Retroblox

[Fluxgra]

So, they are cutting it real fine on their commitment to launch their pre order campaign in August...

 

Of course no sign of their technology rundown before launch as well.

 

Their forums are buzzing with excitement as they all know that Polymega are doing this for the love of the scene, not for money...

[cacophony]

In their FAQ they say ""We will be releasing an in-depth walkthrough of our technology prior to the launch of the pre-order campaign"

And they just tweeted that preorders would start Sept. 4th: https://twitter.com/polymegaHQ/status/1035537347088068609

 

We are all waiting for that technical info...

[Greg2600]

So, they are cutting it real fine on their commitment to launch their pre order campaign in August...

 

Of course no sign of their technology rundown before launch as well.

 

Their forums are buzzing with excitement as they all know that Polymega are doing this for the love of the scene, not for money...

 

What money? Ha ha ha ha. There's no scene for this. First off, playing bye-gone systems and games is a small niche, especially for many of these systems. Paying $100s of dollars to do it is even smaller. Then you separate those who prefer original equipment, and those who prefer free emulation on modern hardware, and you're left with a tiny, tiny, tiny niche.

[Sho]

 

What money? Ha ha ha ha. There's no scene for this. First off, playing bye-gone systems and games is a small niche, especially for many of these systems. Paying $100s of dollars to do it is even smaller. Then you separate those who prefer original equipment, and those who prefer free emulation on modern hardware, and you're left with a tiny, tiny, tiny niche.

 

I'm on a number of Discord servers with a a couple of people who have interest in the device being a Retron 5 replacement.

 

The interest is there, it's just not in-your-face round the clock news on the device just yet due to it being obviously not near release yet. Personally speaking, the lack of information should be concerning, but I'm guessing that will be forthcoming very soon, since today is supposed to be when pre-orders open.

 

Personally, I don't subscribe to the belief that the console doesn't exist. To believe that after their show at E3 is pretty silly. It's not a bullshit pretend device like the Coleco Chameleon or Atari VCS. What's under the hood however will be telling.

Edited September 4, 2018 by Sho

[Newsdee]

It's a shame that Retrode development stopped, if it could dump PC Engine and NES/Famicom carts it would surely give a run for its money to the eventual Retroblox/Polymega/whatever, Retrons, and Retro Freak.

 

For info, it can dump SNES, Genesis, Gameboy, SMS, and N64 (the latter 3 via adapters).

 

Edit: the carts are supported by firmware, but you need to come up with your own adapter: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrode

Edited September 4, 2018 by Newsdee

[RampantOctopus]

Too bad their web server was nothing more than a graphics card in a Jaguar shell.

[Flojomojo]

weak sauce

 

 

[godslabrat]

They were also apparently picking this particular week to delete the old forum and upload a new one with a "better spam filter". I don't necessarily doubt this, or the DOS attack, but it'd be easier to believe them if they'd done ANYTHING to build their credibility up till now.

 

Hey, you know who's servers are working fine? Twitter. Facebook. Youtube. Why not get on there and actually give real details about your system, since you're going to be rattling your can in a matter of hours?

[Flojomojo]

Hey, you know who's servers are working fine? Twitter. Facebook. Youtube. Why not get on there and actually give real details about your system, since you're going to be rattling your can in a matter of hours?

 

Oh, they're on Twitter alright.

 

 

 

[godslabrat]

 

Everyone show proper respect for this guy, before he mysteriously "disappears".

[Flojomojo]

C1362C7A-AD44-4876-8B88-04705B625972.jpeg

Everyone show proper respect for this guy, before he mysteriously "disappears".

If this were Facebook, sure. Can't delete someone else's tweet, though.

 

I agree, that is THE question, why not show info while waiting? Why do these guys feel they always need to make a spectacle of themselves, to put on a show? To pre-announce a start date and time like it's a foot race or something? Especially from a small team with limited resources.

[Newsdee]

To paraphrase a French proverb, "prototypes are like marmelade, the less one has the more one spreads it wide".

[Greg2600]

The trailer was cool.....

[cybercylon]

It's a shame that Retrode development stopped, if it could dump PC Engine and NES/Famicom carts it would surely give a run for its money to the eventual Retroblox/Polymega/whatever, Retrons, and Retro Freak.

