Tag Archives: gamestick

GameStick launch pushed once more, now arrives on October 29th

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The second Kickstarter-funded, Android-powered gaming console to arrive this year -- PlayJam's GameStick -- is being delayed once again, this time to October 29th. Folks who backed the game console on Kickstarter will get it earlier in the month, with shipments arriving "three to four weeks before retail." The rest of us can pick it up at GameStop, Amazon or GAME (for you UKers), and it'll cost the expected $79.99 / £79.99.

You may've noticed we didn't list that price in Euros, and that's because the console is launching in the US and UK first, with the rest of the EU, Canada and Middle Eastern territories getting GameStick "prior to the end of year holiday season." PlayJam CEO Jasper Smith chocks this (third!) delay up to "stringent QA" standards at the company, and PlayJam responding to the criticisms it heard from early beta testers. "Production delays are certainly frustrating, but in certain instances they're essential," Smith told Engadget. "There were some issues there that we thought needed to be solved, there were some issues that came out of watching what others had done, that meant that we should solve some other issues. So the unfortunate result is that pushed things back."

Smith cited various usability issues, from "the way games were being submitted" to "the way that the games actually played," as fixed problems. "On TV you've gotta make it so it's easy for people to get in and out of a game, start again and all that stuff. And I hope that we've done a reasonably good job on that." We hope so too, and we'll find out soon -- keep an eye out for a review of GameStick in the coming weeks on Engadget.

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PlayJam GameStick releases worldwide September 30th

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DNP Playjam GameStick releases worldwide September 30th, passes FCC cert

After a series of delays, it looks like PlayJam's GameStick is making its way to market relatively soon. Whether your allegiance lies with Amazon or GameStop, come September 30th both will begin shipping the tiny console, as noticed by Liliputing. What's more, PlayJam itself promises that the last of its crowdfunded unit-allotment will ship directly to backers by mid-September. The news doesn't stop there, as it recently passed FCC certification too. Uncle Sam's documents -- RF exposure statements! Label placement! -- don't contain much we didn't already know, but if you want to see the GameStick's user manual, here you go.

[Thanks, Dave]

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Source: FCC, Liliputing, GameStick

GameStick delayed until August while waiting for user UI feedback

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GameStick delayed until August while waiting for user UI feedback

GameStick first appeared around the the first of this year, promising its Kickstarter supporters an Android gaming console that looks more Roku Streaming Stick than OUYA. Since then, GameStick has gathered its cash and started shipping out dev units, but its commercial release has already been delayed once, and today the project got pushed back another month. That means that GameSticks won't start shipping until early August.

The reason for the delay is that the device's UI remains a work in progress and the team hasn't yet given backers who pledged $300 or more the chance to provide feedback. It's not all bad news, however, as the folks behind GameStick have confirmed that manufacturing tooling is complete, and the first Kickstarter controller has rolled off the line. Not only that, but you can see shots of the final versions of the GameSick itself and its controller's charging dock at the source link below.

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Source: Kickstarter

PlayJam’s Jasper Smith on Nokia’s lineage and two-piece smartphones

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PlayJam's Jasper Smith on Nokia's lineage and two-piece smartphones

Every week, a new and interesting human being tackles our decidedly geeky take on the Proustian Q&A. This is the Engadget Questionnaire.

In the latest version of our weekly smattering of queries, PlayJam's CEO Jasper Smith reflects on Nokia's early device design and dreams of a space-scooting future. His thoughts on those topics and much more reside on the other side of the break.

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Source: Engadget Distro

Early-backer GameStick consoles delayed to June, dev units now shipping

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Early-backer GameStick consoles delayed to June, dev units now shipping

Fancied PlayJams' GameStick Android gaming console enough to back it on Kickstarter earlier this year? The good news is that Dev units have been shipping to the roughly 600 who signed up, with the remaining ones set to head out within a week. The bad news? The early-backer versions are now set to arrive at doorsteps in late June instead of April because of high-demand, according to PlayJam. As its latest Kickstarter update details, the units will need stronger tooling than the silicon-based molds of the dev units to ensure that "tens of thousands" of them can be successfully made. Additionally, this will apparently force the company to ship these larger factory yields via sea transport rather than air, which also slows things down.

A case of success causing slowdowns it seems. Hopefully not much longer than these new estimates, too -- while this breakout underdog is set to hit retailers like GameStop, that other Android-based console, OUYA, is already shipping out to backers -- and its retail units are planned in June. You'll find the full update from PlayJam at the source link.

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Source: PlayJam (Kickstarter)

GameStick gets GameStop-backing, pre-loaded titles

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OUYA may have nabbed the spotlight in the Android-based, Kickstarter-supported console wars, but the diminutive GameStick's got some heat behind it, too. The device's makers are putting on a bit of a show at this year's GDC, announcing a slew of news around the forthcoming product. At the top of the list are a number of backers, including, most prominently, the similarly-named GameStop, which clearly sees a viable future in such products, as the world continues to move away from brick-and-mortar outlets. Shadowgun and Smash Cops were also revealed as pre-installed titles for the console, "ensuring GameStick users have free, quality content ready to go out of the box."

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Don’t call it OUYA: hands-on with PlayJam’s GameStick (video)

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Don't call it OUYA handson with PlayJam's GameStick DNP

The GameStick is the second of two Kickstarter-backed Android-powered game consoles announced in the past 12 months, and its arguably the less visible of the two (the other being OUYA, of course). It's a bit different than the OUYA as well, in terms of both form factor and specs: the GameStick is roughly the size of a USB thumb drive and runs a dual-core Amlogic processor, rather than the Tegra 3 found in the OUYA. Similar to the OUYA, the GameStick also comes with a proprietary wireless controller -- the standard four button layout, two analog sticks, two shoulder buttons, and a d-pad make up its inputs -- though the GameStick's controller is actually the bulk of the hardware. The GameStick itself actually nestles into the back of the controller, making the whole bundle rather portable.

But perhaps you already know all of this? We have been hearing about the GameStick for some time now. Should that be the case, you'll wanna know how the thing actually feels, and we can deliver that just beyond the break, as we've just put GameStick and its controller through the paces.

Gallery: GameStick hands-on (GDC 2013)

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GameStick dev unit found at GDC 2013, we go eyes-on

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GameStick dev unit found at GDC 2013, we go eyeson

GameStick is here ... er, sort of. The development units are at least here at GDC 2013, quietly hanging out behind a nondescript computer monitor running a few Android games paired with a Nyko wireless controller. That's right, it wasn't running with the proprietary GameStick controller, but a third-party wireless -- we'll go hands-on with the company's internally built controller later this evening, and thusly we didn't want to offer a half-impression with the third-party units available on the show floor. Stay tuned for more, and take a gander at the gallery below for now.

Gallery: GameStick Dev Unit (GDC 2013)

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GameStick strikes up XBMC partnership, will add the full Media Center experience

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Playjam, the team behind GameStick, has announced that a new deal with tech company Pivos will ensure that the previously-mentioned XBMC will arrive fully-formed on its Kickstarter console. All those Media Center features will sidle up alongside your games selection and while the company maintains that gaming is still the focus of its device, given the competition, we'd say this announcement makes a whole lot of sense.

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