Will It Turn Into Us And Them?

[The Mole]

Now that GP has split and two companies are launching two consoles do you think it will split the community?

I personaly prefer the design of the GPH console and the cheap price should also be a major factor in my purchase. However i can't see the community giving the device the support it deserves i just hope that the community being split does not result in two major flops rather than one console with a lot of home brew support and commercial sucess.

 

[moz]

no, spread the love

 

[Talyz]

The "soul" of the GP32 continues to live through the GPX2, as it looks now. Since the XGP probably won't be an Open Source console, it will most likely die quite fast and there won't be any room for it in an Open Source community, like this...

I hope I'm wrong...

 

[Jarska333]

Begun, the GP wars have.

 

[Cyclops]

Why a handheld war, the reality is I think the GPX2 is the better(best value) handheld, but I would be foolish to think that GPX3 or whatever it is called will not have features more in tune with what the XGP is now(or the PSP). Hopefully we will see a nice convergence of the programs back again with nextgen nextgen even if that is an Iriver or something else.

I will expect 3D/touchsceen/wi-fi as more of these things get cheaper, and hope that XGP has as least enough success to make the nextgen of handhelds you can develop for more appealing with steps into 3D gaming, esp since quake3 source etc is out, and will certainly have a great interest in how its used.

I suspect that a lot of programs(the open-source ones) or a certain quality will find themselves on both platforms. I also suspect there will be a lot of common ground, smashgp/doom wads/bor etc have aleady gone some way. I suspect new skinnable?? engines like openmugen/statagus will become better and more cross-platform.

Also you have to remember, that even though there are differences between the two devices there is still an awful lot commanality, arm chip, few buttons, small screen, etc. So approches to proplems could be very similar. I would be very surprised If I don't see linux/SDL on the XGP(and the PSP/Iriver/Pocket PC's), making most of the differences vanish!

 

[woogal]

Since the XGP probably won't be an Open Source console, it will most likely die quite fast

​

The GP32 isn't open source and it still isn't dead yet. Windows still seems very healthy even though Linux has been around for years. And the PSP homebrew scene is hardly struggling.

As long as Gamepark release an SDK for the XGP (and I've seen nothing to suggest that they won't, despite the assumptions people seem to be jumping to) then I'm sure the XGP will have a nice homebrew scene. I personally don't think it will do as well as the X2, but that's just my gut feeling and not based on any evidence (because neither have been released so we don't have any evidence).

 

[Inopia]

there's no need for a war, we all know GPX2 is the best and the XGP is totally going to fail

 

[Prophet]

Now that GP has split and two companies are launching two consoles do you think it will split the community?

I personaly prefer the design of the GPH console and the cheap price should also be a major factor in my purchase. However i can't see the community giving the device the support it deserves i just hope that the community being split does not result in two major flops rather than one console with a lot of home brew support and commercial sucess.

​

No I don't think there will be any community split between GPX2 and XGP, if that's what you mean.

What may happen, is some resentment toward the GPX2 after it's released, because it seems quite a few GP32 users, and many prominent GP32 devs as well, plan to get one, including all the staff here. So there will probably a lot of news and excitement about the GPX2 once it comes out. Resulting in less excitement, news and development on the GP32.

So people who don't want to get a GPX2, or who can't get one yet, may feel left out and/or angry toward the new system.

But that will only last a little while. In the end, I think GPX2 will become the bonifide GP32 replacement, and 95% maybe even 99% of people here will get one.

As for XGP, it's doubtful that many GP32 fans will get one. It's 3D oriented, intended for commercial games only, and will likely be pretty expensive. And it's not even actually coming out until next year. So I don't think the GP32 fanbase will ever adopt it very strongly. If at all.

Which is kinda sad. Because here GamePark has managed to gather a worldwide fanbase with GP32, only to squander it on fantasies of competing directly with Nintendo and Sony. Luckily some cooler heads prevailed, and GPH was born out of the ashes.

Also - XGP is too damn fugly. :lol:

 

[Goity]

No, it'll turn into US and a big mass of nuclear waste

 

[DaveC]

I won't be binning my GP32 for along time. There will be some emulators and HB that will never make it to the GPx2. There are many smaller emus done by devs not even in the scene anymore. I will not want to give up my Lynx, Atari 400/800/5200, C64, and alot of the good HB games out there. While I will probably end up with a GPx2 when decent emus appear that will likely be quite a while as it will take some time for devs to get one and start developing stuff for it. It will take even longer for stuff to be as polished as it is now on the GP32.

XGp really doesn't offer much to me that can't be found in a PSP or even the current GP32 and you have that crap analog and bad aspect ratio for emus to deal with, meh.

 

[Prophet]

will not want to give up my Lynx, Atari 400/800/5200, C64,

All those can also be ported to GPX2. Don't even need the original GP32 porters for that, just need source code and a dev who's interested. And there's open sources for those systems out there, and seems a lot of devs like the GPX2 so far.

But I know you already know all that. I'm just pointing out that the GPX2 could potentially have as many, if not even more emus, than the GP32. All with better performance and controls to boot.

I don't blame people who want to wait and see what happens. That's probably the smart way to go, and by the time you get a GPX2 maybe the price will be a little lower. But I like being an early adopter, and it should be great fun trying the very first emus and homebrew and watching it all prgress from the start.

