Gamepark GP2x - disappointing :(

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Post by Caboose »

Why did microsoft send out faulty Xbox 360's? (I have nothing against the 360, in fact, I plan on buying one when the rpice drops and there are more good games available).
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Post by Phantom »

@BoneyCork, all your arguments make sense ofcourse.

I give up. You've won. I've lost. DON'T BUY GP2X!
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Post by Specially Cork »

Phantom wrote:@BoneyCork, all your arguments make sense ofcourse.
Yes they do. Youre claiming the console is faulty because it hasnt been officially released to the public. Yet, official retailers are selling it to the public.
Phantom wrote:I give up. You've won. I've lost. DON'T BUY GP2X!
BoneyCork wrote:Perhaps in the future it will be a success
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Post by Phantom »

BoneyCork wrote:
Phantom wrote:@BoneyCork, all your arguments make sense ofcourse.
Yes they do. Youre claiming the console is faulty because it hasnt been officially released to the public. Yet, official retailers are selling it to the public.
I know. Didn't I just agree with you. :?
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Post by Specially Cork »

Phantom wrote:
BoneyCork wrote:
Phantom wrote:@BoneyCork, all your arguments make sense ofcourse.
Yes they do. Youre claiming the console is faulty because it hasnt been officially released to the public. Yet, official retailers are selling it to the public.
I know. Didn't I just agree with you. :?
No, you were sarcastic.

Well at least, thats how your post reads to me.
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Post by Phantom »

BoneyCork wrote:No, you were sarcastic.



Well at least, thats how your post reads to me.
I wasn't trying to be, I was throwing in the towel. ;) I've had a long day and I apologize for sounding edgy. All the negativety just got to me there. From a consumer perspective I agree with everything you've said.

I personally think it's almost a miracle that machines like the GP32 and GP2x even get made in a time like this. Gamepark do not have the resources Sony or Nintendo have and therefor I think we should cut them some slack and give them a chance to correct this before we bury them.

Anyway, back on-topic.

I think at this point in time it's better to wait for the offi^H^H^H^Hsecond release and see if they've fixed the issues.

I was planning to get a GP2x in december, but decided to postpone the purchase until the issues are resolved. That probably also means there won't be a FreeSCI for GP2x anytime soon, unless someone else ports it (I'd really be surprised if that happens).

Gamepark have also failed to comply with the GPL so far. Apparently they now say that they will comply when the official release happens (there's that word again). This is obviously not good enough, and they should've had this all sorted out *before* shipping the first unit.
Last edited by Phantom on Wed Nov 30, 2005 9:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by FuriKuri »

Just to let you know, I am using the latest firmware and the GP2X I have is first edition, third batch. Ever since the korean launch, a lot of effort has been put into checking for faulty units. Craigix, the european distributor, went through the thousands of units before he shipped them out.

The true reason lik sang sent this message out to people is because they will not recieve any units until january, since they were the last reseller to place their order with GPH.
Digital Chaos wrote:Lik-Sang recommends not picking one up for various reasons.
lik-sang wrote:Hardware and Software Faults

From reports of worried customers on our pre-order list, and from hundreds of posts in GP2X forums around the world, we have gathered a quick list with the most common issues so far. Please be aware that this may still grow, as hundreds and hundreds of units have not yet arrived at the user's doorstep. Please note that the distributors have also informed customers up-front by email about possible problems, and it is recommended to check GP32X.com frequently if you have received your unit already.

? Practically many videos are not playable without capping them.
? There are reports of Xvid playing too fast, and DivX sound not in sync with video.
? There is a battery problem, 2 hours battery-life with standard batteries only.
? There is no power supply or charger included with the GP2X.
? Stereo jack sinks on some units, because of poor soldering.
? The speakers are mono instead of stereo.
? Headphone channels are switched, left is not left.
? The action buttons are too small. Your thumb can cover all four.
? There is a large joystick deadzone (that can be fixed with a "mod" according to a distributor).
? Uneven color distribution on the screen and other LCD problems.
? Long boot time (28 seconds).
? Compatibility problems with some brands, types or sizes of Flash Cards.
? USB Connection and incompatibility problems with Windows XP (apparently fixed with latest Firmware).

Several of these problems were indeed noticed by the Lik Sang team with the prototype that we received early October, but there were hopes here (and promises from Korea) that it would all be fixed for official release... and that obviously didn't happen.
Here is my responses to lik sang's fluffed list of problems:
lik-sang wrote: ? Practically many videos are not playable without capping them.
The current so called 'cap' for video play is 2,000kbs. Divx 3,4,5,6 and Xvid plays back perfectly fine. The cap is currently due to the sd card read speed. The upcoming firmware should fix the cap for video play and include more video playback codecs and containers.
lik-sang wrote: ? There are reports of Xvid playing too fast, and DivX sound not in sync with video.
These issues have been fixed in the latest firmware. I can sit down and watch half an hour episodes of anime with no problem.
lik-sang wrote: ? There is a battery problem, 2 hours battery-life with standard batteries only.

