Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System • Hacker News Board

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#181

Post by simongr3dal » Thu, May 23, 2019, 2:43 AM UTC

beenBoutIT wrote: post #159

simongr3dal wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's part of the "gimmick". After the device is released and is available for sale, a new game will be released for it and downloaded automatically each week for the first 12 weeks, when downloaded a little light will light up and you can have small play date with the Playdate.

That's IMO the only clever part of the device, the syncing up with users everywhere anticipating the minute a new game drops. It'll work great until a game fails to resonate with any particular user at which point negative sentiment and disappointment get attached to the device.

I'm sure it's a fun challenge for the game designers with the limited screen, and a crank mechanic.

But I'm really hoping they are also able to make some games with some depth and replay value to them for the players, a la the early mario, spyro, sonic or pokemon games.

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#182

Post by mortenjorck » Thu, May 23, 2019, 2:43 AM UTC

bduerst wrote: post #62

liquidzoot wrote: post #45

Personally the association with Teenage Engineering makes me more concerned that this will not be as exciting as it sounds. TE's Op-1 is a fine piece of kit, but their recent offerings have been very underwhelming. Also the placement of the crank and the form factor look very un-ergonomic.

Can you comment on the Op-1 and what makes it great?

It's an opinionated piece of hardware, designed and manufactured more or less uncompromisingly for a specific musician experience. I decided it's not for me (though its follow-up, the OP-Z, is a lot closer), but I absolutely adore Teenage Engineering's approach to pretty much everything, even when it's not personally my style.

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#183

Post by quickthrower2 » Thu, May 23, 2019, 2:45 AM UTC

jarfil wrote: post #28

msvan wrote: post #11

I think it's cool. I'm not that old, but games these days mostly seem to be about squeezing every last dollar out of the consumer through shady means. I think this is part of why I don't play video games anymore. It's nice to see something different.

$150 for what looks like 12 simple games isn't that much different.

And a free console

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#184

Post by quickthrower2 » Thu, May 23, 2019, 2:46 AM UTC

max0563 wrote: post #173

I think they might have just revolutionized gaming.

I can't wait for my turn.

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#185

Post by sergiotapia » Thu, May 23, 2019, 2:47 AM UTC

ungzd wrote: post #133

Just remember that company that made this was abusing DMCA to take down videos just for SJW vocabulary policing [1]. Be warned if you want to make games for it, even if SDK will be free and available without signing agreements. Maybe this company is not directly related to this incident and they're just publishers, I don't know. [1] https://www.polygon.com/2017/9/10/16285188/pewdie-pie-racist...

Thanks for bringing this up, what were they thinking?

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#186

Post by wayanon » Thu, May 23, 2019, 2:47 AM UTC

slantyyz wrote: post #2

It would be cool if the crank was also used to charge the device's battery.

I thought at first that was the only reason to have the crank.

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#187

Post by ehsankia » Thu, May 23, 2019, 2:48 AM UTC

lostmymind66 wrote: post #177

This is going to be a tough sell. $150 dollars is very expensive for a portable game system, which will compete with any tablet/phone that can play games that have better graphics and game play. The problem is that this is competing with entire ecosystems of games that have been around for almost a decade.

This isn't meant to compete or be "the best". I think your comment is entirely missing the point of what this is.

This is more of a play on nostalgia and classic bulky simple handhelds. It would be in the same category as the NES Classic Edition or the Sega Genesis Mini. It's fun and almost a collectible honestly.

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#188

Post by frosted-flakes » Thu, May 23, 2019, 2:50 AM UTC

beenBoutIT wrote: post #163

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can get used to a game controller, or well, most of us do eventually. At anyrate, you can find left handed game controllers on the market. But that is a crank, it requires a bit more dexterity, like holding a pen.

That crank better be detachable in a slick way that keeps it from inadvertently popping out constantly or it's going to annoy the hell out of anyone who isn't a hardcore fan of the crank-based game genre. IRL it's probably not detachable and it's going to jangle around and annoy while gradually self-desructing in a way that leaves it useless yet permanently attached/annoying.

It folds into the side. That's why there's a hole.

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#189

Post by orclev » Thu, May 23, 2019, 2:51 AM UTC

bmuon wrote: post #94

justfor1comment wrote: post #59

Isn't $150 expensive? Or may be I am just too poor, to throw money at anyone who asks for it.

For $150 you get the console and 12 games. That's not too bad.

Based on the technical specs $150, even with 12 games seems like price gouging. It's not too far off the Adafruit PyBadge someone else mentioned in another comment only that comes with a color LCD and more buttons for only $35 ($25 if you get the trimmed down version). Sure it doesn't come with a fancy case and it's missing an analog crank (really?), but there's literally hundreds of free games you could get for it that I'm willing to bet are as much fun or more than every single one of those 12 free games that Playdate will include.

Sorry, this looks like a overpriced gimmick. The digital equivalent of a pet rock, or a more modern (and far more expensive) take on a tomagotchi.

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#190

Post by mortenjorck » Thu, May 23, 2019, 2:52 AM UTC

frosted-flakes wrote: post #166

hombre_fatal wrote: post #150

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But $20-40 for each game.

A $40 game provides 20-100 hours of high quality gameplay, which I think is a good value.

Playdate is not in the same market as the 2DS, or really anywhere near it. It's not trying to compete on any of the games-industry metrics, nor could it.

It's like comparing the latest Avengers movie with a niche YouTube show. You can compare the price of a movie ticket with a Patreon subscription, but what are you even comparing?