Project Ninja

[shinneri]

Does it have a dedicated video processor? Does it not need one?

Humor me, I'm a little slow.

EDIT: As for 16:9.. I see nothing wrong with that from a game/app standpoint. But that type of screen makes a console quite a bit too long (much like the PSP is). I think near GP32 dimensions would be awesome.

 

[DaveC]

Does it have a dedicated video processor? Does it not need one?

Humor me, I'm a little slow.

EDIT: As for 16:9.. I see nothing wrong with that from a game/app standpoint. But that type of screen makes a console quite a bit too long (much like the PSP is). I think near GP32 dimensions would be awesome.

​

There IS something wrong with it and it is because it doesn't fit emulated games well. A bit of trivia here: The GP32 screen is *bigger* in the vertical direction than the PSP screen. So if you maintain the correct aspect ratio say in Megadrive the image on the GP32 will actually be LARGER than it will be running on the PSP.

Games/Apps? yeah it is ok there because that stuff is original and can be made to fit. But we all know that it will be used the most for emulation. That is why I say NO to 16:9

 

[Tarka]

+Is there a chance of, say, a console version with a TV-out, multiple USB inputs and networking features? I don't think I'm the only person who'd buy one (or two!)

​

I'd rather have a TV out as an addon and perhaps support for usb joystick then you could sit your Ninja on the floor in front of the TV and stretch a Joystick over to your chair.

 

[shinneri]

There IS something wrong with it and it is because it doesn't fit emulated games well. A bit of trivia here: The GP32 screen is *bigger* in the vertical direction than the PSP screen. So if you maintain the correct aspect ratio say in Megadrive the image on the GP32 will actually be LARGER than it will be running on the PSP.

Games/Apps? yeah it is ok there because that stuff is original and can be made to fit. But we all know that it will be used the most for emulation. That is why I say NO to 16:9

​

I don't know. A lot of things already run with borders on the GP32 screen, so that certainly can't be an issue. And smaller pixels really mean a finer, nicer-looking image (provided they're not too small, which they wouldn't be).

But I don't know. I think I agree with you that it should be 4:3. This is mainly because, like I said 16:9 screen made the console so long that it can barely be called portable. And I like the size of the GP32.

 

[Melville]

+Is there a chance of, say, a console version with a TV-out, multiple USB inputs and networking features? I don't think I'm the only person who'd buy one (or two!)

​

I'd rather have a TV out as an addon and perhaps support for usb joystick then you could sit your Ninja on the floor in front of the TV and stretch a Joystick over to your chair.

​

Perhaps the ideal would be to have one or two high throughput connectors on this. That would make it relatively easy for additional hardware like TV-out or network capabilities to be added at a later date, while keeping the unit itself small and free of superfluous gadgetry. So people who want bluetooth could just plug in a bluetooth dongle, and nigeibrown's GPS arial could be plugged in without taking the ninja apart.

I love the idea of a TV-out though. If one was available as an add-on I'd definately buy one! I love being able to play emulators and watch films on the go, but being able to play all the games on the screen size they were designed for would be great. Plus then it could be marketed as a home console in its own right, and not just percieved as a PSP / Gizmondo (etc etc) ripoff.

I really hope this goes ahead... I can imagine a LOT of people wanting one, especially if they do manage to keep it back-compatible with GP32 (or at least easy to recompile GP32 programs for the new console). The draw of a new powerful console specifically designed for homebrew / emulation with lots of games and emulators already working would be huge.

 

[greven]

Since not everyone can view the page yet, the specs:

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Some specs that will definitely be in the system:

Samsung s3c2440 400Mhz arm9 CPU
64MB SD-RAM 133Mhz
128kb Flash boot-Rom.
Soundchip DAC
SD-Card slot
USB port (charging via batteries may be possible)
Extension port, like the GP32 one (e.g. for chatboard)

​

if a handheld like this will be out for real, consider that i will for sure buy one (if the price is under 250 euro with VAT, shiping ......), especially if the GP32 dev will develop on this system.

