GAMES Magazinne awards

[tdp]

GAMES Magazine (v.good new uk games magazine) has listed the GamePark GP32 in it's Reader's awards section under Fresh Gaming Experiences. They say (quote):-

"The most versatile handheld arouond, the GP32 plays not only games but movies and music too. Could this be the future of portable gaming?"

Why is it that everyone (and his dog) can see that this is a good machine, except main stream developers? I would be good to see what professional developers could do with this machine.

 

[rcx21000]

It is soo easy to copy the games (everyone has the equiptment for it if they just get a GP32 only thing that they need more is some de-cryption software off the i-net). So none of the companies want to do it

 

[Duddyroar]

EDGE (another UK games magazine, the best IMO) also listed the GP32 in its awards section. It was runner up in the 'technical' awards.

 

[angrypants]

are developers scared to create comercial games for a system that has the potential to allow their work to be pirated with little trouble. I mean the gba you have to have an expensive flash card device which most people are not aware of nore are they willing to fork out the cash for. The gp32 though if someone hacks the user id protection and leaks the game onto the net everyone who has a gp32 already has what is needed to play the pirated games. So does that scare away developers? As well I think alot of developers are not willing to create games for a system that is not easily available. Its a real nitch console and the average joe has not heard of it and can't buy one at the local store. I hope the UK release if that ever happens will do alot for the system as far as gainig support. I hope it comes out in the UK even though I already own one and like in the US. I think it might get the attention of some omre talented coders to create emulators as well as gain the attention of some developers to make some comercial games.

 

[JDUK]

Why is it that everyone (and his dog) can see that this is a good machine, except main stream developers? I would be good to see what professional developers could do with this machine.

Because the main market for heldhelds (and Music, fast-food, movies,games,etc,etc) is kids.The main stream market believe most kids want/need "slap in the cart'n'go" simplicity. Give your average 8yr old a GP32 and he will

either
a)Scratch his head and wonder were the hell to buy games for it
or
b)Go ape coz it doesn't play Harry Potter
or
c) Go on his dads PC end up on a ROM sight with 4000 porn banners, his mum walks in grounds him for 14 years. He flashes the Rom, botches it and cries for a GBA.

The reason the main stream market is in such a poor state at the moment is its child orientation. most music you hear is Teeny Pop S-club Jr shite, or whiney teen angst. Movies are getting butchered in the editing studio to "reach a wider audience" (read cater to children so they can merchandise toys) that is why products like the GP32 are amazing yet dont make it over here, its neither simple enough to be what is considered "suitible for kids" or PC like enough to be considered an appliance/tool or "executive toy"

Im sorry if this seems totally patronising to (pre)teens but I bet there is also lot of teens who hate the whole "Teen"market BS were being fed at the moment.

 

[JDUK]

I think to be succesful over here it needs to ship with a wind-ups/windows like frontend, VERY simple MP3 and Video software and basicaly promote itselfs as a cheap Movie/MP3 player that has a games capability. This instanlty elevates it from its "toy" status so its not indirect copetition with the GBA and also makes it a wounderfly cheap MP3/movie/adressbook/game capable tool compared to whats already on the market. And they could flog it for £200 and it would still sell over here if marketed as an MP3/Movie player NOT a games console. just my take on it.

 

[Nickmon]

Why is it that everyone (and his dog) can see that this is a good machine, except main stream developers? I would be good to see what professional developers could do with this machine.

b)Go ape coz it doesn't play Harry Potter

B) is the probable answer, the younger kids just wont get it, the 12-17 have never experienced anything other than Playstation and wont see the point...

Personally I love it, its techy, it plays PC Engine games (another system most under 18 have never seen,played etc etc)

What more could the real games players need...

:rolleyes:

 

[rcx21000]

Why is it that everyone (and his dog) can see that this is a good machine, except main stream developers? I would be good to see what professional developers could do with this machine.

b)Go ape coz it doesn't play Harry Potter

B) is the probable answer, the younger kids just wont get it, the 12-17 have never experienced anything other than Playstation and wont see the point...

