RIP RetroVGS/Coleco Chameleon: Retro Console Epic Disaster (2015-2016)

[Pikointeractive]

Hate to sound mean, but the realist in me says it NEEDS to fail. Not because it's a bad idea, not because it's a cartridge console in the 21st century, but because Mike and crew are super sketchy and string people along on fairy dust and moon beams with not one grain of anything truthfully solid to back the claim this actually functionally exists yet having the huge brass balls to panhandle for 2 million dollars. That's my big issue.

If they did this right, had a working proto, got the community more interested and lined up some solid games and didn't just pick and choose random turds or lesser things while making a cardboard circuit board with crap glued to it I'd say it would deserve a fighting chance. Right now it along with their failed magazine that needs not just a subscription from people but also begged for dollars to keep in print on top both need to just go vaporware and disperse into the winds.

Seems like Kevtris had already done a proto of something similar, even better:

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/235...vgs/?p=3325199

[megasdkirby]

$300...wow, just wow.

And with the Playstation 4 dropping to $300...and that the Xbox One being $350 (and possibly $300 to counter Sony)...I see no real reason to own this.

$300...





$300!!!!!!!!!





Wut.

[bb_hood]

Only the first 500 limited edition consoles are 300$. After that the price is 350$...

[portnoyd]

http://crowdcharts.com/campaign/retro-vgs

Also needs to be mentioned that this expectation is steadily dropping. Was at $1.2m, now at $1.1m. These crowdfunding initiatives are front and back loaded. You burst onto the scene and use up all your, to be blunt, social media whoring and then at the end, the perception of "I'm going to miss it!" kicks in and there is some more. Day one of this and still at 2%. Very bad sign.

[megasdkirby]

Only the first 500 limited edition consoles are 300$. After that the price is 350$...

Damn, makes me want to get one right away! Only $50 more!

BARGAIN!

Thanks for the link...it literally blew my mind...

This thing is dead.

[Tanooki]

Wow kev there, now he's got a far better idea going there and look at all the systems for less money. Retro is almost surely doomed to failure.

[Kokonoe]

http://www.retrovgs.com/

If you haven't heard, our dear old SoCalMike, fresh off Kickstarting a magazine, decides he's qualified enough to make his own game console.

Wait, it gets better. It gets so much better.

Let's just do a checklist, in no particular order:

1. Was originally going to be funded on Kickstarter, but had to switch to Indiegogo because they do not have a working prototype. Total bullshit that Indiegogo is "courting" them, when Indiegogo couldn't give a shit. Just like how you had "conversations" with Konami and Capcom?

2. SoCalMike has begun deleting negative comments from the system's Facebook page because the blowback has been getting worse and worse.

3. The system will cost $300, $100 less than a PS4 or Xbone, or as much as a WiiU.

4. Two words: Cardboard PCB

5. Here's the current game selection, look out guys, Super Noah's Ark, courtesy of the nitwit at Pika Interactive! Games List

6. Should be number one, but they are using the Jaguar die to make the system shells. Sure, let's get our system off the right start by using the shell of a total failure game console.

7. SoCalMike and his team do not have even have a board layout. An inside source has been cited as saying "Every time I talk to them, the design was 100% different".

If you can read all this and still confidently give SoCalMike your money for this system, then there is no hope for you.

The AA thread is also gold.
http://atariage.com/forums/topic/235...ro-vgs/page-48

Never heard of this until now, but I went ahead and checked it out and I don't agree with some of your statements.

1. I feel this part is rather irrelevant, yeah they may have wanted Kickstarter without a working prototype, but Kickstarter is the main source of revenue for these kind of projects these days. Having to go to indiegogo is similar to having to go to DailyMotion instead of Youtube, although not as bad.

2. I don't agree with deleting negative comments as it's not a good idea, but it's not exactly uncommon for a company to do this.

3. The price being 300 is something I can see an issue being, this price is an issue as it'll stop the console from having a mainstream appeal. It's hard to say why they are making it that price. Perhaps the hardware is expensive to produce for them? Or, they could be being cheapskates, but I'd wait to see someone open it up first.

4. Cardboard PCB is a demonstration.

5. Lack of games is a criticism I can understand, although I feel it's to be expected for a platform like this.

6. I thought of this too, using a shell of a failed game console probably isn't the best idea, but they could market it as something that'll redeem the design? I understand their choice, though. To save money.

7. This doesn't concern me, although I don't back things without a clear release date.

I will note I know nothing of SoCalMike or how he is and using my only impressions.

[SparTonberry]

I for one welcome a new era of cardboard-based video games.

[Tanooki]

I for one welcome a new era of cardboard-based video games.

