Lyth

February 25, 2017

Haven't there been NES clones inside miniature shells for many years now, before the NES Classic Mini? If those you mention are NOACs without HD, I would suppose it is the same design that already has been available for a long while, but since you live closer to the region and are in the business yourself, I suppose you're keeping a closer watch on this than I do.

It raises the question how many people looking for a real Nintendo unit will get fooled by a pirate knock-off, in particular if the price is affordable. It might cause even more outcry in the NES community than Nintendo stopping manufacture (if they do, that is).

That's possible, yet I haven't seen any. I know the NOAC boards are quite small, so it's feasible.

However, this one is a special case of cloning, as they've actually cloned the box design and general advertising in a sense. I may pick it up and try it out.

February 20, 2017

Not surprisingly, China is already cloning the FC and NES Mini's.

However, they seem to just be a NOAC inside a smaller shell, as there's no HD capabilities.

Yet, I've seen FC and NES clones that have HD output here, so I bet there will be a more "true" clone of the product in the future.

As you can see here, they've even copied the box design, with a few slight changes.

February 17, 2017

Here in China, we have online thrift shops, which are pretty much the same as "AS IS" stores on eBay.

Last haul, was a bit of a while ago, but I picked up:

2x Game Theory Admirals (NOAC NES/FC clone handheld that's shaped like a big GBA). Has composite video out too!

Came in squashed retail boxes, but didn't include the pin adapter for normal games. Ended up making my own.

Screen quality is meh at best, and the audio is very tinny, but it's neat to have one of the more uncommon FC/NES handhelds from China!

Not my pic, but this illustrates the weirdness of this thing. The cart adapter slot, is basically just a pin extender, and is super wobbly. Not sure if there were ever proprietary games created for this thing.

February 17, 2017

Well, the Lythium prototype is basically these dumping boards from the hardware guy: http://www.famulator.com

Does the other project even have a hardware guy? I mean somebody must have made those boxes...

Hi,

That's Byemu's site. Byemu (Peter) is our hardware guy, who has been working on the project since it's conception. He's quite skilled and has experience in creating dumpers/flashers, and flashcarts.

While the design of the Lythium prototype is similar to some of his current products (some of which, are were developed concurrently with Lythium and based off of it), our prototype's firmware, functionality and end purpose is vastly different. Additionally, our next prototype will have the Lythium Modular Connector attached, as well as a better quality slot and USB connector, and we'll showcase the cart slot adapters soon (which are developed solely by Byemu, solely for Lythium).

Additionally, most of Byemu's products use an ft232 + atmel Atmega MCU, while our Prototype (and final product) is based off of the STM ARM CPU.

A few current products of Byemu's use the STM ARM CPU, as they were developed concurrently, and acted as a stepping stone to Lythium.

February 14, 2017

If you support the VCS, will it be 100%? Will it run everything? Including DPC+ games and supercharger games?

I'll have to get back to you on this. Bare with me, as we need to make some headway into Atari support.

Our general aim is "as long as it can be dumped, and there's an emulator for it; it can be played". Obviously, there's more to it than that, but that's our goal in a nutshell.

We'll strive to continuously add support for more features, systems, games, and such, as much as we can technologically do. After our console launches and grows, continuous support will be added to improve the future set.

Additionally, we'll allow for third party & fan-made adapters to function with our console, as we want to inspire people to use our console as they see fit.

February 14, 2017

I was an early VCS'er. By the time FireWorld came out I was more and more into the computing scene. But I still played Atari from time to time. I never got too much into the traditional RPG games, on any platform.

How much support is planned? Emulator Stella is pretty good it covers all the major bankswitching schemes, runs all the games, and supports DPC/DPC+ & Supercharger. And it has all the amenities one would expect of a first-class emulator. It has something like 20+ years of refinements behind it.

I'm not sure if I'm understanding your question correctly, apologies.

In terms of general support, we will be supporting the consoles on the list in first post, as well as aiming for at least Atari 2600. However, we would love to support consoles that the community can suggest. In terms of scope, we can try supporting most cart based consoles (and should be successful), as long as we can find a supplier for the slot, and as long as there is an emulator for it.

