Introducing Playdate - A $229 black-and-white handheld with a dozen surprise games. Also, it has a crank.
Meg Cherry
Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,847
Seattle, WA
So, Panic - a studio out of Portland that mostly does Mac software - is going to release a custom handheld with a 'premium' black-and-white screen - with 12 games that will be kept a secret until they unlock after release. Also, one of the inputs is a hand crank.
One of those games is the game you saw above: Crankin's Time Travel Adventure from Katamari Damacy designer Keita Takahashi. The crank is used to manipulate time forwards and backwards. Despite the presence of buttons, the only way to interact with Crankin' is with said crank. Not all games will work that way, obviously, but it's reasonable to expect many will make use of it.
There are other games coming from Bennett Foddy, Zach Gage, and Shaun Inman, among others. What exactly they're making for Playdate, however, remains unannounced, with more details later this year.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
pre-orders out this year. This thing looks absurd, but maybe in a way worth supporting.
Last edited: May 22, 2019
KoolAid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,055
Keita Takahashi? Bennett Foddy? I'm interested.
atomsk
Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,762
Panic worked with Keita on those Katamari t-shirts forever ago, so that's not too surprising.
Still, I wish Wattam would get a release date already.
BocoDragon
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
5,207
I love the hardware design.
Deleted member 42
user requested account closure
Banned
Oct 24, 2017
16,939
CRANKIN' IT
marrec
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
6,775
I'm sooo in for wild shit like this with limited but specific use cases.
kikuchiyo
Member
Nov 9, 2017
1,103
atomsk said:
Panic worked with Keita on those Katamari t-shirts forever ago, so that's not too surprising.
Still, I wish Wattam would get a release date already.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Didn't get those shirts when they came out and I've been kicking myself for it ever since :cashing in on nostalgia and basically gentrifying by giving it a new instagram worthy paint coat and new name.
for a black and white game boy with some weird gimmick? i'm cool lol. that's nice they found some greatdevelopers to make greatgames for it. just not sure why this exists though? especially for that absurd price? i mean you can get a 2ds bundle with a game and another free nintendo select for like now.
eyeball_kid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,138
Panic, Takahashi, and Teenage Engineering. This is like a videogame hipster dream come true.
Not sure how well that crank is going to feel for left-handed users though.
Colloco
Self-Requested Ban
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
403
florida
150 kind of hurts for a black and white screen device in 2019, but DAT CRANK THO
Ghos
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,986
cute design
Keita tho?
Weltall Zero
Game Developer
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
19,343
Madrid
Kind of weird there's only going to be 12 games for it; visually simple B/W games should be relatively easy to crank out.
Lego Killer Moth
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
1,292
This is the coolest thing I've ever seen
Toumari
Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,811
England
Cute and bizarre. Never expected Panic to ever dabble in hardware like this.
Deleted member 41931
User requested account closure
Member
Apr 10, 2018
3,744
I'm in for Keita Takahashi. No idea if this is going to be good, but it'll certainly be different.
marrec
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
6,775
JamboGT said:
The most hipster of hipster gaming stuff I have ever seen.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
It's like they made it specifically for me
CloseTalker
Sister in the Craft
Member
Oct 25, 2017
38,131
Yeah, I'll buy one of those
Colloco
Self-Requested Ban
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
403
florida
Is this secretly Soulja Bois new console?
corn_fest
Member
Oct 27, 2017
323
I can't help but compare this with the 32blit which recently sprung up on Kickstarter. Spec-wise, the console seems a little disappointing in comparison, but Panic, Teenage Engineering, and the developers they've partnered with all create great stuff so I feel like this will be cool regardless.
Ugh I'm gonna end up getting both aren't I.
Lego Killer Moth
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
1,292
Weltall Zero said:
Kind of weird there's only going to be 12 games for it; visually simple B/W games should be relatively easy to crank out.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
There's gonna be more if it's a success. It's 12 so far. One a month for the first year.
