Hasta La Gadget!

Gamers, get ready for the next big thing on Kickstarter. What you’re looking at here is an entire gaming console that fits inside of a 2-inch-long stick, and neatly travels inside of its controller.

Developed by PlayJam, the GameStick is an incredible engineering marvel that crams an entire Android 4 gaming system into a portable stick you can take with you anywhere. All you do is plug it into the HDMI port on any HDTV, and you’ll be gaming in seconds. I love the idea of this, because you can throw the entire console in your bag and take it with you wherever you go. Keep in mind that your set needs to be MHL-compliant to self-power via the HDMI port, otherwise, you’ll need to plug the GameStick into a USB power source.

Since the system is based on Android, it will be easy for developers to get their games up and running on the console. In fact, the team behind the GameStick has already identified about 200 titles that will work great out-of-the-box, and is working with over 250 developers and game studios to create content for the console. Games will be delivered wirelessly, and will sell for much less than traditional console titles. They’re also expecting a library of free games to hit the console as well.

The system is powered by an Amlogic 8726-MX processor, with 1GB of DDR3 RAM and 8GB of flash memory for storage. It supports 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, and uses Bluetooth LE 4.0 to communicate with the controller. Here’s some early demo footage of a prototype device to give you a sense of how powerful it actually is:

The GameStick project just launched over on Kickstarter with a goal of $100,000 to go into production. I think they’ll have no problem reaching – and likely blowing well through this goal in the next 29 days. If you move quickly, a pledge of $69(USD) will get you one of the first 250 GameStick/Controller bundles, and after those sell out, the price goes up to $79 for supporters. For $115 or more, you get the bundle with an additional controller. Based on the current production timeline, the first GameSticks should ship in April 2013, so you won’t even have to wait that long to get your hands on one.

2012 was a great year for gaming, but I have a feeling that 2013 will be even better. We’ve got a lot of exciting game releases coming up in the next few months, and if we’re lucky, we might have a new hardware reveal or two as well. Of course, we won’t know for sure what happens until we’re further into 2013, but that doesn’t mean we can’t drop some predictions in the meantime. Read on to see gaming predictions and even a few hopes for 2013!

First and foremost, we have the obvious question about new hardware. With Nintendo releasing the Wii U back in November, it’s now up to Sony and Microsoft to really get the next generation of gaming underway. While I’ve been convinced for a while that Microsoft is plotting to reveal the next Xbox sometime this year, to be honest with you, I couldn’t figure out whether Sony was going to announce the next PlayStation this year or wait for 2014. Then Sony started sending out press invites to an event it’s holding at the end of February.

The immediate thought is that Sony will officially pull the veil off the next PlayStation at this event, and that could very well happen. I think Sony wants to get the jump on Microsoft in the next generation, and I also think neither company wants to leave Nintendo alone as the only company with a “next-gen” console on the market for very long. Sony as a whole has been struggling a bit lately, but its games division has been performing relatively well – getting a new console on the market before Microsoft does could mean great things for Sony’s pocketbook. Does this mean that Sony will reveal the PlayStation 4 (or whatever it’ll be called) at this event? I’m not willing to call it either way. Here’s what I am willing to say, though: by the end of the year, both Sony and Microsoft will have revealed their next consoles, and we’ll have one (maybe both) available by the time 2014 rolls around.

While a new PlayStation reveal seems likely for this event, there’s something almost certain to happen there. I think Sony will use this event to announce a price drop on the PlayStation Vita. The Vita hasn’t been performing well at all, and Sony needs to do something if it wants to have any hope of competing against the 3DS. If no one is buying the handheld, no one will want to develop games for it, which in turn means that there’s only one thing to do: cut the price. A Vita price cut has to come this year if Sony wants to stay relevant in the handheld space, the earlier the better. So, it makes sense that Sony will announce such a price cut at an event where its bound to get a lot of press attention.

If announcements of new hardware are coming this year, then it stands to reason that we’ll see a bunch of new properties revealed as well. Of course, 2013 will be chock-full of sequels just like 2012, 2011, and 2010 were, but I think a lot of the big studios are going to step up to bring us exciting new games to play on the new hardware. If you’re suffering from sequel fatigue like so many of us are, just hold on, because once those consoles are revealed, we’ll more than likely see a whole bunch of new IP that we can really sink our teeth into.