February 14, 2017

How do I put this carefully and gently? Did I detect a minuscule amount of an unknowledegable marketing type playing into his audience? Because Swordquest is almost as bad as E.T.. When I was a kid I remember plugging in SwordQuest just to look at the pretty title page and that was it. 10 seconds later I was back on duty with Missile Command or Dragster.

Don't hate me for this, but I actually have fond memories of Swordquest Fireworld. It was one of the first games that I played on the 2600, so it has a bit of a special place in my heart.

Okay, you can hate me a little for that.

We're now looking into Atari 2600 support. As long as we can find a supplier for the connectors, then we'll be good to go on that forefront.

February 13, 2017

So you're basically selling a Retron5 with built in Retrode device, basically a Retroblox without the CD drive and nonsense talk about digital stores and hybrid emulation?

Also as for 24-pin Atari cart connectors, don't some of the old floppy cables have them?

It is similar in some ways to the Retron 5 or other competitors, although we can detach the Core and use it in devices where Retron 5 or the others would be unusable, like on laptops and HTPC setups.

All while abiding by GPL, and providing official support for more systems (at proper voltages too). And adding to that, we're actively trying to connect to the retro gaming community, and providing easy to use software for less experienced customers.

And yes, no nonsense.

About the Atari, thanks for the insight. I'll take a look! We'd love to add support for that! Gotta love playing Warlords and Swordquest. :grin:

February 13, 2017

Best Electronics finally ran out of 2600 connectors? I remember back when the original Flashback 2 popped up people were farming the parts off them to hack their systems to play games. I kind of wish I had someone make me one back then as I didn't and still do not have the tools for that kind of job.

Now if this thing comes out and it can also handle a flash kit that's going to get it a lot of interest over the retrofreak, retron5, and even retroblox too. It will get the testing types on board, homebrewers, pirates, etc to buy from them first if real hardware isn't something they want or isn't an option.

Hi!

Lythium is compatible with Non-Removable Media Flash Carts, which are the same types of carts that dumpers can flash to. In a sense, like a blank, re-writeable cartridge, that can be written to by the device.

Ick to Kickstarting something if you're this far along, but I understand to a degree. Yay to Wonderswan and NeoGeo Pocket compatibility. Older systems would be welcome, as well. Dunno about three hundred bucks for the standalone bundle.

As fiddly as it is with a kickstarter, the more that is shown here, even if it's all pretty much smoke and mock up so far, it does show some promise if it can be developed as described and isn't some chameleon in the end.

Hi guys,

We realize that some products on crowdsourcing platforms such as Kickstarter, lack feasibility and sustainability, due to not having a prototype and shady business practices.

That observation, is why we waited until we were past the initial prototype stage, to start unavailing our product, and aim to be transparent as possible.

We are choosing Kickstarter for a source of funding, as it gives us a platform to pre-sell our products, to generate funds for the longevity and success of our business, while retaining creative control.

February 13, 2017

Morning guys, just woke up. Excuse the time difference on my end. We are aiming to support at least Atari 2600, and possibly other classic systems, however we need to secure a manufacturer of those cart slots. If any of you know of a manufacturer/supplier, or a place to get those, you can PM me. I'd love to add that support, as I am a fan of it. We'll try our best to add this functionality. Our Engineer confirms that this is possible, if we can secure a supplier for the slot. So we'll be on the lookout for that.

I appreciate the feedback so far! Thanks to you all.

I didn't mean you selling software, I meant homebrew devs selling games to customers who are planning to use the games in your device.

maybe I'm missing something here, but isn't all you need to "write" to a flash cart is a SD card reader? I know there are some ancient, pre SD card devices, but are folks still using those?

I've seen that in Asia, simple "flash carts", which don't have any SD technology, seem to be popular due to price. Which are pretty much a blank cart, for repro and some homebrew games. (The way we explain them in China is a "Single ROM flash cart")

Additionally, we want to give people an option to put their homebrew ROMs on a cart, by using this device. Imagine Lythium to have the feature of a cart writer, that people can use with the relatively cheap, non-flexible storage flash carts, that existed before the SD ones. (For example, those 256M GBA cards).

