Flojomojo

I think it's an interesting question, and I keep coming back to it, even though I don't have an answer that meets the criteria. Hardware, in the best case scenario, is fixed, doesn't change. In the worst case, it gets less reliable or breaks entirely. In theory, emulation should get better all the time, assuming it's still being developed. I'm sitting on some old hardware like your 3DO which I bought when it was the only option. Every day I hang onto it without enjoying it increases the risk that it's going to stop working, so I should let it go. Right now I would say the OG GameBoy Advance SP with the nice bright screen is hard to beat for ruggedness and just feeling "nice." I've bought way too many cheap Ingenic-based clone machines for emulating the games than anyone should, but they're just not quite as good. I'm hopeful that the Analogue Pocket will end this nonsense, and that it's not SO nice I'm not afraid to take it out of the house.

OK boomer 😉

I feel like Horse Armor for Elder Scrolls Oblivion set off the microtransaction trend, and the resulting consumer freakout. Since I rarely finish anything, the base game is generally enough for me, for the few traditional type games I buy nowadays.

I choose two. Golgo 13: Top Secret Episode PinBot

Google Translate tells me "cake looking for spouse"

@carlsson Thanks for linking back to this discussion, I forgot about it. This product seemed a lot more focused back then. Now that they've teamed up with Atari it seems more amorphous. I know this though: their dream of a mobile-console hybrid is a reality. Just hook your iPhone up to a big screen with a Lightning-HDMI cable and pair it with an Xbone or PS4 controller, and you're in for fun times.

Perhaps it is meant as a dramatic pause.

Stardew Valley on sale for five.

There's always a Dean Takahashi story. https://venturebeat.com/2019/05/30/andy-kleinman-interview-how-wonder-is-building-a-hybrid-tv-mobile-gaming-platform/

News from the pigeon board: Atari has a new acquisition/partnership. Atari : VCS continues its development and acquires the rights to the Wonder technology for cross-platform gaming Wonder/OS seems to be some kind of middleware for making mobile games, and/or streaming from cloud. From their FAQ question, "Why do I even need Wonder OS?" Oh, that settles that then. Clear as mud. What makes them unique? Obligatory "look at all the places our people have worked" slide. Pretty sure Andy got a nice paycheck from this. I'm still not super clear on what Atari bought. Maybe they know better. Maybe it will increase the value of Fred's bag of random shit he's picked up portfolio.

I sure hope "marked as refunded" means actually refunded by the campaign runner. I suppose we will hear about it if it does not!

There's something to like in just about any system that has already come out and received software support for a few years. I would say the most overrated systems are those that haven't launched yet but have nonetheless gathered a cult of vocal followers.

The Switch attach rates are indeed calculated differently, to reflect the change to more digital games with varying prices. Instead of counting games, they count the cumulative software sales (in money, not games) per hardware unit sold. So it's not as if the dollar games are skewing the attach rates in a particularly unfair way. https://www.shacknews.com/article/111450/nintendo-redefines-how-to-look-at-attach-rates-on-switch https://variety.com/2019/gaming/news/nintendo-switch-software-attach-rate-1203198916/

Okay Tommy. I will tell you my motivations, so you don't have to guess at them and make further assumptions about a person you've never met. I don't have a "narrative." I might have opinions, as do we all. You, however, have an unreleased product to promote, which you have done at every conceivable opportunity, at great length, repetition, and at the expense of normal discourse between adults. You don't need to behave like an always-on infomercial, but have chosen to do so. We have already seen your "Switch has adult content" screed already; it was mentioned because it wasn't a good argument in the first place. Rehashing it doesn't make it more compelling the second time around. You have repeatedly accused others of "hating" on your project and yourself. You and your proxies have posted links to obscure videos that "show what we are dealing with" as if we should feel sorry for you. You have exploited the good will of the moderators of this site. You have accused others of stirring up drama while using ad hominem attacks against others for their opinions, experiences, even manner of speech. It seems clear that you are here to stay. I have attempted to make the best of it with liberal use of the "ignore" button, and encourage like-minded people to do the same. We won't be missing much, because we can judge the actual Amico from its performance in the real world, not the promises from its spokesperson.

Can we PLEASE have a sales-pitch-free zone in this online forum I used to love so much?? Without the presence of the Chief Ego Officer having defensive meltdowns every single day? Is that too much to ask??????

I would be careful of using games as an escape or as therapy -- falling into habituation and needing a "game fix" isn't super healthy. That said, I love losing myself in a "zoner" game that brings comfort and relaxation. I second the psychedelic Tempest 2000 (and sequels) and Rez. I find rhythm games soothing, like Space Channel 5 or Patapon. Some find them frustrating, so your mileage may vary. Spazzy stuff that requires constant attention is a favorite of mine as well. Wario Ware microgames demands my attention and forces focus. Or action games that are undemanding but pretend to offer something re behind each door, like Berzerk (Atari version is easy enough to play forever), or Venture. I get how JRPGs might be relaxing to some, but there's not enough engagement in them for me. Very soporific, sometimes they literally put me to sleep.

I think the controllers could be used for Osu. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osu!

Coming to VR as a 20th anniversary celebration really soon now! https://sc5-vr.com/en/ Single player only, I presume.

The silver one has special powers. Licensing well-known characters can eat up a lot of a small budget, but seems like an effective way to buy the attention of kids in the target audience.

I think it's pretty great for the price, especially with the built in games and the ability to easily add more via SD card.

Something else that creates a lot of friction for super casual players is being asked to whip out a credit card, even if it's for a pay once, play forever game. There's a reason free games do so well on mobile and make up for it with in app purchases. If the quality were high enough, wouldn't it be neat to just raise the entry price a little bit, and have it come with a crapton of games? Or a (free/bundled) subscription that would add more content as it's finished, like PlayDate is planning to do? UFO 50 seemed like the last word in retro style indie games. It was supposed to be released some time ago, but now it's scheduled to come out "when it's done, because game development is hard." Story about it https://www.siliconera.com/ufo-50-collection-50-indie-games/ Product site https://50games.fun Steam page (wishlist it!) https://store.steampowered.com/app/1147860/UFO_50/ Announcement trailer There's so much indie goodness out there that would appeal to retro fans.

A slot racer game was shown, and it reminded me of Pixeljunk Racers. The notion of what makes things complex, vs simple family fun is somewhat lost on me. Making and sharing your own tracks seems like it would fall under "complex," but could be kinda fun in an Excitebike kind of way.