The problem is, GPH/GP2X didn't try anything. Just look at the GP2X, it's a box. You think the simple design would lessen the price for molding, but no, the GP2X is still to expensive. Boring handheld thus leads to a boring community (ie. emulator supremacy). At least Gamepark's handhelds have some kind of design (except XGP Mini, though it does have a D-pad).
I wonder how Gamepark made the XGPmini and XGP Kids so cheap, because of the fact that XGPmini is almost as powerful as the GP2X AND it has a 3D accelerator. Perhaps Gamepark was the dominant side in the Gamepark-GPH split up?
EDIT: WinterKid, notice that almost every game you mentioned are simply ports.
Uh...man, this guy is a class act. Well, at least you said probably and didn't make the whole thing a matter of fact, I'll give you that.Also, a note about people that play emulators and emulators only (most people). Of your 1000 MAME games, you probably play 3% of them, and never even try the 97%. Then of the 3%, you only play the games for a maximum of 10 minutes. Thus, there may be 1-7 games that you actually play many times.
Topic creator, you obviously don't go anywhere past the GP2X section of the forum. Get over it, GP2X isn't that great. If it was, I wouldn't be waiting for the XGP Kids right now.
Did you know in the forum, there is an entire section dedicated to XGP discussion? Anyway, you guys can't appreciate anything except emulators.
Just wait a little long I plan on releasing a bunch on game on the GP2X and these will not be generic games at all but full blow games! I have been coding everyday tranlating my game engine over from direct x to sdl and I have a bunch of games that I am going to make.
Honestly, the XGP machines do look like rather neat devices, with an interesting industrial design, the advantages of the GP2X (ARM9 processor and plenty of RAM, also a 2D blitter) and the 3D accelerator on the SoC seems nice. The analog stick might be an advantage but for emulators I can't see it being very easy to get used to for any sort of 'authentic' feel with any console.. it might be too unnatural? Although I'd think the same thing of the GP2X's stick just looking at it, if I'd never used it.
Now, personally, developing for the machines would probably be just like on the GP2X with some changes .. since it's mostly the same hardware (MagicEyes SoC with slightly different specifications..) but the advantages I'd use aren't there. Like a drastically increased ARM920T clockrate (it's apparently 200 MHz, not 266 MHz, according to MagicEyes, who I'd trust more than Gamepark really to rattle off their specs, as they MADE the SoC that defines what the system IS .. they probably just are able to overclock most of them to 266 MHz so call it that. Like how Craig calls the MMSP2's ARM9 processors '240 MHz' since they all seem to reach 240 MHz.) I doubt if the 2D blitter can handle much more of a load, and most of my drawing work doesn't put that big a load on the blitter anyway (the ARM920T could handle the vast majority of it in most situations..)
The only way I can see myself wanting to develop for an XGP system is for 3D endeavors; if Quake is ported AOA2 and the air combat game we're planning would run vastly better with even relatively weak 3D acceleration-- compared to on the GP2X where the bar is set much lower for max polys in a scene and there must be a substantial overclock.
And that may be ALL I can develop for it except a straight port of Stargazer or what have you, comfortably-- since if I exceed the specs of the LOWEST-end XGP model I alienate the community! e.g. I cannot develop for the XGP as the XGP Mini users, which most people seem to want .. will be left out in the cold if it pushes past the RAM capacity of the XGP Mini (32mb and odds are the OS eats up a good bit.) Stargazer is going to use at least 20MB of RAM just for VRAM, and at least 16MB more for various other graphics allocation, actual engine data, and of course music playback. Pain in the ass; there'd likely be a good bit of scaling back to do!
That is .. if these handhelds are even half as good as GP makes them out to be. The GP32's history seems to prove the XGP will probably go just like the GP2X with lots of faults in the start that need to be ironed out, revisions .. the whole nine yards.
I'll probably just fix my headphone jack, install one of Radek's D-Pad kits and call it a day. With a 312 MHz overclock ... that makes the GP2X my ideal handheld already.
I wonder how Gamepark made the XGPmini and XGP Kids so cheap, because of the fact that XGPmini is almost as powerful as the GP2X AND it has a 3D accelerator. Perhaps Gamepark was the dominant side in the Gamepark-GPH split up?
I think there is a less than 50% chance that we will ever be able to buy all three of these products. I can't see anybody putting up the money for manufacturing them all.
... the only reason I can see is that if it is homebrew friendly it might get some slightly better emulators than the gp2x, ..
I wonder how Gamepark made the XGPmini and XGP Kids so cheap, because of the fact that XGPmini is almost as powerful as the GP2X AND it has a 3D accelerator. Perhaps Gamepark was the dominant side in the Gamepark-GPH split up?
I pretty much agree with DaveC on his points, but I do think aside from the analog stick, a gameboy or gameboy color emulator might run fairly well. Don't know about Gameboy Advance though. Probably not.
Topic creator, you obviously don't go anywhere past the GP2X section of the forum. Get over it, GP2X isn't that great. If it was, I wouldn't be waiting for the XGP Kids right now. Pretty much all of the GP2X releases are emulators...BLAND. No originality, at all.
JaqMs is obviously just trolling. i made a valid point and he didn't respond.
if he'd been around through the birth and rise of the gp32 scene he'd realize how far along the gp2x scene already is! B)
Look at the XGP's, at least they have some innovation. Even something as simple as the foldable backstand on the XGP sets it far apart from the GP2X. If anyone doubts my innovation argument, mention ONE thing innovative (no accessories) about the GP2X.
Lastly, the GP2X IS expensive.
Sure, it can do many many things, but what else?
Sure, it can do many many things, but what else?
what exactly do you mean here? what else can you expect it to do? for a device aimed at a homebrew and emulation community, i think there isnt much more that could have been implemented into the device.
Sure, it can do many many things, but what else?
what exactly do you mean here? what else can you expect it to do? for a device aimed at a homebrew and emulation community, i think there isnt much more that could have been implemented into the device.
I meant what else makes it a good handheld. And I'm not really fanboying the XGP, just explaining GP2X's faults.