RETRO VGS Kickstarter incoming

PukeSter · 07/14/2015, 09:28 PM

On Fighting Street since this could become the next Ouya.

New announcement on Facebook. What do you Obeyers think?

"WE NEED YOUR HELP! We will be starting to shoot our Kickstarter sizzle video this weekend and would like to ask this community to submit some questions they have for us so that we might answer these questions on the video and giving you credit for the question. First name and last name initial would be used. So if you provide a question, be sure to provide that as well. Also, please look through the list of questions to make sure your question hasn't already been asked. In either case, we will choose the person who posted the question first. Fire away and thanks for helping us out with this part of the campaign."

DildoKKKobold · 07/15/2015, 12:35 AM

To be honest, I feel bad for Mike the "Big Game Hunter." He keeps trying to get into things that either won't work, or are just too late to the party.

He tried Game Gavel, a website that is suppose to connect buyers and sellers of video games, for less fees than eBay, and lower prices for buyers. However, there isn't enough stock to make it worth browsing as a buyer, and there aren't enough buyers browsing to make it worth selling on that platform. eBay and Amazon, as shitty as they can be, are insurmountable monoliths.

He made RETRO magazine, which a really high quality printed magazine about retro games... when everyone is talking about the death of print. Mike himself handed out free copies to people waiting in line at PRGE. Its a nice magazine, I just can't see myself subscribing to print.

And now this Retro VGS console. Its suppose to be a platform to easily program and release retro-style games. However, people want homebrews for TG16, NES, SNES, Genesis, and etc out of nostalgic love for the console. No one has nostalgic love for a yet-to-be-released console. If people want retro-style games, there are plenty, like Shovel Knight, available via digital downloads on WiiU, Xbox One, and PS4... consoles that have other reasons to be owned. I just see this as yet another example of his heart in the right place, but misunderstanding the market. I hope I end up wrong.

NightWolve · 07/15/2015, 01:16 AM

Eh, you could bump the original thread with this, I don't see a problem.

https://www.pcengine-fx.com/forums/index.php?topic=18831.0

Psycho Punch · 07/15/2015, 08:49 PM

Filing under "Shitty Kickstarters" and "Nostalgia-based Moneygrabs"

SignOfZeta · 07/15/2015, 09:58 PM

The next Ouya? Dream on. They had Ouya consoles at Target! That's a level of success this guy can only dream of.

Ouya, Cybiko, Game.com, CDi, these are like 10 levels higher than the VGS.

esteban · 07/15/2015, 11:33 PM

Quote from: SignOfZeta on 07/15/2015, 09:58 PMThe next Ouya? Dream on. They had Ouya consoles at Target! That's a level of success this guy can only dream of.

Ouya, Cybiko, Game.com, CDi, these are like 10 levels higher than the VGS.

Hahahahhahaj. To think that game.com is likely to be orders of magnitude more successful than the VGS is hilarious, but I don't doubt it.

DragonmasterDan · 07/22/2015, 09:48 AM

Quote from: SignOfZeta on 07/15/2015, 09:58 PMThe next Ouya? Dream on. They had Ouya consoles at Target! That's a level of success this guy can only dream of.

Ouya, Cybiko, Game.com, CDi, these are like 10 levels higher than the VGS.

And while the Ouya was a bad business plan (downloadable games only via a mostly unknown platform/delivery service). It was at least a very cool device that was physically small, supported a wide variety of controllers and peripherals, great for multi-media streaming, and even a nice emulator device.

Arkhan Asylum · 07/22/2015, 05:08 PM

Quote from: DragonmasterDan on 07/22/2015, 09:48 AMIt was at least a very cool device that was physically small, supported a wide variety of controllers and peripherals, great for multi-media streaming, and even a nice emulator device.

You just described every android device on the market.

NightWolve · 07/22/2015, 06:51 PM

Quote from: guest on 07/22/2015, 05:08 PM
Quote from: DragonmasterDan on 07/22/2015, 09:48 AMIt was at least a very cool device that was physically small, supported a wide variety of controllers and peripherals, great for multi-media streaming, and even a nice emulator device.
You just described every android device on the market.