 

[Goity]

FORGET 16:9. It would be bad for emus as all of those old systems were 4:3. If you used 16:9 then you would have to stretch everything to that aspect which would make stuff squashed or have bars on the sides, bah bad idea scrap 16:9. There is no advantage of widescreen on a HB handheld that will have mostly emus. Just because Sony does it doesn't mean it is needed. It is actually a bad point of the PSP for emulation.

Plus the resolution should be 320 x 240 as most systems emulated fit pretty well at that res. (face it this thing would be used primarily for emus) Go too high and everything would need to be scaled. Scaling doesn't look as good as 1:1 it gets pixely or blurry if filtered. You could do 640 x 480 and then stuff could be pixel doubled when needed. But I still say use a 320 x 240 4:3 screen but BIG like 4"-4.5".

It should also have hardware support for tiling and transparencies for stuff like SNES.

​

What? The only things I can think of which were 4:3 are some of the old home computers and PS1....

 

[sam fisher]

me wanty now!

 

[Vimacs]

i liked the name someone sugested in the other thred exphebio or something.

 

[Fishbong]

+Is there a chance of, say, a console version with a TV-out, multiple USB inputs and networking features?  I don't think I'm the only person who'd buy one (or two!)

​

I'd rather have a TV out as an addon and perhaps support for usb joystick then you could sit your Ninja on the floor in front of the TV and stretch a Joystick over to your chair.

​

A TV- Out would require additional encoding hardware. Keep it simple, or it´ll never be finished.

 

[DaveC]

FORGET 16:9. It would be bad for emus as all of those old systems were 4:3. If you used 16:9 then you would have to stretch everything to that aspect which would make stuff squashed or have bars on the sides, bah bad idea scrap 16:9.  There is no advantage of widescreen on a HB handheld that will have mostly emus.  Just because Sony does it doesn't mean it is needed.  It is actually a bad point of the PSP for emulation.

Plus the resolution should be 320 x 240 as most systems emulated fit pretty well at that res. (face it this thing would be used primarily for emus) Go too high and everything would need to be scaled. Scaling doesn't look as good as 1:1 it gets pixely or blurry if filtered. You could do 640 x 480 and then stuff could be pixel doubled when needed. But I still say use a 320 x 240 4:3 screen but BIG like 4"-4.5".

It should also have hardware support for tiling and transparencies for stuff like SNES.

​

What? The only things I can think of which were 4:3 are some of the old home computers and PS1....

​

Are you stupid? ALL systems from Xbox all of the way back to odyssey 1 were 4:3, as there were made to run on TVs. The last time I checked NONE of the TVs available at the time were widescreen :rolleyes:

 

[exael]

first of all i'd like to congratulate all the involved people in this project for their effort and ambition!!!! Count me in as well to get one of those!

Gotta love the specs, but if I am allowed to do some suggestions, is there any chance for it to have some 3D side-support? Something that would take some strain off the CPU when emulating other stuff?

SD support is great as well, much better than the SMCs, that might provide us with (not only more processing power but with) more diskspace as well... Some CD-based systems could actually be emulated?

I can't wait to know more about this project,
Good luck

 

[Blah]

Although I don't think this project will work (perhaps this is how Gamepark started?) I think that a ram slot/socket would be cool so you get a standard amount of standard ram, but then you could upgrade it yourself.

 

[Esn]

What about the rumoured new "GP32" that Gamepark is supposed to be coming up with? Wouldn't there be a conflict...? Unless you guys already know what it's going to be and have already dismissed it as a non-contender. :huh:

 

[meandu229]

welll aslong as this thing will play videos i will buy it,, with a few 1gig cards,, thts a fair few movies encoded for a small res

 

[Titcher]

I just realised, that website needs banners, would help raise money for the project.

