HOMEBREW SUPPORTER

[Link | 2,714]

41 minutes ago, OptOut said:

the dude has nothing on the table other than a photo of a famiclone and a crack pipe. 

That's no crack pipe, that's my wife!

[zxdplay | 149]

5 hours ago, Scrobins said:

For what it’s worth, I think you have really out of the box ideas. I don’t agree with them, but you having interesting thoughts.

That said, I think it really matters what your motivation is. If you’re just trying to play with a new challenge, then do what you want. But if you are looking to make money to fund future projects, what’s been said above is solid advice, and my offer to help you publish another run of Star Keeper on the NES with VGS and Mega Cat still stands. If you’re just looking to make money period, homebrew development is definitely the wrong corner for you, because the margins are not great.

I am doing it purely for my hobby. I am just asking people if they would like to add HS to their wish list, that's all. But some people like to lead the topic to other things.
The more people support me, the more confident I am to complete the project.

[OptOut | 8,889]

37 minutes ago, zxdplay said:

I am doing it purely for my hobby. I am just asking people if they would like to add HS to their wish list, that's all. But some people like to lead the topic to other things.
The more people support me, the more confident I am to complete the project.

IMO, if you're not self-motivated enough to keep going with the project without the vague support of a bunch of internet randos, then you've basically got no shot at finishing it in the first place.

I say, just get on with it and do it, if you can, and show us your progress. If you produce something worthwhile, then you can attract people's interest.

Right now you're basically blowing smoke.

[fcgamer | 4,727]

2 hours ago, OptOut said:

People talking about marketing, and sales volume and this and that, and the dude has nothing on the table other than a photo of a famiclone and a crack pipe. 

Did I ever tell you about the 80 pin cartridges I was working on?

[OptOut | 8,889]

17 minutes ago, fcgamer said:

Did I ever tell you about the 80 pin cartridges I was working on?

I don't believe so! How's it going?

[zxdplay | 149]

3 hours ago, OptOut said:

Right now you're basically blowing smoke.

Since some people doubt the authenticity of the project, then, ok, I will announce the latest progress of HS on the VGS forum at the first time

Edited January 7 by zxdplay

[OptOut | 8,889]

1 hour ago, zxdplay said:

Since some people doubt the authenticity of the project, then, ok, I will announce the latest progress of HS on the VGS forum at the first time

Alright, let's see it then! 

[Brickman | 3,991]

31 minutes ago, OptOut said:

Alright, let's see it then! 

[Tulpa | 3,510]

17 hours ago, zxdplay said:

I am doing it purely for my hobby. I am just asking people if they would like to add HS to their wish list, that's all. But some people like to lead the topic to other things.
The more people support me, the more confident I am to complete the project.

If you want to do it as a hobby, that's cool. Lots of people do things that start as hobbies.

But most of what you're pitching relies on other people also taking it up. You can't rely on that. People are too fickle and unpredictable. You need to do a project that you can see from start to finish, and then see if people get excited over that. That's what made your original Star Keeper a success. It was a complete game and people just had to buy the cartridge.

A project that you can't finish yourself is a recipe for disaster, unless you already have partners lined up and committed.

[zxdplay | 149]

5 hours ago, Tulpa said:

If you want to do it as a hobby, that's cool. Lots of people do things that start as hobbies.

But most of what you're pitching relies on other people also taking it up. You can't rely on that. People are too fickle and unpredictable. You need to do a project that you can see from start to finish, and then see if people get excited over that. That's what made your original Star Keeper a success. It was a complete game and people just had to buy the cartridge.

A project that you can't finish yourself is a recipe for disaster, unless you already have partners lined up and committed.

 

Ok, I understand

[Khromak | 768]

I wasn't reading VGS much this weekend so I missed this whole conversation but just went back and read it. I agree with most of what others are saying and will provide my opinion as well.

If this console came out, I would buy it as a curiosity/rare collectible, but I wouldn't have any hopes of it taking off.

