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Playdate pre-orders begin in July

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Re: Playdate pre-orders begin in July

#41

Post by asveikau »

earthboundkid wrote: post #34
miguelmurca wrote: post #14

Playdate seems to me like a masterclass in marketing. The device is nothing extraordinary (imo), but it's presented and marketed in a way that makes it interesting.

> The device is nothing extraordinary (imo) This is it: the peak Hacker News comment. A gizmo with a handcrank and a black and white screen is nothing out of the ordinary in 2021. I bet you could even make it yourself in a weekend if you just use a Raspberry Pi and an e-ink screen!

I didn't read that comment as "a DIY one is just as good". More like, it's not high spec, it's pretty minimalist and low tech. The execution could still be good and the choice can still be unique.

Re: Playdate pre-orders begin in July

#42

Post by ArkanExplorer »

miguelmurca wrote: post #14

Playdate seems to me like a masterclass in marketing. The device is nothing extraordinary (imo), but it's presented and marketed in a way that makes it interesting.

I disagree - the key innovation is that you buy the device, and get all the games included for free.

I think that consumers have grown weary of buying individual games, and would rather just pay a lump sum or subscription.

Re: Playdate pre-orders begin in July

#44

Post by least »

post_break wrote: post #43

Just makes me think of when Gruber said "The story is about Playdate, the most amazing and exciting product announcement, for me, since the original iPhone." I can't help but roll my eyes at this thing. https://daringfireball.net/2019/05/playdate

I am very much a fan of Apple products and enjoy a lot of the commentary from these apple pundits but it does feel a lot like this in-club that once you are a part of it anything you do will be praised by that group.

I feel strongly that that is the case here. From anyone outside of the bubble I feel like ultimately it’s a quirky toy for rich techies that will probably be used a couple times before the novelty wears off and you go back to playing games on almost anything else.

Re: Playdate pre-orders begin in July

#45

Post by coldpie »

jswny wrote: post #2

I think the design and concept are really cool but it seems like actually owning it would get old too fast and be more of a novelty. I could see myself buying this if it could emulate NES or GameBoy games though.

You're missing the point a bit. The focus for this device is on the community: a set of easy to use dev tools, extremely limited input and output in order to keep games focused, a distribution method, and a community built around that all with the same hard- and software, focusing on game dev and each week's new release. I'm pretty excited for it. Yeah it'll be a novelty that will wear off in a few months or maybe a couple years if they're lucky. That's exactly what I'm signing up for.

Re: Playdate pre-orders begin in July

#46

Post by nkellenicki »

MivLives wrote: post #6

180 dollars (plus shipping) is more than it'd cost for a modified gameboy plus a flashcart, and is near the price of an Analogue. The Analogue can play any gameboy (and advance) game every made, and is also a musical instrument. If this was around 80$ I would be all over it.

You're not wrong, but neither of those devices come with any games (unless you buy a flashcart, which is piracy).

The Playdate cost includes 20 games by (relatively) well known indie game developers.

Re: Playdate pre-orders begin in July

#47

Post by germinalphrase »

jswny wrote: post #2

I think the design and concept are really cool but it seems like actually owning it would get old too fast and be more of a novelty. I could see myself buying this if it could emulate NES or GameBoy games though.

The ‘subscription’ model fit games could create an interest in competitive community if there were a local/regional/global scoreboard for each new game as they are released.

Important to keep it whimsical though. The competitive gaming scene is… intense.

Re: Playdate pre-orders begin in July

#48

Post by tengbretson »

The styling of this thing is beautiful. That said, is it too much to ask that they come up with their own original name for a device that is patently a solo experience instead of hijacking a term for humans interacting with each other in physical space?

Re: Playdate pre-orders begin in July

#49

Post by vr46 »

earthboundkid wrote: post #34
miguelmurca wrote: post #14

Playdate seems to me like a masterclass in marketing. The device is nothing extraordinary (imo), but it's presented and marketed in a way that makes it interesting.

> The device is nothing extraordinary (imo) This is it: the peak Hacker News comment. A gizmo with a handcrank and a black and white screen is nothing out of the ordinary in 2021. I bet you could even make it yourself in a weekend if you just use a Raspberry Pi and an e-ink screen!

How it works and what it does and what it's made of are very different things (cite: Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance) and once the novelty of how it works has worn off (yes, kudos, BTW) what is left is a mildly interesting device. The SDK and ecosystem are also mildly interesting, but the cute factor will wear off quickly and it's probably go the way of Neil Young's Pono.

Re: Playdate pre-orders begin in July

#50

Post by fumar »

I am always impressed with the design of Teenage Engineering’s products but they have an air “pure consumerism”. I think this is that taken to its extreme. A toy that has a crank, retro screen, design-driven accessories, and the games are there but not promoted.

Compare that to the gameboy which put its games front and center with the selling point of being handheld. Admittedly, I would get the Playdate to put on my desk and admire as plastic art, but no more room.

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