KoolAid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,055
Weltall Zero said:
Kind of weird there's only going to be 12 games for it; visually simple B/W games should be relatively easy to crank out.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
...i see what you did there
also they say there's potential for more games, unsure if they'll charge for them though
Deleted member 33571
User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 17, 2017
907
very very cool, the lil bit of the Keita Takahashi game they showed looked really neat
I immediately got teenage engineering vibes between the priceand the concept so it makes sense they worked on some of the hardware
Kirksplosion
Member
Aug 21, 2018
2,682
Eh, can't say I'm interested at all--
Keita Takahashi
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
So I make this check out to Panic in Portland, OR?
Ginger Hail
One Winged Slayer
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
3,358
It's a cute little thing. Definitely gonna keep my eye on it.
jml
Member
Mar 9, 2018
4,849
Seems ridiculous and I do not understand the appeal at that price at all
Conan
Member
Oct 25, 2017
707
It's like having a bad analog stick. Cool?
Jonnykong
Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,992
It looks pretty nifty when you see the game in action by spinning that delightful crank.
marrec
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
6,775
jml said:
Seems ridiculous and I do not understand the appeal at that price at all
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The appeal is in the design and the games.
makonero
Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,177
If it was I could see myself grabbing it for novelty purposes
But I can't justify for a black and white handheld with no backlight. I had an original GBA for five years, not going back now
Vivian-Pogo
Member
Jan 9, 2018
2,142
It's neat but about 3x the price of what I would want to pay for it.
wideface
▲ Legend ▲
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
7,184
Hidamari Apartments
Keita Takahashi? Okay, I'll buy it.
NickatNite
Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,217
California
An interesting concept, but may or may not be worth the price point. I definitely will keep my eye on it.
Deleted member 23046
Account closed at user request
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
6,876
Panic is also the first publisher of Campo Santo's Firewatch.
Dancrane212
Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,110
Edge cover gets it a good amount of cred with me. Consider me curious.
JamesQuall
Member
Oct 27, 2017
752
I'm in. I already love Panic for publishing Firewatch and the Goose Game, and for putting a cool sign on their building that I can change the colors on during my lunch break!
RyougaSaotome
Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,365
It seems absurd so I'm in.
eyeball_kid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,138
Here's a peek at Keita Takahashi's game:
ryushe
Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,063
If this were black and white WITH backlight, then I'd be on board. But as it stands, I can't justify for this no matter how hard I'd like to try.
Anno
Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,889
Columbus, Ohio
That's weird enough that I'm at least interested.
the_wart
Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,346
That's so dumb.
...I want it.
KilgoreTrout696
Member
Oct 25, 2017
667
ryushe said:
If this were black and white WITH backlight, then I'd be on board. But as it stands, I can't justify for this no matter how hard I'd like to try.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
100% with you on the backlight. I'm looking into getting older gameboys modded with backlights not getting something new without them. Just flashing back to trying to play pokemon at night while in the car driving home, would have to wait to pass a streetlight in order to see the screen for a second.
boontobias
Avenger
Apr 14, 2018
10,144
Dancrane212 said:
Edge cover gets it a good amount of cred with me. Consider me curious.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Rebels huh? There goes my interest
8bit
Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,390
Oh fuck yes, I want one.
pronk
Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,034
Swery retweeted this, then retweeted a tweet about the Ouya store closing lol
Also pretty sure EDGE had an Ouya cover.
Deleted member 2791
User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
19,054
I like the idea and the hardware execution, but 150 bucks for twelve short games just doesn't cut it.
Brian_FETO
The Million Post Man
Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,825
I think I love this? idk
is an investment but like......it's also not that bad?
hmm
The curious thing is whether future seasons would be downloadableor if the intent is to have limited run systems with preset seasons
RoboitoAM
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,271
This thing looks stupid.
El Pescado
Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,042
That thing looks right up my alley. I'm 100% in.
#introducing #playdate #blackandwhite #handheld #with
Introducing Playdate - A $229 black-and-white handheld with a dozen surprise games. Also, it has a crank.
