Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System • Hacker News Board

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#221

Post by lostmymind66 » Thu, May 23, 2019, 4:22 AM UTC

ehsankia wrote: post #187

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.

"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"

The NES class edition and Sega Genesis only work because of people that remember playing these games as a kid (like me). I have the NES classic edition and my teenage nephews were bored pretty quickly after they played it.

Nostalgia isn't usually there for something new that looks like the games I used to play when I was younger.

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#222

Post by jdietrich » Thu, May 23, 2019, 4:26 AM UTC

dbish wrote: post #217

mastrsushi wrote: post #208

This company seems well aware they aren't a match for Nintendo. Based on the comments, Hacker News does not seem very aware. Much like how Teenage Engineering's OP-1 is not competitively priced. This is another example of an insightfully designed, well built product for adults. Older millenials looking for a sentimental package so they can feel like it's their 8th birthday again. They are reunboxing a gameboy color.…

Agreed. I've been thinking about a market for small batch or boutique electronics in various markets for a while. There is boutique furniture, small batch alcohol, all sorts of small runs that would never compete with the big guys but still make money and are fun for people to buy. More people should get into it. The biggest barrier to entry may be that you have to self fund for these smaller attempts.

There's a huge number of boutique products in music technology, particularly synth modules and guitar effects pedals. They're relatively simple analog products, so it's entirely feasible for one person to design and manufacture a small batch in their bedroom without a big investment.

https://www.modulargrid.net/e/modules/browser

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#223

Post by fendy3002 » Thu, May 23, 2019, 4:27 AM UTC

Reedx wrote: post #61

This looks really cool and would be great for a fishing game. I wonder about the lack of backlighting though? Hopefully the screen is much better in this regard than the original non-backlit GBA, which was difficult to see in low light conditions. It was tricky getting light to hit the screen in just the right way: https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2001/06/13/lame-boy-advan...

If the crank orientation can be changed, it can act as ship's navigator wheel and valve

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#224

Post by acomjean » Thu, May 23, 2019, 4:30 AM UTC

marcinzm wrote: post #167

slantyyz wrote: post #2

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

Apparently the issue is torque for such things, the OLPC was originally going to have a crank but the force was too much for the laptop body to take long term.

They need to put a handle on it. Then it could be like those handheld fishing games.

https://www.amazon.com/Radica-Games-Bass-Fishing-Handheld/dp...

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#225

Post by ehsankia » Thu, May 23, 2019, 4:31 AM UTC

lostmymind66 wrote: post #221

ehsankia wrote: post #187

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

"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" The NES class edition and Sega Genesis only work because of people that remember playing these games as a kid (like me). I have the NES classic edition and my teenage nephews were bored pretty quickly after they played it. Nostalgia isn't usually there for something new that looks like th…

I don't fully agree, there are many games that manage to imitate the "old school" look and feel pretty well, I don't see why this couldn't pull that off too. But I could be wrong, we'll see how well it sells once it comes out.

By referring to it as a collectible, I also meant that this will most likely not going to be a huge success, but more of a niche product. I see it as an indie hardware; the Cuphead of Gaming Systems if you will.

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#226

Post by gridlockd » Thu, May 23, 2019, 4:32 AM UTC

I like the idea of having weird hardware like this produced. I can see it becoming a collectible. I don't love it though.

I'm curious though, did someone see this and really want it?

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#227

Post by nickloewen » Thu, May 23, 2019, 4:34 AM UTC

Causality1 wrote: post #206

nickloewen wrote: post #116

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those all appear to either emulate other consoles, or come with games built-in, though. This seems to be closer to the MakeCode consoles discussed elsewhere in these comments, since it sounds like it will allow you to make your own games for it (although it's not clear yet how easy that will be). In that respect, it seems fairly unique to me, if only because it is beautifully designed and polished. It seems like the…

How do you know any of that? There's no photos on the site to indicate how polished it is, no mention of being able to run homebrew on it.

That’s fair, I don’t know for sure (hence “I hope...”).

I think shininess is fairly likely, because they are collaborating with Teenage Engineering, who have a reputation for making nice things like the OP-1.

Homebrew is much more questionable. On their “media” page they imply that an SDK is forthcoming, but they certaibly don’t make it as clear as I would like.

At any rate, the point I was going for was less that I am 100% behind this gadget, and more that I think there is room for more options in this realm, and this ticks at least some of my boxes.

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#228

Post by acomjean » Thu, May 23, 2019, 4:35 AM UTC

cormacrelf wrote: post #202

dangus wrote: post #198

I'll give this idea one plus - it's a got a playful, fun design. I get the idea of going simple and fun with this. As a device to plunk down $150 on, no way. - If the crank is so fun, they didn't manage to show it. - Hopefully they'll show more games, because the promise of 12 black and white games involving two buttons a crank isn't awe-inspiring. - The 2DS is the same price and is vastly more powerful and capable.…

Don't be quick to dismiss a physical control from Teenage Engineering. Those Swedes are geniuses. Have you seen the OP-1? They are masters of constraints that push creativity along. I have no doubt they can make a crank fun. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z4hoazra_g

Teenage engineering does make a handheld musical toy thing. I have a couple. They are very bare bones music calculator-sequencer things.

They're called "pocket operators". Oddly fun to make beats on.

https://teenage.engineering/products/po

This one has some better pictures and soundcloud audio.

https://www.engadget.com/2015/04/22/teenage-engineering-pock...

youtube has a lot on these little things.

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#229

Post by larsiusprime » Thu, May 23, 2019, 4:37 AM UTC

bullfightonmars wrote: post #195

larsiusprime wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Heard of Pixel Vision 8? https://twitter.com/pixelvision8/status/1131370536477581313

Wow. This is very cool. It has a whole virtual desktop. Neat.

What's really cool about PixelVision8 is it's a meta-fantasy console. IE, you can define your own spec/constraints and then code up a little game prototype in C# or Lua.

Looks like the PlayDate will support lua and apparently isn't a complete potato according to their presskit page, so it's not out of the question that platforms like PixelVision8 could port its runner to the platform and then you could author for actual hardware using the editing tool.

Re: Playdate – A New Handheld Gaming System

#230

Post by littleweep » Thu, May 23, 2019, 4:40 AM UTC

keyle wrote: post #80

Panic never stops surprising me. You'd think you had them figured out, they keep jumping onto another shelf. It must be fun to work at Panic. It reminds me of how tech companies were in the 90s. Clear mission, but open horizon.

To me it seems like very unclear mission