Tracking Media Responses to Price Hike

[vadsamoht]

Just thought I'd create a thread to catalogue the various responses to current events, considering the attention the engadget post gained in the megathread.


Affiliated:


PandoraPress:http://pandorapress.net/2011/01/28/500-instant-pandoras/


English:


Engadget:http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/27/openpandora-begins-private-sales-fast-track-your-open-source/


DCEmu: http://pandora.dcemu.co.uk/pandora-to-cost-500--352352.html


Teki: http://blog.mcm7.com/tag/pandora-handheld/


GBATemp: http://gbatemp.net/t276643-pandora-to-cost-500


Slashgear: http://www.slashgear.com/pandora-open-source-console-goes-on-general-sale-27128863/


DotGizmo: http://gadget.blogdig.net/archives/articles/January2011/28/Skip_the_queue_and_purchase_your_Pandora_open_source_gaming_device_for__500.html


Gadgetoid: http://www.gadgetoid.com/2011/01/27/openpandora-pandora-console-available-now-for-500/


PocketGamer: http://www.pocketgamer.co.uk/r/Other/Pandora/news.asp?c=27017


RISC-OS: http://www.riscos.info/index.php/Special:AWCforum/?action=st%2Fid224%2FPandora_shipping_%26quot%3Busually_within_7_days%26quot%3B


German:


Bloggenist: http://bloggenist.blogspot.com/2011/01/open-pandora-gaming-handheld-nun-fur.html


Also: there seem to be a lot of duplicates for some of the articles, so I'll only post original articles. Mods: If this seems like a bad idea for some reason, please delete this thread.


UPDATE 2-FEB:


ElectricPig: http://www.electricpig.co.uk/2011/01/28/pandora-handheld-back-on-sale-get-yours-in-a-week/

 

[gadgetoid]

I posted something over at Gadgetoid: http://www.gadgetoid.com/2011/01/27/openpandora-pandora-console-available-now-for-500/


Hey, guess what? I didn't compare it to the fucking NGP. Goddamn two-bit, useless, mainstream technology media. I spit in their general direction.

 

[vadsamoht]

I posted something over at Gadgetoid: http://www.gadgetoid.com/2011/01/27/openpandora-pandora-console-available-now-for-500/


Hey, guess what? I didn't compare it to the fucking NGP. Goddamn two-bit, useless, mainstream technology media. I spit in their general direction.

Thanks, updated the original post. Will have another surf around to see whats new as soon as I get up to date with the forums.

 

[craigix]

It is strange to compare it to a DRM games only machine.


I wish they would accept that the Pandora is a mini-computer.

 

[vadsamoht]

It is strange to compare it to a DRM games only machine.


I wish they would accept that the Pandora is a mini-computer.

True, but I think that they are looking at the Pandora (and all the other products) primarily from a retail perspective, i.e. it doesn't matter what the user can or will do with it, just the size of the screen, the speed of the CPU, and how much you sell it for.


In that respect, at least, those other products are the competition, even if the target market and product capability is entirely different.

 

[craigix]

It is strange to compare it to a DRM games only machine.


I wish they would accept that the Pandora is a mini-computer.

True, but I think that they are looking at the Pandora (and all the other products) primarily from a retail perspective, i.e. it doesn't matter what the user can or will do with it, just the size of the screen, the speed of the CPU, and how much you sell it for.


In that respect, at least, those other products are the competition, even if the target market and product capability is entirely different.

Well Sony have shown their hand, 2012 should be interesting.

 

[Orion4874]

I love GBATemp for all the homebrew they dig up for the various systems. But I stay away from their forums, bunch of ignorant liitle children as you can tell from that thread alone.

 

[second exodous]

I love GBATemp for all the homebrew they dig up for the various systems. But I stay away from their forums, bunch of ignorant liitle children as you can tell from that thread alone.

I have to say I noticed that. Most of them can't be over 12.

 

[gadgetoid]

Well Sony have shown their hand, 2012 should be interesting.

Sony have shown their hand. And instead of cards, they've got a bunch of rectangles cut out of a cereal box.


