Game Gadget - How to improve it

[The Beans]

Ok - I will make sure the GG forum is my main "base" and I will do what I can to get around the other forums.
I will definitely be 'here' and I would appreciate it if you guys could send people my way if they are posting anywhere else.

No worries.
There is one piece of feedback I'd like to give you on licensing games if you haven't realised it already. If you have a decent relationship with the Retro Gamer staff and contributors you're looking at a very good resource for tracking down game owners and license holders. I would suggest you attempt to use it. These people have consistently produced articles for years that have required some detective work regarding who owns what and they've probably had more contact with retro game authors than anybody else out there. Not all games that people want are in the hands of the big boys. Some of them might be easier to attain than you think.

[zapiy]

Some great reading.. I applaud the honesty, yes it has been a shambles but i look forward to what happens next now.

[adippm82]

Some very positive posts by Andy so far, I think the reasoning behind the fake reviews is still rather daft, any publisher worth their salt would have seen straight through them, especially when one reviewer had so many reviews of other Blaze/Xploder/Pqube products on his profile.

But I am glad you do not condone them, so lets move on from that now, I know you have a huge amount of work to do with this, but may I ask what is being done to the actual machine itself, which has some serious problems, the headphone bug, and the lack of a proper volume control, I mean seriously how does a hand held console get released without one, also units with dead pixels, and some games not playing properly, or with features missing, like Doom's inability to change weapons, I would personally not consider a machine with build and software problems.

And what is the idea behind Dosbox, is it a way to simply get some shareware programs onto the machine, to add content that does not need to be licensed?

I think you taking over the GG forum would be a great idea, you have provided more feedback from the company in one day, than Xploderadmin has done in months, but to just have a stickied thread here would be more than sufficient, what if every hardware manufacturer were to have their own section, no thanks.

The only activity on the GG forum is to add pointless and irrelevant 'news' stories, dragged off other sites, if half as much effort had been employed by them in keeping the customers informed of progress, then far less disdain would have been directed at them.

Good luck with the Game Gadget Andy, I think you have a Herculean task ahead of you.

[andypqube]

Ok - I will make sure the GG forum is my main "base" and I will do what I can to get around the other forums.
I will definitely be 'here' and I would appreciate it if you guys could send people my way if they are posting anywhere else.

No worries.
There is one piece of feedback I'd like to give you on licensing games if you haven't realised it already. If you have a decent relationship with the Retro Gamer staff and contributors you're looking at a very good resource for tracking down game owners and license holders. I would suggest you attempt to use it. These people have consistently produced articles for years that have required some detective work regarding who owns what and they've probably had more contact with retro game authors than anybody else out there. Not all games that people want are in the hands of the big boys. Some of them might be easier to attain than you think.

Thank you - I really appreciate this.

Hopefully we can build this relationship and everyone will benefit

[andypqube]

Some very positive posts by Andy so far, I think the reasoning behind the fake reviews is still rather daft, any publisher worth their salt would have seen straight through them, especially when one reviewer had so many reviews of other Blaze/Xploder/Pqube products on his profile.

But I am glad you do not condone them, so lets move on from that now, I know you have a huge amount of work to do with this, but may I ask what is being done to the actual machine itself, which has some serious problems, the headphone bug, and the lack of a proper volume control, I mean seriously how does a hand held console get released without one, also units with dead pixels, and some games not playing properly, or with features missing, like Doom's inability to change weapons, I would personally not consider a machine with build and software problems.

And what is the idea behind Dosbox, is it a way to simply get some shareware programs onto the machine, to add content that does not need to be licensed?

I think you taking over the GG forum would be a great idea, you have provided more feedback from the company in one day, than Xploderadmin has done in months, but to just have a stickied thread here would be more than sufficient, what if every hardware manufacturer were to have their own section, no thanks.

The only activity on the GG forum is to add pointless and irrelevant 'news' stories, dragged off other sites, if half as much effort had been employed by them in keeping the customers informed of progress, then far less disdain would have been directed at them.

Good luck with the Game Gadget Andy, I think you have a Herculean task ahead of you.

Which headphone bug are you referring to? I am aware of 2, one has been fixed.

The volume control will be fixed with an in game menu - an "overall" menu that can be pulled up. I do not have a time scale on this though.

Any user with a dead pixel is obviously entitled to either an exchange or refund.

The Doom situation is a little bigger - I don't have an answer for this right now, or a potential solution. It isn't a high priority at the moment (things like audio bugs are for example). So I wouldn't expect a solution in the short term.

DosBox is for both - shareware and potential PC titles.

Regarding the GG forum - thank you.

The "news" is an RSS feed - so no "effort" is required.

Hopefully I can turn this around - even if it is just communicating better, what is happening.

[adippm82]

The headphone issue I was referring to is the one where it does not boot if headphones are attached, mentioned in the Games TM review.

I do think also that the £1.99 price point is much more sensible, and 99p would be really great, much cheaper than the ludicrous prices on Nintendo's e-store, or the slightly less so PSN ones, although I would be astounded if Nintendo ever signed up to this.

