Wikipad rises from the grave

[Foxi4]

how did they get Playsation mobile on it? PSM is for select few devices, i mean i have Playsation mobile on my samsung GS 3 but thats rooted and all, this device feels bit "ghetto". did they even get the permission of sony?

This device is anything but ghetto, originally it was supposed to be a high-end tablet with a 3D display, they merely scaled it down to reach out to a wider audience. They have the PlayStation Certified status since the tablet was first announced. You don't really have to stand on your head to get it either - you just ask Sony for permission and as long as your device fits in the required specs, they're giving the certificate to you.

EDIT: I'm guessing you got the ghetto impression from the photo I used which was admittedly "meh", I changed that to a better one. Personally I think it looks really high-quality - the close-ups on their homepage look really nice.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

Pro: The thing looks amazing and the specs are to die for!!! Android means there are some pretty good games out for it right now.

Con: Does it have L and R triggers? If the answer is no you can count out emulation of SNES, PS1, N64, Genesis 6 button, and probably some others I am forgetting about. Sure the emulator will run fine and I guess you could map those buttons to the touch screen... lol

 

[IBNobody]

$249 isn't a bad price, considering that a Nexus 7 is $200. Still, I have a hard time justifying *any* money on a tablet. They just aren't that useful when you have a nice phone and a laptop. It'll just end up collecting dust without any secondary uses.

 

[Veho]

Con: Does it have L and R triggers?

You don't read threads before posting in them, do you? Here you go.

 

[Psionic Roshambo]

You don't read threads before posting in them, do you? Here you go.

Easy there chief, didn't mean to ruffle your feathers by asking a question.

 

[Foxi4]

Con: Does it have L and R triggers?

Spoiler

Can you see those mouth-watering triggers? I can.

L and R? You mean L1, L2, R1 and R2.

Does that answer your question?

EDIT: Ninja'd by Veho.

 

[Qtis]

This is kinda cool, imagine if they could standardize the tablet size there. If you needed to upgrade at some point, only change the tablet part and keep the actual controller

If I get bored with the PSVita and/or actually need a tablet for something (doubtful at the moment as I have a fully working laptop that fits all my needs), I could imagine buying this. I seem to have less and less time to play at home (having a large PS3/Wii/etc backlog doesn't help either), but somehow mobile seems to fit right in the middle due to bus trips to Uni and to work (managed to clock over 15 hours on FFV because of this!)

 

[Taleweaver]

There's one thing that makes me wonder about this whole android gaming devices deal...

Which games does it have?

Face it: you don't buy this thing for business appliances. You buy it for the games. To which I wonder: which games are really worthwhile? You can't even really yell "emulatorrrrrs" anymore, as it's getting harder and harder to find a device that doesn't emulate everything up to/including the PSX & N64 era. No...what you want are exclusives. And though there are some fine good android games out there...either they're not exclusive or not all that special.

Don't get me wrong: I am interested. I already decided that if I wanted another laptop, it'll be a tablet (okay, not exactly the same, but you get the idea). And this thing sparks my interest more than the average tablet (I've tried touch-screen gaming...it sucked). But I can't help hold this to the standards current gaming consoles have laid out. And though the gap is getting smaller pretty fast, it's not there yet.

 

[Foxi4]

There's one thing that makes me wonder about this whole android gaming devices deal...

Which games does it have?

Face it: you don't buy this thing for business appliances. You buy it for the games. To which I wonder: which games are really worthwhile? You can't even really yell "emulatorrrrrs" anymore, as it's getting harder and harder to find a device that doesn't emulate everything up to/including the PSX & N64 era. No...what you want are exclusives. And though there are some fine good android games out there...either they're not exclusive or not all that special.

Don't get me wrong: I am interested. I already decided that if I wanted another laptop, it'll be a tablet (okay, not exactly the same, but you get the idea). And this thing sparks my interest more than the average tablet (I've tried touch-screen gaming...it sucked). But I can't help hold this to the standards current gaming consoles have laid out. And though the gap is getting smaller pretty fast, it's not there yet.

There's quite a few notable titles, actually - GTA 3 and Vice City, Max Pain (if you're into replaying the oldies), Dead Space, Mass Effect: Infiltrator, N.O.V.A 1 to 3, Chaos Rings and Chaos Rings Omega, all kinds of Square-Soft re-releases including Final Fantasy titles and Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy Dimensions, Shadowgun, Need for Speed games (and I mean actual, worthwhile ones), FIFA, PES, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episodes 1 and 2, Dead Trigger... A little bit of everything. Have a little browse and see for yourself, you can access the Google Play store on a PC. There's certainly a lot to choose from - the last rough estimate on the number of games available I've read was "aproximately 2000 games", so even if 3/4 of that are shovelware this is still a respectable number of games to choose from.

That and PSX/N64? nullDC saw an Android release (well, leak...) as of late and it's pretty smooth on stronger devices, I think we're slowly going past that barrier and onwards.