 

For info, it can dump SNES, Genesis, Gameboy, SMS, and N64 (the latter 3 via adapters).

 

Edit: the carts are supported by firmware, but you need to come up with your own adapter: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retrode

 

It is more like the development slowed (it is still being made). Technically, I guess one could make an adapter for just about anything. I'd like to see an NES adapter, but aside from the ones in production (Gameboy, SMS, N64), most of these are one offs that you have to make yourself. Time is an enemy.

 

At least the community has been updating the firmware over the last year or so. Game saves are accessible for all of those supported platforms... not just SNES and Genesis. Also, the only SNES games that are not readable are the SA-1 games (of course... someone did make a limited run of adapters for that....).

[godslabrat]

We're just a few hours shy of "postponing the pre-orders... to make them even better!"

[Keatah]

What money? Ha ha ha ha. There's no scene for this. First off, playing bye-gone systems and games is a small niche, especially for many of these systems. Paying $100s of dollars to do it is even smaller. Then you separate those who prefer original equipment, and those who prefer free emulation on modern hardware, and you're left with a tiny, tiny, tiny niche.

 

And yet it swells up in some people's heads that it's the end-all be-all!

All encompassing!

[enoofu]

The trailer was cool.....

The trailer is a lie....

 

For example Sega Model 2 version of Sega Rally is where the footage is from and not Saturn.

 

Quote from someone that seen it

 

 

Wonder- Games2 hours ago

 

Wait a minute.... At 1:50. That ain't Sega Rally Championship on Saturn. That's footage from the arcade version. What the hell is this?

Edited September 5, 2018 by enoofu

[zappi]

lots of interesting details in the faq https://www.polymega.com/faq/

I've seen some speculation that the emulators are mednafen based?

 

e.g.

 

"The team at Playmaji has spent a good amount of effort on a piece of technology called Active Cartridge Reading, an experimental subset of Hybrid Emulation that allows you to use any games or peripherals that work on a real classic console using a live blend of software-based emulation and memory mapped hardware. This technology, while it exists, is not yet fast enough for some of Polymega’s supported systems, and would result in a degraded overall experience if launched prematurely.

Now, support for game cartridges with on board DSP chips such as Everdrives, Starfox, or live-reading of devices like Game Genies is blended.

First, we’ve licensed standard DSP-compatible emulators for systems with those types of cartridges, which will allow games with special chips to be played via software emulation. That means you can now play backed up games such as StarFox and others regardless of whether you have the cartridge inserted, a convenience that most gamers will appreciate. We’ve also added a software-based Game Genie and Pro Action Replay as a reward level for supporting the console beyond its initial funding goals. The Super Game Boy is no longer compatible with the EM02 SNES SFC module, however, we have set up a GB / GBC / GBA module as an additional reward tier if reached.

Second, certain systems are going to be FPGA based. The first example of this is going to be the dedicated Famicom module, which will be released after the launch of the system. Famicom is particularly important to be implemented in this manner as it included accessories such as the Famicom Disk System (FDS), which was a critical part of its library and one that we will not be creating a dedicated module for. The tech to support FPGA modules is built in to the launch version of the Polymega™ Base Unit, and we may continue to release other FPGA modules in the future. FPGA modules will have a slightly higher price point than standard modules.

This decision / change overall has freed up our team to focus on matters that more factually push the needle in terms of overall system compatibility, as evidenced by our recently-announced support for the Sega Saturn, adding over one thousand new compatible games to Polymega™. What made this possible is that by removing the larger size FPGA from the base unit, we were able to opt for a higher clock-speed dual core chip rather than a slower quad-core chip for the main CPU, which now opens up the door to more demanding systems like Saturn, N64, Dreamcast, and more — which is what many people have expressed to us that they want."

Edited September 5, 2018 by zappi

[Einhandr]

Interestingly from their faq it looks like you can side load alternative BIOS files for the cd based systems using a usb drive as long as you source them yourself.

 

Polymega features integrated HLE BIOS functionality for CD-based emulators, which provides coverage for the vast majority of games. You can optionally override HLE BIOS by placing alternative BIOS files on a USB Thumb Drive and importing them to the system using the BIOS override option in the Settings>Game & Interface screen. A list indicating compatible BIOS files will be provided prior to delivery of Polymega, but the files themselves must be sourced elsewhere.

