Our New Machine, Pandora

[Vince2501]

I've got something to add and something to ask.

Screw-in joystick would be better I think, a D-pad is absolutely essential if this device wants to emulate virtually every system out there. No need for two joysticks. A touch screen would work almost as well (and be a lot more accurate) it would just take some clever mapping of the controls to get it going for FPS.

Now a question: Would this device be at all compatable with current emulators made for the GP2X?

On the subject of FPS. If the device has four should buttons it wouldn't be too hard. D pad- strafes, move forward and back. Should pads (lefty or righty) do fire and alt fire. Whatever buttons near the bottom could select items and scroll through weapons. Buttons to the side could do jumping and ducking, etc.

 

[J201605]

There has been no talk of this unit having digital controls of any kind other than adding a separate, but clunky on a handheld, external USB joypad.

We can't use an exact dpad but we can get pretty close to one, it will be digital and should work very well (better than the PSP one for example).

Look at all those Dpad designs!

OK, see all the dpad designs, which of the 4 buttons style do you think might work the best? We would really like to see some dpad designs.

We have not totally completed the design (as MFK already said), I just posted something about Dpads asking for opinion. We have been looking though all the designs today and talking about them.

The final design probably will have 2 analogues and one digital, but it's all neat and tidy

 

[Vorporeal]

THANK YOU! I was hoping someone would settle the rumor that DaveC inadvertently started with his post that there would be no d-pad. From the posts that craigix has made, it is very likely that there WILL be a d-pad.

Also, to those people who think this device won't exist anytime at all or at least anytime soon, craigix has told us that we will be informed of the design when one more part arrives (2 of that one part). He also hinted in that post that we would be seeing pictures of an actual prototype, not just a design put together in photoshop.

Read the thread before you post about stuff you don't know, please.

 

[mavsman4457]

Great overall post by JackD. Thanks for that post even though it was just quotations it was a good one that settled what could have been an annoying storm and stupid rumor.

 

[DaveC]

Great overall post by JackD. Thanks for that post even though it was just quotations it was a good one that settled what could have been an annoying storm and stupid rumor.

Look at the dates of the posts. ALOT has changed since then. At the time of many of those posts there wasn't going to be analog at all. Then it changed to 2 analog sticks. The latest from a month ago said "probably" will have 2 analogs and one digital. We still don't know for sure until Craig clears that up and/or shows the final design.

 

[zodttd]

What has changed since then? From all indications, the design has been finalized.

 

[kfuse]

Well I guess that settles it...nothing more to discuss since handheld has been finalized...

 

[J201605]

DaveC, do you actually believe that there wont be a dpad at all or are you just making things up so that you can leverage people to hate analog sticks because they are what killed the dpad on the device (based off no actual info) so that analog sticks wont be included and 3d games wont be playable so that zodttd will abandon pushing the hardwares limits and become your personal emulation optimizer slave who will make sure that not a single sound in a single game is slightly off pitch for any of the game consoles released before 1993?

 

[TyBO!]

Great overall post by JackD. Thanks for that post even though it was just quotations it was a good one that settled what could have been an annoying storm and stupid rumor.

Look at the dates of the posts. ALOT has changed since then. At the time of many of those posts there wasn't going to be analog at all. Then it changed to 2 analog sticks. The latest from a month ago said "probably" will have 2 analogs and one digital. We still don't know for sure until Craig clears that up and/or shows the final design.

Oh quit rumor-mongering. Everyone here is a fan of retro games. Not including a Dpad/ Dpad-like alternative would ward off a lot of potential buyers. Craig is smart... he knows to include one.

Besides, it's never been explicitly stated that there WON'T be a Dpad. Only statements saying (or at least suggesting) that there WILL be one.

 

[pkostrze]

I have two questions:

1 - I searched but didn't find a reference to it - will the Craigenator have a CMOS battery for time/date?

That hasn't been announced, so we don't know. It would be nice if there was some way for it to keep time and date steady, though.

2 - At what point does this cease to be the "GP3X" and start being just another UMPC, albeit running Linux?

It ceases to be the "GP3X" as soon as you read the part where craig says that GPH is not involved. ;P

But on a more serious note, I believe that what this has evolved into is actually right on the border of handheld and UMPC. It's a gaming handheld, but at the same time, it's a UMPC with good gaming controls. Does that answer your question well enough?

