NES mini copycat----totally illegal

[lisowskikevin]

Hey guy check out this kickstarter. This has to get shut down at some point.

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/retroengine-sigma-mini-console-media-player-cool#/

[pbj]

Why would it get shut down?

[JDFan]

Why would it get shut down?

^This -- the Game unit itself the way it is shipping only comes with games they licensed or developed - they only tell you how to add other games if you want later !

Legal Disclaimer: The designs and functionality shown are not necessarily final, they are used for illustrative purposes and may be subject to change. The SBC board used in the prototypes is subject to change depending on economies of scale. The system does not ship with software components or games we didn't either license, develop ourselves or use under a permissible Open Source license. Where we modify or build on Open Source software in order to enable the functionality of our system, we will release all source code once distribution of the final units commences, irrespectively of license type.

ROM(**) usage: If you decide to install the additional Emulator Pack to enable the system to run game backups from older systems, the legality of using such ROMs depends on your countries laws and on additional circumstances such as for example your continued permission of the original copy of the game as well as the original hardware it ran on. The functionality is meant to allow you access to your old gaming favorites, in cases where e.g. technical reasons prevent you from continued use of those - always subject to the laws of your country. We do not condone software piracy.

[Jakobud]

Looks no different functionally than someone mass producing and selling a ROM-less Mame cabinet.

[Haze]

it's a piece of junk anyway

https://www.reddit.com/r/emulation/comments/5gtttn/whats_remulations_thoughts_on_the_retroengine/

so basically it's nothing more than a 'Orange Pi' in a custom case, sold at an over-the-odds price.  People have done tests on that hardware before, it's terrible.

it's barely capable of running the things advertised.

and Sega might have words with them over the case design if nothing else.

we do seem to be in the age of people trying to cash in on retro-interests with meaningless contributions like this.

[Locke141]

Yea this is a bad deal.

I like my Retro pi set up but I would not recommend paying almost $60 for something near identical.

 

[JDFan]

Yea this is a bad deal.

I like my Retro pi set up but I would not recommend paying almost $60 for something near identical.

True but for the average joe that has no idea of how to setup the pi and get it running the $60 is a small price to pay for something that they are able to plug and play ( depending on the ability to locate the roms etc. and download/install them using their smartphone app and what info they are actually giving !) If the app is actually able to locate and install the roms and download them directly into place so that the thing actually is plug and play - I'm sure there are plenty of people out there that would pay up rather than have to research which Mame version works with which emulator and how to find/download the ones they need.

Unfortunately there are a lot of people out there that have no idea of how to get a Mame setup going that have the extra spending money to purchase something like this and never realize how limited/ poorly designed the setup they are buying is - and are happy to be able to play the retro games even if they are poorly done.  Which is pretty obvious seeing the $255,000 that has already been pledged !

[jimmer]

I think they are cruising for trouble if they provide thousands of customers with a seemless ROM download method.

[lilshawn]

I was going to say that rear and side port layout looks like an orange Pi of the $12 variety. Why charge 50 bucks for it?

http://hackerboards.com/12-dollar-orange-pi-variant-swaps-ethernet-for-wifi/

[pbj]

Still waiting on a good software front end for the Pis.  Emulation Station is terrible.

[Titchgamer]

Still waiting on a good software front end for the Pis.  Emulation Station is terrible.

It aint that bad!
It just lacks basic customisation.
The actual functionality is pretty good.

[mahuti]

I love EmulationStation. I love the interface. I've been thinking about creating a theme, but honestly out of the box it's pretty much exactly what I want. Well... the EmulationStation (Kids kiosk) version.

Anyway.... I agree that this has nothing to do legally with the NES Mini. But there may be other issues. Who knows. Why worry about it.

[pbj]

It's completely dead unless the user interacts with it.  The text is far too small.  Far too much unused space on the screen.

It is way, way, way too easy to permanently ---fudgesicle--- up settings and then it's off to Google to read 20 forum threads before you figure out how to reset the configuration files.

It reminds me of ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- we were using 10+ years ago like ArcadeOS. 

[Mike A]

I have to agree. Just about everything about it is difficult and annoying.

[mahuti]

I like the "dead unless the user interacts with it" part :-)

Never had any problems messing up settings, and the text (imho) looks good, as for it being difficult and annoying, I found it to be the only front-end I've ever installed or used that wasn't difficult or annoying.  One man's trash is another mans treasure. 

[Guywiththegun]

Damn, can I just have the case? Spray-painted black of course.

