Re: Sonus Audio Game Console
How will solo/two person developers with little or no money to spare manage to distribute the sticks? Especially if they live in a country like Turkey or Iran? Because that's most of our developers right now...
Sounds like only Indi Devs who happen to be making an audio game or two will be able to manage it, and if their aren't that many users of the console than they may not see the point in spending more money to support that platform along with their main ones.
Thankfully their seem to be more and more game studios making audio games lately, and they also have the funds/people to take full advantage of the console's audio capabilities, plus the people who might buy the console are more likely to be shell out cash for a game, but we're still only getting a new release maybe once or twice a year tops.
I fully understand the piracy concerns, but wouldn't a single license per device based on hardware ID and using some kind of account based system like an app store for games work too? You can't change the ID nearly as easily as you can on a standard PC...
And how will devs patch/add new features to their games with the cartridge format as well? Their is a reason we're moving away from them...
Not to mention that I'm guessing the stick will well, stick out? That kind of takes away from portability and adds a big point of mechanical failure as well.
I think an SD would be a much better choice, even if it's internal storage only. It could even remove the need for ethernet if you do go removable, because you can just download games/firmware updates onto it with your computer and then load them that way. It doesn't even need to be larger than 32GB probably... And if you go the built in rout, you can avoid any ports that, with some hacking, could allow access to the firmware, switch and ps classic style.
Personally, I could handle not having WiFi and just using ethernet for updates and such, but if it's within the budget then I think multiplayer support could add allot of potential game types.
I like this console concept because of the portability and ability to support advanced audio, which is just like a phone. But it's allot cheaper which makes it easier to justify, and has physical buttons which would appeal more to console gamers and purists.
As it stands though, I don't see it having enough games to compete with mobile, because the architecture seems stuck in the early 2000s which limits developers allot, especially if new devs come on the scene again and start making games like A Blind Legend and the somethinelse games once more. I'm also guessing that the games will tend to be more closely priced to PC/console titles than mobile titles, which is also a factor.
I see allot of potential use as well though, we have a large lack of mortal kombat style fighting games, racing games, or decent sports games, and a large group of people wanting them, and these physical controls are perfect for that kind of thing, while not requiring you to buy a controller and get it working, which is a pain with versions of Windows below 10.
I think you could have saved some money by not insisting on surround sound support and such, because I tend to see this being better for simpler, fast paced arcade style games rather than RPG's, strategy titles, sims and such, but the popularity of the DS kind of disproves that notion. However this is a unique market with allot of potential buyers that grew up using PC, so who knows, your a brave guy for taking this leap...
You'll have to choose your pricepoint carefully though, most blind people are on government support, which means that, especially for kids, their more likely to have it bought for them on a holiday by someone else. Above 200USD and that will be hard to justify.
Compromises will have to be made either way though, and I understand that we shouldn't expect the world when your just one guy and we're a small, uncertain market.
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