Personally I love it, its techy, it plays PC Engine games (another system most under 18 have never seen,played etc etc)

What more could the real games players need...

:rolleyes:

I see the point in it And I am 11. Even though you are right for 99.9% of the people, one of my "friends" thinks that it is something too big for me (I shouldn't have it because it is so expensive) and is dumb (he dosen't realise that he actually gets more allowance than me, but buys tous that are around $10 each a lot, so he could have gotten it if he wanted so it is normal not too big for me, I just decided to save ) Only thing that amazes him is Doom, but if he finds out that there is Doom on GBA, he is going to say that it is 100% worthless (not that I REALL care even though I would like someone else with GP32)

 

[mosschops]

i completely agree with JDUK, the rise in popularity of particularly cheap mp3 players that you can buy from places like the innovations catalogue, argos, computer fairs etc shows that there is a market for something like the gp32. an mp3 player that will do movies and games.

However the market for such an item until it becomes less underground would be limited to people who do techie and retrogaming already.

I for one enjoy finding roms, converting renaming them and think the challenge of finding a game that works ok is part of the fun. Little Johnny or 20 something ps2 owner andy wont think so.
In order for it to be a mainstream success what is needed is a *legal* cd with big name games on it.. some of the sonics, marios, some mp3's that can be installed and running at the touch of a button and a couple of movies... people like sega selling pay per play games or downloaded licenses for a few pounds. THEN we might see something but as it is even without the wholesale piracy of new games the machine is just a warez box.

As a side issue and something i have just thought of.. does anyone remember the MS crackdown on the xbox modchips that allows (i assume) an xbox to play copied disks? isnt this what we in essence own and play with every night.. a device that allows us to play copied games?

 

[Shrike]

heh, i prefer it being an underground thing, but it is nice that it does get recognition in magazines, suprisingly this is the 3rd reference to a gp32 in a UK magazine in 2 months, one was in Edge and was about 1 line, the next was in edge when tehy said is was one of the technical innovations of the year and now this

 

[Axeman]

Its a techy toy... I love it but the reason I love it is that it lets me play games I haven;t played in years, and find out that many of them still outclass newer titles. Also allows me to develop.

Problem is, this alienates about 90% of under-20s. So it may never see the true light of day unless a more secure anti-piracy measure is developed...

 

[Arutha]

As a side issue and something i have just thought of.. does anyone remember the MS crackdown on the xbox modchips that allows (i assume) an xbox to play copied disks? isnt this what we in essence own and play with every night.. a device that allows us to play copied games?

And what did you type this on? A PC allows us to play copied games too, both for emulated systems and the easily available copies of PC games!

More specifically, there have been some debates about legality of roms and such here before, the short version is in general emulation is considered legal by most, its possessing/using roms you don't own the originals to that is usually considered illegal. Being able to play those roms (meaning the GP32 hardware, PC hardware, modded X-boxes, etc.) doesn't make the hardware itself illegal. Microsoft cracked down on X-Box mods because you're altering hardware that you agreed not to alter (I'm assuming that's in the legalese user agreement somewhere, I don't have one). That makes it illegal (not the playing of roms, but the modding itself).

May be wrong on some of the specifics, I don't follow X-Box much, but the general though process is what's going on.

Edit: Forgot to add the point: simply that no, there will not be some crackdown on GP32s. Its just hardware... now if someone wanted to they could try to crack down on roms, but they already do to some extent, that's why rom sites are often changing locations.

 

[jlebrech]

Emulators would enable developers to imediately port their games to gamepark. They would only need to make the emulator only search for a certain file, and rename the emulator to the game they are porting. And encrypt the emulator of course.

 

[rcx21000]

Emulators would enable developers to imediately port their games to gamepark. They would only need to make the emulator only search for a certain file, and rename the emulator to the game they are porting. And encrypt the emulator of course.

