Not surprised to hear the campaign is having difficulty. Not to mention the fact that cartridges have never really gone away. The GB and DS families have all used cartridges as their primary distribution. Some of the indie games in question games could have been released on a 3DS cartridge, but choose digital releases instead. Why? The business model doesn't support premium pricing for this content. Why would somebody pay $30-$60 for Shantae when they can already get it for $15 or less?
In my opinion this concept faces competition from several quarters. The most obvious competitors are the Retron-style devices, both Android based emulation and single chip system solutions. Not only do these devices already exist, cost far less to purchase, have large existing libraries, but there is no real restriction on new games being released that support these systems. As an earlier comment has already mentioned this puts the Retro VGS in competition with every retro system out there, which is not a good position to be in!
The second area of competition are growing digital marketplaces.Yes you need an internet connection for these services and some require additional checks, but they are also providing far lower priced entry points for retro styled content. Regardless if you love or hate them places like Steam, GOG, Google PLAY, etc., have dramatically reduced the price people are willing to spend on games in general. Even the Nintendo eShop falls into this category. Of course these options don't offer the Plug'n'Play factor that the Retro VGS is going for, but the lower prices will mean the majority of people won't be interested in Plug'n'Play as a feature.
Finally the campaign itself could be better too. One of the biggest black marks for me is the lack of clarity on the systems hardware itself. The campaign mentions ARM processor and FPGA array, but provides no insight into what specifications these will be and what they can achieve. I think the systems price point is probably pretty reasonable given the cost of FPGA arrays, but I'd imagine the average person will be thinking why do I what one of them in my system? Even if it could replicate the hardware function of older systems it still wouldn't be compatible with their carts and controllers...
They also provide a grid comparing the Retro VGS to the existing home consoles, which is another mistake in my opinion. The systems price point does put them into the same region as the Wii U, PS4, etc., but it simply raises the question why would I want a Retro VGS when I can get a modern system for a similar amount. Sure the modern system may be more prone to failure in future, but it also provides a wealth of modern features that the Retro VGS doesn't have. Without wireless controllers, disc drives, hard drives, Internet, evolved OS, better controllers, etc., it raises the question why is it in the same price region at all?
So as I said before this is a niche interest product designed by people with good intent, but with some misplaced market expectations. I'd imagine the very minimum they need to sell is 10,000 units before the system becomes in any way viable and right now that looks like a tall order.
@AVahne Ah thanks for clearing that up. I would agree that is a mistake. The one thing you really want on a retro controller is an excellent D-pad.
The project is certainly ambitious and it would be nice to see it succeeded, but I don't think it stands a chance. They need to get the first million in the first few days and that doesn't look likely.
To be honest the connection to Jaguar, which isn't the best loved or remembered system won't really help either. It makes sense given the availability of the mould, but they would get tracking with a design inspired from the Nes or Snes.
Can't help but feel the controller seems very similar to the Wii U Pro Controller. That's certainly a better base than the Atari Jaguar controller!
Not sure I see the market for this. People already create real cartridges for "retro" systems and the digital market is probably a better space for indie development. Perhaps it will find a niche market.
Comments 3
Re: The Retro VGS Wants To Revive The Glory Days Of Cartridge-Based Home Consoles
Not surprised to hear the campaign is having difficulty. Not to mention the fact that cartridges have never really gone away. The GB and DS families have all used cartridges as their primary distribution. Some of the indie games in question games could have been released on a 3DS cartridge, but choose digital releases instead. Why? The business model doesn't support premium pricing for this content. Why would somebody pay $30-$60 for Shantae when they can already get it for $15 or less?
In my opinion this concept faces competition from several quarters. The most obvious competitors are the Retron-style devices, both Android based emulation and single chip system solutions. Not only do these devices already exist, cost far less to purchase, have large existing libraries, but there is no real restriction on new games being released that support these systems. As an earlier comment has already mentioned this puts the Retro VGS in competition with every retro system out there, which is not a good position to be in!
The second area of competition are growing digital marketplaces.Yes you need an internet connection for these services and some require additional checks, but they are also providing far lower priced entry points for retro styled content. Regardless if you love or hate them places like Steam, GOG, Google PLAY, etc., have dramatically reduced the price people are willing to spend on games in general. Even the Nintendo eShop falls into this category. Of course these options don't offer the Plug'n'Play factor that the Retro VGS is going for, but the lower prices will mean the majority of people won't be interested in Plug'n'Play as a feature.
Finally the campaign itself could be better too. One of the biggest black marks for me is the lack of clarity on the systems hardware itself. The campaign mentions ARM processor and FPGA array, but provides no insight into what specifications these will be and what they can achieve. I think the systems price point is probably pretty reasonable given the cost of FPGA arrays, but I'd imagine the average person will be thinking why do I what one of them in my system? Even if it could replicate the hardware function of older systems it still wouldn't be compatible with their carts and controllers...
They also provide a grid comparing the Retro VGS to the existing home consoles, which is another mistake in my opinion. The systems price point does put them into the same region as the Wii U, PS4, etc., but it simply raises the question why would I want a Retro VGS when I can get a modern system for a similar amount. Sure the modern system may be more prone to failure in future, but it also provides a wealth of modern features that the Retro VGS doesn't have. Without wireless controllers, disc drives, hard drives, Internet, evolved OS, better controllers, etc., it raises the question why is it in the same price region at all?
So as I said before this is a niche interest product designed by people with good intent, but with some misplaced market expectations. I'd imagine the very minimum they need to sell is 10,000 units before the system becomes in any way viable and right now that looks like a tall order.
Re: The Retro VGS Wants To Revive The Glory Days Of Cartridge-Based Home Consoles
@AVahne Ah thanks for clearing that up. I would agree that is a mistake. The one thing you really want on a retro controller is an excellent D-pad.
The project is certainly ambitious and it would be nice to see it succeeded, but I don't think it stands a chance. They need to get the first million in the first few days and that doesn't look likely.
To be honest the connection to Jaguar, which isn't the best loved or remembered system won't really help either. It makes sense given the availability of the mould, but they would get tracking with a design inspired from the Nes or Snes.
Re: The Retro VGS Wants To Revive The Glory Days Of Cartridge-Based Home Consoles
Can't help but feel the controller seems very similar to the Wii U Pro Controller. That's certainly a better base than the Atari Jaguar controller!
Not sure I see the market for this. People already create real cartridges for "retro" systems and the digital market is probably a better space for indie development. Perhaps it will find a niche market.