Meg Cherry
Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,847
Seattle, WA
So, Panic - a studio out of Portland that mostly does Mac software - is going to release a custom handheld with a 'premium' black-and-white screen - with 12 games that will be kept a secret until they unlock after release. Also, one of the inputs is a hand crank.
One of those games is the game you saw above: Crankin's Time Travel Adventure from Katamari Damacy designer Keita Takahashi. The crank is used to manipulate time forwards and backwards. Despite the presence of buttons, the only way to interact with Crankin' is with said crank. Not all games will work that way, obviously, but it's reasonable to expect many will make use of it.
There are other games coming from Bennett Foddy, Zach Gage, and Shaun Inman, among others. What exactly they're making for Playdate, however, remains unannounced, with more details later this year.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
pre-orders out this year. This thing looks absurd, but maybe in a way worth supporting.
Last edited: May 22, 2019
KoolAid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,055
Keita Takahashi? Bennett Foddy? I'm interested.
atomsk
Member
Oct 28, 2017
1,762
Panic worked with Keita on those Katamari t-shirts forever ago, so that's not too surprising.
Still, I wish Wattam would get a release date already.
BocoDragon
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
5,207
I love the hardware design.
Deleted member 42
user requested account closure
Banned
Oct 24, 2017
16,939
CRANKIN' IT
marrec
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
6,775
I'm sooo in for wild shit like this with limited but specific use cases.
kikuchiyo
Member
Nov 9, 2017
1,103
atomsk said:
Panic worked with Keita on those Katamari t-shirts forever ago, so that's not too surprising.
Still, I wish Wattam would get a release date already.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Didn't get those shirts when they came out and I've been kicking myself for it ever since :cashing in on nostalgia and basically gentrifying by giving it a new instagram worthy paint coat and new name.
for a black and white game boy with some weird gimmick? i'm cool lol. that's nice they found some greatdevelopers to make greatgames for it. just not sure why this exists though? especially for that absurd price? i mean you can get a 2ds bundle with a game and another free nintendo select for like now.
eyeball_kid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,138
Panic, Takahashi, and Teenage Engineering. This is like a videogame hipster dream come true.
Not sure how well that crank is going to feel for left-handed users though.
Colloco
Self-Requested Ban
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
403
florida
150 kind of hurts for a black and white screen device in 2019, but DAT CRANK THO
Ghos
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,986
cute design
Keita tho? 👀
Weltall Zero
Game Developer
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
19,343
Madrid
Kind of weird there's only going to be 12 games for it; visually simple B/W games should be relatively easy to crank out.
Lego Killer Moth
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
1,292
This is the coolest thing I've ever seen
Toumari
Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,811
England
Cute and bizarre. Never expected Panic to ever dabble in hardware like this.
Deleted member 41931
User requested account closure
Member
Apr 10, 2018
3,744
I'm in for Keita Takahashi. No idea if this is going to be good, but it'll certainly be different.
marrec
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
6,775
JamboGT said:
The most hipster of hipster gaming stuff I have ever seen.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
It's like they made it specifically for me
CloseTalker
Sister in the Craft
Member
Oct 25, 2017
38,131
Yeah, I'll buy one of those
Colloco
Self-Requested Ban
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
403
florida
Is this secretly Soulja Bois new console?
corn_fest
Member
Oct 27, 2017
323
I can't help but compare this with the 32blit which recently sprung up on Kickstarter. Spec-wise, the console seems a little disappointing in comparison, but Panic, Teenage Engineering, and the developers they've partnered with all create great stuff so I feel like this will be cool regardless.
Ugh I'm gonna end up getting both aren't I.
Lego Killer Moth
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
1,292
Weltall Zero said:
Kind of weird there's only going to be 12 games for it; visually simple B/W games should be relatively easy to crank out.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
There's gonna be more if it's a success. It's 12 so far. One a month for the first year.
