jawa2 wrote:Cheeky Devlin wrote:...I don't think the market that it is aiming for is there anymore.
There's a reason why Nintendo re-focused away from the casual, family audience. They're not the kind of market that stick with a device in the medium to long term. They buy it, maybe a token piece of software from time to time and that's it...
I can see your point, Dev, and I'm not sure if that market would pick-up the system, either. But... it is a huge market. No current console really targets it ( it doesn't seem that many families play games together on a PS4 or XBO; nor even a Switch, really) and I feel that the Amico has a price advantage in terms of games. The Wii had fairly high-priced games and that probably put some people off from picking them up; the Amico is charging from £4 to £10 a game. The range of games could be appealing to a wider range of people, too; there will be stuff like board games which - whilst obviously not attractive to many more "hardcore" console gamers - could attract older folk to use the system.
It is a bit of a gamble and I do feel that it will need to sell quite a few systems quickly in order to have any sort of impact. Even so, in terms of reaching this potentially large sector, there doesn't feel to be a lot of competition right now.
I think £179 is also far too much for this kind of thing. Leave aside the main console comparisons for a moment.
If it plays 2 - 2.5d games, and I'm a kid, why would I play that when I have a phone that can play modern games, like my mates are playing? Yeah, lads, I'm off home to play Horace goes skiing with my mum, dad and little brother.
Also, why would I be bothered about an online scoreboard, in order to not be able to play games with my friends or talk to them, but presumably text them about it on my phone instead. If I can even find a friend who also has an Amico, that is.
So, there's the family friendly thing, and getting round the living room together to play together. I get that. But you raise the comparison with playing board games. If that's your competitor...
And also, if that's what you're after, why not just play a board game?
It seems to me like a console built and meant for the nostalgic retro dad. That's not meant to be a criticism of them trying to make it, or of people liking the idea either, by the way, because I do too. It's just that nostalgia has a way of blinding you.
There are also plenty of games you can play 4 player on consoles in one room. Using phones as controllers, for example. Or just get a Gamecube off ebay and get games for less than a tenner there from CEX, which will all seemingly look better than the cheap games on this.
Innovative controller? Hello Wii, which more easily caught the imagination straight away and had the marketing muscle behind it, which you can still buy for a tenner second hand and can play family friendly multiplayer cheap games all day, in 3D as well.
The basic problem is, no matter which way you look, no matter which gap in the market you're looking for, there is already a cheaper, better and likely more popular alternative.
E. G. what's the actual usp with this controller? Potential, it seems. I. E. all the different abilities it may never use without software to support it, but no killer one with the easy understandability of the Wii, and most of which are already done elsewhere?
Jawa, if you as a likeable and articulate poster have had to spend paragraphs explaining it's benefits, then that's probably not down to you. Nor do I think it's a Grcade thing - there's more than enough nostalgic dad's and retro ganers on here given gamers' demographics, I'd guess.
It's done the classic thing of falling between markets. Either be the best, with a price tag to match, or the cheapest and better than your cutthroat rivals. Don't get caught in the middle or you have no chance.
But this seems like neither the cheapest, nor the best at anything.
On the plus side, I really feel that in being a complete wet blanket I've made this machine a success now, since I successfully predicted the Internet was a fad at the time. All hail my new Amico overlord.