Yeah, that's the thing, if just get a decent one with like microHDMI out, USB in, 2-4GB RAM, you've got a great machine for past (emulation), present and future games (for a few years anyway), etc. And then they're cheap enough where a quick out-with-the-old-in-with-the new is justifiable.

glazball · 07/22/2015, 10:45 PM

I think you nailed it DK. His heart is in the right place and I can't fault him for trying. I plan to support the Retro VGS but I'm not expecting to be blown away. If there are a handful of fun games, then that's all I really care about at the end of the day.

Using the Jaguar mold though... just a bad idea. Perhaps there will be a slick woodgrain version. I'd eat that shit up.

GreatBlue Swirlof99 · 07/23/2015, 11:57 AM

The jaguar design is a nice and sleek one what do you want it be? BTW I'm hyped for something that can break the stale Nintendo,Micorsoft and sony gaming consoles! I miss SEGA... but I hope this will be a fun console to play but I hope the carts are cheap not like N64 games. And the launch titles look promising so what do we have to hope for?

VenomMacbeth · 07/23/2015, 12:03 PM

Quote from: GreatBlueSwirlof99 on 07/23/2015, 11:57 AMThe jaguar design is a nice and sleek one what do you want it be?

Something that doesn't harken back to the biggest failure of a console of all time?

Like the Atari 5200. They should use the case from that one.

PukeSter · 07/23/2015, 12:49 PM

Quote from: VenomMacbeth on 07/23/2015, 12:03 PM
Quote from: GreatBlueSwirlof99 on 07/23/2015, 11:57 AMThe jaguar design is a nice and sleek one what do you want it be?
Something that doesn't harken back to the biggest failure of a console of all time?

Like the Atari 5200. They should use the case from that one.

At least you can store a beer bottle in a 5200 case 😂

CrackTiger · 07/23/2015, 01:55 PM

Quote from: GreatBlueSwirlof99 on 07/23/2015, 11:57 AMThe jaguar design is a nice and sleek one what do you want it be? BTW I'm hyped for something that can break the stale Nintendo,Micorsoft and sony gaming consoles! I miss SEGA... but I hope this will be a fun console to play but I hope the carts are cheap not like N64 games. And the launch titles look promising so what do we have to hope for?

But it's just receiving games that have already appeared on, or soon will be released for Wii/U, PS3/4, 360/XO, Genesis, SNES, Steam, etc.

With publisher support from companies like "Collectorvision" and the general collectard business model of the console, they're not even trying to be a legit gaming platform, only an elaborate scheme to milk collectards.

Have you at least purchased Implode, Meteor Blaster DX, Hyper Novablast, Insanity, Pyramid Plunder, Atlantean, Mysterious Song, Revival Chase, Pier Solar, Legend of Wukong, Beggar Prince, Star Odyssey, Magic Girl, Oh Mummy!, Uwol, SupraKillMinds, Sacred Ljne, Zaku, Nightmare Busters, etc?

These types of "retro" games are being released regularly for legit "retro" consoles. What are the chances of the Retro VGS lasting long enough to build a library as large as the various new games available for the real consoles which we love?

Arkhan Asylum · 07/23/2015, 02:15 PM

Quote from: GreatBlueSwirlof99 on 07/23/2015, 11:57 AMThe jaguar design is a nice and sleek one what do you want it be? BTW I'm hyped for something that can break the stale Nintendo,Micorsoft and sony gaming consoles! I miss SEGA... but I hope this will be a fun console to play but I hope the carts are cheap not like N64 games.

Have you played a Wii U lately (at all)? Have you paid attention to the indie games on it? Not even the first party releases. The indie stuff you can buy on the store.

I highly doubt this little goon-box is going to have anywhere near that kind of stuff. The first-party Nintendo games alone on the Wii U make owning the thing worth it.

QuoteAnd the launch titles look promising so what do we have to hope for?

... the launch titles are Pier Solar (for fucks sake, why is this game everywhere), and a cyberpunk adventure game that will be available on many machines (I kickstarted it)

So, I dunno, what DO we have to hope for?

technozombie · 07/23/2015, 02:41 PM

I think efforts like this are just a misunderstanding of why people like retro games. Cartridges are not better, physical releases for games isn't better. That being said I love reading manuals, and especially looking at the artwork for those that have it. I'd rather my money go toward including a nice little story book for a game and a code for a download rather than a cart which amounts to a USB drive in a fat case.

o.pwuaioc · 07/23/2015, 05:49 PM

Quote from: technozombie on 07/23/2015, 02:41 PMCartridges are not better...

The pinholes in my CD games (PCECD, Saturn, PS1, and Dreamcast all alike) beg to differ.