KoolAid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,055
Weltall Zero said:
Kind of weird there's only going to be 12 games for it; visually simple B/W games should be relatively easy to crank out.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
...i see what you did there
also they say there's potential for more games, unsure if they'll charge for them though
Deleted member 33571
User requested account closure
Banned
Nov 17, 2017
907
very very cool, the lil bit of the Keita Takahashi game they showed looked really neat
I immediately got teenage engineering vibes between the priceand the concept so it makes sense they worked on some of the hardware
Kirksplosion
Member
Aug 21, 2018
2,682
Eh, can't say I'm interested at all--
Keita Takahashi
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
So I make this check out to Panic in Portland, OR?
Ginger Hail
One Winged Slayer
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
3,358
It's a cute little thing. Definitely gonna keep my eye on it.
jml
Member
Mar 9, 2018
4,849
Seems ridiculous and I do not understand the appeal at that price at all
Conan
Member
Oct 25, 2017
707
It's like having a bad analog stick. Cool?
Jonnykong
Member
Oct 27, 2017
8,992
It looks pretty nifty when you see the game in action by spinning that delightful crank.
marrec
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
6,775
jml said:
Seems ridiculous and I do not understand the appeal at that price at all
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The appeal is in the design and the games.
makonero
Member
Oct 27, 2017
11,177
If it was I could see myself grabbing it for novelty purposes
But I can't justify for a black and white handheld with no backlight. I had an original GBA for five years, not going back now
Vivian-Pogo
Member
Jan 9, 2018
2,142
It's neat but about 3x the price of what I would want to pay for it.
wideface
▲ Legend ▲
Avenger
Oct 25, 2017
7,184
Hidamari Apartments
Keita Takahashi? Okay, I'll buy it.
NickatNite
Member
Oct 27, 2017
6,217
California
An interesting concept, but may or may not be worth the price point. I definitely will keep my eye on it.
Deleted member 23046
Account closed at user request
Banned
Oct 28, 2017
6,876
Panic is also the first publisher of Campo Santo's Firewatch.
Dancrane212
Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,110
Edge cover gets it a good amount of cred with me. Consider me curious.
JamesQuall
Member
Oct 27, 2017
752
I'm in. I already love Panic for publishing Firewatch and the Goose Game, and for putting a cool sign on their building that I can change the colors on during my lunch break!
RyougaSaotome
Member
Oct 25, 2017
5,365
It seems absurd so I'm in.
eyeball_kid
Member
Oct 25, 2017
12,138
Here's a peek at Keita Takahashi's game:
ryushe
Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,063
If this were black and white WITH backlight, then I'd be on board. But as it stands, I can't justify for this no matter how hard I'd like to try.
Anno
Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,889
Columbus, Ohio
That's weird enough that I'm at least interested.
the_wart
Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,346
That's so dumb.
...I want it.
KilgoreTrout696
Member
Oct 25, 2017
667
ryushe said:
If this were black and white WITH backlight, then I'd be on board. But as it stands, I can't justify for this no matter how hard I'd like to try.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
100% with you on the backlight. I'm looking into getting older gameboys modded with backlights not getting something new without them. Just flashing back to trying to play pokemon at night while in the car driving home, would have to wait to pass a streetlight in order to see the screen for a second.
boontobias
Avenger
Apr 14, 2018
10,144
Dancrane212 said:
Edge cover gets it a good amount of cred with me. Consider me curious.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Rebels huh? There goes my interest
8bit
Member
Oct 27, 2017
5,390
Oh fuck yes, I want one.
pronk
Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,034
Swery retweeted this, then retweeted a tweet about the Ouya store closing lol
Also pretty sure EDGE had an Ouya cover.
Deleted member 2791
User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
19,054
I like the idea and the hardware execution, but 150 bucks for twelve short games just doesn't cut it.
Brian_FETO
The Million Post Man
Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,825
I think I love this? idk
is an investment but like......it's also not that bad?
hmm
The curious thing is whether future seasons would be downloadableor if the intent is to have limited run systems with preset seasons
RoboitoAM
Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,271
This thing looks stupid.
El Pescado
Member
Oct 26, 2017
2,042
That thing looks right up my alley. I'm 100% in.
#introducing #playdate #blackandwhite #handheld #with
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