How has this not been posted yet? Retro VGS

[RupanIII]

So, has anyone had any USB Drives, SD or MicroSD cards become unreadable or corrupted recently. I was checking and I honestly have some 9 years old with data which is perfectly fine.

Can someone do a poll on this?

[number six]

Granted I see things purely from a layman's perspective, but why would a retrogaming device really need a bunch of patents? I would think that "the next big thing in gaming" would justify patents, and this hyptothetical "thing" would be something like an incredibly-powerful yet affordable GPU (or beyond) that would kick butt all over what's out there, be necessarily patented, and then licensed out to hardware makers for the next-generation of cutting edge gaming hardware, be part of the next console or some whiz-bang video card, or something cool I don't even know about, and make the inventor wildly rich. That doesn't sound very "retro

 

When you've designed a Ouya with a cartridge slot that's guaranteed to push almost 200 units.. well that's something to protect as tons of people will want to get in on that action

 

Seriously the update just makes everything look even more like a mess.

 

We don't have a prototype, we can't build a prototype because it would costs a kajillion dollars.. wait we have a prototype, here's a video.. sorry, missed it. Must have rolled under the desk (??) but we can't show it to you because you know.. its just too cutting edge.

 

We went to Indiegogo on purpose. The prototype thing was never a concern (See above) we decided it weeks ago.. so all the reasons why we didn't goto Kickstarter were apparently.. lies?

 

It's got a FPGA but FPGAs aren't that cool, actually we wont even use the FPGA we'll just do everything in software because thats better.. but yeah if we hit our stretch goal we'll put in an even better FPGA even though I guess we don't even need it?

 

It's like the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Not really something that inspires folks to shell out $350-$400 on.

[Mord]

So, has anyone had any USB Drives, SD or MicroSD cards become unreadable or corrupted recently. I was checking and I honestly have some 9 years old with data which is perfectly fine.

Can someone do a poll on this?

 

out of all the usb drives I have, I've only had one 1gb one go bad on me. And it went bad -real- fast, like within a couple months. It was some cheap noname brand thing though. (And this happened over a decade ago.)

Edited September 26, 2015 by Mord

[Andromeda Stardust]

I can't be.ieve this thing reached 100 pages. I thought I'd catch up with my reading. Made it to page 97. So tired. Good night yalls. I'll pick up where I left off tomorrow, and there'll be another ten pages to read by then...

[leods]

Seriously. This just crossed the line of the "this is dumb" into the are of "These guys are just lying". At this Point this is a scam. They can't even Keep straight on having a working prototype or not? They officially state it's too expensive to make a prototype and now they just come around and Show one?

 

What do they want to patent? As if someone is going to be able to reverse engineer and steal their console if they see a Video of the System running. This is ridiculous.

 

Too bad for triverse, taking his time to do an interview, edit and transcribe. At this Point what they say is irrelevant. They are seriously contradicting themselves in the core elements of the System. The IGG page Shows basically nothing of what they're supposedly working on. I don't think my concept of transparency is even similar to theirs.

 

I don't feel bad for the time and Money they wasted. They deserve at least that for having wasted so much of my time with this garbage. But then again, I'm just a hater. A troll. It's sad People like me ruined the dream of so many Gamers who really needed this to work, so they could Play their games on a cheap ARM SOC out of sd Cards slapped in Jaguar cartridge Shells.

 

As we've sad. If they had just pulled the plug their Image might be salvageable. As is, I'm just going to do what I allways do in this situations: I'm going to remember the Name Mike Kennedy and John Carlsen, and never get involved with them. You get away with making mistakes. It's normal, it's fine. I make mistakes all the time. You just can't get away with blatant lying.

[Gentlegamer]

Isn't this using off the shelf parts? Why would a patent be involved?