As others have said, developers might appreciate the tools but only having a handful of customers for their games will make it difficult to justify developing or porting their game to this system when almost nobody will actually purchase it. Add on cartridge production/shipping costs to this and I would be surprised if anyone developed any games for this outside of their own personal projects.

This creates a negative feedback loop: if there are no games, players won't be interested in getting the system -> if players don't have the system, developers won't create games for it -> infinite loop

As others have said, there needs to be at least a couple/few fun games that play on this thing for any player to care enough to want to purchase it. If you think you can develop that and still keep the costs that low, go for it and let us know when it's fully functioning. If you have a console for $80 and games for $40 and they're high-quality games, I think you'd have at least a few customers, though as @Gloves mentioned, not enough from VGS alone you'll need to get out on Twitter/Reddit/Twitch/wherever and get people talking about it.

The problem will always be the future of the system. Even if you release 150 copies of this thing, you can't really make a lot of money selling 25-150 copies of a game, especially if they take years to develop. Platforms with a much larger player base which already exist are much better.

If your goal is to have fun making a hardware project, I think that's amazing and fully support you.

If you're looking to make something that others will use to develop games, I think you'll be very disappointed. Maybe some hobbyists would take it up as a pet project, but I think a near-0 number of commercial games would ever be developed for it.

If you're trying to solve your audio problems, I'd work with someone who knows more about the audio for the system your game is targeting and have them help you.

[zxdplay | 149]

10 hours ago, Khromak said:

If your goal is to have fun making a hardware project, I think that's amazing and fully support you.

 

Compared to hardware development, I prefer to enjoy the joy brought by game development. I want to have a more relaxed development environment, where music can at least play midi (I like midi effects very much), mp3, wav. This requires large-capacity cartridges and audio decoding chips. It can be developed in C language, with a higher CPU clock speed, so that I can freely express my imagination when creating.
So I have always had this idea, to make the game platform I yearn for, and then develop games on it. I will feel very happy. As for making money, it's secondary.
I think at least a few game developers on the VGS forum share my thoughts. I would love to share the joy of making games at HS.

Edited January 9 by zxdplay

[erac | 78]

You just described a PC. Target Steam.

[zxdplay | 149]

1 hour ago, erac said:

You just described a PC. Target Steam.

 

Do you think it looks like a PC?

[OptOut | 8,889]

29 minutes ago, zxdplay said:

 

Do you think it looks like a PC?

That's a generic famiclone. The cost of components for a device like that is about 2 bucks, and each of those components is already mass-produced in the millions around the world.

What does this photograph have to do with the bespoke gaming system you are supposedly intending to produce? You might as well show us a picture of a Space Shuttle and tell us all about the amazing idea you have for building a spaceship. 

[zxdplay | 149]

17 minutes ago, OptOut said:

That's a generic famiclone. The cost of components for a device like that is about 2 bucks, and each of those components is already mass-produced in the millions around the world.

 

I have already said that the shell and handle of the initial model of HS are just like this, and the appearance looks exactly the same. The cartridge adapter is the same as that of FC, which is 60pin. As for the game screen you want to see, I will show it to you, but it takes time

[OptOut | 8,889]

8 minutes ago, zxdplay said:

I have already said that the shell and handle of the initial model of HS are just like this, and the appearance looks exactly the same. The cartridge adapter is the same as that of FC, which is 60pin. As for the game screen you want to see, I will show it to you, but it takes time

Well I understand that you may want your final product to end up LOOKING like this, but you will need to develop an entirely bespoke motherboard containing all the components you wish to comprise the design of your machine. In so doing, you will also have to produce your own shell design, which might look like the photo you have shown, but will nonetheless still need to be designed to your bespoke specifications.

In all likelihood, whatever machine you end up designing will be, in substance, SIGNIFICANTLY different from the photo of the famiclone you have shown. So, I would just like to make sure that people are clear about this fact, because otherwise it may be somewhat misleading.