They've demonstrated two things with the PSP2:


1) That they're not committed to any real concept of backward compatibility. Versus Nintendo who, despite having dropped support for GBA cartridges, have continued to revise their console instead of replace it.


2) That their console lifespan is short. Anyone who bought the PSP Go, or any other PSP recently, is not going to be amused (although why anyone would buy a PSP these days beats me). The PSP was released just over 5 years ago. The DS was released before and shows no signs of having a version 2. As much as I think the 3D on the 3DS is a stupid idea, I admire Nintendo for their iterative improvements to the platform. Particularly as many of the DS releases have been much, much better than their predecessors. Sony's PSPs just seem to get worse.


3) That they're utterly committed to screwing over the retail chains, second hand sales, and any concept that you will ever "own" any game you purchase from them. And you can bet your behind that new games will cost most of £39.99 on the PSP2, too. For a digital download. (although it's plausible that those "proprietary media card slots" could be used for physical, retail games I don't see it happening based on Sony's struggles with piracy on the PSP)


4) That they're more interested in throwing highly irrelevant fancy hardware specifications at their +1 analogue stick carbon copy of the original PSP than doing anything innovative in the market. Seriously, the thing is dull, and simply insults all PSP owners by representing the console that should have been released in the first place.


In the time between now, and the PSP2s release, mobile phones will have caught up and, probably, surpassed Sony's pointless console. Sony said it themselves: they're a generation ahead of mobile phones. Well, I've news for Sony. The last "generation" of mobile phones (using the iPhone as a marker, because all other phones move so fast it's impossible to keep track) is now 6 months old. So phones should catch up in another 6 months, and have surpassed the PSP2 before it's even released.


*Facepalm*


If Sony somehow succeed, yay for them. I, for one, will be keeping my money handy for the Pandora 2. Where I will almost certainly will be able to enjoy Dreamcast emulation without the manufacturer updating the firmware every 3 fucking days just to thwart homebrewing attempts. Anything worth playing on the PSP2 will have a vastly superior console counterpart, anyway. You know what? I don't really *need* to play watered down console games on a tiny screen.

 

[DrMikki]

My husband and I used to be pretty active on GBATemp, but it seems that we have outgrown the site and its mismanagement. We made some good friends on there too, but that's about all we have left from the site now. My husband (SpikeyNDS) used to be in charge of their Podcast. It's sad to see the direction GBATemp has gone .


I guess we are just addicted to gadgets, but in addition to our Pandoras, we are also getting 3DSs and the PSP2s. The Pandora (even at $500) is the best deal of them all . Especially considering it's a mini-computer, etc.

 

[Blue Protoman]

I chose a Pandora over a 3DS.

 

[craigix]

You're right about phone tech catching up, off the shelf parts will have caught up by 2012 (and I don't believe there will be a big roll out of the PSP2 before 2012).


The hardware industry is changing and even Sony are using parts which can be equaled by something like the PandaBoard by then.


I just don't see the point in the PSP2. Clip an iCP to your iPhone5 and you will have a far more functional device (with far more games at a far lower price), which, when not playing games, can be half the size.

 

[gadgetoid]

I still have original fat DSes, I figure I can not play them just as easily as a newer model. I was bummed that there was never a Golden Sun 3 and, as a result, love my GBA far more than the DS.


As for the PSP, I basically only used it for reviews. So the latest games would constantly cause me firmware nightmares. Eventually gave up with homebrew- only really used it to rip UMDs for playing on the go, anyway.


Like Craig, I see far more potential in the iPhone 4/5 plus an iControlpad. I would sooner replay Golden Sun than any PSP or DS game I can think of. But if iControlPad really takes off, the potential for awesome 3D titles supporting it is huge. Not to mention the fact Apple will just copy it they sure love to steal. Let's hope Craig can make a buck or two before they take a shining to the concept.


Songs response to homebrew on the PSP and PS3 makes me wary of their future hardware releases- I love to dick about for hours with homebrew stuff- the Wii is a great example.