Where Does The Money Come From

[J201605]

If gamepark no longer sells gp32's and the xgp is still in an early development stage, then where is gamepark going to get money to finish the xgp let alone mass produce it? I understand that they could get money from investors, but nobody would ever invest in a system with as unstable a future as this without seeing a finished product. I was not around for the gp32 era so please someone fill me in, did they sell enough gp32's to pay for the cost of making the xgp, it just seems to me like they have gone a very long time without cash flow to really finish the xgp.

 

[Epicenter]

If gamepark no longer sells gp32's and the xgp is still in an early development stage, then where is gamepark going to get money to finish the xgp let alone mass produce it? I understand that they could get money from investors, but nobody would ever invest in a system with as unstable a future as this without seeing a finished product. I was not around for the gp32 era so please someone fill me in, did they sell enough gp32's to pay for the cost of making the xgp, it just seems to me like they have gone a very long time without cash flow to really finish the xgp.

Venture capital of some sort, I suppose. I don't know the Korean market enough to say if someone would want to invest in a company like Gamepark, but for a niche game company they're reasonably high profile. They made some pretty big waves at GP32 launch time and were working on a deal with Atari at some point. GP's also made mention of selling the GPKiDS design to be sold/produced by another company, so that'd be a source of revenue.

 

[J201605]

oh i see, gpkids actually sounds pretty cool, however I cant see it really hitting the kind of people they probably want it to hit unless they were able to release a lot of commercial titles.

 

[Epicenter]

Well apparently the Korean game market is not much like the US/European/Japanese markets. Maybe if another company is buying the GPKiDS they know exactly how they want to market it/who they're going to get to develop for it. That is what I expect, anyway. I think XGP/XGPmini are going to be released directly by GP.

 

[icurafu]

Wait a second. I remember it being said that GPKids was basically an advanced mobile phone for games without the mobile phone part.

So basically just Java Games, which is very typical for the Korean game market.

Which would mean that they would not need to develop any games. Just convince existing java me games to support GPKids.

 

[shinneri]

Wait a second. I remember it being said that GPKids was basically an advanced mobile phone for games without the mobile phone part.

So basically just Java Games, which is very typical for the Korean game market.

Which would mean that they would not need to develop any games. Just convince existing java me games to support GPKids.

But then what's the point of buying the GPKiDS when the same stuff can be had on your phone? You're probably right, but they're going to need something different to convince Korean gamers to jump on.

At any rate, I hope their plan works because I want the mini to get released.

 

[icurafu]

Wait a second. I remember it being said that GPKids was basically an advanced mobile phone for games without the mobile phone part.

So basically just Java Games, which is very typical for the Korean game market.

Which would mean that they would not need to develop any games. Just convince existing java me games to support GPKids.

But then what's the point of buying the GPKiDS when the same stuff can be had on your phone? You're probably right, but they're going to need something different to convince Korean gamers to jump on.

At any rate, I hope their plan works because I want the mini to get released.

Good point, since nearly everyone in Korea has a cool phone compared to western standards. Maybe it's the larger screen and the better controls. Maybe it's aimed at poor Koreans who want the advantage of a good phone for gaming for less then W40,0000.

 

[Epicenter]

I don't believe it's meant to run Java software. The ARM940T processors don't natively support execution of Java code, while the 926EJ-S and some others do... a chip without native support will be quite sluggish at running the same code. Why would they use a 940T if the main idea was to run Java software? .. It sounds to me, from what GP's told me, that they want original content, not ports of cell phone games.

 

[icurafu]

Most phones don't have Jazel, or whatever it's called.

But sorry. This was mentioned a long time ago. It would be good if someone proves it right or wrong.

 

[awakenjsy]

From what I have heard, developing portable system isn't the only skill they have. I heard that they are making money by doing some offshore work and outsourcing work. In addition, korean cell phones may have more multimedia stuff but when it comes to cell phone games, they are no better than those phones sold in EU/US. and lastly, GP's new product cannot be used to play Jave games only BREW. This is one thing that I couldn't understand. I read somewhere that Java games take up like 90% of mobile game market worldwide. and they still decided to make a device that supports only BREW. They'd better come up with good BREW games or create their game of their own.

 

[Epicenter]

From what I have heard, developing portable system isn't the only skill they have. I heard that they are making money by doing some offshore work and outsourcing work. In addition, korean cell phones may have more multimedia stuff but when it comes to cell phone games, they are no better than those phones sold in EU/US. and lastly, GP's new product cannot be used to play Jave games only BREW. This is one thing that I couldn't understand. I read somewhere that Java games take up like 90% of mobile game market worldwide. and they still decided to make a device that supports only BREW. They'd better come up with good BREW games or create their game of their own.

That 90% statistic sounds like nonsense. Certainly the US, Japan and Europe were not polled. :lol: And you CAN play Java games .. with a virtual machine. There is just no innate CPU support so it will be slower.. but most java games are reasonably simple from what I've seen anyway. Then again I do not play games on my phone, it's too primitive. I make phone calls on it .. or MADE phone calls. Since I came to Japan it's become a fancy alarm clock.

I'm sure they'll license some good games, they had a decent pile for the GP32. Sure, not enough to make a mainstream system but still some neat things. I don't expect the GPKiDS to sell well in the US or Europe or Japan but it may do "OK" in Korea. Probbaly just GP fans that will want to buy it outside of there.. I do think they stand a good chance with XGP/XGPmini if they make a good product and it is hyped by the online press like Slashdot/engadget/digg like the GP32/GP2X got.