[Sumez | 2,963]

Zero risk crowdfunding, though  

[OptOut | 8,889]

20 minutes ago, Sumez said:

Zero risk crowdfunding, though  

I see a crowd, I don't see much funding going on tho...

Zero fund crowd-risking?

[Scrobins | 1,727]

The quality of sound you’re looking to achieve on the NES has been reached, Sole Goose through the 6502 Collective published a music album on the NES: 

 

You should really take the time to explore what other homebrewers have brought to the table on this forum and talk to them in our discord. They have accomplished really cool things, and it seems like they could help you with your initial problem regarding music.

[Khromak | 768]

4 hours ago, OptOut said:

So, I would just like to make sure that people are clear about this fact, because otherwise it may be somewhat misleading.

I mean, in the OP he said:

  

On 1/6/2024 at 1:37 AM, zxdplay said:

The first batch of consoles is a test model, and the shell is borrowed from the FH-C26 (an 8-bit clone of the NES), and the HDMI and USB interfaces are installed on the back panel.

So I don't think there's a lot of misleading here. He was pointing to the console because Steam doesn't offer a physical cartridge, which he said is the way he prefers to develop/play games, also in the OP.

Say what you will about the viability or necessity for his idea, but he's not being misleading, he's only pointing out things he already said earlier in the thread for people making irrelevant suggestions

[OptOut | 8,889]

43 minutes ago, Khromak said:

I mean, in the OP he said:

  

So I don't think there's a lot of misleading here. He was pointing to the console because Steam doesn't offer a physical cartridge, which he said is the way he prefers to develop/play games, also in the OP.

Say what you will about the viability or necessity for his idea, but he's not being misleading, he's only pointing out things he already said earlier in the thread for people making irrelevant suggestions

Well he says the first batch IS a test model, but as far as I understand he hasn't actually made one of his supposed consoles just yet. So it's not a test model, there is no test model yet. That picture isn't a picture of his prototype console, it's just a picture of what he expects it to look like. It's just a famiclone.

Therefore, I DO think it's misleading, honestly. I want to see a homebrew console, but he doesn't have one. He has an idea for one, but there's no telling it will ever come to fruition.

Don't just show us a picture of something that ISN'T what you're going to make, I want to see what he does have, that's what I'm saying.

Edited January 9 by OptOut

[Khromak | 768]

1 minute ago, OptOut said:

Well he says the first batch IS a test model, but as far as I understand he hasn't actually made one of his supposed consoles just yet. So it's not a test model, there is no test model yet. That picture isn't a picture of his prototype console, it's just a picture of what he expects it to look like. It's just a famiclone.

Therefore, I DO think it's misleading, honestly. I want to see a homebrew console, but he doesn't have one. He has an idea for one, but there's no telling it will ever come to fruition.

Don't just show us a picture of something that ISN'T what you're going to make, I want to so what you do have, that's what I'm saying.

What do you think he means when he says "the HDMI and USB interfaces are installed on the back panel"? He's also said that this console is playing something, it's just difficult to record the screen for some reason.

IDK, maybe he's lying or hiding things, but taking him at his word, this picture is of his console, which has been shoved into this case (because he hasn't had shells manufactured).

[OptOut | 8,889]

Just now, Khromak said:

What do you think he means when he says "the HDMI and USB interfaces are installed on the back panel"? He's also said that this console is playing something, it's just difficult to record the screen for some reason.

IDK, maybe he's lying or hiding things, but taking him at his word, this picture is of his console, which has been shoved into this case (because he hasn't had shells manufactured).

He's speaking a second language, he's translating from Chinese, which screws with the grammar. He means it WILL have that stuff.

As far as I understand, that is just literally a famiclone. He has no prototype, he doesn't even seem to have finalized the software side of things yet.

[zxdplay | 149]

You don't have to argue anymore. The photo is not a real machine, but the real machine looks like this, exactly the same. I don't think there is any misleading.