The STARFORCE PI - Kickstarter

[vwalbridge]

The STARFORCE PI Electronic Tabletop Mini-Arcade

www.starforcepi.com

About $217 USD to back it and receive a full system.

I'm intrigued most by 2 things:

1. The screen has a magnifier on it like the old Game Boy magnifiers. To make the small screen bigger I guess? That's gotta look weird in person.

2. Keep watching this video and you will notice how they fit that joytick in there. (About the 0:40 second mark.) Pretty clever I have to admit:



[Edit by mod:  You tube link fixed]

[behrmr]

I saw this too.  This doesn't seem like an appropriate platform for full sized arcade controls.  To me it's screaming for console type of controls.  I think it would be a novelty you'd play once or twice before you realized that your adult sized hands just got in the way.  Look how awkward the one or two shots of him playing it look.

[Generic Eric]

The STARFORCE PI Electronic Tabletop Mini-Arcade

www.starforcepi.com

About $217 USD to back it and receive a full system.

I'm intrigued most by 2 things:

1. The screen has a magnifier on it like the old Game Boy magnifiers. Too make the small screen bigger I guess? That's gotta look weird in person.

2. Keep watching this video and you will notice how they fit that joytick in there. (About the 0:40 second mark.) Pretty clever I have to admit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=50&v=oDGV4leAfQM

*shazzle*

That is cute.  Looks like that old coleco table top!  I can see this being duplicated.

[vwalbridge]

To me it's screaming for console type of controls. 

I'm not defending thier build but if you check out their website...they tried to overcome that with a work-around:

"Any classic console or PC game will run on the STARFORCE PI, but a small screen may not be appropriate for multiplayer games, text based games, point-and-click adventures, etc. Therefore, we’ve added HDMI-output and two USB-inputs to the device. Hook the system up to a TV/Monitor, plug in your favorite controller or peripheral,and play!"

[markc74]

I Have a couple of tabletops (tron n trigger) and always wanted to make a minicab like this but put off by trying to wedge everything in a tiny case and no 3D printer on hand.

Hmmm. Tempted.

[vwalbridge]

Looks like that old coleco table top!  I can see this being duplicated.

Ask and you shall receive   

[Jamesbeat]

That's pretty cool.
I wouldn't mind one of those for my desk at work, but it's too close to my nvidia shield (use-case wise) to justify the purchase.

It reminds me of an old led tabletop game (maybe Firefox?) That my cousin used to have.
This deserves to succeed in my opinion.

[aldub516]

i personally cannot bring myself to like these things because they all look 20 dollar pacman plug and play gimmicks to me. Nice work though.

[ark_ader]

I can play starforce on the Pi for free.....

[RandyT]

Interesting concept, but unless this unit has the same weight by volume as a brick, the leverage possible with a full size stick could throw this unit around during a frenzied play session.

Looks nice, but not really feeling the practicality aspects.  A very small traditional panel with a built-in screen (and maybe a brick inside )  would take a little more real estate, but would be more functional.

[vwalbridge]

Interesting concept, but unless this unit has the same weight by volume as a brick, the leverage possible with a full size stick could throw this unit around during a frenzied play session.

Looks nice, but not really feeling the practicality aspects.  A very small traditional panel with a built-in screen (and maybe a brick inside )  would take a little more real estate, but would be more functional.

You might not even have to worry about it. With only 6 days to go...they have only met $46K of their $200K goal.


...jeez man, $200K?  WTF is all that money for? All the parts inside that thing are already available via 3rd party. The ONLY "proprietary" element is the case itself. So I guess they need that money to have plastic forms made?

[RandyT]

...jeez man, $200K?  WTF is all that money for? All the parts inside that thing are already available via 3rd party. The ONLY "proprietary" element is the case itself. So I guess they need that money to have plastic forms made?

Injection molds are insanely expensive.  I got a good deal on the mold for our CLASSX buttons, and even that was $7500.  The case on this unit is large, and complicated, which means there will be prototypes and additional machining iterations.  Probably 30k, just for the mold.  Given the limited audience, it would likely never be used for the hundreds of thousands of parts it could produce.  I'm sure it could be done a different way, which would cost a lot less and still retain most of it's cosmetic design.

[pbj]

He's already got one in his hands in the video.  Why can't he sell those and use the money to make more?

[RandyT]

He's already got one in his hands in the video.  Why can't he sell those and use the money to make more?

It's probably a 3D printed prototype, which took 2 days to print, and another week to make pretty (sanding, solvent vapor, etc...)  He'd have to charge more than anyone (reasonably) would pay for it.

[vwalbridge]

Spoiler Alert: This project never got funded.  (Kickstarter ended 3 days ago)

I didn't think the concept was that bad. However, setting their goal at $207,000 is coo coo for cocoa puffs.