New "Retro VGS" 2D Cartridge-based console

ShootTheCore

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Mike Kennedy, the publisher of Retro Magazine, is planning on producing a new cartridge based 2D focused console called the Retro VGS.

Interview and details here:
http://venturebeat.com/2015/05/08/t...idge-based-retro-video-game-console/view-all/

Thoughts?

(Personally, I think the Jaguar console and cart shells are the only interesting thing about the system. Any system lives or dies by the games and I doubt this machine will attract anything high-quality and exclusive.)

retrovgs2.jpg
 
GohanX

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Right now all I see is marketing from/to guys who like to masturbate to their cart collections. Wake me up when we see some specs and games.
 
smokehouse

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The problem is developers and who will use it. If we see top tier designers like the guys recently kicked out of Konami go off on their own...we may see new 2D games...

but then there's direct download options on current consoles...which have a far larger user base than a niche console like that...

I don't know. I guess I'll put it this way...if I was a 2D developer and wanted to make a new game, I'd go with Sony or MS before I'd dick with making carts on some oddball system.
 
Caplet

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If this gets some good exclusives, it could be really cool.

If it doesn't, and only ends up with ports, there's no point.

Folks like their cart-based systems because they provide an experience that emulation cannot. With current 2D games on modern consoles and computers, the digital downloads you get already contain the intended experience.

That being said, I would totally buy Rogue Legacy on a cartridge.
 
smokehouse

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Or River City Ransom Underground...if those goofy fuckers ever get the thing finished...
 
NeoSneth

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the mold for jaguar has been out there for a while, so that's an interesting choice. They didn't fix on the key issues with this design, which is the cart slot is completely exposed to dust. There are no flaps.


My predictions:
There's gonna be all sorts of backlash when people find out it's running Android, and the carts are just large shells for SD cards. People will bitch and complain if it's not perfect video out.
 
F

FilthyRear

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gamester81.jpg

This sack of shit has something to do with it.
 
SmokeMonster

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Naming it "Retro" kills it instantly for me. Also, Gamester81's homebrew game footage looks absolutely terrible. If that is what's in store, this thing will be a disaster for its backers.
 
Kiel

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If it got shovel knight I would buy it simply for that alone
 
HeavyMachineGoob

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SmokeMonster said:
Naming it "Retro" kills it instantly for me. Also, Gamester81's homebrew game footage looks absolutely terrible. If that is what's in store, this thing will be a disaster for its backers.
Click to expand...

The "retro" name ties it to the equally generic sounding magazine of the same name.

If it has a few decent games and it's not too overpriced, I might buy one.
 
miisalo

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What a piece of marketing shit that does not have any benefits for players, just make collectors jizz in their pants.

Pros
- Designers do not have to make actually competitive console, any old shit hardware design works
- Shitty developers can use limited system as excuse for their shitty games
- Same shitty developers don't need to compete with the others using digital distribution with new consoles
- Mike Kennedy will make money
- Jizz in the pants

Cons
- Someone might notice that for actually playing/developing retro style games, you can use any new console and YOU CAN ACTUALLY PLAY MODERN GAMES TOO!
- If there is really need for cart based retro games, people might just make new games for the real retro consoles or design cart based adapter for newer console (although it would not have that hippie value in it)
- If above happens Mike won't make money
 
Takumaji

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I will never buy a console with "Retro" in its name.

Fuck that retro bullshit.
 
neo_mao

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Here's the thing - unless I missed something about exclusive games, the games that will be available on this will mostly likely be available elsewhere as digital downloads (Wii U Eshop, PSN or Xbox live)...and probably for less.

At this point I don't really have a problem with digital games, I don't mind it at all and in some cases I prefer it.
 
BanishingFlatsAC

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neo_moe said:
Here's the thing - unless I missed something about exclusive games, the games that will be available on this will mostly likely be available elsewhere as digital downloads (Wii U Eshop, PSN or Xbox live)...and probably for less.

At this point I don't really have a problem with digital games, I don't mind it at all and in some cases I prefer it.
Click to expand...

I could have sworn I read somewhere that they were in talks with a few major companies who were looking to "revive classic franchises" exclusively for the system.
 
StevenK

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Takumaji said:
I will never buy a console with "Retro" in its name.

Fuck that retro bullshit.
Click to expand...

The tagline of this very site is 'the epitome of retro gaming' which grates on me a bit too.

I'm relatively new round here, I wonder if anyone knows when this was introduced on the site? Was it ever just 'the epitome of gaming'?
 
Last edited:
LoneSage

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stevenk said:
The tagline of this very site is 'the epitome of retro gaming' which grates on me a bit too.

I'm relatively new round here, I wonder if anyone knows when this was introduced on the site? Was it ever just 'the epitome of gaming'?
Click to expand...

15 years ago the Neo was retro.
 
DevilRedeemed

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it's incredible how they make these things set for failure.
say it after me - bad taste.
kind of ironic the shell is that of the jaguar
I mean a cart based console is very much viable even in this day and age - a neo geo like system where homebrew companies such as ngdev could be deemed non homebrew.
attach it to something Japanese and you're half way there.
it's not that hard.
fucking hell
 
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I think it could be ok, they said on the Facebook page that its FPGA based, not that I really know what that is but they kind of went through it in a post.

If the Kickstarter launches and they have some exclusives, I might dive in, but the cost is going to be key.

I think the Jaguar Shells and Carts was a Genius move on saving money, even if it is quite ugly.
 
Electric Grave

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The idea is cool, the application is terrible. Retro-Douchebags at it again!
 
Renmauzo

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After reading the linked article, Mike Kennedy comes off as very naive about the magnitude of this venture/undertaking. His assumptions on what he would likely get from a kickstarter campaign (6-7 million), having a 'hardware guy' he knows tackling it, assuming publishers will allocate budget to their devs for 16bit style game production along with cartridge costs (see the recent budgets posted by all the major players in the industry and how digital has exploded), etc., really seem out to left field. There are just so many things that he glazed over in the interview, that he comes across as a dreamer and not much else. Whether he is a successful business man or not, that interview paints the entire project as doomed off the jump.

I would love to have games like Shovel Knight, Hyper Light Drifter, Starr Mazer, Crossing Souls, Aegis Defenders - the list goes on - in cartridge format, but realistically, I don't see this system getting much traction; this could be like the Ouya all over again. Also, at least give the console a proper name, I don't think anyone but Nintendo can get away with naming their console exactly what it is.
 
sparksterz

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Yeah...It doesn't appear to be the friendliest device to port games to with an FPGA and an ARM cpu as the main components. I think it's a cool idea, but unlikely to get people to buy into unless you make development easy.
 
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