Game Gadget - How to improve it

[The Beans]

Agreed, i have never had to deal with this kind of thing but from what i understand from chatting to other people about copyright and old games not related to the GG. Its a mine field, especially if the original holder is no longer.. lots of people can claim ownership so getting to the bottom of it can be hard. Not saying thats the case here but i assume its very similar.

Totally agree, sounds a complete nightmare when it comes to who owns what all these years later.

It's a nightmare but it is possible. Who owns what can be really clear.
As an example, Data East Classics for the Wii was released by Majesco after they'd licensed the games on it from G-Mode, current holders of a lot of the Data East arcade licenses. Not all games are dwelling in license hell.
I think Blaze were sort of expecting companies to come to them with their games ready to run on the GG with all the work done or something. A really simplistic view IMO. It usually takes a third party like Majesco to do the emulation work and get the games out there. In the case of GG it would have to be Blaze themselves doing the work or a contracted third party. Getting the license is only half the job. You also have to license the platform you're emulating (usually) and then get the whole thing done. I think this might have wrong-footed Blaze in the same way it did with Krome and Game Room. Maybe Blaze bit off more than they were prepared to chew.
It's true that many publishers seem to sit on their old IP but if the cost of getting it out there doesn't make it worthwhile in financial terms then it's understandable.
Whatever the situation, Blaze need a far better strategy in acquiring and delivering games for the thing. I think that's obvious.

[lemonjellydude]

being one of the original GG Day 1 people who were very mislead It would take a hell of a lot of improvement to get me back on board.
IMO if im being contructive though is IF they are really serious about this (and Im still not convinced they are!) the very first thing they should do is scrap their forum completly.
Then they should stop selling the machine full-stop and relaunch it when (and IF) they have at least 100-200 multi platform premium software titles, and by premium I mean the paid for ones not the s****y freeware that is plaguing it at the moment.
If they can actually prove they can sell what it was originally intended for then it could have a proper re-launch and perhaps then people may actually buy it.
As it currently stands its useless!! and I would recommend no-one to buy it in its current statem, if GG cant get people on board then it should not be on sale!

[Darran@Retro Gamer]

I did mention the other day that ultimately I don't feel the machine is marketed at the retro gamer readership.

When we were first told about Game Gadget I told Stuart to not get too excited about it, because I honestly didn't believe that it would be pulled off (although other mags/websites went ahead anyway). We got stung by Games Room (which I still feel was a fantastic idea and could still be turned around) so I didn't want to fall into the same trap with this.

[kiwimike]

Well, just popped onto the gg site- There's no update there about a new PR team! They can't even inform their own customers first...one gets the suspicion this whole thing is more a ploy in the hope RG will go easier on them in a review...
Honestly, sorry for being cynical- but the problems are obvious and the fact their first port of call for an update of any kind was NOT their own site/customers still they have not learnt a damn thing. Of course, I am assuming there are still customers there at all- And that is not a smartass joke, it seriously has only the most slightest of pulses over there. A couple on the development topic (the few who clearly just bought it as a budget open sourced HH for the sandbox mode) but otherwise, zip. So I guess the 'Xploder Admin' guy got his wish and got rid of all the moaners, they closed the door on the way out as he put it.
Problem is, he forgot those guys are customers, genuine gamers, and that they pay the ****ing wages!!!!

[kiwimike]

I would love it if RG mag for their review got an interview with the two founders to specifically hit them up for the issues in both topics. NOT PR people, or associated companies, or whoever the gg is under now- But these two guys that started this all. Questions need to be asked, and answered, before they can clear this mess and start again.
Depending on how they reply, and where the thing goes from here, I may still be interested. But I will be honest and say I highly doubt it, they would have to impress the hell out of me

[slacey1070]

I'm not going to defend the GG, just try and give a slightly different take on things.

When you are wrapped up in a project that you really believe in, you can't always see it for what it is. You see if for what you believe it is. And it appears that no one either challenged or was allowed to challenge what was going on. There was no one pointing out the flaws and pitfalls, no one checking the reality. And lets be honest, we have all done that at some point.... "group think" in action.

And they probably invested a lot of money into it, so even considering that it wasn't quite as they hoped probably wasn't an option. Its hard to take a step back and admit you've made an unholy mess of everythings.

Another example would be the C5 for me. . . . and probably some of the small 8 bit micros. The idea and concept were bigger than the reality.

Doesn't help the customer one little bit, who feel cheated and let down... conned....

And lets be honest, we ALL wanted this to be fantastic didn't we?

So, how to make it better?

Make it open source, cut the price and hope the users take up the challenge and make it into something more useful.

And if they do, make a v2 thats better tested with a better build quality.

[andypqube]

Hi everyone
I'm just posting to say "Hi" and a "thank you" Darran for starting this thread.

I won't be posting again until after our meeting with RG (purely because I don't want to influence any comments you have) - however, I will read every single post and address them all before internally, before we meet with RG. So please post any ideas and comments you might have and I assure you, they will all be taken into consideration.

Yes, we may be the Marketing/PR department, but we have direct links to the MD/Founder/Creators. We can make sure they get your message and we can also push internally with the development team to get you what you what (and not what they/we think you want).

Thank you for all of your input and I hope you all get chance to add some more comments before our meeting next week.
Andy

[Antiriad2097]

...address them all before internally before we meet with RG...
to get you what you what you want

Doesn't bode well for the new marketing team if they're presenting themselves this badly on a public forum. Marketing is all in the presentation and that isn't a great start. Sorry Andy.