I have 2500mha nimh Energizer batteries and I get between 4 to 5 hours of battery life. The battery life can be
increased by not running both proccessors at full speed and currently the tv out chip is drawing energy for no
reason.

lik-sang wrote: ? There is no power supply or charger included with the GP2X.
I can't really consider that a problem since it does run on AAs.
lik-sang wrote: ? Stereo jack sinks on some units, because of poor soldering.
My unit works perfectly fine. Going through the board at gp32x.com, there has only been 2 instances of the headphone jack falling into the unit.
lik-sang wrote: ? The speakers are mono instead of stereo.
The speakers are stereo. NK made a patch that proves that the speakers are in fact stereo, not mono.
lik-sang wrote: ? Headphone channels are switched, left is not left.
Can't say I really notice it, but can be fixed in firmware if it already isn't.
lik-sang wrote: ? The action buttons are too small. Your thumb can cover all four.
I don't have a problem with it and I have really big hands.
lik-sang wrote: ? There is a large joystick deadzone (that can be fixed with a "mod" according to a distributor).
This is something that is in debate and will take some time to iron out. I noticed that the dead zone changes from
application to application. After playing with it for a couple of hours I had gotten used to it. It took me the same
amount of time to adjust to it as the super loose gp32 stick.
lik-sang wrote: ? Uneven color distribution on the screen and other LCD problems.
The latest firmware fixes the screen issues except flickering which has only been reported by less than a hand full.
lik-sang wrote: ? Long boot time (28 seconds).
The time can be shortened in upcoming firmware releases. There is also a Homebrewn firmware that will come out
soon that can bypass the linux bootup.
lik-sang wrote: ? Compatibility problems with some brands, types or sizes of Flash Cards.
Supposidly the new firmware fixes a lot of the sd card problems. I am using a 1gb sandisk and it works great.
lik-sang wrote: ? USB Connection and incompatibility problems with Windows XP (apparently fixed with latest Firmware).
There are a list of ways to fix this problem, but I just went out and bought a card reader for $15. The european distributor, Craigix,
is giving out free card readers to people who send him a self addressed envelope.
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Post by FuriKuri »

Phantom wrote: Gamepark have also failed to comply with the GPL so far. Apparently they now say that they will comply when the official release happens (there's that word again). This is obviously not good enough, and they should've had this all sorted out *before* shipping the first unit.

All the Linux kernels directly related with GPL only will be put on Dignsys' bulletin board http://www.dignsys.com within two days.
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Post by NOWKA »

The joystick is garbage and the headphone socket is faulty. We're sending it back :/
Lots of promises.. very little action, it seems:
-We were promised a working USB connection
-We were promised looser joysticks (with a method to unstick those which remain too tight)
We're now being promised fixes to the above software problems and expected to ride it out?!

As for the hardware issues: They're dealbreakers. The dodgy headphone port, for one, makes the device unsuitable for its intended purpose so it's being sent back.
Looks like it is a overpriced poorly built system. Sure it isn't made by Sony...
and yes I had to throw that in

Yeah I'm really dissapointed by this news. Forget PSP Dead Pixels, this definitly takes the biscuit.

What's even worse, is while there are usually problems with early batches of consoles, you can sometimes understand why the company may not of noticed, especially on the hardware side of things.

But to advertise a product as having 8-10 hours of battery life and playing any divx/xvid movie without the need to re-encode (which they did), and then to start selling the product with only 2 hours battery life, and useless video support, is just ridiculous.
This is terrible news. Awful battery life, average screen, crap headphone socket, crap usb connection, crap controls, poor speakers etc. etc.

If not everything, then at least the hardware? I can handle buggy firmware for awhile until I upgrade, but I at least want working hardware for Christmas

wait, did he say movies at 10 fps (on the original one) and was impressed? and now on the 2x, snes emulation at 6-15 fps?
is it me, or is that very very sad for a 2005 machine?
Lots of people seem to be having their units fall to bits on them, and I wouldnt call that a quality built unit.
In the emulation department, it should have. But ironically, it would appear that a Sony system is built better than its competition.
But ironically, it would appear that a Sony system is built better than its competition.
Gamepark made these faulty units, and obviously wanted retailers to sell these units.
Let me give all of you guys a round of applause. For people who have supported and played the dreamcast for years, you kids certainly give up on a new handheld quickly. This isn't Sony, or Nintendo releasing a handheld, this is a small company in comparison to those. Give it time. The gp32 had its problems at first, but they were fixed. Same will happen with the gp2x. Holy cow, you people amaze me on how quickly you bail ship. Give it time. I am amazed that you people did not bail ship on the dreamcast when the early consoles had controller port issues.
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Post by Ex-Cyber »

FuriKuri wrote:All the Linux kernels directly related with GPL only will be put on Dignsys' bulletin board http://www.dignsys.com within two days.
That statement doesn't make a lot of sense. To the extent that I can get anything out of it, it doesn't sound like it would satisfy the requirements of the (L)GPL
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Post by NOWKA »

and now on the 2x, snes emulation at 6-15 fps?
is it me, or is that very very sad for a 2005 machine?