 

[DaveC]

They CAN but WILL they be ported. There have to be devs interested in doing it and unfortunatly there aren't too many interested in Atari 400/800. You will most definetly get your NES, SMS, Genesis, even PC-engine eventually but these more obscure systems get overlooked for reasons other than the lack of source code. Look at the Zodiac, there was never an Atari 400/800 or Lynx emu for it despite of all of the devs.

I am not going to wait it out because of price, I just am not going to buy something unless there is something to play on it. As soon as there is an emu that is on it that is better than the current GP32 I will get it. I just can see keeping the GP32 for awhile because of the fact that there will likely be holes in the GPx2 emu lineup that may not get filled for a long time if ever.

 

[darkman]

Now that GP has split and two companies are launching two consoles do you think it will split the community?

I personaly prefer the design of the GPH console and the cheap price should also be a major factor in my purchase. However i can't see the community giving the device the support it deserves i just hope that the community being split does not result in two major flops rather than one console with a lot of home brew support and commercial sucess.

​

No I don't think there will be any community split between GPX2 and XGP, if that's what you mean.

What may happen, is some resentment toward the GPX2 after it's released, because it seems quite a few GP32 users, and many prominent GP32 devs as well, plan to get one, including all the staff here. So there will probably a lot of news and excitement about the GPX2 once it comes out. Resulting in less excitement, news and development on the GP32.

So people who don't want to get a GPX2, or who can't get one yet, may feel left out and/or angry toward the new system.

But that will only last a little while. In the end, I think GPX2 will become the bonifide GP32 replacement, and 95% maybe even 99% of people here will get one.

As for XGP, it's doubtful that many GP32 fans will get one. It's 3D oriented, intended for commercial games only, and will likely be pretty expensive. And it's not even actually coming out until next year. So I don't think the GP32 fanbase will ever adopt it very strongly. If at all.

Which is kinda sad. Because here GamePark has managed to gather a worldwide fanbase with GP32, only to squander it on fantasies of competing directly with Nintendo and Sony. Luckily some cooler heads prevailed, and GPH was born out of the ashes.

Also - XGP is too damn fugly. :lol:

​

I will probably use the GP32 for Genesis and GPengine games and use the GPX2 for mame and SNES games. I really feel that there will be a high interest in mame and SNES when ever the GPX2 hits the streets. There is room for both to me. I personally also don't see the need for having XGP in my personal use.

 

[Axeman]

Let's wait and see. I reckon it's gonna be a bit of 'us and them' of course, especially if 'they' get a nice port and 'we' dont.

Ah well....

All shall be revealed

 

[Alpha2]

The community is already split and the two haven't even come out yet.

Though it's mostly in favor of the GPX2 there are still a few people yelling about how the XGP shouldn't be ignored, this is the heart of console wars: support. As long as there are more than one choice for people to buy and not everyone can buy both there will be people trying to defend their choice and get others to lean to their side to validate their choice.

It's going to continue to happen as long as people have choices.

 

[EvilDragon]

Well, I will support the gpx2 as I support the GP32 or PSP.
And if the XGP won't be too expensive, I'll support it, too.

So it won't split me

 

[Jarska333]

Now that would be scary, schitzophrenia over handhelds... :blink:

Competition is good. I mean, look at Microsoft. Practically no competition in OS-market, and look how crappy their OS has become. Still use it, tho...

 

[Rockin'-B]

The splitting of the community is actually performed by everyone who says:

- "this console will do it and the other one is crap", or
- "the XGP won't be open source"


From that standpoint it's a contradiction to say: "the community won't split, because all will go with console XXX". Understand?


The GP32 is the only (well, besides the Jaguar maybe) console with OFFICIAL homebrew support.
But as all of you know, a lot of consoles without homebrew support have developed a great scene, like GameBoy (Advance), Dreamcast, NDS, PSP, ..... .



Those of you trying to split the scene: stop it now, if you don't want people to think you are being paid to diss one of the new GamePark consoles.

 

[Squidge]

I'd say the Tapwave Zodiac had official homebrew support too. Standard PalmOS applications ran on it no problems, and Zodiac-specific applicatinos could either be sent to Tapwave for signing by anyone (therefore officially allowing homebrew) or by initialising the device in a slightly different unofficial way, and therefore no signing was required.

However, please remember that *none* of the consoles are open source. They simply allow homebrew - that's all. The only console that will be open source is the Ninja, which doesn't exist yet apart from a schematic drawing.

 

[darkman]

From what I have read on various sites, I have come to the conclusion that it is the Homebrew programmers within this community that are responsible for the success and life of the GP32. When it came down to a choice, a few weeks ago, to purchase a PSP or GP32. I went the route of the GP32. Why? Because of what was going on with it in this community of gamers. I knew what I would be playing on the GP32. Right now the only thing that turns my head toward the PSP is the Dark Stalker fighting game. That to me does not make it yet a worthy purchase. I was unaware of any emulation going on until now. When it matures a little more, I will have me a PSP.
I have said all this to make a point. It is hard to break into the Commercial Gaming world. Sony is the only one to date that has been able to break into the Nintendo territory. It is a no brainer for me to decide that I want a GPX2, because of this community that will be behind it. When it comes to the XGP, that will be a commercial system, I cannot yet make a valid judgment because I have not seen their game line up. If I see a killer must have game or games then you had better believe I will be standing in line waiting with my hands opened wide.