News From Gph


EvilDragon

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The GCO in Leipzig is over - and I got quite a few news directly from GPH.
Here is a short summary:

* FunGP:
The Appstore FunGP will go online sometime between October and December (the date is not fixed yet).
You can download games using GP Points. First you buy GP Points from one of the distributors which you can then use at FunGP to get the games.
Thy not directly from GPH, you might wonder? Well, it's pretty complicated in Korea to accept foreign credt card payments. Therefore, this is the best way to get those games.
Additionally, some distributors offer different payment systems (German Bank Transfer, etc.) which you can also use to buy these points, no credit card needed.

While the first releases at FunGP will most probably be games from partner developers, it's also possible for independent- or homebrew-game-developers to sell their games via FunGP for a few bucks.
Of course, the free File Archive will stay, this is just an opportunity for indie game developers to sell more complex games they would not want to release for free.

FunGP will need ActiveX for the first months. In Korea, about 99% are using Internet Explorer. Linux or even Firefox are not very common there, so it's not that easy to get developers that DON'T use ActiveX.
However, GPH does want to make it compatible with every browser and OS in the future.

Every registered user at FunGP can write reviews for the games.

Here are a few of the first games that will be released: Propis (Puzzlegame), Deicide 3 (basically a visual novel / movie where you can decide how the plot will continue), Break Through (Her Knights 2), an enhanced version of Blood Cross (adding Multiplayer) and Wiz Party (similar to Mario Party).

GPH will announce more games soon.

FunGP will also offer a multiplayernetwork, which can be used with the WiFi-Dongle. This allows playing games like Blood Cross, Wiz Party or Propis agains other users worldwide... we really should do some game competitions here at the board!

Another interesting thing is that GPH plans to license some ROMS for emulators. I doubt Sega or Nintendo might license anything, but some Arcade-companies already licensed some of their games to other companies, so it might work out here.
This could make it possible to legally emulate some Arcade classics!

* SDK
Many did ask for the SDK - but it's not ready yet. Tony promised me to release an official SDK until the end of the year.
They also plan on selling the devboards (serial out, TV out, USB Host on a board, which can be connected to the EXT Port. Similar to the F100/F200 cradle).


* WiFi Dongle
The WiFi Dongle is basically finished and should be released within the next months. It does offer WiFi and using FunGP multiplayer gaming.
I don't have a price yet.


* F300 and other WIZs
The F300 (a WIZ in an F200 case) is currently being worked on. It should be released just in time for christmas.
It might also happen, that the WIZ will be available in different colors shortly before christmas.
EDIT: Looks like there were some communication problems between GPH and me (which can happen, if both have to communicate with a foreign language).
The F300 is just an idea at the moment. It MIGHT see the light of the day, but that's not decided yet. We'll see if and when that happens :)


This is everything I could remember so far. If you have any questions or additions, simply post here :)
 
is there any word to the commercial releases of Her Knights and Asura Cross Wired? will they ever see the light of day or will GPH make them download only?
 
A "Wiz in a F200 case"? So in other words a bigger Wiz with a bigger screen? Do want.
I just hope they give it a much better D-pad with an actual pivot and keep the OLED screen.
 
RupeeClock said:
A "Wiz in a F200 case"? So in other words a bigger Wiz with a bigger screen? Do want.
I just hope they give it a much better D-pad with an actual pivot and keep the OLED screen.
That will be interesting, I would want to know what display type and size, battery type, is it wireless dongle compatible (i can just see mods being done to fit the wireless inside the case)
 
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RupeeClock said:
A "Wiz in a F200 case"? So in other words a bigger Wiz with a bigger screen? Do want.
I just hope they give it a much better D-pad with an actual pivot and keep the OLED screen.

The D-Pad and the control layout are the same as in the F200. Plus I don't think it has an OLED screen. It's just a black GP2X F200 with Wiz hardware inside. You can see some photos of it here:

http://www.gadget4linux.com/?p=180
 
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EvilDragon said:
FunGP will need ActiveX for the first months. In Korea, about 99% are using Internet Explorer. Linux or even Firefox are not very common there, so it's not that easy to get developers that DON'T use ActiveX.
However, GPH does want to make it compatible with every browser and OS in the future.
OMFG. Even if I were such an ignorant fool to use the Internet Explorer I would turn ActiveX off. Did they say why it is needed?
 
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Jan-Nik said:
EvilDragon said:
FunGP will need ActiveX for the first months. In Korea, about 99% are using Internet Explorer. Linux or even Firefox are not very common there, so it's not that easy to get developers that DON'T use ActiveX.
However, GPH does want to make it compatible with every browser and OS in the future.
OMFG. Even if I were such an ignorant fool to use the Internet Explorer I would turn ActiveX off. Did they say why it is needed?
He did in a way, they cant find a Korean contractor that knows how to support Linux/Firefox, basically they hired someone to do the sw and this person/comanpy supplied the solution with what they knew Internet Explorer+Activex
 
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Jan-Nik said:
EvilDragon said:
FunGP will need ActiveX for the first months. In Korea, about 99% are using Internet Explorer. Linux or even Firefox are not very common there, so it's not that easy to get developers that DON'T use ActiveX.
However, GPH does want to make it compatible with every browser and OS in the future.
OMFG. Even if I were such an ignorant fool to use the Internet Explorer I would turn ActiveX off. Did they say why it is needed?

I don't use IE, but it isn't THAT bad.
 
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Pickle said:
He did in a way, they cant find a Korean contractor that knows how to support Linux/Firefox, basically they hired someone to do the sw and this person/comanpy supplied the solution with what they knew Internet Explorer+Activex

GPH is a strange situation. They're a tech company with no technical staff. Basically GamePark was founded by a group of investors who got a grant from the Korean government to make a game console. Now those people are at GPH, but they still do not have any technical expertise, so they outsource everything to contractors, who often get it wrong.
 
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Neko said:
GPH is a strange situation. They're a tech company with no technical staff. Basically GamePark was founded by a group of investors who got a grant from the Korean government to make a game console. Now those people are at GPH, but they still do not have any technical expertise, so they outsource everything to contractors, who often get it wrong.

So in South Korea the government gives grants to fund companies who are making a profit? That's a pretty interesting kind of capitalism >_>
 
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In South Korea, the market share for Internet Explorer is huge because almost all the government and banking sites use ActiveX. They continue to use ActiveX because the Internet Explorer Market Share is so huge.
 
They will just copy them anyway though. Seems like an annoying issue for honest people. I think it's pretty well established DRM is a bad idea.
 
craigix said:
They will just copy them anyway though. Seems like an annoying issue for honest people. I think it's pretty well established DRM is a bad idea.

Didn't really happen much on the GP32 though did it?
 
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EvilDragon said:
The GCO in Leipzig is over - and I got quite a few news directly from GPH.
Here is a short summary:

Another interesting thing is that GPH plans to license some ROMS for emulators. I doubt Sega or Nintendo might license anything, but some Arcade-companies already licensed some of their games to other companies, so it might work out here.
This could make it possible to legally emulate some Arcade classics!

I don't know if this is actually that great - what happens to emulators like FBA and MAME4ALL that already do that kind of thing for *ahem* free?
 
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