Now for game-specific predictions: I think Nintendo isn’t going to waste any time introducing the world to a brand new 3D Mario game for the Wii U. New Super Mario Bros. U is great and all, but it doesn’t exactly serve as a worthy replacement to the likes of Mario 64, Sunshine, and Galaxy. The Wii U has been performing well, but if Nintendo really wants to see consoles flying off the shelves, it will use 2013 to reveal a new HD Mario adventure, preferably before Microsoft and Sony can get their next consoles to retail. I’m hoping that we’ll see the reveal of a new Zelda game for the Wii U, but with Skyward Sword only hitting at the end of 2011, that may be nothing more than a fool’s hope.

Just as well, I have a feeling that 2013 will be the year that Bethesda reveals Fallout 4, complete with the Creation Engine it used in Skyrim. This one is actually a pretty tough prediction, as I think the reveal of Fallout 4 relies heavily on when Sony and Microsoft’s next-gen consoles launch. If we see a new Xbox or PlayStation this year, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Fallout 4 following closely behind. Bethesda put Oblivion on the Xbox 360 early in the console’s life, and by doing so, Bethesda became a much more common name in the gaming community. If it can use Fallout 4 to show off the tech behind these new consoles, I have a feeling it will.

Sadly, 2013 isn’t going to be an all-around great year for Bethesda. The Elder Scrolls Online is scheduled to launch early this year, but I have no problem predicting that it’ll be dead on arrival. Don’t get me wrong, the game looks great and it’s finally giving us a multiplayer Elder Scrolls experience, but I don’t think it’s the multiplayer experience many players wanted. It’ll also come with a subscription fee at launch, which we know now is only something a select few MMOs can pull off. If Star Wars: The Old Republic can’t make it as a subscription MMO, I sadly don’t think The Elder Scrolls Online can either. I hope I’m wrong, because it does look beautiful and I’m excited to finally have a chance to explore all of Tamriel in one game, but I think history shows that it’s going to be an uphill for the battle for the title, and one that’s going to be nigh impossible to win.

Even though I’m beyond excited for the return of SimCity, I don’t think that’s going to be a success either. EA’s insistence on using always-on DRM will be what ultimately kills SimCity, as I have a feeling many SimCity players will experience launch problems very similar to the issues Diablo III had. Fans didn’t like Diablo III for many other reasons, but Blizzard’s use of always-on DRM got things off to a very rough start. I just don’t think a game can survive if it sports always-on DRM, so sadly, players might lose interest in the game only a few short months after its release.

On the other hand, I think DmC: Devil May Cry is going to hit a sweet spot with critics, despite the fact that fans have thrown a fit over the changes being made. Change is always a difficult thing to accept when it comes to gaming, but I think that DmC might just offer the shake up the long running series needs. Early impressions have been good, and while I may end up eating my words sooner rather than later (DmC is out in just a couple of weeks, remember), the game could be the start of something great for the franchise.

2013 will also be the year that Kickstarter proves its worth to the gaming world. A lot of the projects that were funded in 2012 will be releasing in 2013, and while there will be some failures, there will also be some smashing successes. Some games will fail to find an audience outside of backers, sure, but that’s okay – the developers get to make the game they wanted without relying on funds from publishers, and those who were truly interested will get to play it. Unless a studio needs to use some of its own funds to further fuel development, a game funded through Kickstarter doesn’t necessarily need to make millions after launch. In any case, 2013 should be a pretty inspiring year for the game projects that found funding success in 2012.

There is one Kickstarter project from 2012 that might struggle a bit after it’s out of the gate: OUYA. The tiny little Android console has a separate problem from simple games that were funded using Kickstarter, in that it needs support after launch. Yes, it’s an inexpensive console, but I’m still having a hard time seeing how there’s going to be any sort of large-scale success outside of the initial Kickstarter campaign. We shall see soon enough, as OUYA is scheduled to launch in just a few months, and while I don’t think it’ll fail outright, I think that 2013 is going to be a much harder year than OUYA’s makers were anticipating.

So there you have it – some of my gaming predictions for 2013. There’s no guarantee that any of this is going to play out as I’ve predicted, but looking at the lead up to 2013, this is where I feel the industry is headed this year. What do you think? Am I completely missing the mark here, or do you think some of these predictions will play out in the year to come? We’ll find out whether I’m right or wrong soon enough as 2013 is already underway, but in the meantime, leave a comment with your own gaming predictions for 2013 below!

Gaming hopes and predictions for 2013 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

If you use an Apple gadget with a 30-pin connector and frequent Kickstarter, you may have noticed a project on the website over the last month or so called the POP. This is a squat little circular charger that looks like a miniature garbage can designed to charge Apple devices and other smartphones. The project was originally seeking $50,000 in funding.