CrackTiger · 07/23/2015, 05:50 PM

Quote from: technozombie on 07/23/2015, 02:41 PMI think efforts like this are just a misunderstanding of why people like retro games. Cartridges are not better, physical releases for games isn't better. That being said I love reading manuals, and especially looking at the artwork for those that have it. I'd rather my money go toward including a nice little story book for a game and a code for a download rather than a cart which amounts to a USB drive in a fat case.

All the more when the "console" is just pretending to be something it's not.

esteban · 07/23/2015, 06:37 PM

YOU ARE STILL NOT GETTING IT: the only reason Retro VGS is even REMOTELY amusing is because it is recycling the Jaguar case.

STOP SAYING IT WAS SILLY TO USE JAGUAR MOLD, because this decision is LITERALLY the only worthwhile aspect of the damn Retro VGS.

Re-read my old post for more meat.

Y'all are fools.

Trüe storie.

Psycho Punch · 07/24/2015, 01:08 AM

Quote from: technozombie on 07/23/2015, 02:41 PMI think efforts like this are just a misunderstanding of why people like retro games. Cartridges are not better, physical releases for games isn't better.

its just catering to the Nintendo Age side of retrogaming to be quite honest... I bet more than half of the consoles will remain sealed for collecting purposes.

SephirothTNH · 07/24/2015, 07:16 AM

Quote from: esteban on 07/23/2015, 06:37 PMthe only reason Retro VGS is even REMOTELY amusing is because it is recycling the Jaguar case.

This. The only thing I like about the Retro VGS is the Jag case.

I saw a video interview with the guy behind this a few weeks ago. He said they are using some kind of flash that lasts for 100 years. But that it gets too expensive after about 60 megabytes. So they were thinking about using Hard drives in the cart shell for bigger games.

My first thought after hearing that was "well maybe we will get some cheap Jag cases out of this." This is going to fail.

esteban · 07/24/2015, 07:39 AM

Quote from: SephirothTNH on 07/24/2015, 07:16 AM
Quote from: esteban on 07/23/2015, 06:37 PMthe only reason Retro VGS is even REMOTELY amusing is because it is recycling the Jaguar case.
This. The only thing I like about the Retro VGS is the Jag case.

I saw a video interview with the guy behind this a few weeks ago. He said they are using some kind of flash that lasts for 100 years. But that it gets too expensive after about 60 megabytes. So they were thinking about using Hard drives in the cart shell for bigger games.

My first thought after hearing that was "well maybe we will get some cheap Jag cases out of this." This is going to fail.

You are teasing me. As soon as you mentioned harddrive, I knew you were goofing around.

SephirothTNH · 07/24/2015, 07:41 AM

Quote from: esteban on 07/24/2015, 07:39 AMYou are teasing me. As soon as you mentioned harddrive, I knew you were goofing around.

No seriously. Let me try to find that video.

Edit:
Ok I think this is the one.

I would watch it and find the relevant part for you but I'm traveling and in a hotel with my sleeping wife right now. So trying to be quiet.

Here is the relevant bit.

esteban · 07/24/2015, 12:48 PM

Quote from: SephirothTNH on 07/24/2015, 07:41 AM
Quote from: esteban on 07/24/2015, 07:39 AMYou are teasing me. As soon as you mentioned harddrive, I knew you were goofing around.

No seriously. Let me try to find that video.

Edit:
Ok I think this is the one.
I would watch it and find the relevant part for you but I'm traveling and in a hotel with my sleeping wife right now. So trying to be quiet.

Here is the relevant bit.

Awesome, thank you.

Timestamp is 1624 for folks interested.

PukeSter · 07/24/2015, 02:09 PM

New facebook announcement. These guys sure are working hard. ;)

<quote>Hey Everyone! We are still here and working feverishly to forward the RETRO VGS. Working on some BIG things now that could have positive lasting effects on this venture. Hold tight we will be lighting things back up soon.</quote>

Hmm, think we could expect some kind of yet another limited edition, painted in army camoflauge? Perhaps some Ouya ports like Towerfall or Sonic 4? Maybe even some actual limited edition rereleases of Jaguar games!!!

elmer · 07/24/2015, 03:08 PM

Quote from: SephirothTNH on 07/24/2015, 07:41 AMNo seriously. Let me try to find that video.

Thanks for the link to the interview!