[Haze]

I was going to say that rear and side port layout looks like an orange Pi of the $12 variety. Why charge 50 bucks for it?

http://hackerboards.com/12-dollar-orange-pi-variant-swaps-ethernet-for-wifi/

because idiots are easily led astray and happy to part with their money for something they think can work miracles and looks cool

it's worse hardware than the official pis, which are already terrible hardware for emulation anyway, it promises everything, but people who have actually used the emulators for the systems it lists on said hardware confirm that for a good number of the systems the experience for many games is below what even an average user would expect.

to have 'MAME' in their system lists is also comical, because MAME isn't a system at all, it's an emulator, and to even describe anything they actually offer as MAME is dubious anyway because the only versions that thing will run has little semblance to what MAME is today and the vast majority of the library will have serious emulation issues.

it's a trick for gullible people, and in terms of morality and integrity it's barely a step above the viagra scammers / spammers.  it's made by people with no real knowledge of emulation just looking to make a quick buck.

[lilshawn]

Damn, can I just have the case? Spray-painted black of course.

sure.

...

60 bucks.

[lisowskikevin]

I love EmulationStation. I love the interface. I've been thinking about creating a theme, but honestly out of the box it's pretty much exactly what I want. Well... the EmulationStation (Kids kiosk) version.

Anyway.... I agree that this has nothing to do legally with the NES Mini. But there may be other issues. Who knows. Why worry about it.

Not worried about it, just thought it was a topic that could elicit some interesting conversation.

I just hate how the ad pretty much promises the world to people that have no idea what an emulator even is.. Sooooo many people are going to be disappointed that this isnt as easy as it's made out be.

You are right that it really doesn't have anything to do with NES other than the creators are trying to cash in on the success of retro gaming mini consoles like the NES that is currently sold out everywhere.

Yet like everyone here I built my system from scratch and installed all the emulators by reading and learning for months. I hate when people try to make $$$$ through this hobby. It's a slap in the face to all the hard working people who develop emulators like MAME and post roms. The money should go to them if anyone!

[Generic Eric]

Still waiting on a good software front end for the Pis.  Emulation Station is terrible.

I have a raspi 2 with case. power supply, supernintendo pattern controller...

In a walmart bag.  What am I supposed to do with this?

[yotsuya]

Still waiting on a good software front end for the Pis.  Emulation Station is terrible.

I have a raspi 2 with case. power supply, supernintendo pattern controller...

In a walmart bag.  What am I supposed to do with this?

Buy the iCade stick I have for sale and cram it in there?

[keilmillerjr]

Still waiting on a good software front end for the Pis.  Emulation Station is terrible.

Why wait? Attractmode has been here.

My main beef with nes Classic and all other clones like this is hat it doesn't have composite out. Rpi has hdmi and composite. What good is a retro console if I can't play it on my retro tv?!

[JDFan]

Still waiting on a good software front end for the Pis.  Emulation Station is terrible.

Why wait? Attractmode has been here.

My main beef with nes Classic and all other clones like this is hat it doesn't have composite out. Rpi has hdmi and composite. What good is a retro console if I can't play it on my retro tv?!

Most people have moved away from the retro tv's and on to those that have HDMI connectors so they figured it saves them a buck or so per unit to leave the AV connectors off - figure even the newest pi 3 has dropped them and just hooked them up to the 3.5mm audio jack so you can buy another cable if you need the av output !

If you need them for about $10 (if ordered from US source or $8 if you wait for china shipping) you can get an HDMI to AV adapter - ( http://www.ebay.com/itm/For-HDTV-Mini-Composite-1080P-HDMI-to-3RCA-Audio-Video-AV-Adapter-Converter-L8-/272311400279?var=&hash=item3f67063757:m:m6uwV36wsvdrAhFtmtEXPzA )

[pbj]

Attractmode takes a ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- if you cut power to the Pi.

[Grasshopper]

To be fair, the price is pretty reasonable. If you bought an RPi, plus SD card, plus case, plus PSU, plus a retro controller, plus various cables, you'd end up paying about the same.

That being said, an RPi3 running Retopie will almost certainly give better performance, so I'm left wondering, why did they bother? They could simply have made the case RPi compatible and sold that on its own.

[mahuti]

why did they bother

A lot of my friends might like this. They aren't tinkerers. They don't know anything about linux or imaging SD cards or choosing the right hardware (nor do they want to know). Same reason you find those retro-consoles at Toys-r-us, Walgreens, 7-11, V-stock.... but you don't find Raspberry Pi's there. :-)

[nitrogen_widget]

Attractmode takes a ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- if you cut power to the Pi.

this will happen with any computer running a modern OS sooner or later if you just cut the power to it.

[keilmillerjr]

Attractmode takes a ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- if you cut power to the Pi.

Safe shutdown isn't specific to attractmode. It's a common topic. You can safely shut down the pi via multiple safe methods. Or just run the sd card in read only mode if your lazy.

[pbj]

$50 outback on the barrel head for a ready to go Pi image that doesn't take a ---steaming pile of meadow muffin--- when power is cut.

[mahuti]

I keep backups... but I probably cut the power 200 times and never had a problem.