History of video games/Platforms/Open Game Station

History edit

Development edit

 
Bao'An, China in 2016.

The system was developed by Long Labs.[1] This company was based in Bao'an, China within the major city of Shenzhen.[2] The Famicom was cited for the developers as an inspiration for the system.[3]

The idea for the system originated in February of 2019, with a prototype being made by March 2019.[4] A "Final Sample" had been made by August 2019.[4]

An Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign was launched in October 2019 but failed to receive any funding.[4]

Crowdfunding edit

The system was announced by April 10, 2020.[5] A crowdfunding campaign began on July 30, 2020.[6] The campaign was extended to October 1, 2020.[7] Crowdfunding prices for the "Basic Version" was $25, with the "Pro Version" costing $35.[8][9] The crowdfunding campaign goal was to raise $2,400, and the campaign ultimately raised $2,498 from 19 backers.[10]

Launch edit

On January 15, 2021 Long Labs said the process of shipping units had begun.[11]

Legacy edit

Despite being a relatively niche console, the system is notable for being one of the few modular game consoles to release.

Technology edit

Modularity edit

The system uses modules based on cards, allowing for upgrades and configuration flexibility.[1] The modular cards were called "Longan Card"(s).[3] [12]

Card modules contained intentionally modifiable firmware.[13]

By default there was one module slot intended for a display, and three general modules behind it.[14] A "Pro version" came with an "Extension Board" which took up one expansion slot and added four expansion slots in return.[10]

Compute edit

The system is based on the Carduino platform, which uses an Atmega 324U 8-bit microcontroller clocked at 16 megahertz.[1] The system had 2 kilobytes of RAM.[14]

32 kilobytes of flash was used for storage.[14]

Hardware edit

A controller was integrated into the system.[15] The system shape was noted for it's resemblance to a simplified PlayStation controller.[16]

The system used a monochrome OLED display on a module with a resolution of 128 by 64 pixels.[14][10]

Games were uploaded to the system via a USB type C port on the Carduino module.[14][10]

The default power supply module powered the system with twin AAA size batteries.[14]

An optional 9 degree of freedom sensor card, which incorporated an gyroscope, accelerometer, and magnetometer was included in the "Pro Version".[10] A separate "Sound Sensor Card" with a microphone was also included in the "Pro Version".[10][10]

Games edit

The system shared a library with the Arduboy.[1][14]

References edit

  1. a b c d Horsey, Julian (5 August 2020). "Open Game Station by Long labs now available from $25". Geeky Gadgets. https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/open-game-station-by-long-labs-05-08-2020/. 
  2. "Longan Labs". www.longan-labs.cc. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  3. a b "Why We Created Open Game Station" (in en). Crowd Supply. https://www.crowdsupply.com/longan-labs/open-game-station/updates/why-we-created-open-game-station. 
  4. a b c "Open Game Station Player Kit". Indiegogo. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  5. Horsey, Julian (10 April 2020). "Open Game Station classic 8-bit games modular gaming platform". Geeky Gadgets. https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/8-bit-games-10-04-2020/. 
  6. "Our Campaign is Live!" (in en). Crowd Supply. July 30, 2020. https://www.crowdsupply.com/longan-labs/open-game-station/updates/our-campaign-is-live. 
  7. "Extending Our Campaign Through October 1st" (in en). Crowd Supply. September 14, 2020. https://www.crowdsupply.com/longan-labs/open-game-station/updates/extending-our-campaign-through-october-1st. 
  8. "Creating customizable handheld gaming devices----Open Game Station - Activities - PCBway". www.pcbway.com. https://www.pcbway.com/blog/Activities/Creating_customizable_handheld_gaming_devices____Open_Game_Station.html. 
  9. Prices listed included a $ sign and are presumably, though are not certainly, in either Hong Kong Dollars or United States Dollars.
  10. a b c d e f g "Open Game Station". Crowd Supply. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  11. "Shipping Soon" (in en). Crowd Supply. January 15, 2021. https://www.crowdsupply.com/longan-labs/open-game-station/updates/shipping-soon. 
  12. "Introducing the Longan Card System" (in en). Crowd Supply. August 11, 2020. https://www.crowdsupply.com/longan-labs/open-game-station/updates/introducing-the-longan-card-system. 
  13. "How to Create or Modify Module Firmware" (in en). Crowd Supply. September 18, 2020. https://www.crowdsupply.com/longan-labs/open-game-station/updates/how-to-create-or-modify-module-firmware. 
  14. a b c d e f g "Open Game Station - Player kit". www.longan-labs.cc. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
  15. Long, Moe (August 5, 2020). "Electromaker Show Episode 9" (in en). www.electromaker.io. https://www.electromaker.io/blog/article/electromaker-show-episode-9. 
  16. Cook, Jeremy (August 3, 2020). "Piece Together Your Own Portable 8-Bit Game Console" (in en). Hackster.io. https://www.hackster.io/news/piece-together-your-own-portable-8-bit-game-console-dc134d478319.