Analysis: Manufacturing cost and estimated sales of the Gateway 3DS by Wololo

[Pedeadstrian]

I don't think he's taking sides per se, but he is trying to explain the roots for the situation. He's not actually saying the Gateway is bull, but instead trying to explain the basic reasoning behind a company's work. Calling the Gateway the White Knight of 3DS hacking scene is absurd in many ways, since this is a company in question. If it was a random hacker that released the exploit to everyone and "let the scene decide" on how to use it, then we could have a White Knight situation.

As a side note, I find it kinda odd that people are ready to doubt and blame Mathieulth, yellow8, Normmatt and co for the problems here, when they were in many ways critical for usable flashcart software before. For example, how many people honestly used the standard AK2i loader compared to AKAIO? Sure someone could take sides, but then again, why would anyone start bricking people's consoles. If I had a Gateway for my 3DS (currently on 2.XX or 3.XX firmware btw), did testing with other flashcarts too and the code from the Gateway (be it their cart or someone else's) leads to my 3DS being bricked, I'd be pissed off. Really pissed. If this happened with the DS flashcarts, I'd have a dead DS Lite and DSi XL waiting for me since I did some testing with a couple of review flashkits (iEvo, DSTwo, AK2i, etc). But I digress.

Beat me to it. If Wololo (whoever the blank that is, because I couldn't care less) were to be picking a side, then it would be the anti-piracy/gouging side. I paid roughly $85 for my Gateway around August of last year, and all he's saying is that it's worth much less than that. Of course, when I saw the $80 price tag, I didn't think to myself "Only $80? How magnanimous of the Gateway team!" I thought to myself "God damn, that's a lot." But hey, I've already gotten over 100 hours out of my Gateway, and hopefully many more to come (assuming I don't get bricked). I've received more bang for my buck if I were to have bought two retail games instead with that money. It's been worth it.

 

[Arras]

what Wololo proved is very obvious, question is why he takes a side? I mean taking a side against piracy is understanable but taking a side against team gateway might make us think he got something personal against them...if he's in it to take off gateway's mask he should already know it's useless, if a pirate wants to pirate his console he'd be willing to deal with thiefs for that

also, wololo might have a slight miscalculation there, according to some internet digs, gateway exploit firmware can be used on DSTwo, meaning DSTwo uses similar hardware to gateway exploit card, meaning that the DS card is probably with a CPU inside it like the DSTwo was, and DSTwo's manfucatring cost is about $15 by itself, or something like that iirc

It can be used on a DS2, but every piece of DS homebrew can. Not every DS card that can run homebrew is a DS2 though

 

[Chaosruler]

I was sure people stated it can only be used on DSTwo and Gateway cards, I might have been wrong though

I don't think wololo is doing the wrong thing explaining why gateway are scums, I just think he doesn't realize he's tellins cons why they were conned and that they are supporting cons who will con them in the future

 

[Tomobobo]

Developing software is much different than actually making a physical product as well as deciding that you'll sell it for half the price you think it's worth so that retailers will be interested enough to sell your product for you.

And then you have to make the software too... Although all the software does is enable piracy, it's the only real publicly released 3ds homebrew, and it works well. They've pushed 4 or 5 software updates that bring added functionality too..

A very specific piece of hardware, for a specific task, for a specific firmware version of the 3ds... let's attack them for the pretty reasonable price... what bad guys.. trying to make money off of their original work...

 

[badbob001]

The article is ok with its talk on cost markup but suddenly makes a leap at the very end with 'high markup = supporting piracy'. What?! His true agenda is revealed.

My full response on the article page:

The article is mostly fine but for the very last sentence where it leaps to proclaiming that “you are not really paying these people for their work, you are paying for piracy.” I don’t understand what does the price markup have anything to do with supporting piracy. If they sold it for a little or no profit, then it’s less about piracy? One can argue that even if you paid no money for it, you are still potentially supporting piracy.