 

[IBNobody]

There's quite a few notable titles, actually - GTA 3 and Vice City, Max Pain (if you're into replaying the oldies), Dead Space, Mass Effect: Infiltrator, N.O.V.A 1 to 3, Chaos Rings and Chaos Rings Omega, all kinds of Square-Soft re-releases including Final Fantasy titles and Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy Dimensions, Shadowgun, Need for Speed games (and I mean actual, worthwhile ones), FIFA, PES, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episodes 1 and 2, Dead Trigger... A little bit of everything. Have a little browse and see for yourself, you can access the Google Play store on a PC. There's certainly a lot to choose from - the last rough estimate on the number of games available I've read was "aproximately 2000 games", so even if 3/4 of that are shovelware this is still a respectable number of games to choose from.

That and PSX/N64? nullDC saw an Android release (well, leak...) as of late and it's pretty smooth on stronger devices, I think we're slowly going past that barrier and onwards.

A lot of those notable titles require a substantial up-front investment. All of Square's titles cost $9+, do not offer a demo, and rarely go on sale. Once you buy one of those games, you're stuck with it and can't resell it. To me, that is too much risk for a game.

If Wikipad offered a curated game store that required demos (OUYA) or test drives (similar to Amazon), I'd be more willing to spend my money.

 

[Foxi4]

A lot of those notable titles require a substantial up-front investment. All of Square's titles cost $9+ (...).

C'mon. That's a "McDonald's meal" level of investment. There's a video attached to every App and there is a return policy - if the App doesn't work or you simply don't like it, you have 15 minutes to return it for a full refund, so technically you have a 10-minute Demo right there.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

How does $9 games require a "substantial investment" compared to the similarly priced Vita with $40 games or the cheaper priced 3DS with $40 games?

Gaming consoles are an investment, welcome to the world of luxuries.

 

[Foxi4]

How does $9 games require a "substantial investment" compared to the similarly priced Vita with $40 games or the cheaper priced 3DS with $40 games?

Gaming consoles are an investment, welcome to the world of luxuries.

I think he means Demo versions to "play before you pay" but in that case, not all console games even have those. Plus let's face it, it's Android, a lot of the users will just root the device and "acquire" those games with the up-front investment of having an internet connection.

 

[lufere7]

I think he means Demo versions to "play before you pay" but in that case, not all console games even have those. Plus let's face it, it's Android, a lot of the users will just root the device and "acquire" those games with the up-front investment of having an internet connection.

Hell you don't even need to be rooted to "acquire them" most of the time you just install the APK and that's it. If you really have an intention of just trying and then buying it if it's good then do it, not much of a problem if you do end up buying/deleting it.

Aside from that, this actually looks pretty cool, the controller seems quality and I love that it's removable since I can just remove it when web browsing, etc and I won't look like a weirdo when using apps that require portrait orientation Though I'll probably end just buying a Nexus 7 since by the looks of it this'll be pretty hard to find here and if it's available I'm sure it'll be terribly overpriced.
One last point though, not trying to create a polemic or anything but I'm genuinely interested in knowing why people consider this to be a great deal (I do too btw) and then call the OUYA a scam when it's the same specs but less than half the price of the Wikipad and will probably feature cheap upgrades. I know screen/portability and all that but I know many people that just use their tablet when at home and don't really need the portability I just don't get all the hate OUYA has got on recent threads.

 

[Foxi4]

One last point though, not trying to create a polemic or anything but I'm genuinely interested in knowing why people consider this to be a great deal (I do too btw) and then call the OUYA a scam when it's the same specs but less than half the price of the Wikipad and will probably feature cheap upgrades. I know screen/portability and all that but I know many people that just use their tablet when at home and don't really need the portability I just don't get all the hate OUYA has got on recent threads.

Because the OUYA is a home console and as such people expect it to have appropriate specs which it doesn't offer - it's a mobile device that isn't mobile and as such, it's considered crippled. It pretends to be something that it isn't.

Here you get a full-feature tablet with acceptable specs, certified both by NVidia and Sony with an added bonus of a detachable controller for gaming on the go - mobile gaming, and if you really want to, you can connect it to a TV over HDMI and use it like an OUYA. The OUYA on the other hand is chained to your TV set and within its price range you can find other Android-based devices that do the same job, even ones with considerably better specs.

Another problem with the OUYA and devices like it is that it doesn't have a touchscreen and as such, it won't be compatible with the myriad of touch-based games and apps or it will crudely use the analog sticks to simulate the experience - not sure which option is worse.

In other words, this does the same things OUYA does, except better.

Though I'll probably end just buying a Nexus 7 since by the looks of it this'll be pretty hard to find here and if it's available I'm sure it'll be terribly overpriced.

I think $249 is entirely acceptable for that kind of a tablet and if it's not available in stores, there's always online shopping.

 

[IBNobody]

C'mon. That's a "McDonald's meal" level of investment. There's a video attached to every App and there is a return policy - if the App doesn't work or you simply don't like it, you have 15 minutes to return it for a full refund, so technically you have a 10-minute Demo right there.