However, this is a subset of our main goal and features, which we hope to grow as well. We need to test out flash cartridges that exist on the market, to see compatibility. I want to make note, that we can and aim to produce blank/flash carts in the future, as our part of our team has experience doing this.

Ick to Kickstarting something if you're this far along, but I understand to a degree. Yay to Wonderswan and NeoGeo Pocket compatibility. Older systems would be welcome, as well. Dunno about three hundred bucks for the standalone bundle.

Thanks for the compatibility feedback! These prices on here are preliminary, and we're trying to get them down as much as we can. We'll be sure to keep you guys in the loop, on any developmental steps we make.

February 12, 2017

Will the base cartridge dumper and controller adapter work with other emulators on a PC? Or will it be tied to the custom software?

Also how many / which cartridge adapters are planned on the base price?

It's quite interesting if it can support more systems than a Retrode2 for a PC.

Hi!

If you so choose, you can use Lythium as a ROM dumper with the provided software and then play those games with other emulators. As far as I can tell, the controller adapter will work with other emulators.

Also, every Lythium bundle includes cartridge adapters for every console that we support (see the above list). I've edited the first post to make this clear as well.

I'm going to keep an eye on this.

Great! I've got my eye on you as well! I see you.

Just kidding!

What's the problem this product wants to solve?

Many of us already have many ways to play old games.

What value does this add over classic hardware or pure software emulation?

Lythium provides users with a way to play and backup ROM + SRAM data from the cartridges that they own. This means users can continue their saved games, on cartridges they used to play, and relive moments. This is especially applicable to all of the cartridges that have SRAM batteries that may expire soon. People can backup their saved data, and keep it! It goes without saying, that users may own games for consoles they don't have, and Lythium gives them an "all in one" solution to that issue. Lythium in a sense, is a also some-what portable by design, as the user doesn't need a TV to operate and play on the Lythium Core system, and can use their laptop or PC.

Lythium also provides homebrew developers and enthusiasts, to use one device as their ROM + SRAM dumper and/or flasher. Additionally, Lythium can provide users a way of sharing their high scores (via screenshots), gameplay screenshots, etc, directly to social media.

We aim to have a strong feature-set at launch, and are happy to incorporate features that the community suggests.

I'm understanding that this is basically like a Retrode2 but with separate controller adapters; similar to the one that comes with the Retro Freak.

Separately you can buy that "standalone" unit which is some kind of x86 box running open-source libretro, but you don't have to.

The basic idea is that you use this hardware with PC/Mac software that is a frontend to emulators. Kind of converting your PC into a Retro Freak.

Am I right in this assessment?

The Retrode2 is cheaper with adapters, but it does not come with software so it's overall more fiddly.

It also only supports a few systems officialy: http://www.dragonbox.de/en/313-retrode2-with-all-plugins-retrode.html

In a nutshell, you are correct. I can't say much about what our competitors may provide, however, we aim to offer N64 and GBA connections at proper voltage (3.3V vs 5V).

Additionally, we officially support all of the above games and features (as stated in the first post), and are happy to have third party add-ons created for Lythium.

Lastly, our design incorporates a social media based feature-set, as well as the above mentioned modular aspect, to expand it's features and market, as we continuously develop with the community in mind.

In a sense, Lythium is a USB based cartridge interface, that can be used with your PC, or stacked on a module to make it a standalone console.

Edit:

It's late here in China, so I'll be off to bed now! My team members (Foxlet and Habbasi) will take over intermittently. There may be some delays in response, rest assured.

February 12, 2017

Hi all,

As some of you may or may not know, I'm the founder of a small company which is finalizing development of a Retro Game Console, and soon to be launching on Kickstarter.

I've created this post here, as we believe it's important for us to connect directly with the community for transparency and development reasons.

We fully understand the past situations with other game consoles that created bad reputation for parts of the market, and that pushes us even more to provide a fantastic product to our customers.