 

[YuanHao]

Jackd, you wrote:

"but nobody would ever invest in a system with as unstable a future as this without seeing a finished product."


That is CERTAINLY the mental idea you have of "the world", but there are many angel investors who are able to see a bright future, even if so unstable.

TRUST ME man, the world wouldn't be what it is if many didn't had invest on an unstable future. That's how it works. This is why tendencies, predictions and many other stuff exist. Just like Windows, which back then started in a world where "a computer wasn't necessary at home" and look at them now.

Future IS unstable, and the American myth "already tested, already selling" is actually what is making many of their pioneer lines like General Motors, Electronic Arts (with their MILLION nba, soccer games which are just more of the same), and many other companies die slowly (or quickly, like EA which had winnings of only 1/3 of the expected, see the difference between Nintendo?).

Just like Nintendo DS btw, many said that it would suck, that it could never replace GB line, and look at them now, the can't even expect how much to win. Sure, Yumpei Yokoi, dad of many games that I love (and you may too! Starting with Super Metroid), flunk with the Virtual Boy, but their idea of keeping innovation (which IS an unstable market) makes them be what they are.

BESIDES.... back then Gamepark won a licitation from Korean government in order to create the GP32, they are getting money from the government, and may likely still get that money.

 

[aapje89]

BESIDES.... back then Gamepark won a licitation from Korean government in order to create the GP32, they are getting money from the government, and may likely still get that money.

seriously?, never knew that, thats cool .

 

[Alex.]

Hey, hey, GPH won some government paycheck too!

- Alex

 

[J201605]

Jackd, you wrote:

"but nobody would ever invest in a system with as unstable a future as this without seeing a finished product."


That is CERTAINLY the mental idea you have of "the world", but there are many angel investors who are able to see a bright future, even if so unstable.

TRUST ME man, the world wouldn't be what it is if many didn't had invest on an unstable future. That's how it works. This is why tendencies, predictions and many other stuff exist. Just like Windows, which back then started in a world where "a computer wasn't necessary at home" and look at them now.

Future IS unstable, and the American myth "already tested, already selling" is actually what is making many of their pioneer lines like General Motors, Electronic Arts (with their MILLION nba, soccer games which are just more of the same), and many other companies die slowly (or quickly, like EA which had winnings of only 1/3 of the expected, see the difference between Nintendo?).

Just like Nintendo DS btw, many said that it would suck, that it could never replace GB line, and look at them now, the can't even expect how much to win. Sure, Yumpei Yokoi, dad of many games that I love (and you may too! Starting with Super Metroid), flunk with the Virtual Boy, but their idea of keeping innovation (which IS an unstable market) makes them be what they are.

BESIDES.... back then Gamepark won a licitation from Korean government in order to create the GP32, they are getting money from the government, and may likely still get that money.

I didn't realize that they got government money... however, though I understand that many people make risky investments, they only make them if there is a chance to get a large reward, however all though the xgp will (if it is made) probably be very cool, it will most likely not make an amount of money large enough to constitute investing in it without seeing the finished product first, which is what I said originally. The only thing i was questioning was wether they would have enough money to make the finished product, however I believe that if allowed time and funded properly they will make something very cool, I am not hating on the xgp.

 

[icurafu]

BESIDES.... back then Gamepark won a licitation from Korean government in order to create the GP32, they are getting money from the government, and may likely still get that money.

seriously?, never knew that, thats cool .

Yeah, for a while Play Station was banned in Korea (actaully, since WWII all japanese electronics were banned).

This was to clense them of Japanese culture.

 

[YuanHao]

Yeah, I know that you are not hating the XGP, but keep in mind that investors were needed to make the GP32 too. Probably most XGP investors are there because they saw GP32 turned out to be quite good, selling 30'000 units, and expect even more

 

[DaveC]

Yeah, I know that you are not hating the XGP, but keep in mind that investors were needed to make the GP32 too. Probably most XGP investors are there because they saw GP32 turned out to be quite good, selling 30'000 units, and expect even more

God, 30,000 units. That is like nothing nowdays. Nintendo and Sony sell that many units each day. Nowdays selling 3 million units is considered a dismal failure. Look at the Dreamcast, 3 million wasn't good enough. It couldn't even get support from EA because it "only" sold 3 million and was considered a failure.

These really are niche systems, and a small one at that.

 

[Epicenter]

When you're a tiny company and not a multinational corporation, 30,000 is pretty fucking good, though. Especially in a country that is NOT renowned for having a huge game industry.

 

[icurafu]

When you're a tiny company and not a multinational corporation, 30,000 is pretty fucking good, though. Especially in a country that is NOT renowned for having a huge game industry.

I know a few nationalist koreans who would spit on you for that. Actually not spit, maybe just a strong pointed lecture about the strong history of korean video game enginurity...

But honestly, you're right. Not renowned outside of Korea. I don't think they would know about that.

In their own odd little way, Korea has a massive gaming industry made up of mostly online PC games. When I was playing Korean games a few years back, most people were playing a online mario kart clone which is actaully better than on the 64. However it's a total bitch to get an account if your a forigner. (I had to scan my drivers licence.)