GP2X Q&A, With Craig Rothwell
Posted on August 20th, 2006 at 3:10pm by EripmaVFor those of you who don’t know or haven’t heard of the GP2X, it’s a handheld console that was built from the ground up to totally embrace the homebrew scene. Featuring dual 200mhz CPU's with 64meg of RAM, custom graphics hardware and decoding chips, it’s certainly no slouch in the specs department.
Add the feature of it taking SD cards and has 64M of NAND memory, there’s a whole world of potential for this sleek and sexy little machine.
We were given the opportunity to fire over some questions to Craig Rothwell and who were we to say no?
Hi Craig, many thanks indeed for agreeing to answer our questions.
Q1: It's fantastic to see a console manufacturer that actually embraces the homebrew (amateur coding) scene. What were your main reasons for this?
A1: Because we know that it is an untapped market which Sony and N won't enter into. We always loved the Amiga scene which was very similar, and we knew all those Amiga owners were still out there waiting for a new system which had the spirit of the Amiga scene.
Q2:When at the design stage of the GP2X, were there any features that were not feasible to include in the previous incarnation (the GP32) that are possible now?
A2: More RAM and a faster CPU, oh and we moved from SMC to SD cards - but the main brief on the design was to keep it at a lower cost than the upcoming (at the time) PSP.
Q3: The ability to literally dump a divx/xvid at any resolution and play without the need for re-encoding is an amazing feature. Will the user be able to update the player (if this isn't done when the firmware updates are installed) so it can cope with future codecs needed?
A3: Yes, each time there is a firmware upgrade the player is updated, there are already other unofficial versions available which support a lot more formats, we will continue to tweak the player until it can play as many formats as possible.
Q4: Are you considering a stand style add-on, to allow the user to place the unit onto a desk and watch movies?
A4: Yes, and not only that we have a clip on wifi + keyboard + usb host device coming around September which will allow the GP2X to act as a mini computer with web browser, email etc. it only adds about an inch onto the size of the unit and uses a mini keyboard design. It is a progression of the already available breakout USB board which developers can buy.
Q5: The GP32 sold a phenomenal 30,000 units world wide, do you expect the GP2X to trump the figure?
A5: Well, I'm not sure that was so phenomenal when compared to other systems, it was of course quite good for a company with no budget at all where all 30,000 were sold via word of mouth. The GP2X is already on course to beat the 30,000 figure in the next few months. :)
Q6: How closely do you work with the various communities that work on homebrew materials? For example, if a coder has problems with certain areas of coding, are there reference materials or people he can contact for help and advice?
A6: Yes, there is a huge scene at www.gp32x.com where a coder can get answers within seconds of asking a question.
Q7: On both your and GamePark?s site, there?s no mention of the GP2X being MAC compatible, could you possibly clarify whether or not it is please?
A7: Yes it will work on a mac - in fact it will work on anything which can read or write SD cards or supports USB. It can even speak to mp3 players and copy things from their hardisks.
Q8: Are you planning on releasing an add-on that will allow for Wifi connect ability and possibly web surfing, or even better multi-player functionality?
A9: Yes, see my answer a few questions up :)
Q10: If you had to name *THE* killer application for the GP2X, what would it be and why?
A10: Probably the upcoming keyboard + wifi addon, I think thats going to make the GP2X a very cheap portable computer to compete with those £500+ mini computers - plus we will have a much better battery life!
Q11: The GP32 had a small quantity of commercial titles available to purchase, will we see more support and therefore more games to buy for the GP2X?
A11: There will be 8 commercial titles by September, but they are not needed for us to survive, we make a profit on the GP2X itself (unlike Sony and N who make a loss). All 8 of the commercial titles will be high quality (inc some ports from the other handhelds) and around the £19.99 to £24.99 price range.
Q12: Do you have any plans on bringing the machines to a more commercial market, i.e. into retail stores?
A12: Yes, this is something we will be working on in the coming months.
Q13: Emulation is considered a legal grey area, as you use emulation as a selling point what is your stance on it, and do you believe systems like the Wii will change the over all perception?
A13: Emulation of home computers is perfectly legal, but consoles is a grey area, especially more recent ones such as the GBA or PSX. But people who own the GP2X can do what they like with it - just as you can do what you like with a PC you have bought.
Q14: Linux has the sigma of being very hard to learn, how easy and user friendly is your operating system to actually use and code for?
A14: The OS you see on the GP2X is 100% graphic driven and is as easy to use as say the PSP menu. You don't need to know anything about Linux to code for it, I use windows to code for the GP2X.
Q15: At £125, it's more expensive than the DS but cheaper than the PSP. In your opinion, please tell our readers why they should go for a GP2X.
A15: Because it is 100% open and you can take it out the box and play hundreds of games for free. It will run most of your old classics such as Quake, Duke Nukem 3D, Ultima series, all the old adventure games like Monkey Island, Shadow Warrior, Hexen... need I go on? :) Remember it is basically a very compact portable PC you are buying with a media player built in - and it runs on 2 AA batteries!
A big thanks to Ross for arranging the interview and Craig for taking the time to answer our questions.