Edited September 5, 2018 by Einhandr

[Flojomojo]

This decision / change overall has freed up our team to focus on matters that more factually push the needle in terms of overall system compatibility, as evidenced by our recently-announced support for the Sega Saturn, adding over one thousand new compatible games to Polymega™. What made this possible is that by removing the larger size FPGA from the base unit, we were able to opt for a higher clock-speed dual core chip rather than a slower quad-core chip for the main CPU, which now opens up the door to more demanding systems like Saturn, N64, Dreamcast, and more — which is what many people have expressed to us that they want."

 

Their claims of innovative technical prowess would be more plausible if they could press "publish" on their pre-order website without soiling themselves.

 

Looks like they're trying again later today.

 

 

I wonder what this "hybrid emulation" of school project and performance art will do next?

[Fluxgra]

The Super Game Boy is no longer compatible with the EM02 SNES SFC module, however, we have set up a GB / GBC / GBA module as an additional reward tier if reached.

 

I am taking this as they are acknowledging that this is nothing more than a Retron5 style device, something that have claimed since the beginning that they are not. Surely this has been known internally for a while, so why would they go into E3 still touting this as some revolutionary "hybrid emulation" system where it seems to be a simple cartridge dumper running in emulators that they didn't develop from the ground up but merely licensed.

 

Also, reward tiers? So this pre-order is a Kickstarter...

 

EDIT: From their interview on RPG Site: https://www.rpgsite.net/interview/7350-polymega-interview-how-this-modular-console-may-change-the-way-we-enjoy-retro-gaming

 

 

RPG Site: I know this was brought up before and I forget if there was an answer for that, but is there any plans at all to support portable platforms?

 

Bryan: That's a good question. Our perspective on portables is that they were made for being played on portable devices, so we haven't really been focused on it that much. You can use a Super Gameboy on the Super Nintendo module, so there are ways to play it. But as far as if you're talking about Game Gear and GBA, we may make a module for it in the future. I can't really say one way or another. I feel like if we were going to do it, we would just make a handheld at that point.

 

So in June 2018 at E3 it was going to work, just like they had claimed since day 1 of this product. Now on launch they have suddenly realised it isn't possible. How can anyone trust these guys...

Edited September 5, 2018 by Fluxgra

[RandomRonn]

Honestly, watching these slo-mo crash and burn launches never gets old to me for some reason. It'll be interesting to see if they ever publish any proper details outside of their vague promises.

[derFunkenstein]

Wow. We've gone from "not emulation" to "all hybrid emulation all the time" to "certain systems will be FPGA" based and now no cart-reading in real time (or else the SGB would work). My guess is that Everdrives won't work now, either. If they set the bar any lower, it'll be underground.

 

For something that comes out supposedly in Q4 it sure does seem to be changing a lot. They moved from a (presumably ARM-based) quad to a "faster" dual-core that is capable of emulating the Saturn. That has to mean they've switched to x86, right? Are there any ARM-based systems that can emulate a Saturn at full speed without dropping frames? That's a pretty big swap this late in the game, if that's the case.

 

I've gone from "gee this is interesting, I hope it's the real deal" to "I hope this thing gets hacked on day one, they lose their asses on it, and there's no hope for the future"

Edited September 5, 2018 by derFunkenstein

[Flojomojo]

Honestly, watching these slo-mo crash and burn launches never gets old to me for some reason. It'll be interesting to see if they ever publish any proper details outside of their vague promises.

 

I'm deliberately reading everything they say very casually, not only because they keep moving the goalposts, but because the whole thing reeks of BS.

 

Wow. We've gone from "not emulation" to "all hybrid emulation all the time" to "certain systems will be FPGA" based and now no cart-reading in real time (or else the SGB would work). My guess is that Everdrives won't work now, either. If they set the bar any lower, it'll be underground.

 

Me too. Every scheme like this feels like an experiment in "how far can a gullible, non-technical public be pushed?"

[dj_convoy]

At least they copped to licensing emulators instead of claiming they wrote them from scratch.