors due to its non commercial gaming platform style

 

[Julius]

Nintendo has always sold its consoles with a profit, and so does GPH.

Actually it is mostly a myth (with some truth in it) created by the "deep-pockets" forced market entry of the MS XboX, and some desperate attemts from SEGA earlier to compete with the SNES and PS1 as far as I know.

There is one thing I would be interested in though concerning GPH:
I was one of those who preordered, and the high number of those who did it is certainly a reason why the GP2X exists today. But was it really the preorders which payed for the first production run, or was it just a number to convince an investor, or to get a loan from a bank?
Na... I guess it was probably both

 

[DanSolo]

Don't forget however that the GP2X will not last forever, there needs to be a steady stream of newer, more advanced consoles available.

That's fine as long as the newer consoles are Linux open-source based too. That's why the GP2X is so popular. Maybe GP3X software would even be compatible with the GP2X, I mean all most people really want is a faster processor, OpenGL and a proper stick!

 

[Samba Pa Ti]

But was it really the preorders which payed for the first production run, or was it just a number to convince an investor, or to get a loan from a bank?
Na... I guess it was probably both

this is probably why the gp and the xgp have 'failed' no investor would risk it since they obviously have no preorders and gamesales would probably make that a sweeter deal.

 

[shinneri]

...given the time delay between the gp32 and gp2x (was it 2 years, or 3 years between them? I can't remember).

4 years (gp32 was 2001), but of course there were the flus and blus in that time too so I suppose you could say it's every couple of years.

Yes, November 2001 to November 2005. I don't know if I can see the GP2X lasting to the end of 2009 though... When the GP32 came out, it was outrageously more powerful than almost anything out there. This isn't the case with GP2X; in fact, was less powerful than the PSP from the day it came out. If there is a sequel to GP2X, I expect it will come sometime in 2008.

Nintendo has always sold its consoles with a profit, and so does GPH.
Actually that it mostly a myth (with some truth in it) created by the forced market entry of the MS XboX, and some desperate attemts from SEGA earlier to compete with the SNES and PS1 as far as I know.

Oh come on--myth? It's no myth at all. PSP, GameCube (the only Nintendo system initially sold at a loss), Gizmondo, both Xboxes, PS3, and certainly others all relied on the "sell console at a loss, recoup from games" strategy. Obviously without any (or very little) games revenue, we all should hope GPH doesn't follow this practice. h34r:

 

[Orkie]

I think GPH will profit from GameParks bankrupty, because they lose a potential rival. This could strengthen GPH and the GP2X and thus might help them to gain the resources necessary for the development of a GP3X or whatever they would probably call it.

They certainly will benefit, because I'm almost certain the whole thing is a scam (yes, I am going to keep posting this forevermore )! It looks very likely to me that GP was always intended to die after the split (though having struggled around for a bit first to convince the people who they owe money that they were at least trying to make some) so they could write off all their debts. Had there not been the 'split' they wouldn't have had any money to make any kind of successor.

 

[Goity]

Ding dong the witch is dead.

 

[DaveC]

The business model was flawed anyway.

Planning to release 3 incompatible handhelds which in the end would just compete with each other made no sense. Then there was the fact that the units had no niche. The Kids was too low res to do much for commercial games and would be horrible for emus. The mini had too small of a screen and didn't have enough CPU power. The XGP was just a PSP clone without the PSP commercial support and it was a poor choice for emus due to the odd resolution 16:9 screen. They really didn't have anything to fill a gap anyway.

 

[Alex.]

They certainly will benefit, because I'm almost certain the whole thing is a scam (yes, I am going to keep posting this forevermore )! It looks very likely to me that GP was always intended to die after the split (though having struggled around for a bit first to convince the people who they owe money that they were at least trying to make some) so they could write off all their debts. Had there not been the 'split' they wouldn't have had any money to make any kind of successor.

That makes a lot of sense, I'm inclined to agree with you.

And end of 2008 for the GP3X sounds all right I suppose, as long as it will keep a 4:3 screen, the option to use rechargeable AA's, and maintain backwards compatibility with most GP2X binaries.