Quote from: esteban on 07/24/2015, 07:39 AMYou are teasing me. As soon as you mentioned harddrive, I knew you were goofing around.

OK, so it's 26:10 into the interview where he starts to talk about the flash carts and then the hard drive.

OMG .... Hahaha!!!!!

Yay modern "RETRO"!!!

The modern "RETRO" developers need 100's of megabytes just for all the Unity libraries, and their streaming-video, so let's give them hard drives in cartridges, and fast ARM cores so that they can port their bloated and inefficient code over from the PS4 and Steam!

Current homebrew developers can just run their new SNES and Genesis games on the RETRO VGS's FPGA chip ... if Mike Kennedy can persuade the hobbyist developers that are working on the MiST FPGA project to actually license the cores to him ... and when those cores actually exist, because they don't, yet.

Then those homebrew SNES and Genesis games can find a new audience of people on the amazing RETRO VGS!

That's for those players that don't just want to just play a 16-bit game on the original 16-bit machine that it was created for.

Hahahaha ... it sounds like such a totally appealing proposition!

Anyone wondering what the FPGA + fast ARM will do to the RETRO VGS price can look at the prices of the Altera Cyclone V SoC development kits ... that's the Altera chip with both an FPGA and dual ARM cores ...

http://www.terasic.com.tw/cgi-bin/page/archive.pl?Language=English&CategoryNo=167&No=836

Now ... as a tech geek ... I really want him to get funded, and I really want to play with one of these!

I still can't figure out how-on-earth this makes any sense as a modern alternate games console, since that where he still seems to be pushing this thing???

But I would love to have a development kit!

Nazi NecroPhile · 07/24/2015, 03:09 PM

Retro style games that're bigger than 60 megabytes (480 megabits)? Makes sense.

SephirothTNH · 07/24/2015, 04:12 PM

I hope this gets funded just so I can hear Joe say "...this game has a whopping 480 mega power." Or better yet "Twelve thousand mega power."

This thing is doomed harder than a time paradox duplicate.

DragonmasterDan · 07/24/2015, 04:31 PM

Quote from: guest on 07/24/2015, 03:09 PMRetro style games that're bigger than 60 megabytes (480 megabits)? Makes sense.

Neo Geo Mega Power!

esteban · 07/24/2015, 06:03 PM

Ok, I still can't believe this interview.

AT THIS POINT, IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO HAVE AN OPTICAL DVD DRIVE.

THAT's more retro than the harddrive-encumbered carts that are being proposed.

I trust a pressed DVD will still work in 30 years. I don't know if a harddrive is as likely. EVEN KENNEDY was careful to state that the harddrives would probably be viable for "20 years"...WTF??!!

20 years...PlayStation games are getting to that vintage.

RETRO VGS...the console with MEDIA that has the shortest integrity of any console to date...

The media...it will be like a timebomb...a Doomsday console, a ticking countdown to failure...

I guess the same could be said of all mechanical drives now. Does it matter if the console vs. the media is the weak link? Mechanical drive in console = one thing to fix.
Failing harddrives in games = multiple games to fix.

Maybe I'm being too harsh.

Psycho Punch · 07/24/2015, 06:14 PM

Quote from: NecroPhile on 07/24/2015, 03:09 PMRetro style games that're bigger than 60 megabytes (480 megabits)? Makes sense.

NEO GEO quality games out of this odd device, or no deal.

elmer · 07/24/2015, 06:20 PM

Quote from: esteban on 07/24/2015, 06:03 PMAT THIS POINT, IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO HAVE AN OPTICAL DVD DRIVE.

Except that the whole project revolves around the one crucial, and indispensable, piece of technology ... the jagwire case and cartridge molds!

I don't think that he got the Jaguar CD molds in that deal ... and even if he did, a non-standard DVD mechanism would cost a fortune these days.

glazball · 07/24/2015, 06:24 PM

I have no issues with the Jaguar mold. For the Jaguar. And I happen to like the Jaguar (yes, I'm in the minority).

However, for this system it seems like a bad idea. The open (to the elements) cart slot is a pretty major design flaw and they will not be improving that due to cost. Also, from what I understand, they'll be using the cart molds also and not changing/upgrading those either. I have some fan-made end labels for my Jag carts and they do not stay on well. The carts were not made for end labels. Hopefully I'm mistaken about the cart molds and end labels for the Retro VGS.

technozombie · 07/24/2015, 06:33 PM

This device is just getting more and more absurd lol.

esteban · 07/24/2015, 08:27 PM

Quote from: glazball on 07/24/2015, 06:24 PMI have no issues with the Jaguar mold. For the Jaguar. And I happen to like the Jaguar (yes, I'm in the minority).

