the nD

[.Radiant]

Was wondering what happened to the infamous bob's game. Turns out it's going to be a launch title for a handheld device.

• it's a 16-bit "app store"*
  
• it doesn't cost four hundred dollars
  
• it's faster than the one with two screens
  
• it's a new generation of more powerful 16-bit games
  
• it looks like a toy because it's for kids
  
• it has buttons
  
• it costs ten dollars because that's what they cost to make**
  
• the only way to charge it is to plug it in the "Game Store"*
  
• you buy games from inDies who get ninety*** percent
  
• we don't care who makes games for it****
  
• it doesn't cost three hundred dollars
  
• we can give them away with hamburgers and movie tickets and other games*****
  
• you can break it or lose it or throw it away
  
• you can sell them on your website with your inDie game
  
• the outside is custom but the "app store"* is the same

http://the-nd.com/

Thoughts? Could be interesting if a lot of small time developers jump on it.

[DarkYendor]

I like the idea. If programmers can port their games from iPhone/Androis easily, this could do well.

[SLATYE]

I find it interesting that they're promoting this as a 16-bit platform with an ARM CPU. ARM is - and always has been - a 32-bit architecture. ARM added some 16-bit instructions with Thumb, but it seems silly to use a fast 32-bit CPU and restrict it to 16-bit code.

With that said, I can't argue with a $10 - $20 gaming platform, regardless of hardware specs.

[.Radiant]

It's the creators idea, he's been constantly told time and time again that the console and his game is not "16-bit" yet he still uses it the term.

Looking around there hasn't been any talk from the developer for months. Maybe he's realised his game isn't all that great.

[SLATYE]

I'll take a guess and say that he's using "16-bit" to refer to the style of games (ie games similar to those available on the 16-bit Super Nintendo and Sega Mega Drive). It's still a horribly misleading term. I was hoping to find out that someone was producing a 200MHz+ 16-bit CPU.

Having thought about this a bit more, I'm not sure that it's a great deal. I paid $30 for a prepaid Huawei U8300; that's got a 500MHz ARM CPU, 256MB of RAM, wifi, 3G, bluetooth, GPS, etc. Obviously the console is a better shape, but I think I'd stick with the phone just for pure flexibility.