FC mobile2 Hyperkin Console for NES games

[ahofle]

Anyone know anything about this?

http://www.neweggmall.com/Product/2005460190/product.html

Can't figure out if it contains games or just an NES cart slot.  I'm curious about the lightgun as well.

[HaRuMaN]

Anyone know anything about this?

http://www.neweggmall.com/Product/2005460190/product.html

Can't figure out if it contains games or just an NES cart slot.  I'm curious about the lightgun as well.

Just a cart slot.  Nintendo doesn't care if you duplicate the old hardware, just don't copy / bootleg the games.

[DJ_Izumi]

Just a cart slot.  Nintendo doesn't care if you duplicate the old hardware, just don't copy / bootleg the games.

Doesn't Care = Patents Expired and the NES design is public domain.

[SavannahLion]

They don't care if you copy the games, either.

Their website adamantly states otherwise.

[HaRuMaN]

Of course it does, but they do nothing about it.

They actively go after those mall kiosks where they sell the nintendo on a controller setup.

[DJ_Izumi]

There's a difference between 'not doing anything about it' and 'not having the resources to identify, locate and sue every bootlegger on the planet'.  It would be better to say that Nintendo is forced to pick it's battles based on logistics.

[SavannahLion]

There's a difference between 'not doing anything about it' and 'not having the resources to identify, locate and sue every bootlegger on the planet'.  It would be better to say that Nintendo is forced to pick it's battles based on logistics.

At least someone has something resembling logic in their brain.

[DJ_Izumi]

It'd take them 5 minutes a day to shut down all the infringing sellers on e-bay, so get over yourself, moran.

Calm down, there's no need for insults.

Firstly, you only checked English speaking eBay.  You'll find lots more pirated roms in various forms on eBay.  Also, informing eBay once doesn't stop them from popping up agian.  It would be a very difficult thing to police, I mean, checking eBay for new stuff would be some guy's full time job.

Then that's just a MINORITY of the pirated nintendo game sales.  With lots of stuff retail in so many different countries.  The sheer FAST ammount of copyright lawsuits necessary would be massive, meaning signfigant legal fees for court cases that likely wouldn't break even.  It'd be a money it.  The best Nintendo can do is target the larger causes and hope it 'sends a message'.

It's estimated that bootlegged materials make up 5%-7% of the total global industrial production.  That is a huuuuuuuge ammount.

[DJ_Izumi]

David Foley managed to get any reference to MAME off e-bay for years, I'm sure Nintendo could manage.

You're still ignoring that eBay is just one venue of countless others where bootlegged video game merch is being sold.

It's also easier to block 'MAME' from eBay because there are no retail MAME products.  For Nintendo, ever ad would have to actually be looked at to see if it's a ligitimate nintendo product or a famiclone running bootlegged roms and such.  MAME you can just blanket black list.

[danny_galaga]

David Foley managed to get any reference to MAME off e-bay for years, I'm sure Nintendo could manage.

You're still ignoring that eBay is just one venue of countless others where bootlegged video game merch is being sold.

It's also easier to block 'MAME' from eBay because there are no retail MAME products.  For Nintendo, ever ad would have to actually be looked at to see if it's a ligitimate nintendo product or a famiclone running bootlegged roms and such.  MAME you can just blanket black list.

I'd have to agree with DJ here. Would be hard for Nintendo to check every auction that has the word nintendo in it, and then determine if it's legit or a knock-off. Ebay is a bad example though, how much pirated Nintendo software is there on Ebay? As opposed to knockoff hardware?

[SavannahLion]

It'd take them 5 minutes a day to shut down all the infringing sellers on e-bay, so get over yourself, moran.

What a bizarre choice in spelling, an attempt at an insult that comes off as a sign of respect. From Wikipedia:

The variant Maran or Moran (Syriac: ܡܪܢ, Māran), meaning 'Our Lord', is a particular title given to Jesus, either alone or in combination with other names and titles. Likewise, Martan or Mortan (Syriac: ܡܪܬܢ, Mārtan, 'Our Lady') is a title of Mary.
.....
The variant Maran or Moran (Syriac: ܡܪܢ, Māran), meaning 'Our Lord', is a particular title given to Jesus, either alone or in combination with other names and titles. Likewise, Martan or Mortan (Syriac: ܡܪܬܢ, Mārtan, 'Our Lady') is a title of Mary.

In any case, back to the subject at hand. You need a face to go with the bootlegging. Going after eBay auctions is like going after the drug dealers. It costs a lot of money and is going to fill up the courts pretty quick. Most of them are just going to go right back to selling gray market products anyways. Go after the source and you stand a chance to dry up the supply line. Whether or not cutting the supply actually works is another matter entirely. 

David Foley was a good target, indicting him makes a nice high profile case in the community. Nailing that little Vietnamese guy selling 64in1 SNES wannabe controllers with his blue Pikachus and Yu-Gi-Ah (spelling intentional)  crap at the flea market isn't going to do jack except for sinking money in court.

[SavannahLion]

In that case, have you thought of taking five minutes out of your daily browsing to actually apply at Nintendo for that job?

Well... whatever, it's what you make of it I guess. Nintendo is probably doing things a little smarter than most. They'll sick the ESA on whatever counts and stay in the black. In contrast to the RIAA/MPAA or the DEA throwing assloads of money at the "problem" and never actually getting anywhere. These kind of issues are never as simple as anyone ever makes them out to be.

Edit: and moran is an internet cliche, moran.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=moran

OMG!!1 I got pwned?   

It's banter, get over it.

[SavannahLion]

Just a cart slot.  Nintendo doesn't care if you duplicate the old hardware, just don't copy / bootleg the games.