When most apps cost $0.99-$1.99, $8.99 is substantial. I certainly pay more attention to what I spend in the mobile marketplace, and I'm not poor by any means. Plus, most mobile games at this price point take longer to download than your allotted 15 minutes or severely eat into that. The only avenue open to me in this case is piracy, and I don't want to pirate a game just to try it out. I'd rather have a legitimate option to try before I buy.

It isn't like buying a $40 DS game, either, because at the end of it, you still have a $40 game to resell.

 

[Foxi4]

When most apps cost $0.99-$1.99, $8.99 is substantial. I certainly pay more attention to what I spend in the mobile marketplace, and I'm not poor by any means. Plus, most mobile games at this price point take longer to download than your allotted 15 minutes or severely eat into that. The only avenue open to me in this case is piracy, and I don't want to pirate a game just to try it out. I'd rather have a legitimate option to try before I buy.

To be fair, Demo versions are always welcome, but you can't say that all consoles offer those for all their games, can you? Heck, the only two ways to obtain a DS Demo (since you mention DS games) are to connect to a DS Station or to use a Wii, which not every DS owner has. Even if we go a generation further, neither the 3DS nor the PSVita offer Demo versions of all the software, so the argument is somewhat moot.

It isn't like buying a $40 DS game, either, because at the end of it, you still have a $40 game to resell.

On the DS? Sure. On the 3DS or the PSVita? Not necessarily - you're forgetting about Digital Distribution.

 

[nukeboy95]

TSK TSK TSK
http://www.gamestop.com/android/tablets/wikipad/104703
selling it for $500 SHAME

 

[Foxi4]

TSK TSK TSK
http://www.gamestop.com/android/tablets/wikipad/104703
selling it for $500 SHAME

That's... that's the old Wikipad from before the re-design - they literally posted a picture of the prototype as the tablet proper. They even list it as a 10.1" when it's a 7" tablet... actually, come to think of it, a lot more is wrong with those specs - the memory is listed as DDR2 and the screen is 10-point multitouch when the actual product has DDR3 memory and a 5-point multitouch screen...

Well done Gamestop - I wonder if you accept pre-orders for the device that doesn't exist. Stay classy.

 

[lufere7]

TSK TSK TSK
http://www.gamestop.com/android/tablets/wikipad/104703
selling it for $500 SHAME

That's outdated since it's the 10 inch version, it'll probably be cheaper when they update it with the new model.

Because the OUYA is a home console and as such people expect it to have appropriate specs which it doesn't offer - it's a mobile device that isn't mobile and as such, it's considered crippled. It pretends to be something that it isn't.

Well a Tegra 3 plays pretty much everything so I don't get why it's such a problem even more if they play the exact same games. I agree the notion of calling it a console competitor is BS but that doesn't change the fact that it will be able to play all android games at a pretty attractive price range.

Here you get a full-feature tablet with acceptable specs, certified both by NVidia and Sony with an added bonus of a detachable controller for gaming on the go - mobile gaming, and if you really want to, you can connect it to a TV over HDMI and use it like an OUYA. The OUYA on the other hand is chained to your TV set and within its price range you can find other Android-based devices that do the same job, even ones with considerably better specs.

Ummm considering Nvidia is helping the Ouya devs I'd assume its Nvidia certified and I don't think being sony certified is such a big deal considering the only bonus it brings is PS1 games which you could always play on an emulator. If anything I'd be more interested in the possible exclusives the OUYA store could bring. And what are those cheaper devices with better specs? I know about the android usb sticks, but they are considerably weaker and will probably offer no software support and much less dev support considering the difference in popularity.

Another problem with the OUYA and devices like it is that it doesn't have a touchscreen and as such, it won't be compatible with the myriad of touch-based games and apps or it will crudely use the analog sticks to simulate the experience - not sure which option is worse.

Didn't the Ouya controllers come with a touchpad? not ideal but way better than analog sticks.

In other words, this does the same things OUYA does, except better.

And at 2.5x the price. Yeah I know it's not portable but as I said, there are many people that use their tablet on the couch......in front or very close to a TV, they may not need to carry it everywhere if they are just watching Netflix/playing games, and that's what the OUYA offers and at a price that seems attractive even to a teen with no constant income like me. My point was not that this was worse than the OUYA or anything, hell I'd lay the extra $150 just because I do need the portability because of my lifestyle, but I consider the hate that the OUYA gets is unfair considering its price/specs and that many people don't need to play their games everywhere and could do with an OUYA.

I think $249 is entirely acceptable for that kind of a tablet and if it's not available in stores, thea I do tooe's always online shopping.

[/quote]
Haha I think you misunderstood me, I consider it a great deal too since its just $50 more than a N7 with the same specs but with that cool controller. I was referring to the fact that not so popular tech is sold scarcely here, even online, and most of the time it's overpriced. But the N7 is popular and many people sell it so it has a competitive price. And international online buying is not really an option since I don't have a credit card and I'm kinda scared about duties and taxes.