The main engine for GameSlate has been sitting complete for months now, along with an IDE for making games without a line of code. What’s holding it back?
Hardware.
The GameSlate system I run, would cost $300+ for an end user, not acceptable.
Here’s the question, is the 128x128 OLED good enough? With that I could use the Cerb or Mountaineer and have a game system available for around the $100 mark. Other viable LCD or OLED alternatives are extremely welcome. I love the T35 but even the E model is too expensive and I don’t think touch is a must.
My hardware experience is roughly that of an untrained monkey that’s been bashed in the head once too often.
Though I could probably get a cheap screen designed for Arduino to work on Cerb40; I just feel Gadgeteer is the more hot line at the moment, would grab more interest and help promote Gadgeteer as well.
But I’m locking the specs down this time so hopefully if we get enough interest maybe I can get GHI to do a little custom work or bundling option to get the price down.
Required Specs:
Hydra 1x
TE35 1x
Joystick 1x
SD or Micro SD 1x
Buttons 2x
Power SP or DP 1x
One type of game is already done, I’m just going to have to update IDE, et all to reflect less flexibility on hardware and removal of Music support, the firmware just isn’t up to par and I can’t release a custom one every time there’s a firmware update.
Try to get one of the hardware guys in community to make an interface module with buttons and joysticks of use an off the shelf controller. I think this will save you some on cost maybe?
[em]The auction is for 425 DS Lite LCD screens. There is something wrong with each screen: some are cracked, some have damaged screen cable, some work just fine, but have ink leaking or other imperfections.
Might be an easy fix for someone who knows what to do.[/em]
Hmmm… Doesn’t sound like a good deal if there is something wrong with each screen. If you build a module using these, that could end up as a customer support nightmare!
Ah… I didn’t read past the AS-IS. I thought maybe someone could have fun picking through it looking for the good ones. I guess if there are no good ones then it’s best left for the recycler. There are plenty of new and working auctions out there for around $10 each.
I think that one area where there’s a lot of potential is screens; the current offerings are very expensive! A CP7 costs as much as an entire Kindle Fire or Nexus 7!
@ Ian I want something people can pick up themselves anyway. The longer I can stay out of hardware the better. If GameSlate picks up I’ll approach GHI for custom board designs.
@ godefroi Exactly. That’s why I’ve been a bit back and forth. I can get software out free to users and affordable to developers but the hardware has been a bit expensive for most users. Though the $200 or less price point will hopefully be enough to start.
I completely understand. That’s why I think if GMod, godefroi, or one of our other module gurus can take a sub $10 screen and turn it into a module for $25 then you both could profit.
The problem (as I understand it) is that sub-$10 screens tend to be monochrome, depressingly low resolution, and non-touch. I guess you have to deal in massive volumes to be able to afford good LCD panels?
I think there must be a solid market for even a resistive-touch 640x480 3" or 3.5" screen. The smartphone screen of yesteryear, that is to say. If this could be done for your $25, I think it would be pretty popular.
For my projects, the $10 128x64 serial/parallel screen is perfect, but I’m not making a game system.
I don’t think it needs touch. Many applications including games work better with just buttons. Sparkfun does sell just the touch panel for the Nintendo DS as a separate product for < $10 that could be an available option. Maybe the module could support both but it would be up to the buyer to determine if they need the touch or not and take the $10 discount.
I agree with Ian touch is only a nice to have. Currently I use it to ask which sockets hardware is connected to but I could always mandate sockets in the specs.