[ninja_gaiden2015]

 

I also am not sure who's going to "rip off" their ideas for a cart based system, I certainly am not going to. I have ideas of my own- frankly it seems like they co-opted my ideas and incorporated them if nothing else. If they do try to patent the cartridge adapter idea, I have prior art on my existing prototype, and Atari, Coleco, and Intellivision all had similar 'system adapters' they released back in the 80's so I am unsure how that could be patented. The RVGS website was talking about them trying to patent the cartridge bus, but again that'd be very silly- carts have been done to death from parallel to serial to anything else in between.

 

Hi Kevtris.

 

Not sure when you pulled out of the project, but their is an article from 2 September 2015 about their plans to release a cartridge adaptor.

 

PS. I enjoy watching the Hidefnes project you have been working on via youtube. Hope that goes well for you after this headache.

[AE35]

Take a look at the two square boards nearest the power supply, with the small heat sinks and yellow RCA connectors:

 

 

Maybe I'm imagining things, but those look a lot like these inexpensive RGB-to-VGA converter boards from Hong Kong:

eBay Auction -- Item Number: 291522598562

 

Anyone care to speculate about why they would have needed to use these boards?

Damn, I was about to call that

[ninja_gaiden2015]

Isn't this using off the shelf parts? Why would a patent be involved?

 

.... that was my thinking. Doesn't look like their is a designed PCB and in any event it looks like the PCB(s) under the shell is completely different from the one posted on the indie gogo

 

page. I understand that it is a work in progress, but the PCB "prototype" doesn't appear to be as resolved a design/concept as portrayed.

 

 

 

 

What makes things even weirder is that John Carlsen's company (of which he seems to work for and may have ownership in) Syncopated Systems lists the on their website that they specialise in PCB manufacturing and design. I'm not suggesting for a minute that John Carlsen is not skilled at what he does, but it seems quite odd to me the claims that the RetroVGS team "can't afford to make a prototype" or that it was not possible in the interview with Gamester 81, when one of the owners and key players in the project has direct access to the resources to do so.

 

I guess I am just a bit confused by the status of the design prototype as there has been quite a bit of mixed messaging.

 

Design for Manufacture

"Our knowledge of PCB fabrication and electronics assembly processes reduces costs of customer designs, as with this IrDA transciever.

By optimizing component selection, Syncopated Systems principal John R. Carlsencreated one of the first in-port USB devices (bottom)."

....."Our investment in world-class state-of-the-art design software—including the latest versions ofAltium Designer and SolidWorks Premium—and a large variety of specialized equipment enables Syncopated Systems to create any or all parts of your new device, including fully-integrated designs of circuits, printed circuit boards (PCBs), enclosures, and embedded firmware.

To facilitate efficient rapid prototyping and production, Syncopated Systems can create fabrication drawings and output data to drive even the most complex modern 3D printing technology, including stereolithography (STL), PolyJet, fused deposition modeling (FDM), and direct metal laser sintering (DMLS).

Through its network of local and global partners, Syncopated Systems can manage outsourced fabrication, assembly, and regulatory certification services for your projects of any size."

Edited September 26, 2015 by ninja_gaiden2015

[kevtris]

 

Hi Kevtris.

 

Not sure when you pulled out of the project, but their is an article from 2 September 2015 about their plans to release a cartridge adaptor.

 

PS. I enjoy watching the Hidefnes project you have been working on via youtube. Hope that goes well for you after this headache.

 

thanks. Yeah it's not too big of a headache for me. I didn't invest any time or money into the project so no great loss for me.

[sh3-rg]

100 pages. Well there it is.

 

Isn't this using off the shelf parts? Why would a patent be involved?

 

I did a few quick searches, I'm not sure how lengthy the US patent registering process is, but couldn't find much for Carlsen's various Syncopated endeavours. I'm sure DetectiveGAF could uncover something if it was out there.

 

BTW, is someone holding a gun to his puppy's head and making him say those things?

 

 

There's something over there taking his attention every 10 seconds or so. Maybe it's Mike with some prompt boards.