- Alex

 

[Zeladin]

what concerns me most about this kind of console (open source) and the company is how they make a profit after production costs, im not sure how high the profit margin is with the gp2x, usually with normal consoles the companies make a loss and make the money back on commercial games (this was common untill the xbox360 which was actually making a profit selling consoles) since the gp2x doesnt have any games created by GPH (dont know if this is true ?) i cant see how they can make any money unless the gp2x is marked up 2 or 3 times.

The gp2x retails at about twice the wholesale price i think.. they are seriously cheap, anyway. Either that or they are up to funny business like the gizmondo execs were... I hope not, that could be... unfortunate...

An interesting theory Orkie presents there... Surely there is something to prevent something people doing things like that...

 

[Goemon4]

Am i the only one here who is semi-dissapointed that there will be no XGP? i mean yeah it was destened to fail, but i mean atleast release a few first! (i wanted one!!) well all of 'em, imo they were nice lookin handhelds, but going up against Nintendo and Sony was stupid, its like if cuba was going to try asn start WWIII theyd get pwnd! but either way, LLTXGP!!

and yeah, good theory Orkie, so mabey the people from GP has gone to GPH?

 

[Auritribe]

Translated From Some Korean Site

Ca is there, Game Park, small Korean company which did not finish any any more dying, has just filed for bankruptcy at the end of the year 2006. With its credit: the GP32, a splendid portable console marketed into 2001 which will have largely contributed to the development of productions of amateurs, emulators, etc A its liability: a disastrous policy, an obvious lack of communication and gold opportunities missed, blow afterwards.

Here nearly two years that it did not occur large any more thing on scene GP32 and, following the launching of the GP2X by a new dissenting company (Game Park Holdings), the last employees worked, in a secrecy kept more or less well, with the development of new models: the XGP (which were to compete with the PSP of Sony), the XGP Mini (a version light) or the XGP Kids (an accessible console and compatible GP32, on the model of Micro Game Boy). In spite of an ultimate attempt to allure potential investors at the time of E3 2006, these last consoles will thus be born undoubtedly never.

From Wikipedia

On March 8, 2007 it was announced that Gamepark declared bankruptcy (source: [1] )so it seems unlikely that any of the XGP models will be released.

So

This amuses me.

Thank you.

 

[shinneri]

Am i the only one here who is semi-dissapointed that there will be no XGP? i mean yeah it was destened to fail, but i mean atleast release a few first! (i wanted one!!) well all of 'em, imo they were nice lookin handhelds, but going up against Nintendo and Sony was stupid, its like if cuba was going to try asn start WWIII theyd get pwnd! but either way, LLTXGP!!

I desperately wanted a XGP mini. I love my micro, and the mini would have been very capable of emulating GBA and many other platforms while retaining the tiny size of the micro.

So sad I'll never have one...

EDIT: And I disagree with Orkie. While I could see something like that being done, I can't see it in this case. Gamepark spent too much money making renders, having really good English PR (wouldn't GPH want that for themselves?), and even going to E3 with working prototypes.

 

[Zeladin]

And I disagree with Orkie. While I could see something like that being done, I can't see it in this case. Gamepark spent too much money making renders, having really good English PR (wouldn't GPH want that for themselves?), and even going to E3 with working prototypes.

Am inclined to agree... If that was the case, very few in Gamepark knew it. More likely a few (now GPH) saw the GP wasn't too healthy, didn't like some philosophy and then split, also getting them out of a sinking ship... Either that or GPH simply managed to get investors, and GP didn't. Rather than conspiracy. Also if you remember the XGP had a bit of a false start with that first concept with the weird screen.

No I'm not sad about the XGP, okay it had 3d but nothing much spectacular really. Now the mini, that is a bit more of a loss... It was really pocket sized, its a bit of a stretch of the imagination to fit a GP2x in my pocket, not to mention the screen getting scratched. I'm sure it'll turn up under some alternate branding, maybe GPH would be interested

 

[WarmFluffyUK]

I think this is quite sad, half of the original Dev's of the GP32 have now gone. Kinda hurts as the GP32 was what brought me here in the first place.

The demise of any company is always a bad thing, and it's a real shame the split happened in the first place.

Wouldn't it be nice if the Dev's from GP joined GPH and in a few years produced yet another amazing open source console, I would kiss em all if they did that :wub: