Have You Seen Gamepark's New Website?

[Epicenter]

If GPH ever releases the consoles lots of people here will buy them if homebrew is not actively BATTLED like on the PSP. But if not, I don't see any major success in their future battling the rest of the established game industry.

 

[Winterkid]

I'm not making any assumptions, I don't think. Just know the XGP line so far, has a lot less support than the 2X, and siince each of their machines are different, that'll split their support even thinner.

As for the "Kids" model, the only things I liked that were made for kids when I was younger were toys. "Don't give me Monopoly Jr., get me Monopoly. I don't want the Kid's meal, I want the BigMac and fries!"

 

[tshroom]

The problem is, GPH/GP2X didn't try anything. Just look at the GP2X, it's a box. You think the simple design would lessen the price for molding, but no, the GP2X is still to expensive. Boring handheld thus leads to a boring community (ie. emulator supremacy). At least Gamepark's handhelds have some kind of design (except XGP Mini, though it does have a D-pad).

I wonder how Gamepark made the XGPmini and XGP Kids so cheap, because of the fact that XGPmini is almost as powerful as the GP2X AND it has a 3D accelerator. Perhaps Gamepark was the dominant side in the Gamepark-GPH split up?

EDIT: WinterKid, notice that almost every game you mentioned are simply ports.

Honestly?

XGP Mini is a Gameboy Micro Rip off, and the Regular XGP is a PSP rip off. The GP2X is sticking to the same formula that made the GP32 popular. Gamepark is trying to go up against the big dogs, and trust me.. No one de-thrones nintendo in the handheld arena. So, if XGP isn't open for homebrew you can kiss it goodbye in the western world at least.

 

[Azure]

Also, a note about people that play emulators and emulators only (most people). Of your 1000 MAME games, you probably play 3% of them, and never even try the 97%. Then of the 3%, you only play the games for a maximum of 10 minutes. Thus, there may be 1-7 games that you actually play many times.

Uh...man, this guy is a class act. Well, at least you said probably and didn't make the whole thing a matter of fact, I'll give you that.

If I did only play a handful of games of MAME games, isn't that still comparable to someone having a mainstream handheld with a handful of mainstream games? Remember, these are 1-7 professional quality games that'll last you QUITE a while. I'd say that the majority of people who own GBAs/DSs have less than 10 games for each handheld. Is there something wrong about having a GBA with only 5 or so games? Is there something wrong about having an emulator and only hardcore playing 5 or so games? Now, factor in all the other emulators and their games that people could be using outside of MAME. Now you've got to have at least 30 different, commercial quality games that you are playing many times. That's got to last you quite a long time until you discover/start playing all those other games that these emulators can emulate, or until you start playing some homebrew games that start coming out.

Why is there such a negative attitude towards emulators? Sure, they may not require creativity and originality to create, but that doesn't mean that they don't require as much effort (or more) than homebrew games, and that doesn't mean that they aren't as entertaining and fun as homebrew games. Just because something isn't creative and original doesn't mean that it won't entertain a bunch of people. Actually, by creating a boring, uncreative, and unoriginal emulator you give the people access to enormous libraries of exciting, creative, and original games.


BTW, the GP2X is a failure. This forum doesn't exist, people aren't playing with their GP2Xs, and all the news posts about the GP2X are a figment of your imagination. In fact, nobody even codes for or even has a desire to code for such a crappy handheld. Technical specifications mean everything. The underdog never wins.

Could someone point me to where the XGP pricing was mentioned? I think it missed it

EDIT: Just casually skimming the thread (Don't feel like reading it all ).

Topic creator, you obviously don't go anywhere past the GP2X section of the forum. Get over it, GP2X isn't that great. If it was, I wouldn't be waiting for the XGP Kids right now.

Did you know in the forum, there is an entire section dedicated to XGP discussion? Anyway, you guys can't appreciate anything except emulators.

Uh, it doesn't mean shit that you are waiting for the XGP kids. It doesn't mean shit that there's a small group of people on these forums that don't have a GP2X and are waiting for one of the three XGP handhelds. I guess nobody noticed the forum dedicated to XGP discussion because it's virtually dead.

How old are you, JaqM? I'm guessing by your broad generalizations that you're rather young?

 

[Draken]

Just wait a little long I plan on releasing a bunch on game on the GP2X and these will not be generic games at all but full blow games! I have been coding everyday tranlating my game engine over from direct x to sdl and I have a bunch of games that I am going to make.

That looks pretty cool.

 

[Radek]

Honestly, the XGP machines do look like rather neat devices, with an interesting industrial design, the advantages of the GP2X (ARM9 processor and plenty of RAM, also a 2D blitter) and the 3D accelerator on the SoC seems nice. The analog stick might be an advantage but for emulators I can't see it being very easy to get used to for any sort of 'authentic' feel with any console.. it might be too unnatural? Although I'd think the same thing of the GP2X's stick just looking at it, if I'd never used it.

It will have to be profiled first to get a good idea of what it will be capable. 3D accelerator might be looking great on a paper but there weren't any perfomance claims yet.

Now, personally, developing for the machines would probably be just like on the GP2X with some changes .. since it's mostly the same hardware (MagicEyes SoC with slightly different specifications..) but the advantages I'd use aren't there. Like a drastically increased ARM920T clockrate (it's apparently 200 MHz, not 266 MHz, according to MagicEyes, who I'd trust more than Gamepark really to rattle off their specs, as they MADE the SoC that defines what the system IS .. they probably just are able to overclock most of them to 266 MHz so call it that. Like how Craig calls the MMSP2's ARM9 processors '240 MHz' since they all seem to reach 240 MHz.) I doubt if the 2D blitter can handle much more of a load, and most of my drawing work doesn't put that big a load on the blitter anyway (the ARM920T could handle the vast majority of it in most situations..)

Arm alone can hande complex 2D games easily. Personally I'd prefer to have a faster CPU than a blitter.

The only way I can see myself wanting to develop for an XGP system is for 3D endeavors; if Quake is ported AOA2 and the air combat game we're planning would run vastly better with even relatively weak 3D acceleration-- compared to on the GP2X where the bar is set much lower for max polys in a scene and there must be a substantial overclock.

Air combat game?

Like Aces of Europe/Pacific or more like StrikeCommander perhaps?

And that may be ALL I can develop for it except a straight port of Stargazer or what have you, comfortably-- since if I exceed the specs of the LOWEST-end XGP model I alienate the community! e.g. I cannot develop for the XGP as the XGP Mini users, which most people seem to want .. will be left out in the cold if it pushes past the RAM capacity of the XGP Mini (32mb and odds are the OS eats up a good bit.) Stargazer is going to use at least 20MB of RAM just for VRAM, and at least 16MB more for various other graphics allocation, actual engine data, and of course music playback. Pain in the ass; there'd likely be a good bit of scaling back to do!

Not enough memory it's always an issue. It's good that GP2x has 64MB and it's one of its most significant advantages over other handhelds.

That is .. if these handhelds are even half as good as GP makes them out to be. The GP32's history seems to prove the XGP will probably go just like the GP2X with lots of faults in the start that need to be ironed out, revisions .. the whole nine yards.

GP is probably trying to wide appeal of their offerings. Problem is they will not be compatible. So we have a newcomer not with one device but three. It'll be both confusing for consumers and hard for developers.
It's a pity because I have to admit that design of those GP's handhelds are very nice.

I will not surprised if there only of them will ship eventually.

I'll probably just fix my headphone jack, install one of Radek's D-Pad kits and call it a day. With a 312 MHz overclock ... that makes the GP2X my ideal handheld already.

I wonder how Gamepark made the XGPmini and XGP Kids so cheap, because of the fact that XGPmini is almost as powerful as the GP2X AND it has a 3D accelerator. Perhaps Gamepark was the dominant side in the Gamepark-GPH split up?

There is very little price difference in used chipsets I think. Such SoCs aren't that expensive. And it's only one of costs what company has to pay.

Problem is - it's impossible to satisfy all. GP made 3 models probably to have a very wide offering. But all XGPes will need different coding (resolutions issues, memory sizes, controls). Supporting just one console can be difficult but 3?

It's best to look even on GP32x forums - it brought confusion.

