Triggerhappytel
Member
$300 dollars for a Netflix & Android games device? That seems incredibly expensive. Surely about double what they need to price it at to be a success and be a reasonable cost for what it offers.
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RUMOR: Amazons Android console to launch this year priced below $300
- Thread starter chadskin
- Start date
James Coote
Neo Member
You can use c++ on Android. You can also directly access the graphics card (OpenGL context) from both c++ and java, thus skipping all the overhead Android introduces.
Also, garbage collection on java is a lot better than in days gone by. If you code your game with performance in mind, you might lose maybe 1 frame per minute to GC
Metal Gear?!
Member
You betcha!
So far the only Android microconsole with Google Play is the Madcatz - that might partially explain its high price, as Madcatz can't expect to make their money back on store sales.
What the hell are you on about?!
The fact you said that SteamOS is not GNU/Linux shows that you are out of your depth.
There is no such thing as a single GNU/Linux!
Any operating system that uses the GNU userspace and Linux kernel (which SteamOS does) is GNU/Linux!
Android on the other hand is an OS based off the Linux kernel, but not the GNU (and freedesktop) userland and thus is not GNU/Linux!
The simple fact is that if they chose Android they have decided to use it for a reason (which is unlikely to be technical), thus getting support for Phone and Tablet games is a likely reason.
Green Yoshi
Member
Perhaps it has a Nvidia Tegra K1 GPU, that would explain the high price.
I love everything Amazon - been on Prime since inception, sell on there, their payment network, grocery shopping, etc - but don't see how an Android console can be relevant to my needs for quality video games. Maybe there will be some solid indie games, but who knows? Also, the controller has to be quality.
Coding a game "with performance in mind" in Java, in my experience on Android, amounts to "not doing any dynamic memory allocation/freeing", basically writing your own heap/reuse lists. I moved my game from ~35 FPS to ~60 FPS on a Galaxy S2 just by doing that. At that point I would rather just be programming C++ (well, I'd always be, but that's besides the point)!
Tertullian
Member
All the disadvantages of a home console, combined with an even worse selection of games than an ordinary Android phone, all for $50-100 more than a PS3, Xbox 360, or Wii U? What's not to love?
WAR recon zero
Banned
$300? doa
Google Play doesn't offer TV games so why bother?
I'm sure their plan is to built a device that will eventually become a good alternative to PS4/XB1. They'll probably release a new model every year too. If this thing takes off MS/Sony will be forced to release new consoles sooner than expected.
Bending_Unit_22
Member
I think an Android-based console could work, provided there are enough apps made for it which target tv and controls (like a regular console), and not just dump phone apps on it. Of course that requires a whole lot of work. The Ouya failed because the apps specifically written for it just weren't good and plentiful enough. Amazon has a bit more weight to throw around though! But excluding the Google Play store would make things much harder.
If someone just wants regular Android apps on tv, there's a million Android TV sticks out there for less than $100.
If someone just wants regular Android apps on tv, there's a million Android TV sticks out there for less than $100.
MikeE21286
Member
If a WiiU can't sell at around $300 what makes Amazon think they can sell an Android-based console near that price point.
This thing is DOA
This thing is DOA
Sho_Nuff82
Member
Sent to die.
emiranda061288
Banned
who are the people who would like to buy an android console? where is this market that after playing in their cell phones will think: ''I need to get a new console and I will go with the amazon android to play all that free to play material, it is only 300 USD''.
ArchedThunder
Banned
I love how people keep ignoring that they have been hiring big talent for original games.
I agree. Its much easier to subsidize a 150 biux box too.
emiranda061288
Banned
Will you ever get one?
Graphics Horse
Member
Interesting how people read ' below $300 ' as '$300'
ArchedThunder
Banned
Depends on the software, I'm not going to make any decisions until I see the damn thing.
Tertullian
Member
$299.95.
CoffeeJanitor
Member
It's pretty shortsighted to just write this thing off. It could be a legit competitor, especially depending on how nice the multimedia features are.
This could be where gaming is headed in the future.
This could be where gaming is headed in the future.
