Playdate: This old-school mobile gaming system is full of surprises

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If it's quite impossible or desirable not to use a screen, a Portland-based software company, Panic, offers a compromise: a bright yellow pocket game device with a 2.7 inch black and white screen. And a small crank to control the time (in a game, anyway) protrudes from the small side of the device.

Called Playdate, the new device, announced Wednesday, looks like a square Game Boy with classic physical buttons A, B and arrowheads. It has more modern technical specifications, including Bluetooth and Wifi, which make one of its characteristics features: surprise games.

In fact, all but one Playdate game will remain secret for the moment. The company will offer users a new game every week for 12 weeks after its release – what's called a "game season" – each remaining a mystery until it is downloaded. They are included in the $ 149 price of the system.

The company has already made hundreds of prototypes and will carry out an additional manufacturing cycle before starting mass production. It is expected to start taking orders later this year and plans to ship the device in 2020.

The gadget was an instant hit on social media. This seems to be one of those types of gadgets for which people can not help but feel an immediate affection, like a puppy. Playdate designers believe that the features that make it retro, such as buttons and the absence of a touch screen, are of great interest.

"Some people will not understand that we do not use the latest and fastest graphics hardware, or that we have chosen a black and white screen, or that they will buy the device with Invisible games. "Greg Maletic, director of Panic's special projects, told CNN Business. "But we wanted to offer a different experience than the one you get from an iPhone or a Nintendo switch."

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That's where the crank comes in. This is not for charging the device, but for interacting with the games. For example, in the only game where the company shares details about "Crankin's Time Journey Adventure", the crank controls the flow of time. Crankin & # 39; s was created by famous game designer Keita Takahashi, who also directed the hit Katamari Damacy.

"The tactile feel of controlling something with physical controls – and, indeed, a crank – has value – it's fun and satisfying, in the same way that touching the glass with your fingers does not. is not, "said Maletic.

The Playdate mobile gaming device has a small black and white screen, buttons and a crank.
Single-tasking devices that promise a simplified nostalgic experience have not all taken off. Runcible has been marketed as a phone that uses more wood than screen and promises fewer distractions. A little over 10 years ago, the $ 50 Peek was launched as an email device with a small screen and a Blackberry type keyboard. The newest Palm is a mini smartphone that acts as a companion for your real phone. Of course, the ultimate simple technical products are reading lights such as the Kindle, which is doing very well.

The games could be an easier sale. If Playdate does not take off, Panic has other sources of income. The company has over 20 years of experience in creating software for Mac, iPhone and iPad, including games such as Firewatch and Untitled Goose Game. This is a first foray into hardware, but society thinks an audience is waiting for it.

"It's certainly a leap of faith for the customer, but we think that for many people it will be the attraction: it will be the pleasure to do it," Maletic said. "The surprises are fun."

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