Introduction of Myself

As some of you may have seen from my introduction post here, I'm a Canadian who has been living in China for the past 4 or 5 years. I'm a graduate of Computer Systems, and have been in the retro gaming community for about 10 years, most notably BenHeck and AssemblerGames. I'm from way back when people like Palmer Luckey were creating console portables, heh. Also, Like some of you, I grew up playing various retro consoles (most notably N64 and Genesis) with my family.

Previously, I've worked short contracts with Square Enix/BigPoint, Microsoft and Mockworld. For Square Enix/BigPoint, I was a community moderator for Gameglobe, and for Microsoft I was an EN/FR SEO coordinator on the Bing project. Lastly, for Mockworld, I was QC tech for their Shockwave based games.

I'm also a certified (TEFL/TESOL) English teacher, and previously have worked as a volunteer English teacher, as well as Foreign Leader at a few Middle Schools and extra-curricular facilities.

Introduction of RetroATK

RetroATK (short for Retro Attack), was founded by myself back in 2015, as way to start providing the growing retro game market with quality hardware. During these last 2 years, we've grown internally and have staff members in China, Germany and America. For example, our Engineer is known in some circles for creating various dumpers for NES, SNES, GBA, N64, NeoGeoPocket, and flash carts for GB and Wonderswan.

Our website is: https://www.RetroATK.com

*Please note, our website is currently pushing updates. So you may see some abrupt changes!*

Our Core Team

Myself - Founder and Marketing
Peter (Byemu) - Engineer and Hardware Expert
Carlos (Foxlet) - Software/Product Designer and Marketing
Hameer (Habbasi) - Software Engineer & UI Developer

Hameer's Introduction

Hameer is a Pakistani engineer with a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and is currently pursuing a Master's in Information and Communication Engineering from TU Darmstadt, Germany. He has been programming as a freelancer for 3 years and has worked professionally for a year in the past.

Peter's Introduction

Peter, also known online as Byemu, is a hardware engineer, living in Shanghai, China. Peter has developed dumping hardware for consoles such as WonderSwan, N64, GBA, SNES and more, for the Japanese and Chinese market. He has also developed flash carts for the applicable systems as well.

Carlos' Introduction

Carlos is a software developer currently joining the RetroATK team to deliver the Lythium console according to the community's needs.

Our Product: Lythium

Lythium is a stackable modular retro game console, that has been built from the ground up, with the retro community in mind. As you can see below, Lythium has 3 major modular components, which exist to fit the various needs of our customers.

Lythium Core is a USB based device which is capable of dumping SRAM & ROM, and can instantly play cartridges through our Windows/Linux/macOS client. While, the Lythium Controller Hub is a stackable add-on, to allow for native controller usage. Lastly, the Lythium Standalone box is a stackable add-on that allows the user to use Lythium on their TV, just like a traditional game console. So, no matter the situation, Lythium can fit your lifestyle.

Lythium was developed, to fill the needs of various retro gaming enthusiasts, which means it supports ROM & SRAM dumping out of box, from an easy to use interface. Additionally, it supports instant game playing through the Core & Pro bundle, as well as the option for dedicated controllers, through the Controller Hub.

Lythium supports a wide range of different consoles, and we aim to constantly add new console support to it, upon request from customers.

Lastly, Lythium's front-end software is multi-platform, and can run on Mac OS, Windows, and Linux. Lythium's software is created with the community in mind, and will be able to push screenshots, and other information to social media platforms. We are also aiming to provide small contests which the community can partake in, through our social media platforms, in order to encourage users to connect while playing.

Supported Consoles

NES
Famicom
Master System
SNES
Super Famicom
Genesis/Megadrive
TurboGrafx 16 / PC-EngineGame Gear
Gameboy/Gameboy Color
Wonderswan / Wonderswan Color
NeoGeo Pocket
Gameboy Advance
N64
More Consoles possible upon Request!

