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[C.A. Silbereisen]

that niche has already been filled by those open source handhelds

[Player Ʒ]

they should just open up an sdk and let anyone have at it.

Just hoping it can gain a little more hype than the Caanoo.

[---]

that niche has already been filled by those open source handhelds

i thought those were a sham

[ஒழுக்கின்மை]

oh, to give an illustration of what i meant earlier:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE1JXCzJh2E

this was one of the first playstation games i bought (i think it may have been the first one). it was pretty awful in retrospect, but my brother and i spent months and months playing it against each other, learning all the characters and their special moves and secret moves, memorizing the codes to unlock secret characters, having mini "tournaments" between the two of us to see who was best with which character against which other character... i was best with duke and ellis, my brother was best with eiji, kayin, and fo

i think i put at least as much time and effort into getting good at that game as i put into any game ever (such as starcraft and league of legends later on). yet if i had first played that game today, i'd never have given it a chance, because i'm not forced to; when something is your only playstation game (or one among your only four games) you're going to spend a lot of time on it

which i think is also one of my "problems" as a developer; i still make games as if i expect the player to spend a lot of time on it, for it to be the only game they can play for weeks or months, so i don't make games to catch people's attention, or games that someone can play for 6 hours, have a great experience, and feel fulfilled, instead i make games with lots of replay value and secrets and intricacies. it's a totally different style of game, and probably feels a bit dated or weird to people who didn't grow up playing that sort of game

[The Monster King]

finally i am playable on handheld

[C.A. Silbereisen]

it's a totally different style of game, and probably feels a bit dated or weird to people who didn't grow up playing that sort of game

yeah pretty much i guess. i think more specifically singleplayer game have become less "meaty" and more about quick thrills and instant gratification. multiplayer games that require a lot of time to get good at (or simply get into, see MMORPGs) are still going strong.

[SirNiko]

What about games like Farmville or World of Warcraft (and other MMOs)? There are folks who have played those games for years, more time than even I would have done back in the days of owning only a handful of Atari games.

I view the increased availability and variety of games as a plus, to a point. I like to be able to master a game, find everything, hit all the target scores and move on to a new experience. I think after 40 hours you've exhausted the game, and you've stopped really learning from it. It's healthier to move on to a new challenge, so you're once again being stimulated with entirely new experiences.

Online games you play against other people are something of an exception, since evolving tactics keep the experience fresh, but I think it's still better in the long term to keep trying new things.

Obviously, the other end of the spectrum is the player who just dabbles at one thing after another and never completes anything. That's another extreme and shouldn't be confused with players who simply enjoy shorter games.

[ஒழுக்கின்மை]

as sinclair mentioned i think that trend applies more to single player than multiplayer games; i think that's true. single player games have become more cinematic and slicker, at the cost of depth, whereas mp games still retain much of their depth

for a good illustration of the change, compare the NES/SNES/GB zelda games to the modern ones; they lost a lot but they also gained a lot, to the point when they almost don't even feel like the same genre anymore. that's a dramatic example, but most long-term games series have changed in that way. compare final fantasy 5 to ff13, baldur's gate 2 to dragon age 2, or even dragon quest 3 to dq8

also i don't really agree that a game has been exhausted after 40 hours; that's usually the case, there are plenty of single player games where you're just getting started if you play them for 40 hours. roguelikes like dungeon crawl stone soup are an example, or pretty much any strategy game (civilization, wesnoth, etc.). i don't think i'd have enjoyed tohshinden as much if i had only played it for 40 hours instead of something closer to 1400 hours

[Richard Kain]

I'm not entirely certain why this discussion has taken such a philosophical turn.

In regards to the original topic, I think the NEO GEO's catalog would be a fairly decent fit for a bare-bones handheld. The NEO GEO was a pure arcade experience, all of its titles were built around that model. And arcade games are designed from the ground up to be fun in short bursts, and instantly accessible and engaging. That development mindset isn't ideal for portable gaming, but it runs parallel to it. There is enough cross over that I think this new handheld stands a chance.

The big "if" in this equation is what manner of on-line store they utilize for selling additional games. They will probably sell the hardware for a profit, so no problem there. But recurring revenue would be the icing on this particular cake. They will need an on-line store that can be accessed and used from the system itself, and easily navigated via the system controls.

[C.A. Silbereisen]

I'm not entirely certain why this discussion has taken such a philosophical turn.

If it hasn't turned into a semantics discussion by the second page, it isn't a TIGS thread.

Regards,
The TIGSource Moderation Team

[PaleFox]

I'm not entirely certain why this discussion has taken such a philosophical turn.

If it hasn't turned into a semantics discussion by the second page, it isn't a TIGS thread.

Philosophy isn't the same as semantics.

Regards,
The TIGSource Forums Posters

[Player Ʒ]

We came here for discussion on the Neo Geo, not philosophy or semantics.

Regards,
A sore loser.

[DavidCaruso]

Where is either the philosophy or the semantics in this thread?

Regards.
Horatio Caine.

[BlueSweatshirt]

Where is either the philosophy or the semantics in this thread?

Philosophy isn't the same as semantics.

 

[baconman]

Where is either the philosophy or the semantics in this thread?

Philosophy isn't the same as semantics.

 

I hope they make new games for this, instead of just re-releasing the 90s on it. I may want a portable version of KoF 2002/UM, but I do NOT want to wait 9 years for it.

[Kramlack]

Where is either the philosophy or the semantics in this thread?

Philosophy isn't the same as semantics.

 

I hope they make new games for this, instead of just re-releasing the 90s on it. I may want a portable version of KoF 2002/UM, but I do NOT want to wait 9 years for it.

You could always run 2002 off a portable with an emulator, that's what I do. I would however, welcome UM on a handheld, with open arms.

[Richard Kain]

Huh, I thought that this thing had been discredited. But apparently it actually is happening.

New Neo Geo handheld arriving later this year

Apparently its being produced by a company called Blaze, who have a history of developing retro-themed hardware, and it is being officially licensed through SNK-Playmore. Most of the previous rumors about the device seem to still be in effect. No word yet on price or how they intend to distribute additional games for it.

[C.A. Silbereisen]

isn't blaze a company that makes arcade sticks and the like?

[Türbo Bröther]

They made the Atari Flashback console and a whole bunch of portable SEGA stuff. Check 'em out, they look pretty cool even though the angle on that button setup looks like murder. If the last iteration of their portable Megadrive is anything to go by you'll be able to slap a bunch of roms on an SD card and have a little portable console that you can carry around with you but the sound will be crap and you won't be able to save any data.

If it does allow for roms you can be sure that I'll have Pusltar on there and will have broken the thing before the day is through.

[Richard Kain]

Neo Geo Handheld coming in December for $200

Yep, the Neo Geo handheld is still happening, and it now has an announced price as well as the specifics of what will actually come with it. At $200, it is clear that they have no intention of competing with modern handhelds. They are going straight for the nostalgia dollars, an approach that is reinforced by what will come with the handheld. Packaged with the Neo Geo X is a charging station that is shaped like an original Neo Geo AES home system, and an arcade stick controller that looks like a reproduction of the home system's original default controller.

As a modern handheld, this thing just doesn't stack up. As a nostalgia-infused re-packaging of the Neo Geo, I think it actually  has some merit. I was looking into acquiring some Neo Geo hardware and software recently, and the current prices are crazy. For $200, this is actually a pretty price-effective method of getting an authentic Neo Geo experience over HDMI.