GameStick Delayed Again, Now Launching October 29
PlayJam says delay is necessary to ensure everything works as it should.
Earlier this month, we heard that PlayJam was shooting for a September release for its GameStick console. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the console will make it to market this month. Originally slated for an April release, the Android console is now scheduled for an October 29 launch. This is the third delay for GameStick and Engadget cites PlayJam CEO Jasper Smith as saying the delay is down to 'stringent QA standards.'
"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," he's quoted as saying. "So the unfortunate result is that pushed things back."
Though it's disappointing, the console is still making it to market less than a year after it appeared on Kickstarter. GameStick only launched on Kickstarter in January of this year and its funding period expired on February 1 (30 days after it launched) having raised almost $650,000. The base device will sport a Cortex-A9 based Amlogic 8726-MX SoC, 1 GB of DDR3 RAM, 8 GB of internal storage, Wireless N and Bluetooth LE 4.0 connectivity, and a custom "forked" version of Google's Android "Jelly Bean" platform. The stick-shaped console will plug into any HDTV's HDMI port and can be shoved into the Bluetooth controller for easy storage when not in use.
According to Engadget, those that backed the Kickstarter can expect their console to arrive "three to four weeks before retail." It'll be available at GameStop, Amazon and GAME in the UK and is expected to carry a price tag of $79.99 (or £79.99 in the UK). The U.S. and UK will get the console first, with launches for the rest of Europe, Canada, and Middle East expected before the end of the year.
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Licensing fees. Companies that make Android products have to get into a contract with Google and pay a fee to include Play Store in their devices. That's why also some cheapo chinese tablets don't have it. It would raise cost.
I have heard though, that there is a way to sideload the Play store app, but I don't know how.
Licensing fees. Companies that make Android products have to get into a contract with Google and pay a fee to include Play Store in their devices. That's why also some cheapo chinese tablets don't have it. It would raise cost.
I have heard though, that there is a way to sideload the Play store app, but I don't know how.
I hope you can sideload the Play Store because otherwise developer support is going to be crippled. It's also a little absurd that they can't strike an agreement with Google to get the Play Store on this. They hit $650K in funding off of a $100K goal and will only make more money once they start selling these in stores. They have no angel investors to pay back so they'll be sitting on a pile of money. If they can't work out a deal with Google to get even better app support on this thing then it might as well be dead in the water.