Amazon managed to dominate in android tablet sales by closely connecting their hardware with their multimedia and sales services [also by hardware being cheap and very well made].
http://cdn0.tnwcdn.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2013/01/global-android-tablet-share.png
They will now try to do the same with HDTV as a primary display device. However to call this a console, they need to prove that it has the games. And that means no games that have bad controls, larger catalogue that covers more than just Android ports, no games that are clearly designed for touch, and clear presence of unique games that users cant get anywhere else.
Multimedia support will be fine, but games...
BMX Bandit
Member
Wasn't the rumor that they had some pretty big studios interested in making games on this thing/not just phone games on your TV.
Graphics Horse
Member
They've built a few first party studios for it. I don't know about 3rd party but I imagine the ones who dabble in android games would be interested.
Camp Freddie
Member
So, you pay more to get a device that is less powerful than a last-gen system and has no decent game library (there are very few good android games and they are all optimised for phones/tablets, not consoles).
Why on earth would you buy one instead of a 360/PS3?
Why on earth would you buy one instead of a 360/PS3?
Lets try a third time. It would be helpful this time if you read what I actually say, rather than the imaginary version in your head.
Except I didn't.
Shame I never mentioned it. Otherwise you might have a point.
SteamOS might keep the GNU userspace, but it has been built on and customised in many other ways. Which was precisely my point - that just because you start from a basic core of Linux, or indeed a basic core of Android or any other OS, doesn't mean that these projects don't all built on it to their requirements anyway.
Yes. Which again, isn't actually in disagreement to anything I said.
It's likely to be for a bunch of reasons, some of which are technical and some of which are ecosystem related.
I am really hoping that someone can pull a good micro-console, Maybe apple, Samsung or Amazon. I really want a good, cheap system with good games that don't cost $50 or $60. I had great hopes for the Vita TV but seeing how limited it is at the moment I don't think that is the product I am looking for.
BMX Bandit
Member
Ahh gotcha. Hopefully they have something to show soon.
It would be cool if it could work like the JXD tablets (which support Google Play). This tablets have controllers built-in and you can map touch and motions to each button; even analog directions. I played one of those Gladiator/fighting games on mine and mapped the different swipes to each button and movement to the left analog; which made it play like any other/regular fighting game.
Anyway, for $300 is weird. I expect something else for that price. I like my Ouya but only paid $60 for it and got a $10 credit too.
Anyway, for $300 is weird. I expect something else for that price. I like my Ouya but only paid $60 for it and got a $10 credit too.
KojiKnight
Member
2 things amazon has that Ouya did not...
Big name industry talent
Marketting.
Of the two, the second is definitely better for the initial market penetration (something Ouya needed but could never afford), but the first means it could really have staying power.
I'm not going to jump on it, especially not day one... but it is something to keep an eye on and might really end up surprising people in the long run.
Big name industry talent
Marketting.
Of the two, the second is definitely better for the initial market penetration (something Ouya needed but could never afford), but the first means it could really have staying power.
I'm not going to jump on it, especially not day one... but it is something to keep an eye on and might really end up surprising people in the long run.
MaximoffZero
Banned
Another thing to consider is that Amazon KNOWS pricing. They wouldn't price their console at $300 unless they knew it was worth that much to consumers.
PoweredBySoy
Banned
You don't. Nobody does.
Baron_Calamity
Member
A $300 android box running mobile hardware sounds like something that will die at launch. Of course people said the same thing about a console running Windows and pc hardware.The OG Xbox wasn't the first console running Windows by a long shot.
Ultimately it comes down to the games. Not the specs and not the branding of the internals.
Ultimately it comes down to the games. Not the specs and not the branding of the internals.
Visualante2
Member
I think they should call it Lantern. And I figure they're going to push it as an accessory to the Kindle Fire HD.Snapping up MS talent, oh good, I'm not affected.
Is it going to carry the Kindle name, because I don't think people want to read books off of their television.
Hari Seldon
Member
I'm in agreement with gaf, dead on arrival. Mobile games suck, the cat is out of the bag. They can poach all the talent they want but their 1st party is not going to be anywhere near as good as Nintendo, and no one is buying the WiiU. Core gamers want innovation and graphics, not freemium mobile bullshit.
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