Is it just me, or isn't this the natural progress of a homebrew emulator? Emulators are not fullspeed from the start. If any one should understand this, it should be people in this scene. Homebrew emulators are not instantly fullspeed. The gp2x has only been out since November 11. Having an snes emulator in such a short time period is impressive. Heck, the gp2x hasn't even been out for a month.
Well, it's a simple C port yet, no ASM, and Yoshi's Island is one of the most complicated games out there, as it has another processor on board...
And it only uses one 200MHz processor of the gp2x, not overclocked, not anything else.

So, one processor more to emulate, and all running under Linux with C... should be possible to make it at least 4 to 8 times as fast.
(and Yoshi runs about half the speed as most other games in every SNES emulator).

So a fullspeed SNES emulator with fs0-1 on most games is definately possible

http://www.gp32x.com/board/index.php?sh ... 21939&st=0
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Post by Specially Cork »

Let me give all of you guys a round of applause.
Thanks.
For people who have supported and played the dreamcast for years
I fail to see how this is relevant in any way.
you kids certainly give up on a new handheld quickly.
Nobody has given up on it, people are just avoiding it for now because the current batch of units dont do what they say they should do and the hardware is crap. People are pissed because they wanted one of these units so much, but it currently looks like a risky purchase. However, nobody has given the impression that they have now have no intention of buying one in the future.

Are you saying you wouldnt be pissed if just spent a significant amount of money on a piece of hardware, only to find out it was currently complete crap? (You quoted sixteen-bit)
This isn't Sony, or Nintendo releasing a handheld, this is a small company in comparison to those.
This is no excuse. There are plenty of small electronics companies around, and if anything the majority of them actually produce better quality product.
Give it time.
We are. Nobody has said they will now never get one. I will certainly still be getting one when they are improved. Aditionally, perhaps Gamepark shouldve 'given it time' and waited to implement some quality control before releasing the damn thing?
The gp32 had its problems at first, but they were fixed. Same will happen with the gp2x
We know.
Holy cow, you people amaze me on how quickly you bail ship.
We havent. we are just waiting until the quality of the unit is guaranteed to do what Gamepark Holdings said it would do.
I am amazed that you people did not bail ship on the dreamcast when the early consoles had controller port issues.
Well not everybody bought early consoles, and a minor controller port issue can't really be compared to all the faults in the original batch of the GP2X.
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Post by jessman »

Damn. And I was just about to create a thread asking if I should buy one! Is the GP32 actually better than this?! I just want some kind of homebrew machine for nes, maybe snes, and movies n' stuff. Can ANYTHING out there fit my needs? I also really wanted the play the gp32 smash bros...
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Spreading his inquiries all over the net!

<^_^>
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Post by Phantom »

BoneyCork wrote:
This isn't Sony, or Nintendo releasing a handheld, this is a small company in comparison to those.
This is no excuse. There are plenty of small electronics companies around, and if anything the majority of them actually produce better quality product.
In the realm of handheld game consoles I can only think of Tapwave, and they're bankrupt. Other semi-recent handheld consoles that come to mind were released by big companies like Bandai, Tiger or SNK.
BoneyCork wrote:Aditionally, perhaps Gamepark shouldve 'given it time' and waited to implement some quality control before releasing the damn thing?
Yes, but unfortunately the reality is that they probably couldn't afford it. It's not like the GP32 earned them lots of money.
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Post by Freeze »

This came out on GP2x just a few days ago:

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Post by Delin hong »

what about the other side of the company releasing an xbx or something?
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Post by FuriKuri »

Phantom wrote:
BoneyCork wrote:Aditionally, perhaps Gamepark shouldve 'given it time' and waited to implement some quality control before releasing the damn thing?
Yes, but unfortunately the reality is that they probably couldn't afford it. It's not like the GP32 earned them lots of money.
Actually, people were canceling their pre-orders because of the slight delay of them trying to resolve a couple issues. Game Park Holdings(GPH) is a new company based off GamePark and can not take people canceling their orders.

Differences between GamePark(GP) and GamePark Holdings(GPH):

Several years after the release of the GP32, GamePark, the Korean company responsible for the system, began to design its next hand held. A disagreement within the company about the direction of this system prompted many of the staff (including the majority of engineers) to vacate and create their own company, GamePark Holdings (GPH) to create, produce and market a 2D handheld system (which is seen as the evolution of the GP32) that would come to be known as the GP2X. In contrast, GamePark has developed a 3D system similar to the Playstation Portable, known as the XGP.
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Post by Matt »

Transport Tycoon!!! :o Times 100
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