Thank you for your answers.

[cdoty]

maybe because im bitter and dont want it to succeed?

Sadly enough that seems to be true. Too many people won't just move on, and seem to be set on bringing the system down.

I bought my system when the price dropped, and the trouble was just starting. People were getting fed up with the promises.

I'm enjoying my system, mostly from a developer prospective. I was a DS game programmer previously, and loved it. The Game Gadget became my next 'DS'.

I've ported two games I've done before to the Game Gadget:
http://forum.gamegadget.net/showthread. ... c-Defender
http://forum.gamegadget.net/showthread. ... rm-Warrior

I'm in for the long haul, but I also came in not expecting anything but a device to develop on (and eventually get reimbursed for when I submit an application).

As probably stated, I just want to hear regular updates, even if it's we're struggling to implement a feature. I'm a software developer, and can appreciate that it's difficult to implement a full App Store and a device in addition to attempting to license content.

[andypqube]

maybe because im bitter and dont want it to succeed?

I'm enjoying my system, mostly from a developer prospective. I was a DS game programmer previously, and loved it. The Game Gadget became my next 'DS'.

I've ported two games I've done before to the Game Gadget:
http://forum.gamegadget.net/showthread. ... c-Defender
http://forum.gamegadget.net/showthread. ... rm-Warrior

I'm in for the long haul, but I also came in not expecting anything but a device to develop on (and eventually get reimbursed for when I submit an application).

As probably stated, I just want to hear regular updates, even if it's we're struggling to implement a feature. I'm a software developer, and can appreciate that it's difficult to implement a full App Store and a device in addition to attempting to license content.

Thank you for sticking with it! Please let me know when you are ready to submit your game and I'll make sure the process is smooth for you.

[cdoty]

No worries.
There is one piece of feedback I'd like to give you on licensing games if you haven't realised it already. If you have a decent relationship with the Retro Gamer staff and contributors you're looking at a very good resource for tracking down game owners and license holders. I would suggest you attempt to use it. These people have consistently produced articles for years that have required some detective work regarding who owns what and they've probably had more contact with retro game authors than anybody else out there. Not all games that people want are in the hands of the big boys. Some of them might be easier to attain than you think.

Let's put them to the test:

I would kill for a Stunt Car Racer port. What would it tale to license that?

I'd also be happy to take a stab at developing the port.

[killbot]

[The "Launch" and what was promised at that time]

It should have been much clearer when the GG was finally launched, exactly what you guys would be getting at that time - and how much of the initial "idea" was still an "idea".

Within the next week, I will update the GG website to reflect it's current status much better and to reflect what it can do now and what we can do when we get new content.

I like your honesty Andy, it was what was needed ages ago- I do sincerely wish you well with the task you have ahead of you.

I agree. I think if someone this competent had been in charge from the beginning the machine may have had a chance. As it is I think the damage is done but I wish Andy all the luck in the world. If we ever see those CD32 games I might even invest myself.

[kiwimike]

[The "Launch" and what was promised at that time]

It should have been much clearer when the GG was finally launched, exactly what you guys would be getting at that time - and how much of the initial "idea" was still an "idea".

Within the next week, I will update the GG website to reflect it's current status much better and to reflect what it can do now and what we can do when we get new content.

I like your honesty Andy, it was what was needed ages ago- I do sincerely wish you well with the task you have ahead of you.

I agree. I think if someone this competent had been in charge from the beginning the machine may have had a chance. As it is I think the damage is done but I wish Andy all the luck in the world. If we ever see those CD32 games I might even invest myself.

Yes indeedy, I think it's unfortunately past the point but best of luck with the new approach. It'll be interesting to see how it goes. I can't help but feel he's been given a hospital pass by Mark & Jason who overhyped this thing and (IMO) misled intentionally to retain consumer interest...but I like Andys style and I hope he has luck turning it around. And if he pulls it off I may well find myself making a purchase. We'll see.

[zapiy]

Really pleased Andy has got involved. Very much liking the honesty surrounding the GG. Who knows what can happen now.

[commanderkaiser]

While it's great to see something is being done I'm still a little sceptical about how exactly they are going to turn this around. Things are going to have to change before I'm willing to jump on board, the issues with hardware and software, the amount of games and variety, and of course the pricing.

Having said that I do wish you guys the best of luck with it, and if you guys get this sorted, I'd be more than willing to give one a go.

[Bub&Bob]

What's the point of this? It's the same 5 or so people on this thread who are on the other Game Gadget thread.

That would suggest that most people on RG forum (me included obviously) are just not that interested - so why not just PM andypube?

[The Beans]

What's the point of this? It's the same 5 or so people on this thread who are on the other Game Gadget thread.

That would suggest that most people on RG forum (me included obviously) are just not that interested - so why not just PM andypube?

This is the offical thread for constructive feedback started by Darran.
Most threads on this forum feature the same five or so people (if that), which would suggest most people on the RG forum aren't interested in those either. So what's the point of them?