Enough people were interested in this charger that 1000 backers ponied up over $139,000 in pledges. Once the project funded, backers were undoubtedly saddened to hear that the project was unexpectedly canceled. The reason for the cancellation was that Apple had withdrawn its approval for the product because they objected to having both a Lightning connector and any other type of connector in the same device. While the rule may have existed for aesthetic reasons, there appeared to be no technical reason that it couldn’t be done.

After a large public outcry, Apple has since gone back and reworked its rules and the POP charger project is back on schedule. The designer of the product has already sent out e-mails to backers telling them that refunds, which were previously announced, will no longer be given and the project is moving forward.

[via Gigaom]

A project was on Kickstarter a while back called the POP charger. This was a charging device for portable gadgets such as tablets and smartphones that had an integrated Apple 30-pin charger connector and a USB port. The device funded on Kickstarter and then things went bad for the developers of the project.

Apple refused to give the project approval because of the design running afoul of rules regarding the Lightning adapter. Those rules had to do with Apple disallowing anything that is also capable of charging competing gadgets. This left the designers of the project with backer money in hand being forced to announce that the project was canceled.

There were about 1000 backers of the project at the time and there was significant concern about how the company would get the money back to the backers. Luckily, for the developers of the charger, Apple relented changing the guidelines for Lightning connectors allowing the project to move forward.

The developers of the project had already announced the cancellation and pending refunds to the backers. Another e-mail went out after Apple changed its rules notifying backers that no refunds will be issued and the project is moving forward as intended. The project was seeking $50,000 and ended up raising $139,170.

[via Gigaom]

POP charger is a go… again is written by Shane McGlaun & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

It may be December 24, but there’s always a last-minute stocking stuffer to be bought. We’ve all been there: an unexpected cousin suddenly joining you for Christmas dinner, or that tough-to-buy-for uncle you realize you forgot all about. Just because it’s last minute, though, doesn’t mean it has to be socks. Read on for the SlashGear suggestions for those final-moment gifts with a geeky twist.

Unless you feel like braving the stores – and don’t resent paying that little bit extra for brick & mortar pricing versus internet deals – most geek gifts are probably off the cards. Amazon is a pre-holidays life saver, yes, but it can’t work miracles, and December 24 is too late to order something and have it in time for tomorrow.

Vouchers get a bad rep, but they make more sense when you consider the scope of online retailers. Most people have a high-ticket gadget on their wish-list – whether it’s an Xbox 360, an iPad mini, or a new TV – and a generic voucher to a store like Amazon can help them get even closer to affording it. It certainly beats a cheap, throwaway present – remember those indoor helicopters we all played with on December 25 a couple of years back, and which ended up in the back of the closet a couple of days later when the batteries went flat? If your intended recipient still prefers to see and buy products in-store, Best Buy does electronic gift certificates too.

Alternatively, there are gift cards for digital stores, if your recipient is addicted to their mobile device. As long as you know whether they’re an Android or iOS user, you can give them a chunk of virtual cash to spend on apps, games, music, ebooks, and videos. Google Play vouchers are here, while Apple offers iTunes and Apple Store gift cards, both in a variety of values.

If you’re looking for a more unusual present, and you know the person reasonably well, then consider backing a project on one of the increasingly popular crowdfunding sites in their name. Kickstarter and IndieGoGo are good places to start: dig through the catalogs and find something themed with your target recipient’s interests, and make a pledge on their behalf. Obviously they won’t get the pledge reward until the project reaches fruition – so pick sensibly, avoid schemes that seem too good to be true, and make sure you pay for a tier that gets them something useful, rather than just a t-shirt with the company logo – but they do get the involvement of being along for the ride as the product is developed.

If Kickstarter is a little too risky for your liking, then a pre-order makes a sneaky workaround for a last minute gift. After all, you can’t be expected to gift-wrap something that hasn’t been released yet! Movies and games make for sensible choices at reasonable prices (Amazon’s movie and games pre-orders even have the added reassurance of a price guarantee, too).

Sometimes, the most useful gift is expert advice, so if you’re particularly skilled in one area or another, consider the simple gift of your time. Parents or grandparents who are having trouble getting their computers or tablets set up; friends who need help piecing together the best gaming PC; aunts & uncles who would appreciate a knowledgeable companion when they brave the AT&T or Verizon store to replace their aging flip-phone. There’s a lot to be said for helping someone out, and giving your time as a gift means the recipient you’re helping doesn’t have to feel guilty about monopolizing you.

Of course, with the sales kicking off imminently, you could always check out our full 2012 SlashGear Gift Guides and pick up something more physical while probably saving some money along the way.

Got any last-minute gift suggestions? Let us know in the comments!

SlashGear’s Last Minute (Mildly Geeky) Gift Guide 2012 is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.