 

Fake edit: Nope, Mike isn't allowed to see any of that stuff incase he runs his mouth.

Edited September 26, 2015 by sh3-rg

[tcdev]

I've said it before recently, and I'll say it again. This is so fake it's wilful fraud.

 

The translucent case isn't there to protect the design, it's there to disguise the fact that it's a COTS dev board with a few random PCB's and cables sitting on top to look like a prototype. The other PCB's on the desk have been thrown on to make it look 'busy'. It's absolutely laughable.

 

Almost as laughable as the claim that they're filing a patent. On what exactly? Maybe a patent for putting an FPGA in a Jaguar case; that's about the only aspect of this design that hasn't been done by someone else before. From the C-One to the Replay (which actually has an ARM and an FPGA) and Kevtris' board, and the indie consoles like the Ouya, there's nothing new. It's more smoke and mirrors to counter the gaping hole in the campaign - there is no prototype.

 

Time will tell. Karma's a bitch.

[leods]

 

thanks. Yeah it's not too big of a headache for me. I didn't invest any time or money into the project so no great loss for me.

And Boy I bet you're glad now, that when you saw the red flags you jumped ship...

 

I just can't believe they thought this Video of John showing their "prototype" was a good idea. At this Point they're not thinking straight at all.

 

Oh, by the way, first time I heard Mike talk about FPGA I googled it, and the Wikipedia page explains the Technology and says how it's often used together with an ARM processor for use Scenarios that rewuire more processing power. It's not just something someone did once, it's just the common use of the Technology.

Edited September 26, 2015 by leods

[Newsdee]

Take a look at the two square boards nearest the power supply, with the small heat sinks and yellow RCA connectors

Maybe I'm imagining things, but those look a lot like these inexpensive RGB-to-VGA converter boards from Hong Kong:

 

I have one of those, and yes it's exactly that. They can be used to stabilize VGA signal when it's not exactly 60fps. But you definitely don't need more than one, so why are there 2-3 lying around...

[Shiru]

Just thought to point it out, if it wasn't done somewhere early in the thread, that the primary purpose of the FPGA technology is actually cutting down costs of electronics prototyping, to make the expenses many times lower, down to the level acceptable for an individual hobbyist. So it is especially fun to see that someone talks so much about using FPGA in their device, even stating that he has been involved into developing the technology itself somehow, but stating that prototyping it (basically a prototyping board plus minor extras for I/O) would cost as much as something of PS4 complexity and scale.

 

The video with prototype felt so much like a parody from beginning till end, still can't believe it is for real. Also unbelieveable that someone can think there could be anything to patent - even if it was a complete legit prototype with custom board, casing etc - not to mention total lack of reason to patent it (no competitors to get priority against, not even potential).

 

Another thing that bothers me so much is that constant repeating about being developer of 'a PlayStation'. Who in the right mind would want to be known as a developer of 'a' PlayStation, not Sony PS1/2/3/4/Portable/Vita/any unreleased stuff? I'm sure it is just me, but it immediately reminds the Polystation and similar Famiclones. They also happen to have games on cartridges, and 9-pin gamepad connector too. Intended for emerging foreign markets.

Edited September 26, 2015 by Shiru

[Newsdee]

Another thing that bothers me so much is that constant repeating about being developer of 'a PlayStation'. Who in the right mind would want to be known as a developer of 'a' PlayStation, not Sony PS1/2/3/4/Portable/Vita/any unreleased stuff?

 

"Well, you know... Something that plugs to the TV and you put a CD in it and it play games with a gamepad a stuff... a playstation whatchamacallit."

[leods]

I think their excuse for the prototyping difficulties is the fact they've slapped an ARM processor in there too. But with ARM processor selling all around for cheap I can't believe it's so hard to get your Hands on a unit.