 

[Jarska333]

What about the rumoured new "GP32" that Gamepark is supposed to be coming up with? Wouldn't there be a conflict...? Unless you guys already know what it's going to be and have already dismissed it as a non-contender. :huh:

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Heh, maybe they've been contacted by GP, to pitch ideas, or even desing the console they would think they'd buy. Solid business practice. :lol:

 

[DaveC]

What about the rumoured new "GP32" that Gamepark is supposed to be coming up with? Wouldn't there be a conflict...? Unless you guys already know what it's going to be and have already dismissed it as a non-contender. :huh:

​

Probably because no one even knows if there will ever be a GP32 2 or not. With GP you are always in the dark, who the hell knows what they are doing.

 

[greven]

a wifi compatibilty will be great : u can download games directly from the internet B)

 

[jaycee900]

Some specs that will definitely be in the system:

Samsung s3c2440 400Mhz arm9 CPU
64MB SD-RAM 133Mhz
128kb Flash boot-Rom.
Soundchip DAC
SD-Card slot
USB port (charging via batteries may be possible)
Extension port, like the GP32 one (e.g. for chatboard)



Some things we're still discussing:
TFT type (3,5" original BLU screen - very cheap)
or a 4" 16:9 TFT screen
We also don't know yet if it will have WLAN, Bluetooth, IRDA...


It will DEFINITELY not have a harddisk or compact flash slot, and it won't have a touch screen.

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Of course, I will have to chip in a few suggestions (and I suppose everyone will want to get their $0.02 in on such an exciting concept). So, in order of decreasing feasability:

+A headphone jack, while not essential for devving, would still be appreciated.

+If it's going to run on AA cells, see if a CRV3 Li-Ion battery can't fit in the same space.

+Four face buttons would be great (especially with the specs in the target range for CPS2/NeoGeo emulation); six...would probably give it the proportions of an first-gen Lynx.

+TATE-ability (90-degree rotated functionality like the Wonderswan). Start & Select buttons adjacent the D-stick/pad/trackball/whatever would be perfect for a web browser or those vertical-aspect MAME titles.

+Is there a chance of, say, a console version with a TV-out, multiple USB inputs and networking features? I don't think I'm the only person who'd buy one (or two!)

​

[/quote]
I think most people have an idea of a perfect emulation system going by current parts and specs...i think for it to be worthwhile and not just 'a little' more powerful then the GP32.

Processor 624mhz Intel Xscale
Memory at least 128mb to run say Neo-Geo and newer MAME games, no point getting stuck with a new system thats low on ram!
Soundchip on a handheld though not that important can be picked on price rather than spec, no need for a dolby digital compatible one!
SD-Card - spot on, cheap widespread.
Screen, i'd stay with a 3.5" BLU and not be tempted with 16:9 as if you look at the PSP, the games have to be stretched to take advantage anyway.
The Dell Axim X50v has a screen 3.7" that can handle 640x480 VGA that would be best to go for....after all the GP32 is a 2D emulation system, i think any new system HAS to go for full 3D and support higher resolutions otherwise whats the point?
Nearly forgot, a dedicated 3D GPU, a 624mhz processor however powerful it is still wont be able to handle some of the newer 3D games in software alone, pricewise probably the Nvidia Goforce 4500 is a good bet, 1 million/.polys sec as along as programmers can access the chip ala the N64 emulator on PC back in 1999 using the 3dfx chips...only problem here is licensing issues.
Button wise 6 face buttons with analogue stick ala NGP (not clicky though!) 2 shoulder buttons.
Apart from a mini usb port and headphone socket i dont see the need for wi-fi, bluetooth etc its a emualation handheld afterall....anyway hope a few ideas may help you...though price wise i think it may cost you more that you are willing....


Basically no matter how much you like or dislike the Gizmondo what we are doing is basically taking its parts strapping on a bigger screen...some of the stuff i put above would be nice but to be releastic then and to keep the price down then the Gizmondo specs are about right, though you could always try and hack that system and save all this bother!