But what is the point of a company making an emulator for a device, when it would be safer and easier to just port the game. Someone could just delete all the bytes of the rom and add another, or just hack it to make an emulator, and the company has just lost all the games, not just the hacked one :blink: I think that it would be easier and safer for them to just port.

 

[mosschops]

And what did you type this on? A PC allows us to play copied games too, both for emulated systems and the easily available copies of PC games!

CBM A1200

May be wrong on some of the specifics, I don't follow X-Box much, but the general though process is what's going on.

no i dont to be honest, what i was getting at in a slightly less than easy to read way is that there are very few games out there so we can safely assume that a high percentage of people are using illegal roms/disk images. I dont want to get into an argument about this about people having legal and legal stuff, free license software where authors have let the licenses go or whatever. I just dont think we will ever see a something like the gp32 sold in bg name high street stores like the GBA for many reasons... one of them being the apparent lack of "legal" software.

i also happen to think that many of todays buyers of handhelds do not think the likes of stunt car racer stand up to sega rally 4 or whatever the latest racing game is (i'd rather play outrun than gran tourismo for example).

Maybe its a taste thing but i just cant see my work mates kids playing some of the free license speccy or c64 games over zelda or mario.

it's a big debate and its sad that i dont ever see the gp32 selling bigtime even if it does get a full euro or US release for reasons mainly due to licensing issues in my mind.

An emu card like some of the emu stuff on the gba or other console i have seen would be great and would certainly give the machine a boost to the "litle johnny" type buyers but that wont happen until is a mass market machine and that wont happen until legal software is readily available in large quantities from some big software houses.

 

[seth]

when i was 8 i knew how to:

1.Play Mechcommander
2.Play Roms
3.install software
4.Code in CFM
5.Make an acces database


But thats just me

 

[pip]

Microsoft cracked down on X-Box mods because you're altering hardware that you agreed not to alter (I'm assuming that's in the legalese user agreement somewhere, I don't have one). That makes it illegal (not the playing of roms, but the modding itself).

Afaik it's only illegal in the US. At least here in Sweden you are completely free to do what ever you want with your equipment, if you want to make a toaster into a sculpture, you are free to do it, if you want to change the hardware of your own console, fine as well. I can't understand how the general public in the US agree on laws (the millennium copyright act) in which you are not allowed to use your own items in any way you see fit.

 

[mosschops]

it might only be illegal in the US but it doesnt stop them going after taiwanese and chinese sites for selling these items. Or in fact prosecuting kids for writing bits of software in foerign countries. Would the DVD fiasco be happening if american interests hadnt been lobbying in that country?


all this doesnt seem to stop us (at the moment) getting what we want in one way or another, so long as i can play my retro games on the move, listen to the odd mp3 and read ebooks... im a happy camper

 

[rcx21000]

Microsoft cracked down on X-Box mods because you're altering hardware that you agreed not to alter (I'm assuming that's in the legalese user agreement somewhere, I don't have one). That makes it illegal (not the playing of roms, but the modding itself).

Afaik it's only illegal in the US. At least here in Sweden you are completely free to do what ever you want with your equipment, if you want to make a toaster into a sculpture, you are free to do it, if you want to change the hardware of your own console, fine as well. I can't understand how the general public in the US agree on laws (the millennium copyright act) in which you are not allowed to use your own items in any way you see fit.

Illegal to mod your own stuff? This is CRAZY! <_< Soon it is going to be illegal to add RAM to any computer that had/still has Windows on it unless you pay microsoft $1,000s So if I am carrying an X-Box, drop it, and it works better after I drop it, I have done something illeal? (not that I really care, but all this stuff is strange)

 

[Shrike]

hmmm, i was more technically competent with a PC by the age of 10 than anyone else in my family, I still am tbh . But if someone had shown me this when i was 10 i'd discard it and play on mega drive. You gotta understand the mentally of a kid though, they want what everyone else has, no individuality gotta be part of the crowd