Lythium Modules

Lythium Core (Base module)
Lythium Controller Hub(s)
Lythium Standalone

Lythium Bundles (Prices are preliminary)

Lythium Core (Base Unit + All Cartridge Adaptors) - $120~ USD
Lythium Premium (Base Unit + All Cartridge Adaptors + Controller Hub) - $160~ USD
Lythium Pro (Base Unit + All Cartridge Adaptors + Controller Hub + Standalone Module + Homebrew Demo Cart) - $300~ USD

Specifications

CPU: STM ARM @ 75 Mhz (Core), x86 CPU (Standalone)
Memory: 2GB (Standalone)
Storage: 32GB (Standalone) - Preliminary
Dimensions: 108 x 62 x 23mm (Core), 130 x 130 x 23mm (Standalone) - Sizes are Preliminary and subject to change.
Modular Connector: Lythium Proprietary Connector

FAQ

Is Lythium just another "ARM Emulation Box"?

Fortunately, it is not. The ARM CPU on the Lythium Core base exists to handle PC to Lythium communication, as well as interfacing Lythium with Cartridge side. We chose the STM ARM processor to handle these tasks, as it is flexible enough to do so. Additionally, the Lythium Core base PCB is custom designed, and the firmware running on it is custom made.

So, in other words, the Lythium Core base is not an "off the shelf product that runs Linux". It is designed entirely from the ground up, by our team. The Lythium Core uses your computer's hardware as it's performance platform, and the Standalone base uses our x86 compatible platform.

Additionally, the Lythium Standalone Base uses an x86-based system integrated with our software, powerful enough to give users an excellent gaming experience. The software for Lythium Standalone is not locked down or TIVOized, and able to be changed to a third party software.

Why Kickstarter?

Currently our product is past the prototype stage, and Kickstarter gives us the opportunity to generate interest and customers. This allows us raise funding directly for meeting mass production scale, while retaining exclusive rights over our product. In other words, this allows us to raise funds directly from the community, so we retain creative control, which doesn't always happen if you seek private investment at this stage.

It's also worth mentioning that Kickstarter gives us a platform to share our progress, and connect to a large scale of customers, effectively and concisely.

Why is the cost so low, compared to other similar consoles?

We are working directly with component manufacturers, to provide high quality components for a reasonable price. Additionally, we have a strong relationship with many of our parts manufacturers, due to our staff members working with them for many years, to date. Lastly, since we have a team in China, we are able to communicate directly with the manufacturer, and bypass any middle man or service.

Why different versions of Lythium?

As mentioned, Lythium is the first truly modular retro gaming console. Right out of the box, this allows for customers to "build their setup" in the way that they want. We realize that different customers require different setups, depending on their lifestyles, and this allows us to provide that.

All Lythium bundles ship with the Core module. Additionally, we will sell the other modules separately, so you can upgrade your experience as you see fit.

Why modular?

Designing our console to be modular, goes hand in hand with the reason for having different versions (see above). However, a modular design also allows us to continuously develop new add-ons for the console, therefore extending the feature set of the console.

Also, Lythium is designed and developed with the community in mind. So in turn, we are open to idea of third party add-ons, created by the community, that can connect directly to Lythium.

What's the current stage of Lythium?

Currently, we have finished 2 major prototypes of our PCB board, and are finalizing our release candidate version. Concurrently, we are also finalizing our concept shell design and retail box. Lastly, we have finalized our beta version of our firmware and GUI.

As we develop our product, we will continuously post updates to this thread, to keep everyone in the loop!

What's the large scale plan for Lythium?

After our Kickstarter, we will prepare and set the console to be mass produced and marketed. This means, a high quality molded or CNC shell, with an eye catching retail box, as well as targeting online and retail customers. Additionally, we will be manufacturing under appropriate safety and quality certificates such as CE/UL and RoHS.

After this, you can expect to see us connecting with trade shows and conventions, as well as promoting the creation of third party addons. All of this is in order for us to really provide product that not only lives in the community, but also among it.

Lastly, we will continuously update the console's firmware and software to remove bugs, and add support, to create a more joyful gaming experience for our users.

What about the front-end software?

The front-end for Lythium is developed in Qt and is compatible with Windows, macOS and Linux. It uses libretro's API for its emulation back-end. Because of the nature of the libraries it uses, it will be licensed as GPLv3. This will allow the community to look into the software and analyze it.

On the standalone unit, the user can choose to install a modified firmware of their liking (although the resulting operation may not be supported), preventing Tivo-ization of the included Lythium software client.

