Quote:
Originally Posted by Cammy
I want a Natami so I can make an Amiga game with more than 16 colours per playfield in dual playfield mode. And use more sprites with more colours!
And I want to build an arcade cabinet with a Natami in it, since we'll be making arcade quality games for it.
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But you see, thats my point. How can "we" the hobbyist Amiga community make "Arcade quality" games.
Having the hardware is all very good but there is a limit to what such a small community can do. I guess it defines what you call "Arcade quality".... Are you talking about for example, "improved" versions of space invaders / Deluxe Galaga / Donkey Kong, i.e. from a nostalgia sense ? or are you talking about "Street Fighter 4" levels of Arcade quality... if its just improviing the old stuff, then I cant see how that is such a big draw ?
And in any case, developing games takes a whole lot of things, not least cash.......
Now I am all for the homebrew community, they have done some great things, but I just cant see how a Natami would be a step forward...
Part of the fun of nostalgia is/was that it is representative of a specific time. Lotus 2 for example holds a special place in my heart, it was the first 16/32 bit game I bought (for the Acorn Archimedes) I love it still and I am happy with it.
Lotus 2 Natami Enhanced ..... what would be the point ? It will never be a Need for Speed Shift or a Gran Turismo 5.
Or that old Chestnut, Spyhunter - My Fave "old" game ever. They ported it to numerous platforms but the Spectrum Version is still my favourite. They even Made a "Modern" version for PC's a few years ago.... not that great. Sensible Soccer 2006 for PC was a crime.
Its a bit like films, the First movie in a set is usually "a classic", but by the 2nd or third it gets a bit naff.
To be honest, sticking with the 680x0 architecture is EXTREMELY limiting - yes its compatible, and yes there are proposed improvements but it is still OLD architecture and cannot compete with today's expectations. $500+ on a Natami or $250 on an A1200 + Whdload key and a few bits to make the experience fun..... and the rest on an Xbox 360.....
Like I say, I doubt very much that the Natami is going to automatically make old stuff better - think of all the patches/rewrites needed to take advantage of the hardware improvements...... That would only happen if a Software company like, say, Eidos, decided to spend time and money redeveloping their old games. Which isn't going to happen.
Yes we could end up with "Lotus XP" , but again, is it really going to compete with Need for speed... I doubt it.
"But I want to do it on an Amiga!" - fine, I guess, but the NATAmi will still be YEARS if not nearly a decade behind the current capabilities of PC's and Mac's. That might be massively faster than what we have now BUT its like trying to repair a severed artery with a sticking plaster.... can't be done.
It would be nice if they made some sort of Add in for existing machines - or indeed a "motherboard replacement" - but I cant see it being economically viable, if not for them, for us as "consumers" - $500 for a new motherboard that has sexy features but these aren't supported in any "classic games". Been there, seen that to a certain extent with the OS 4.1 systems.... - they CAN'T do "classic" stuff
- this would be the opposite, i.e. the classic games can't "do" the new hardware... or if they can then its exactly the same as the Classic hardware did them 15 years ago... unless you have some pretty edxtensive redevelopment. In which case I return to my question:
Whats the point ? Classic hardware running classic stuff VS new hardware running classic stuff, in EXACTLY the same way that the classic hardware did.
Or am I missing the point? Are the Natami developers going to release patches left right and centre to bring every game up to date.... I think not, that takes time and money, that I suspect they don't have.
Equally, you could say New hardware = new software/games possibilities, and you would be right. But that takes Industry backing which neither we as a community nor do I suspect the natami developers have.
If that were the case then why is the Sam Flex/Amiga one or any other "Modern Amiga" not cutting it? Simple, the Amiga doesn't have the market draw it once did (and even then it was fighting a losing battle) They cater for a VERY niche market, within a niche market is why - they can't do AMIGA stuff.... apart from OS 4.1 - which is um... it. Even the most die hard OS 4.1 junkie will have SOME way of doing "classic" stuff, either through emulation on another platform or the good old A1200 '030 they have in bits on the floor.
I'm sure if it does come out, it will be a nice toy to tinker with (like minimig, SAM, AOne etc) but I really cant see its "Value" unless its release will spawn a whole new market, with developers coming out the woodwork left right and centre.
Nope, sorry, I'm still not convinced