 

They also said how the other FPGA boards are expensive, but http://lotharek.pl/product.php?pid=96 seems to sell mist boards with a case for 200 bucks, and you don't have to kicstart them for 2mi and wait whatever time they Need to start working on their first prototypes.

 

And ARM chip and a cartridge Slot can't possibly raise the Price of this by 100 bucks can it? I mean, you can buy stuff that has an arm chip in it for less than 50 bucks, the arm chip alone can't be that expensive. If the cartridge Slot costs you 50 bucks they're certainly doing somehting wrong here.

[TheClassyGamer]

Well, I watched the video. At first I thought that someone here was making a parody video. To me it really looks a lot like one of those fake commercials that comes on Adult Swim.

 

I really wanted to get behind this at the get go. After that last interview that was posted and now this silly prototype video, the whole thing kind of looks like a joke at the least or a set up.

[sh3-rg]

Full disclosure of who I am, I co-founded RetroGaming Roundup with Socal and UK Mike, I own 3% of GameGavel and I stand to make allot of money if this thing goes though.

Whoa, I missed this post. Can you explain how you would stand to make a lot of money if the venture was successful? Is RVGS a GameGavel project? Or do you mean more indirectly through games or other related works?

 

From information in the campaign and elsewhere, it appears to seek funding for not only the consoles and games for customers, but to prototype and design the system and also to set up and run the company that manages it involving production, offices, a web store, promotion, etc.

 

That said Socal Mike has burned me several times in the last 2 years and I have had it. I was the original designer of this console when it was first conceived (until I wasn't), and it was going to be good. If you listen to our interview with them it was somewhat of a deposition to establish that many people contributed to this console that got erased from its history, myself included.

Is this back when it was a completely new $99 16-bit system, created as if it were 1990 and a new competitor for Sega and Nintendo? Can you link to this interview from back then?

[Newsdee]

The MiST has an ARM chip, it's used to program the FPGA on startup from files on the SD card (and later to switch cores at runtime).

[AE35]

English is not my primary language, so I hope someone can enlighten me:

 

Now that following the Retro VGS-subejct has become my main hobby, I have come upon many occasions where 'Jaguar' is pronounced, well, strange. There's the standard 'Jaguar' but then there is the odd 'jag-wire'. I hear this a lot from different people, including Mike Kennedy.

 

Where does 'jag-wire' come from? Is it as correct of a pronounciation as 'jaguar'?

 

/Nicholas

[+save2600]

 

Where does 'jag-wire' come from? Is it as correct of a pronounciation as 'jaguar'?

 

 

No. Must be his Californian accent at work there.

 

I think it's totally goofy to pronounce it Jag-u-are... but you hear that all the time too. Had a conversation with a car nut once about that. I guess that's the way people like to pronounce the automobile manufacturer. Whatever. Not sure why so many people insist on pronouncing the Atari Jaguar incorrectly. Anything goes I guess in these strange ass times!

[AE35]

If 'Jag-u-are' is how he says it, I am trademarking 'Jagwire' for my own use!

[AE35]

 

Edited September 26, 2015 by AE35

[Flojomojo]

I'm not saying this is their intent, but you can't become a patent troll unless you hold some patents to defend. There's nothing much going on with their concept, so maybe they aim to get settlement money out of people who attempt similar projects in the future. Again, that's a long shot (not least of which because they can't get their hardware story straight), but if it happened, it would have a serious chilling effect on the hobby.

 

They seem to be going out of their way to assemble a late 1980s-style Nintendo money-making monopoly, in which they control both the hardware and the (expensive) cartridge fabrication. Not showing their work, out of fears that someone might scoop an already unpopular project, is just weird.

 

It's fine that they're asking for money to fund their dream, to bring back the 80s, to replicate the long-irrelevant business successes of that era. The more they show, however, the less merit their product seems to have.

 

Call me a hater, but I really don't think this project is a good use of anyone's money unless they stand to directly benefit financially from it. All risk, no reward.