We have gone through the trouble to make sure everything we are developing is legal and that we don't violate any licenses, open-source or otherwise.

What's the Future of RetroATK?

In the future, RetroATK will be entering the Hong Kong Cyberport or Science Park Initiative, in order to grow at a stable pace, and to increase our industry connections. Additionally, this will allow us to receive grant-based funding and seed mentorship, so we can become larger and more powerful.

And, As per our growth, we will also aim to provide additional products to the retro gaming community. In other words, you could see a portable version at some point.

How can RetroATK avoid the problems encountered by previous crowdfunded retro consoles?

From day one of public presence, we are aiming to be as transparent as possible with the gaming community and backers. This is quite unprecedented, as some other developers have chosen to use marketing mumbo-jumbo and hide behind the walls of the internet. Additionally, we are developing our system with license agreements in mind, and are in compliance to license agreements.

Lastly, with the cooperation with the retro gaming community, and government initiatives, our presence will continuously grow and we will always stand by our community.

In other words, this all means we will continue to develop with the community in mind, while respecting the hard work that the community has done before us.

February 11, 2017

Love that game! Haven't played it in years, thanks for the reminder!

*Incoming tears due to how hard the game is with the dpad*

February 7, 2017

In terms of accurate emulation, Gameboy is pretty damn spot on, due to Beware's bgb emulator.

However, I do also believe that emulation doesn't always have to be "accurate" to the actual architecture, as long as it's functional and enjoyable without emulation related bugs. Obviously, the more accurate, the better. But a lot of stuff is enjoyable to the general public, while remaining "not perfect".

I, personally, really enjoy Gamecube emulation, although most games require tweaking to run well enough on my minimal build.

February 5, 2017

Mario Kart 64 for sure, way too many fond memories associated with this game.

I remember going over to my friends house and playing this on a projector in his backyard. Good times, haha.

February 5, 2017

Probably used for their OS? who knows?

Not exactly sure why it's there?

We didn't gave them any demo

Would like to know why it's used there, it is very odd

But again, NONE of our games are going to be bundled with this in ANY WAYS

I hope they issue an apology for doing that, as they are advertising their console with your game(s), and are turning a profit (or atleast interest, for now) from it.

I wonder if someone can reach out to them about this. Might be better if you do it as well, to protect your asset. Maybe?

Damn. :\

February 5, 2017

Are you selling or what? You have the scent of a sales guy when you say things like that. Not impressed.

Haha, no no no.

I'm talking about in general, a lot of these Kickstarter projects are based off of a Pi, and make profit off of it.

There's other boards out there, that are more powerful and appropriate for more projects. Just my opinion, as I've seen a lot of botched products.

February 5, 2017

The Pi is built to be cheap, and general purpose, and the software is free, never intending to turn a profit.

The others are are mainstream consoles from giant multinational corporations, often sold at cost or at a loss to establish a toehold in the marketplace. Losses on hardware are offset by profits on software. "Give away the razor, sell the blades."

Retroblox is a bespoke hobbybox from one dude with few resources. Presumably he'd want something back for their R&D, custom cases, and software layer, and wouldn't be selling at cost. They've talked about a digital store, but it would be crazy to count on that to offset the costs of hardware.

Assuming this isn't a Chameleonesque fraud, I'm thinking pricing would more resemble Retro Freak, which is $209 from PlayAsia for the main box, more for add-on modules.

"Simple as that."

It's time for some fresh hardware that doesn't primarily run off a Pi.

February 5, 2017

Seems to be this:

Ugh, standard Chinese OEM gamepad. These are a dime-a-dozen here. I've seen the types of factories that make these things. Meh.

I'm surprised they didn't go with a higher quality gamepad, as many exist on the market. These OEM ones are damn low quality, and usually lack certification (no CE or UL or RohS), or have false markings on them. Doesn't mean this one is going that route, but it's possible.

I've lived in China for 4 or 5 years, and have even worked a little bit of time in OEM exporting. Most of this stuff is manufactured without longevity, quality, or customers in mind.

I'm curious about the actual specs and console supported list. There's not much reason why they couldn't tell us that, even if it's tentative.

