GBA Consolizer

[Arenegeth]

I assume most of you guys have heard about the GBA Consolizer? Though I haven't seen a topic about it.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to it, since I don't like playing on handhelds and this looks like is going to be the absolutely best way to play Game Boy on the big screen, I fell like I'm finally getting access to my GB/C/A library again!

There's a few things I'm worried about, like they haven't announced a price yet, and also it needs to be assembled, plus my original 40 pin GBA doesn't power up, so I'll have to get a new one for this thing, or fix the old one if possible.

[Forlorn Drifter]

That looks cool- how does that compare with say, the Gemcube game boy player?

I'm in a weird spot right now- I'm really itching for retro action, but I have the siren known as trophies pulling at me again. I thought I was done with that crap, but when I get a game I really like, I want to do it, y'know? I might have to bust out the N64 and Harvest Moon my way out of this funk.

[Arenegeth]

That looks cool- how does that compare with say, the Gemcube game boy player?

Quite favorably!

Here's a video of the Consolizer from the RetroRGB guy where he goes in length about the details testing it and some input from the guy who created it.

IF everything they said is true this thing is amazing and blows the Game Boy Player (with with GBI and proper cables for the Cube) out of the water, and it uses native GBA hardware to do it!

As I said I'm worried about the price though, they are being coy about it and I have a feeling they going to charge something crazy for it (like over $100) but as long as is something reasonable it looks like is going to be the best solution for gaming on TV's for the Game Boy family of systems for some time to come.

[Ziggy]

I assume most of you guys have heard about the GBA Consolizer? Though I haven't seen a topic about it.

Can a mod please split these few post off into a new topic?

Yeah, that thing looks awesome. I'm keeping an eye on its release. I suppose most people want HDMI these days, but it would be cool if there were another version that can output 240p RGB.

[Ziggy]

Ah, that's better. Thanks for the split, Ack!

As I said I'm worried about the price though, they are being coy about it and I have a feeling they going to charge something crazy for it (like over $100) but as long as is something reasonable it looks like is going to be the best solution for gaming on TV's for the Game Boy family of systems for some time to come.

Oh, I was assuming it's gonna be over $100. The question is, how MUCH over $100?

[Arenegeth]

Oh, I was assuming it's gonna be over $100. The question is, how MUCH over $100?

Just for the base kit? Maybe for everything, including the optional case and an actual GBA to connect it with, if you grab a loose one so you don't mess up one in your collection (though it seems like everything can be put back together again if you de-solder) and paying somebody else to assemble it.

But the base kit shouldn't cost over $60, we're basically talking about this stuff:



It can hardly be over $100 can it?

I mean is an amazing little piece of engineering, but the components there cannot be that costly.

[Ziggy]

Just judging from what other mod kits cost.

This is $120


This is $140


This is $150

[Arenegeth]

Oh Jesus Christ...

That's why they haven't announced a price yet, this is going to end up close to $200 for the whole shebang isn't?

I think there's a bit of profiteering going on here, and I think this is prevalent in the Neo-Retro (if we can call it that) scene in general. Thing is, there's not much you can do about it, since these things are usually small productions and there's no real competition to drive prices down.

Well I better find my old GBA and see if I can get it to work, and also get my soldering iron ready, cause I'm not spending more than I have to on this thing.

[MrPopo]

I bet you'd be shocked at how little profit they end up turning on it. This is a niche product and they're not going to be getting the economy of scale they want to drive the manufacturing costs down. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised to find it takes a year before they actually realize any sort of profit due to needing to do a bulk order up front.

[Arenegeth]

I bet you'd be shocked at how little profit they end up turning on it. This is a niche product and they're not going to be getting the economy of scale they want to drive the manufacturing costs down. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised to find it takes a year before they actually realize any sort of profit due to needing to do a bulk order up front.

Eh, I'm not discounting that.

There is however a precedent for profiteering in this sort of market before, so unless I had their hard numbers (which I don't), I'm generally more likely to believe that they are making a tidy sum.

However, is not like I can do anything about it (other than not buy it), not in the short term anyway, more and more of these sort of projects are coming up, and competition is bound to drive prices lower, plus manufacturing for all these parts is only going to get cheaper, not more expensive.

But yeah, unless I know the details or the people involved personally, my old cynical self always think of the worst, however I do keep my mind open for what you saying being true.

In either case, I'm going to have to fork out a bunch of money! But if this thing works as advertised, is worth it.