 

[starpause]

JaqMs is obviously just trolling. i made a valid point and he didn't respond.

if he'd been around through the birth and rise of the gp32 scene he'd realize how far along the gp2x scene already is! B)

 

[Winterkid]

I think we all made some valid points, and while he's made a point or two, his refusal to at least acknowledge our points is rather immature, I feel.

Yes, a lot of the games I play are ports or emulators, but I enjoy them and paid good money for it for that reason and more. The XGP Kids will probably get a lot of emulators and ports also, but with it's screen resolution (apparently 220x176?), I don't know how enjoyable it would be. Pretty sure gameboy and gameboy color emulation need 150x150, so that might work. Even a port of a Super Mario clone would look pretty squished at that resolution.

 

[DaveC]

I think there is a less than 50% chance that we will ever be able to buy all three of these products. I can't see anybody putting up the money for manufacturing them all.

... the only reason I can see is that if it is homebrew friendly it might get some slightly better emulators than the gp2x, ..

I think that should be "faster emulators" not "better emulators".

To me playing playing emus stretched to 16:9 with an analog stick is worse not better, even if they are a little smoother than the GP2X.

It seems like GP is just throwing a bunch of stuff out there and seeing what sticks. If you buy one of these hopefully the one you get is the one that catches on. I really don't know what the point of these are. The mini, kids has too small of a screen. The kids can't really be compatible with the GP32 as the screen is too low res and it has an analog not digital stick like the GP32. The mini is not compatible with the other two. The XGP is too similar to the PSP except for one thing, game support.

They would have been better off making one of these directly compatible with the GP32 (screen res, stick etc) only adding SD, 4 button, 240 MHz CPU, more RAM. That is kind of what the GP2X is though except that it can't run GP32 software.

I wonder how Gamepark made the XGPmini and XGP Kids so cheap, because of the fact that XGPmini is almost as powerful as the GP2X AND it has a 3D accelerator. Perhaps Gamepark was the dominant side in the Gamepark-GPH split up?

Stop wondering. Tiny 2" low res screens are pretty cheap.

 

[Winterkid]

I pretty much agree with DaveC on his points, but I do think aside from the analog stick, a gameboy or gameboy color emulator might run fairly well. Don't know about Gameboy Advance though. Probably not.

 

[DaveC]

I pretty much agree with DaveC on his points, but I do think aside from the analog stick, a gameboy or gameboy color emulator might run fairly well. Don't know about Gameboy Advance though. Probably not.

Well you are right about GBA, probably not. If the GP2X can't do it, these won't be much better. 2-5 FPS here and there won't make much difference. Besides because of the fact that they are limited for other emus you would be better off buying the best handheld ever made for GBA games, a GBA or DS

The problem here is that none of these GP handhelds really fill a niche. The GP2X fills a niche for an inexpensive handheld that has almost perfect (except for CPU speed for some tougher systems like SNES) emulation setup in it's screen aspect/size/ res, controls, etc. It also allows for any 2D HB game or app as well.

The Mini is probably the most desirable of these but it doesn't offer anything that the GP2X doesn't give except for a headache.

The Kids? What is the point? It still has a tiny screen, why not just have the mini? Better yet want a small handheld with a tiny screen just get a GBA micro, at least it has games. This system makes no sense.

XGP? what niche does this fill? 3D games? Well the last time I checked the PSP and DS are doing pretty good with those. Emus? playing stretched with an analog is less desirable than other handhelds so that is not the niche (besides the PSP already does that). Movies? again PSP.

The point is a product must fill a need or do something that others don't do or don't do as well. None of these GP models really do that.

 

[Crazy Goat]

Topic creator, you obviously don't go anywhere past the GP2X section of the forum. Get over it, GP2X isn't that great. If it was, I wouldn't be waiting for the XGP Kids right now. Pretty much all of the GP2X releases are emulators...BLAND. No originality, at all.

Considering the fact that the person who commented above you made one of the best Homebrew games I can fathom.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, Jaq. You stated that the GP2X "isn't that great." Well - that is your opinion. This is not proven fact, nor is it even a theory. You then go further to say that, if it were a good console... you wouldn't be waiting for the XGP kids...