Edit: Did they even show off their patent pending(?) hybrid emulation technology or even disc swaps? Or heck, did they even show off them interacting with hardware?

February 4, 2017

"Your honor, I'm sorry! I just threw the words 'patented' and 'patent pending' around because I thought they sounded cool!"

isn't so different from

"The Chameleon isn't fake, look at all these emails from Konami asking me to stop using their name as if we have a deal!"

You hit the nail exactly on the head their, my friend.

I'm beginning to love this community already!

Edit: Darn internet here, being all wonky!

February 4, 2017

I'm no lawyer, but it seems to me, were this law to be enforced, retroblox dude would be out at least $500 x 3 for those false claims.

Asking for money while making false claims is no way to go through life, son

https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/35/292

(a) Whoever, without the consent of the patentee, marks upon, or affixes to, or uses in advertising in connection with anything made, used, offered for sale, or sold by such person within the United States, or imported by the person into the United States, the name or any imitation of the name of the patentee, the patent number, or the words patent, patentee, or the like, with the intent of counterfeiting or imitating the mark of the patentee, or of deceiving the public and inducing them to believe that the thing was made, offered for sale, sold, or imported into the United States by or with the consent of the patentee; or

Whoever marks upon, or affixes to, or uses in advertising in connection with any unpatented article, the word patent or any word or number importing that the same is patented, for the purpose of deceiving the public; or

Whoever marks upon, or affixes to, or uses in advertising in connection with any article, the words patent applied for, patent pending, or any word importing that an application for patent has been made, when no application for patent has been made, or if made, is not pending, for the purpose of deceiving the public

Shall be fined not more than $500 for every such offense. Only the United States may sue for the penalty authorized by this subsection.

(b) A person who has suffered a competitive injury as a result of a violation of this section may file a civil action in a district court of the United States for recovery of damages adequate to compensate for the injury.

© The marking of a product, in a manner described in subsection (a), with matter relating to a patent that covered that product but has expired is not a violation of this section.

It's possible that it was an honest mistake. However, in any type of business, it is important to give accurate information to your customers, especially during launch. And, especially after the Chameleon bamboozle-ment.

Not sure of what to make of this. *sigh*

We'll see! Any information regarding their showcase at that convention?

February 4, 2017

So, some new information has come to light.

Retrobox's website claims the "patented hybrid emulation technology", however, the press release claims "patent pending hybrid emulation technology".

This is called "false marking", and isn't ethical, and possibly not legal to do. (Mind you, I'm not a patent lawyer. Just going from what Google says. Nonetheless, this isn't good...)

I don't mean to point fingers, as this may have been some accidental oversight. However, this is incredibly important to get correct from the get go, to avoid misconception.

See below (click the picture), or see for yourself directly on their website (http://retroblox.com/ and http://retroblox.com/press/)

February 4, 2017

Well, if it's patented, there should be a patent number.

And if there's no patent number, it's a lie.

I'd imagine it could be "patent pending", due to the many obstructions related to it in the first place. (Possible infringements on current patents, OEM parts, non exclusive "technology", multiple current products existing which use the same technology, etc)

I'm not a patent lawyer, but it's not difficult to foresee the issues with such a claim, and any acts to make such a claim into a reality (ie; patented).

February 4, 2017

The hybrid element is all the rage and big mystery, whatever that means. PC or other dedicated computer packed with emulators is still the most popular method of bringing back the classics. From small fart-in-a-bottle kickstarters to full-blown storms from major manufacturers.

FPGA takes a lot of time to develop. And I can't imagine them doing it (again) from scratch, when it's already been done.

I imagine "hybrid emulation technology" is just a fancy marketing term for "interface that reads cartridges and loads them into an emulator". By all means, that's not a bad thing. But there's no reason to claim its patented, nor patentable, nor that it's "technology". Being ambiguous on purpose, is a bad thing in this case.

February 3, 2017

I don't know why, but I have a strange feeling that we are going to live all over again the same story. Maybe I'm wrong, we'll see... until then, that gif represents what I'm afraid is going to happen in the next couple of days...

Heh, I got your back man, I got your back.

Who's got mine?

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Posts posted by Lyth