However, for this system it seems like a bad idea. The open (to the elements) cart slot is a pretty major design flaw and they will not be improving that due to cost. Also, from what I understand, they'll be using the cart molds also and not changing/upgrading those either. I have some fan-made end labels for my Jag carts and they do not stay on well. The carts were not made for end labels. Hopefully I'm mistaken about the cart molds and end labels for the Retro VGS.

Yay! You are one of the few people who doesn't hate the Jaguar aesthetics.

As for the slot/carts...as many people have said, this console is just an awesome slab of absurdity.

I am loving this console more and more.

The entertainment is priceless.

Quote from: technozombie on 07/24/2015, 06:33 PMThis device is just getting more and more absurd lol.

DITTO.

PukeSter · 07/26/2015, 11:48 AM

New game announced. More indie shit.

Adventure in the tower of flight. It's like kid Icarus except you go down instead of up.

wildfruit · 07/27/2015, 07:14 AM

I think this idea is good in the head but useless in reality.
Also exclusive rpgs or gtfo.

GreatBlue Swirlof99 · 07/31/2015, 01:24 PM

The hype is on!

GreatBlue Swirlof99 · 07/31/2015, 01:25 PM

HYYYYYPEEEE!!!!!!!

HailingTheThings · 07/31/2015, 05:23 PM

Quote from: GreatBlueSwirlof99 on 07/31/2015, 01:24 PMThe hype is on!

Quote from: GreatBlueSwirlof99 on 07/31/2015, 01:25 PMHYYYYYPEEEE!!!!!!!

Doing it wrong.

Psycho Punch · 07/31/2015, 06:22 PM

Quote from: GreatBlueSwirlof99 on 07/31/2015, 01:25 PMHYYYYYPEEEE!!!!!!!

post your kickstarter pledges

DildoKKKobold · 07/31/2015, 06:48 PM

Quote from: GreatBlueSwirlof99 on 07/31/2015, 01:25 PMHYYYYYPEEEE!!!!!!!

Great work you guys are doing here, and save those animals.

Psycho Punch · 07/31/2015, 07:15 PM

Quote from: DildoKKKobold on 07/31/2015, 06:48 PMGreat work you guys are doing here, and save those animals.

What's with all those "save the animals" comments on SGDQ?

ToyMachine78 · 07/31/2015, 07:39 PM

A hard drive in a cartridge? You gotta be fucking kidding me!

SignOfZeta · 07/31/2015, 08:05 PM

Well, hard drives are pretty retro now.

esteban · 07/31/2015, 08:11 PM

PROPOSAL: Mini-DVD drives in the carts.

I'm serious.

It would be friggin awesome.

Yes.

elmer · 07/31/2015, 08:44 PM

How about a crystal of gen-u-ine, 100% pure, military-grade unobtainium in each cart.

Hermetically sealed because the precious unobtainium will evaporate instantly if ever exposed to the air!

A real "collector's" item

SephirothTNH · 07/31/2015, 08:48 PM

Quote from: esteban on 07/31/2015, 08:11 PMPROPOSAL: Mini-DVD drives in the carts.

I'm serious.

It would be friggin awesome.

Yes.

Since space is a concern with flash over 60 MB being too expensive it does beg the question. Why not try to implement something like minidisc or umd?

SignOfZeta · 07/31/2015, 09:09 PM

Anything but flash in anything that isn't a full on workstation in 2015 is just pointless.

DildoKKKobold · 08/01/2015, 01:47 AM

Quote from: Psycho Punch on 07/31/2015, 07:15 PM
Quote from: DildoKKKobold on 07/31/2015, 06:48 PMGreat work you guys are doing here, and save those animals.
What's with all those "save the animals" comments on SGDQ?

In Super Metroid, in the ending, you can take a side path, and open a door to these animals. By taking this side path, it "saves the animals" as they don't die in the explosion of Zebes, and appear in the ending sequence.. However, since its suppose to be a speedrun, this wastes time. For some reason, this bidding war of save/kill the animals is the biggest money maker for every GDQ event. Earlier yesterday, it was about even at $30,000 EACH.