GameGadget - Your impressions

[Stuart@retrogamer]

Blaze Europe is releasing a new open source multi-emulation console and with it an iTune's-style download service to legally purchase games for it. Here's some more info: http://www.gamegadget.net/press-release.html

We're running a news story on it next month and would really appreciate your comments for a poll.

[theantmeister]

It's certainly a good idea, but I think they might struggle to get support from the major publishers. I'll definitely keep an eye on it though!

[IronMaidenRule]

Like other similar devices, I think it is a good idea, but the price point has to be right.

[Black Ridge]

I hope it works and gets lots of support from developers to provide a decent catalogue of games. I wont play illegal emulators or hacks on other consoles so I will definately keep an eye on it.

[DreamcastRIP]

Having to pay to download ROMs of old games in a world where Android, jailbroken iPhones, hacked firmware PSPs, R4 cards on DS, Dingoo, Pandora et al exist? Challenging to say the least...

[DPrinny]

Bottom half of a DS
No appeal what so ever

[Timothy Lumsden]

the idea is very feasible, if the price is more sensible and if Blaze can overcome their bad name from previous shoddy retro products.

[junkmale]

There are already dozens of Chinese players out there that do exactly the same thing (without the legal downloads obviously).
It remains to be seen what support they get from the software houses.
In a world were everyone wants something for nothing i have my doubts that it will be a success but wish it the best of luck.

https://obscurehandhelds.wordpress.com/ ... readygo-2/

[Nemesis]

It could be a good alternative to modding your PSP etc. I don't fancy mucking around with firmware so this could be what I'm looking for. It all depends on the games of course!

[c0nfu53d]

I'm interested - but only if the emulators are good. Innitally I thought it hasn't got anything to offer above what my PSP offers but on reflection the PSP SNES emulators leave a lot to be desired. So we'll see.

[ipmarks]

In principal it is a good idea, but to be honest I can't see it being a success.
There are a lot of Retro Gamers out there, but many of them use illegal/grey area emulators and ROMS to get their retro fix. Whisper this, but so do I sometimes, and I can't see that many people paying out money on a regular basis for old games.

Also do we really need another portable machine. Since the advent of iPhones and Android phones I do all my portable gaming on them, I have no desire to go back to having to carry around a separate gaming device. 5 years ago I'd have snapped their hand off to own one... nowadays I've got no interest in it at all.

[Liamh1982]

Nice idea, but it'll die on its arse.
Anyone interested in this kind of thing will have probably already downloaded ROMs for free.

And Blaze have made a right Horlicks of their links with Sega.

[r0jaws]

I honestly can't see it going anywhere, there's just too many readily available, and proven, alternatives.
But, I suppose if it's cheap enough and they get a reliable, simple and reasonably priced "market place" for downloads then maybe. I almost certainly wouldn't buy one though, unless those points are right.

[the_hawk]

It's the sort of thing I'd have been all over a couple of years ago, however with my modded psp & my emulator laden Xperia play I'm pretty much sorted for retro gaming on the go.

[thevulture]

Brave move planning to release something like this in an already crowded handheld market, where people can get all manner of devices to do same or similar job, but not even think of having to pay for the games.

To my humble self, it just smacks of too little, too late.

Personally cannot see it being anything other than a failure, look forward to a lookback at what went wrong with the device, in few years time on various websites and magazine articles.

Like it or not, there's just no escaping the fact we live in a society where folks were unwilling to buy say DS, PSP or iphone until they knew you could jailbreak/run CFW on it, get games for free, so i'd wager they'd see the concept of buying games legally as only option as a major turn off, not selling point.