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Gizmondo Tilts At Windmills
The always excellent Game Over feature on CNN reports on the upcoming launch of the Gizmondo portable console, and what a colossally bad idea it is. From the article: "Assuming you do want to play one of those games, it's going to be a frustrating affair. The system's D-pad controller doesn't lend itself to accurate aiming, particularly in fast-paced games. Of course, you have to turn on the Gizmondo to play games or take advantage of any of its offerings. This is not a quick task. In fact, it takes 48 seconds. (Compare that to less than five seconds on the Nintendo DS.) "
#2 - To launch a device with a title like 'Sticky Balls'
#3 - To do "all that" for more money that the PSP
Oh and 'no retail space' should fit in there somewhere too.
I'm seeing... It's coming... A repeat of the NGage... That's it... Yes, it is.
In case you're a philistine like me, and have no fscking clue what "Gizmondo Tilts At Windmills" means, you'll be pleased to learn that it means "Gizmondo prepares for a battle".
Comes from Don Quixote , apparently. I'd be pleased to learn from some of our more learned slashdotters why it means that.
Registering accounts later than some other chrisb since 1997
This is spectacular. I've never seen such a dismal product pitch. It's just fascinating how much that sucks.
There's only one way I'll ever buy one of those esoteric 3rd-party handhelds (I'm happy with my DS, thanks) - full x86 compatibility, to the point that I can load PC-DOS onto the sucker and play old Liero, X-Com and Descent on the damn thing. Until then, keep dreaming.
OMG! I must have one of these!!
This Gizmondo thing is a joke, right? They're not actually going to sell this handheld thing for $400, right? Right?
Modern copyright is theft of culture from everyone and it retards the progress of the useful arts and sciences.
When I first heard about the Gizmondo, I had hopes that it would be a good platform for homebrew and emulation. Hell no! They are using bios lockout just like on the PSP to prevent development.
The now deceased Tapwave Zodiac was a pretty good little emulation handheld, although the processor was too slow and it had a weird mutant palm OS on it.
I would really love a comfortable pocket pc designed for gaming. I have an Asus one which does the job ok, particularly for 8 bit games like NES and Segas Master System, but no Power PC handhelds have good button layouts for gaming, and most have terrible dpads. There is however, a ton of good emulation software for the platform.
Sometimes my arms bend back.
Other people will likely respond to this by accusing me of being a Luddite...my response would be to in turn accuse them of being brainless lemmings.
Ah yes, the wonderful attitude of "I don't like it, so nobody else could possibly find it useful." And anyone that disagrees is a brainless lemming? How charming.
A friend of mine works on game development for the GameBoy Advance. Although this device is due to be end-of-lifed soon, from what I've seen it never sold particularly well
No. Just....No. Did you even look at sales figures, or are just assuming that because you don't personally know many people that own one? I hate to sound like a jerk, but your assumption is so far removed from actual facts that it's jaw-dropping.
A person on a train does not want to wait a full minute for a handheld to boot up so that they can play a game.
If you have only a 5-minute train ride, maybe. Personally, I have a 30 minute ride each way, every day, and the GBA's short wait upon turning on doesn't bother me in the slightest. I've seen quite a few other people using GBA's and the odd PSP as well.
If Nintendo and the other companies want to make money from handheld devices
they should remember the KISS principle, and why the Game and Watch sold well for them back in the day. It's because it was simple...
They (or at least Nintendo) already have. There's a reason for the huge sales of the Gameboy's various incarnations, after all.
Why are you making these statements, when you apparently have almost zero experience with what you're talking about?