You missed the revolution, kind of -- http://www.wowwee.com/en/products/paper-jamz >:]


To the post directly above yours. That's what I pointed out too, it's not real it's a demo board. The price is awful and I remember them talking about (into another point) that they saved a big pile of money by finding and buying the old injection molds for the jag and the jag carts which since they can do them themselves in house makes the shell itself very cheap for them to make. I have no issue with it. So what if the Jag failed. Let's be real, most people have no idea what the hell an Atari Jaguar is let alone probably never seen the actual hardware either. I think it was a smart move taking those molds. But also let's be realists and see what others are doing with far more advanced (assuming here) FPGA chips and other pieces of hardware in existing stuff, including what kevtris there made that supports far more than even the android box Retron 5 does. I think at $300 they're being cheap unless they have some very crappy and terrible part suppliers or some quirky unique part(s) they're using. If that's the case, they need to redesign or find someone less slimy to get cheap parts in bulk from. The lack of games is a given, they don't have hardware so it's kind of hard to promise something based on essentially somewhere between vaporware and a lie at this rate. No system = no solid kit which = no good way to develop anything at all.

As far as Mike removing bad posts, I don't like it, but considering the hell coming down on them at this rate for this debacle in progress I can hardly begrudge them it either as it makes it all the harder to find anyone who would and could commit some cash and resources to the thing and that's about the last thing they need right now.

[Gameguy]

That's what I pointed out too, it's not real it's a demo board.

I think the issue most people have is that there should be an actual functional prototype existing at this point, not just mock ups of what it could possibly look like.

Just imagine what Apple could have shown when introducing their latest Powerbook to the public. Would this have worked?

[celerystalker]

Can I preorder that? Not the Retro VGS; that sounds ridiculous. That powerbook looks fantastic and versatile.

[fluid_matrix]

I think the issue most people have is that there should be an actual functional prototype existing at this point, not just mock ups of what it could possibly look like.

Just imagine what Apple could have shown when introducing their latest Powerbook to the public. Would this have worked?

Honestly? For the Apple sheep? Yes, yes it would.

[SparTonberry]

Oh, I sort of remember reading about the P-p-powerbook scam.
Something about an ebay seller scamming (what they were sure was) a scam buyer.

[jperryss]

Oh, I sort of remember reading about the P-p-powerbook scam.
Something about an ebay seller scamming (what they were sure was) a scam buyer.

http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/p-p-p-powerbook

The original page is worth a read if you can find it.

[Tanooki]

Ahh that classic, I forgot about that one. Good overseas community job screwing that scammer. I'm sure the import dues on the PPPPowerbook was fun too.

[Kevincal]

Well if the thing ever is released it wont sell well and it will become incredibly rare in the future and worth big bucks probably. So buy one new when the price goes way down and then save it for 20 years and flip it for big bucks.

[Tanooki]

Perhaps rename it to the NA-Box. They can just ultimately do a numbered release and a select few people who are ok putting up that much initially can then barter it back and forward for an increasing amount of money based on condition from being new in box to mint but used and so on down the line.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

I'd like to support this, but it's very very bad timing for me. I'm back in school, lots of games are coming out this time of year that I want to buy, and.....$300 is a tough sell to play indie games I can already play on consoles I already own.

That being said, I trust Kennedy, and if this gets funded, I don't believe it'll be vaporware. If it was, the backlash against his other endevours would be immense and retro gamers would be eternally pissed off.

The challenge is getting it funded. Getting 2 million dollars is going to be difficult to say the least. Even the highly successful Ouya kickstarter lead by people with experience in the gaming industry only had a goal of nine hundred fifty thousand.

I don't there are enough people interested in this globally to collectively fund a a two million dollar project, even over the extended time period indiegogo provides over the 30 day period kickstarter uses.

Still, I'm going to support this because I like the concept.

How does indiegogo work? Is it like kickstarter where you're only billed if the project is successful?

Because I have a feeling this won't be successful if Kennedy's only going to do this if he reaches 2 million dollars. I feel like reaching even half of that would be amazingly impressive, as that would amount to more money than the extremely successful Ouya campaign, and people who backed Ouya were a lot of casuals. The VGS is targeted towards the hardcore retro gamer only, so it's very difficult to imagine a receptive audience even the same size, much less bigger.

[Mayhem]

How does indiegogo work? Is it like kickstarter where you're only billed if the project is successful?

On IndieGogo, you actually have a choice there. You can choose to only bill if you reach the total (like Kickstarter), or fund with all of the money actually pledged regardless of the amount. They've opted for the former here.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

So just to make sure --- if I pledge $300 for one of these and it turns out that it doesn't successfully reach the 2 million goal, I'm not billed at all?