[Bub&Bob]

Is this spam?

[andypqube]

...address them all before internally before we meet with RG...
to get you what you what you want

Doesn't bode well for the new marketing team if they're presenting themselves this badly on a public forum. Marketing is all in the presentation and that isn't a great start. Sorry Andy.

Thanks for pointing this out - I've corrected it.
- Andy

[kiwimike]

Hi everyone
I'm just posting to say "Hi" and a "thank you" Darran for starting this thread.

I won't be posting again until after our meeting with RG (purely because I don't want to influence any comments you have) - however, I will read every single post and address them all before internally, before we meet with RG. So please post any ideas and comments you might have and I assure you, they will all be taken into consideration.

Yes, we may be the Marketing/PR department, but we have direct links to the MD/Founder/Creators. We can make sure they get your message and we can also push internally with the development team to get you what you what (and not what they/we think you want).

Thank you for all of your input and I hope you all get chance to add some more comments before our meeting next week.
Andy

With respect- This news of a new PR team has not even been updated on ggs own community forum! Whats wrong with asking those there (whats left of them) their thoughts? I'm sure despite MANY opting for refunds they would still browse there. Is it not best to ask your own customers, and ex customers, what they want. Although, in all honesty, it is pretty obvious. You have two topics on this forum- one over 30 pages now covering the lack of games, hardware and software bugs, promises and updates that never happen, an extremely arrogant company that has not listened, has not wanted to listen, ateempted to delete and stifle customer complaints, and even resorted to fake glowing reviews of themselves. And has they even achieved a fraction of what was promised they wouldn't have had to. It's not that they delivered little of what was promised...it's that they've delivered nothing of what was promised.
I think you should print out the 30 pages on the other topic, take it to those two founding members of the game gadget- the ones with all the boasts and promises in magazines leading up to launch- and go through that, post by post. Don't hide from it, nor can this one be deleted. Face up to it.
A public apology for the misleading on their forum is a good way to start, with an intention statement to go with it. A realistic, specific statement they will stick to. And it has to be these two guys that do it, not another company behind some sort of 'Xploder' name.
That would be a start. Then it needs the bugs ironed out and a decent range of games that work properly, across a reasonable range of hardware. You may then get some back on board- but they need to sort out all the ill feeling they've caused.

[kiwimike]

we have direct links to the MD/Founder/Creators.We can make sure they get your message

The problem is, they have GOT the message, over and over. They have chose to delete it, ignore it...Maybe they have got the message more firmly due to the hard copy reviews coming out that can no longer be swept under the carpet, like Games TM and the upcoming Retro Games.

They already have the message...their success or failure depends on listening to the message, and acting on the message. They've already told one of their customers when he delivered his message- "We won't warn you again- close the door on your way out" ...His only crime was asking when he could expect the likes of Amiga CD32 games (Games they had claimed they had).
Seriously-as a PR firm-How exactly would you put a spin on THAT?

[lemonjellydude]

PRQube - you have a MASSIVE taks with this, I really think that its too late to repair what has already been done.
But If Blaze are still trying to flog the GG then I would love you tell the founders EVERYTHING that has happened.
I was the said person who was told by xploderteam to 'close the door on your way out ' I sharent warn you again' etc etc. If you have any chance of succeeding with this I totally agree with the other person the founders need to MAN up and apologise for treating all their customers like dirt.
The forum is a very very dry desert and you only need to look there to see that there is virtually no activity there and no one even bothers to talk about anything anymore.
The forum needs to be completly re-done and IMO xploderteam should never post on there again after their complete lack of customer care.
But considering all that the MOST important task by a mile is content, no one cares about all the 'we are working on' blah de blah anymore. Nothing promised has materialised and this thing was launched in April!!!! if Blaze cannot get any premium content games on there VERY soon then there is absolutely no point whatsoever this thing going any further!! and if that is the case then it should either be stopped or re-sold purely as an open devlopment console ONLY and the itunes a like service taken off.If you cant give people what they thought they were getting you cant sell the console on the promised itunes a like service as its massively mis-leading!!!
Good luck! but Im sorry to say I really DO not think it can be saved now, the damage has been done now and reputation of Blaze must now be at an all time low.

[killbot]

we have direct links to the MD/Founder/Creators.We can make sure they get your message

The problem is, they have GOT the message, over and over. They have chose to delete it, ignore it...Maybe they have got the message more firmly due to the hard copy reviews coming out that can no longer be swept under the carpet, like Games TM and the upcoming Retro Games.

They already have the message...their success or failure depends on listening to the message, and acting on the message. They've already told one of their customers when he delivered his message- "We won't warn you again- close the door on your way out" ...His only crime was asking when he could expect the likes of Amiga CD32 games (Games they had claimed they had).
Seriously-as a PR firm-How exactly would you put a spin on THAT?

I don't think it's as much about pretending that didn't happen as about making sure it doesn't happen again. I still think there's the kernal of a good idea in the GG and I hope they can turn it around, though I doubt it. With respect to Andy, I just think they'd be better spending their money on getting some games on the thing rather than a PR firm - as I said upthread if I could buy reasonably priced Amiga games on this thing I'd be forcing my money down their throats regardless of the bad press they've had so far. As far as I can see, the only way to turn the GG's fortunes around is to apologise for the mistakes and establish a firm timetable for precisely what games are coming and when.

[subzero]

andypqube, dont waste your precious time on this, the GG is long past saving, they have alienated way too many customers already - the bad word on this is allover the internet ..... its done!