Get off your high horse, you can love or hate something as much as you want, don't get me wrong. But using such absolutes only exposes your ignorance.

 

[ste_167]

I emailed Gamepark asking for approximate release dates, details on commercial games underdevelopment, and whether they will encourage homebrew on their new systems.

They replied to say that they don't have approximate release dates, there 'are couple of commercial games being developed for our devices but it is not appropriate time to mention the names of games' and that they will release an SDK for developers to work on the handhelds.

 

[JaqMs]

JaqMs is obviously just trolling. i made a valid point and he didn't respond.

if he'd been around through the birth and rise of the gp32 scene he'd realize how far along the gp2x scene already is! B)

Ok, you play LittleGPTracker 90% of the time, great. I use it a lot too, on the GP32.

I am entitled to my own opinion. Maybe my opinions are too strong for many of you, so you all continue to say irrational arguments. I obviously am not stating "facts", so stop defending the GP2X so passionately.

I've been around since the death of the GP32. I've followed the GP2X scene since the first picture was released. Yup, the GP2X scene is far along, yet there is nothing but emulators, emulators, emulators. Most of the homebrew games/programmers and are very unmotivated and inadequately supported by the community. The main question is: why don't I want to get a GP2X right now? What is preventing me from getting it? Why did I get a GP32 without hesitation?

GP2X has NO innovation. None. It has no innovation because GPH designed the GP2X to the community's taste. Sure, it can do many many things, but what else? They should have done more things on their own, not to mention do it well. Look at the XGP's, at least they have some innovation. Even something as simple as the foldable backstand on the XGP sets it far apart from the GP2X. If anyone doubts my innovation argument, mention ONE thing innovative (no accessories) about the GP2X.

Lastly, the GP2X IS expensive.

 

[Epicenter]

Yes, yes, 'jag, I'm sure we'll see loads of amazing commercial games from Gamepark, who produced some of the most steaming pile of shit games this side of the alternative console market for their prior console, your much-touted GP32. I'm sure they'll be churning out games in the vein of the high-end PC game and portable console industry any day now. And the ability to stand the XGP up and have it sit upright on your desk as you knock it over with your hands trying to play it, or use it as a proper TV, will blow the PSP and DS right out of the market. The shockwaves from its sheer impact on the game industry will cause the core of the planet to stop rotating, kill everyone with a pacemaker, and cause us to be cooked by celestial radiation. But we won't care, because we'll have portables that are marginal upgrades to the GP2X.

As the lead programmer for a team developing 3 commercial-quality games for the GP2X, I'd like to hear your stance later this year. I'd also like to hear why you post in this forum if you hate the '2x so vehemently.

 

[DaveC]

Look at the XGP's, at least they have some innovation. Even something as simple as the foldable backstand on the XGP sets it far apart from the GP2X. If anyone doubts my innovation argument, mention ONE thing innovative (no accessories) about the GP2X.

Lastly, the GP2X IS expensive.

And what the hell is so innovative about the XGP? Widescreen? Nope, PSP has a bigger one. Analog stick? Sony has that too. 3D? Again PSP. It should be obvious even to you that the XGP is just a feeble attempt to clone the PSP by using off the shelf parts. Unfortunately it falls far short in many areas.

 

[meltbanana]

Sure, it can do many many things, but what else?

what exactly do you mean here? what else can you expect it to do? for a device aimed at a homebrew and emulation community, i think there isnt much more that could have been implemented into the device.

 

[JaqMs]

Sure, it can do many many things, but what else?

what exactly do you mean here? what else can you expect it to do? for a device aimed at a homebrew and emulation community, i think there isnt much more that could have been implemented into the device.

I meant what else makes it a good handheld. And I'm not really fanboying the XGP, just explaining GP2X's faults.

 

[Shikaku]

Sure, it can do many many things, but what else?

what exactly do you mean here? what else can you expect it to do? for a device aimed at a homebrew and emulation community, i think there isnt much more that could have been implemented into the device.

I meant what else makes it a good handheld. And I'm not really fanboying the XGP, just explaining GP2X's faults.

If you are going to demand stuff, let me ask you this:

What do you expect, and what device will give it to you?

 

[JaqMs]

Let me ask you this: since when was I demanding anything at all?