GP32 review


qwerty

Still Fresh
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Mar 16, 2003
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Hi there! i write for a small indie games mag in Britain, and recently wrote a small article all about the gp32. If you're interested, the people who do it all have just put the article up as a pdf on their site. the URl is: http://www.blessedmagazine.com/pdfs/Issue%...rk%20Patrol.pdf

Hope you enjoy it, and that you check out some of the other stuff up there.

Cheers!
 
Its a very nice review and I am glad you helped get the name of Gp32 out there. But I have to disagree with some of your thoughts about the "future" of the GP32. I believe it has a very healthy future if GamePark continues to play their cards correctly. You mentioned in the article that the UK release or Euro Release has fallen through. Well thats true, up to about 2 weeks ago or so when Gamepark officially annouced a UK release coming at the end of this year. YES its a very long wait. But honestly, its better late than never. In the mean time, until more quality commercial games come up that appeals to the worldly people, and the Euro release actually falls into place, we should expect a small powerful following of GP users to keep the future of GamePark alive and well. Thats my opinion. (the Euro release in fact though).

I like the attempt you made. Good effort and keep it up.
 
I hate to say this, but If you thought that 150.000 units sold is weak, how about the fact that its actually 15.000.....
 
GGfire posted on May 11 2003 said:
I hate to say this, but If you thought that 150.000 units sold is weak, how about the fact that its actually 15.000.....
Cheers for your comments, and i should point out that I originally wrote this about 2 months ago, hence the fact that I mentioned that the deal had fallen through. i saw their them at stand at ECTS back last September, and things looked up, but all my references and sources at the time of compiling the article led had essentially said that it wasn't getting released in Europe. obviously, things have changed since then.

As for the number sold, I've seen that 15000 number bandied about a few times, and, took it as a typo, TBH, as I've also seen the 150000 as many times. 15000 is FAR too small a number though - realistically, it that was ALL that they had sold, Gamepark would have given up aaaages ago.

I love the GP32 - i think it's a great machine, but you've raelly got to be realistic about it's future prospects. If it does well now that it has European distributor that would be absolutely amazing, but most of us here enjoy it because of the fantastic support from people willing to put time into doing homebrew games and utilities, but that isn't how gamepark are going to break into the mainstream. we need the companies such as capcom who said that they were going to support it when it launched to get back on board if the Gp32 is going to be taken seriously, in my opinion.
 
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I definitely took into consideration that your article and sources you had were slightly dated. I also recognize that you really did do a fantastic job with the article and material you had to work with. I realize with information changing every week or so on the fate of the Gp32, it must be hard to really put something down on paper so people can view it as updated and fresh.

I hope you didn't take my comments to heart about the article. Anyone who is willing to spread the "good" word about the GP32 is a friend of mine. For the past 5 months of having the GP32, I have been trying to get the word out to many people and companies here in America and Abroad.

While many see the GP32's fate as tragic in the near future compared to others who are overly optimistic. Honestly, its all just too soon to tell. I like to stay openly optimistic, because when I purchased the GP32 it seemed to be (in my eyes) an ill fated handheld. The community was very small and the only place you could buy the GP32 was from Lik-Sang.....or so I thought. The games were scarce and homebrew something started only months before.

Its ok to be skeptical of its success and future because so many people compare this handheld to a GBA and other handhelds (etc..Wonderswan, Neo Geo). I personally already see this system as a success, I believe it has already lived past its "expiration date" and beyond. It doesn't need a main stream following to survive. It lasted this long and for the most part GPer's are content and enthusiastic. Its still going folks..
On a side note...
Its amazing how many software developing companies I spoke to who thought the GP32 was a "dead or dying system." I was absolutely beside myself when I was told this.
This system, and company, and community I would give my right arm for just to help in anyway to make it successful or better. The GP32 has survived some really tough times, mainly because of this great growing community and the dedication of the coders, and GamePark itself for sticking with it. The system has been frowned upon by much larger corporations, and seen as just a flash in the pan (so to speak).
I don't doubt that there will be some very exiciting times to come for the Gp32. Nor do I doubt that rough times still await the GP32. BUT when all these thoughts and feelings of "whats next?" is done, I feel that GamePark and the majority of this community will ride the wave of excitment to the very end. Who knows??? the END may be only the Beginning.
 
I like the gp32, I'm not sure about it's future though.

I hope for the best, but only time will truly tell.
 
Dunno where you got the £8 for moviepark, its only £3.5 and always has been :p

but yeah, on the article, fair enough it was writen 2 months ago, 2 months ago i may have been inclined to think much the same cause it was a very VERY quiet time, but recently since a few publications and such the scene has grown very quickly, and i feel the future for the machine is very bright.

See the problem is people dont know about it. Anyone you show it too want one (unless there stuck up GBA owners :p), i know 5 people who as soon as they heard about it, they snapped it up and i guarantee that 90% of you did the same :)

The future Europe release should make things a lot better, once its out for real over here an awfull lot more people will hear about it, and get one... watch and see :)
 
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