Doesn't Care = Patents Expired and the NES design is public domain.

While purging some old data from the server today, I came across a collection of articles I socked away over the years. One was from Gamasutra dated 2005 about this very topic. In an exceptionally rare moment of foresight, I stored the URL when I stashed the pages.

Of interest is the statement that there is at least one patent that is valid until 2013. It's not explicitly mentioned which patent it is but it shouldn't be too hard to Google the patents and figure it out.

[DJ_Izumi]

Of interest is the statement that there is at least one patent that is valid until 2013. It's not explicitly mentioned which patent it is but it shouldn't be too hard to Google the patents and figure it out.

Patents only last for 20 years, so to expire in 2013 it'd have to be dated 1993.  I'd suspect that those are specificly related to the 'NES2' which was released in 1993.  Probably some design change or chip reduction method they used in the refinement of the design.

[SavannahLion]

Of interest is the statement that there is at least one patent that is valid until 2013. It's not explicitly mentioned which patent it is but it shouldn't be too hard to Google the patents and figure it out.

Patents only last for 20 years, so to expire in 2013 it'd have to be dated 1993.  I'd suspect that those are specificly related to the 'NES2' which was released in 1993.  Probably some design change or chip reduction method they used in the refinement of the design.

Interesting, I wasn't thinking of that.

I was really curious to see which patent ended in 2013 so I searched through each one mentioned in the article. It seems to be that the 2013 date mentioned in the article is for the SNES controller (5,207,426). Go figure. Oh well, I stand corrected.

[DJ_Izumi]

Well the NES2 used dogbone shaped like SNES controllers, the pattent of the shape of the controller could be the issue.

[ahofle]

LOL I had one of those.  It also had a little tiny joystick that you screwed into the center of the Dpad. 

[DJ_Izumi]

Those controllers were rip offs of Gravis gamepads, I'd be shocked if Nintendo got a patent on that.

Firstly, the Gravis Gamepad is a different shape and lacks things like shoulder buttons.  Secondly, the Gravis Gamepad was released in 1994 and the SNES with it's dog bone shaped controller was released in in Japan in 1990.

So, no, the Gravis Gamepad was not ripped off by Nintendo, because Nintendo rolled theirs out four years earlier.  It would infact be the Gravis Gamepad that is the ripoff, if anything.  However I'd like to think that the gamepad design like that was just such a good and simple design that it was ideal for other platforms.  Gravis certianly did improve the design by making it so you could just turn it upside down and it'd be reversed for left handed people.

[DJ_Izumi]

1994?  I don't think so.  That's the problem with relying on Wiki.

The wikipedia doesn't list a date.  However you are right, I got the date wrong.

http://roger.trideja.com/arcade/images/gamepad1.jpg

If you look, the PCB's carry copyright dates from 1992-1994 however

The fact remains that Nintendo's SNES controller long predates the Gravis PC Gamepad.

[DJ_Izumi]

You're wrong.

Care to elaborate, like, with something that shows an earlier date for the product?

[DJ_Izumi]

So all you got is 'Cause I said so'?

Do you think that Sony ripped Gravis off too?



Edit: Hauled out of the depths of the Wayback machine, here's Advanced Gravis Computer Technology's own words in an SEC filing, that the Gravis PC Gamepad was released in November 1991.

http://web.archive.org/web/20071001003850/http://sec.edgar-online.com/1996/07/31/00/0000891020-96-000814/Section2.asp

In November 1991, the PC GamePad(TM) was introduced.

Or hey, how about the words of Ron Haidenger, Gravis' Product Manager at the time?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Gravis_PC_GamePad#Release

The SNES controller and virtually all others on the market at that time were looked at closely. These and a number of original ideas from the Gravis development team were presented to a product concept firm in North Vancouver, who refined the controllers shell into its final shape.

SO, we have the company's own SEC filing and the product manager's words agianst what you think you remember being on the shelves of EB Games store, 19 years ago.

[The 80s Man]

Anyone know anything about this?

http://www.neweggmall.com/Product/2005460190/product.html

Can't figure out if it contains games or just an NES cart slot.  I'm curious about the lightgun as well.

I just bought a used one for $40.oo today at a local used video game store and this thing kicks some major butt. 
They normally sell new for $60.oo from the same local store but they happened to have a used one in perfect condition with no screen scratches.   

the main unit runs on 4 AA batteries the screen has a very good clean picture with good color and good contrast.  The buttons are all very responsive on both the main unit and on the wireless controllers.

the only problem so far is that I haven't been able to get the gun to work right and I don't know why. both the controllers and gun seem to be a IR wireless system which means they have to be with in line of site of the main unit. and the gun's IR LEDs are facing down towards the ground which seems strange. While the controllers IR LEDs are easy to point to the main unit.   

if you connect the unit to a TV then the small screen will no longer light up which is good so you can save batteries if you are not using the included power plug.

Aside from the gun not working everything ells works like it should.  My used FC Mobile 2 came in the box but there was no instructions for it. I wonder if the new ones have instructions?

[The 80s Man]

Update: I now have the light gun working and it kicks @$$.      the reason why it wasn't working earlier was because I had the system hooked up to my VCR which has a buffer delay on the video signal. Now that I hooked it up directly to the TV, there is no longer a slight video signal delay and every thing works perfectly.  the accuracy is absolutely perfect.  and it's wireless  I highly recommend this Portable wireless NES clone

[DaveMMR]

I really urge you to reconsider your direction in life.

Maybe he can take up trolling.   

Anyway...  this machine looks pretty neat and may be nice to have around as a "back-up" NES or for on the go (I still prefer the original for home use).