This is a new, presumably ARM-based emulation device. Some Facebook users have accused the creators of “ripping off” RetroArch, i.e. using it for commercial purposes.
It may or may not be driven by RetroArch or anything from the Retropie project; the creators seem to be very defensive about its design. They’re playing their cards very close to their chest, might be one to keep an eye on.
I think it’s a fairly safe bet they are just repackaging a Pi and EmulationStation using libretro cores into a plastic shell.
They are saying that it is NOT a Pi, but they haven’t said what it IS. There are no specifications at all on http://www.buyretroengine.com either. The concern is that Retropie is free, this isn’t. Nobody should be out to make money out of libretro, but it seems unlikely that they will have developed their own emulators hence there are a few raised eyebrows over this.
It is obviously running the EmulationStation front end just like Retropie, that we know for sure.
Snake oil salesmen.
RetroArch and libretro are both licensed under permissive, sell-able licenses, though we strongly discourage it, particularly if it’s just a couple of greedy chucklefucks who haven’t contributed back anything to anyone. However, some of the cores, including genplusgx, snes9x*, FBA* and all MAMEs except for the up-to-date git version are licensed non-commercial, so selling a device with any of those cores built-in is a license violation.
EDIT: Looking at their page, it’s also a bad idea to use company logos in their promotional images.
[QUOTE=Modeler;50989]They are saying that it is NOT a Pi, but they haven’t said what it IS. There are no specifications at all on http://www.buyretroengine.com either. The concern is that Retropie is free, this isn’t. Nobody should be out to make money out of libretro, but it seems unlikely that they will have developed their own emulators hence there are a few raised eyebrows over this.
It is obviously running the EmulationStation front end just like Retropie, that we know for sure.[/QUOTE]
Yeah I should have said a Pi-like system. While it may not be an actual Pi, it is just an ARM system on a chip like many Pi-clones.
They may very well be doing everything legal and by the book but seeing the shady shit that has been going on in the retro gaming / emulation scene over the last couple of years it’s so hard not to be skeptical of stuff like this.
[QUOTE=hunterk;50995]RetroArch and libretro are both licensed under permissive, sell-able licenses, though we strongly discourage it, particularly if it’s just a couple of greedy chucklefucks who haven’t contributed back anything to anyone. However, some of the cores, including genplusgx, snes9x*, FBA* and all MAMEs except for the up-to-date git version are licensed non-commercial, so selling a device with any of those cores built-in is a license violation.
EDIT: Looking at their page, it’s also a bad idea to use company logos in their promotional images.[/QUOTE]
Omg their website just screams of cheapness, and when I see phrases like “sign-up, refer friends” I cringe.
Sign up to win a product that doesn’t even exist because they still need to have their kickstarter. Not to even mention all their “all will be revealed with the kickstarter” responses on their facebook page. Huge red flags to me screaming “piece of shit scam”. Maybe I am just being too cynical, I don’t know.
I get the creepy feeling Mike Kennedy is hiding behind it all. Now of course I have no idea if that is true or not but it sure has that vibe to it to me.