There is a high markup because the market supports it. They offer a product with unique features that are in high demand and so they can charge more. As you said, the potential market size is limited and so it makes sense for them to try to capitalize on sales early instead of trying to stretch it out long term. When competitors come out with products that are more compelling, then prices will come down.

I sometimes shake my head when I see an expensive painting that appears to be the result of the artist tripping over a paint can. Or I look up the price-controlling and monopolistic practices of the diamond industry whenever I see one of those damn commercials. Or wonder why a simple bag of animal hide is so expensive and yet so attractive to the ladies. Or why an additional measly 8GB of internal storage on a tablet costs $100 more. Then I calm down and realize that all I can really do is not buy those products and hope others will do the same.

And don’t forget about other expenses to owning a business such as office space, employee benefits, TAXES, number of employees, master templates/molds, etc.

 

[SHancy9297]

"bang for my buck" my ass. Basically you all robbing money from developers. Especially Gateway team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i guess there's no point giving monkeys a lecture.

 

[Pedeadstrian]

"bang for my buck" my ass. Basically you all robbing money from developers.

I'm going to assume you're quoting me. While I could say that most of the games I play I'd never buy anyway (except maybe used, but then they don't get money from that either), I'm just gonna say that there's a pretty big difference between piracy and "robbing." I'm not sticking any guns in Atlus' face when I download one of their games, and they don't lose any money either.

 

[TheCruel]

If you pay for piracy, you are not only dumb, you are also giving away your money to fundamentally bad people.

Stupidest thing said in this article. People that pirate software/hardware aren't necessarily bad. Gateway is, however. I regret buying a GW card and giving them money, should have stuck with just my R4I Deluxe.

 

[Wolololo]

Stupidest thing said in this article. People that pirate software/hardware aren't necessarily bad. Gateway is, however. I regret buying a GW card and giving them money, should have stuck with just my R4I Deluxe.

You are misreading the exact thing that you quote. I did not say you are bad if you pirate, I said you are bad if you make people pay for piracy.
Let me summarize:
people who pirate = personal choice
People who pay to pirate = dumb
People who make you pay to pirate = bad

Clear enough?

 

[elMagnate]

"bang for my buck" my ass. Basically you all robbing money from developers. Especially Gateway team!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i guess there's no point giving monkeys a lecture.

What is better for the developer? Me buying an Etrian Odyssey game from the eShop and pirating another game from Atlus, or me buying both retail games? Probably Atlus will get the same if not less money from the retail copy than they do from the eShop, even considering the $10 discounted price.

 

[Skelletonike]

What is better for the developer? Me buying an Etrian Odyssey game from the eShop and pirating another game from Atlus, or me buying both retail games? Probably Atlus will get the same if not less money from the retail copy than they do from the eShop, even considering the $10 discounted price.

If you buy both retail games, it'll be better for them than just buying one digital. If you buy both digital ones, well, that's a different thing.

 

[elMagnate]

If you buy both retail games, it'll be better for them than just buying one digital. If you buy both digital ones, well, that's a different thing.

They take a much lower cut with retail. $20 go 5 to Nintendo and the rest to Altus. If I buy 2 retail games at $25 and $30, they won't take muchh more than 10.

 

[Foxi4]

You are misreading the exact thing that you quote. I did not say you are bad if you pirate, I said you are bad if you make people pay for piracy.
Let me summarize:
people who pirate = personal choice
People who pay to pirate = dumb
People who make you pay to pirate = bad

Clear enough?

What about "people who lack the technical know-how to pirate for free, therefor they pay for a piracy solution because they can't be arsed to learn how to hack and maybe, just maybe come up with a piracy solution all by themselves"? Because that's 95% of pirates globally.

Saying that paying for a modchip or a flashcart just to save on games in the long run is stupid is the equivalent of saying that paying a mechanic for fixing your car is dumb when you could've done it yourself for free - some people just don't have the skills or the tools to do those things so they pay a modest amount of money for a plug-and-play solution - I don't see this as a bad thing at all, it's a personal choice like any other.