-God Ginrai


I'm just hoping for Date/Time so that Qtopia can bring PDA functionality to the unit. And yes, you've answered my question perfectly... it sounds like it will be a gaming oriented mini-UMPC with a price tag 1/4 of your average UMPC. I like it more and more.

 

[PoisonedV]

Please make it black, craig... I hate "iPod white"

 

[euro48k]

"If you don't want more, then truthfully, you have nothing to offer with a post, because you won't be a customer, seeing as how you're fine with your 2X, you won't be a dev much for the same reason, and you won't even express new ideas, because you don't want anything more"

@God Ginrai

well .. what do you need then?
a step ahead to piracy?
playing what is everybody crazy about these days?
a hi-spec machine for mass copyright infringement?

adding n64/ps2/nds emulation will make this upcoming handheld console a strong competitor to giants like ds and psp ?

that is the only question for me .. why this race for better cpu/better screen/better fpu/better bla bla bla .. we`re aproaching giants or we`re approaching mars ?

 

[Squidge]

Look at the dates of the posts. ALOT has changed since then. At the time of many of those posts there wasn't going to be analog at all. Then it changed to 2 analog sticks. The latest from a month ago said "probably" will have 2 analogs and one digital. We still don't know for sure until Craig clears that up and/or shows the final design.

It'll DEFINITELY have a digital joystick. Creating a retro console with just analogs would be just insane. Craig knows that, he's not stupid. It will most likely have 2 analogs.

 

[tdp]

Hope this isn't too off topic, but I was wondering about the design of the case (again!!!). During my wonders on the net, I came across the abandon iRiver G10 (it has since been taken up by Posdata Korea):-

I think this is a very nice design, very slick and refined. I think it would be good from a PDA perspective, in that it looks rather professional with the joypad section hidden.

What do you think?

 

[God Ginrai]

"If you don't want more, then truthfully, you have nothing to offer with a post, because you won't be a customer, seeing as how you're fine with your 2X, you won't be a dev much for the same reason, and you won't even express new ideas, because you don't want anything more"

@God Ginrai

well .. what do you need then?
a step ahead to piracy?
playing what is everybody crazy about these days?
a hi-spec machine for mass copyright infringement?

adding n64/ps2/nds emulation will make this upcoming handheld console a strong competitor to giants like ds and psp ?

that is the only question for me .. why this race for better cpu/better screen/better fpu/better bla bla bla .. we`re aproaching giants or we`re approaching mars ?



First of all, the only people who are suggesting NDS are people who don't realize that it isn't possible on the craiginator at good speeds. Second, we haven't talked about PS2 emulation at all. Third, adding N64 emulation isn't to make it compete, but to add a whole library of games that a lot of people other than you and DaveC like. And Finally, craig is trying very hard to make sure that he DOESN'T infringe any copyrights with the design, and if you're talking about emulation, then that'd be a pointless argument, because emulation was a very big part of the GP2X, too.

-God Ginrai

 

[Null]

What do you think?

I'm thinking that the analogue sticks would stop the control pad section from sliding in and out.

 

[zaoin]

This device will be a great device.

How this will be marketed?

This machine will really be very interesting to all kind of people.

Zodiac had great possibilities but some people said that marketing was wrong. And that was one cause of its "short" life.

 

[tdp]

This device will be a great device.

How this will be marketed?

This machine will really be very interesting to all kind of people.

Zodiac had great possibilities but some people said that marketing was wrong. And that was one cause of its "short" life.

Marketing wasn't the only issue. Lack of games. Bad timing - the PSP came out to too long after, and the DS was released just before if I remember rightly - could be wrong though. A small number of people had issues with the analogue - once configured, I found it to be a million times better that the effort on the GP2X.

It's was a shame as it was/still is one of the best looking handhelds out there.Very slick and professional looking. And having played Terminatior and tomb raider on the unit, shows how sweet games could on it.

I wonder is Craigix has got any commercial developers on board to create original contect for the machine. I wonder if he has spoken tot the various guys that worked on the various Zodiac games, to see if they will port or develop for Project Bumble Bee?

 

[realyst]

I think what DaveC is trying to say is that he, himself, is mistaken and generally nuts.

Whew....for a second I thought I misread his post B)

 

[Orkie]

the rumor that DaveC inadvertently started

I bet it was deliberate.