For those who follow the success stories of KickStarter, the name GameStick will sound familiar to you. Having reached over 500% of the original target goal set on January 2nd, 2013, the latest stretch goal is to exceed the “$560k” mark. Upon doing so, PlayJam will introduce a red-colored console, in addition to another color of the community’s choice. Today they revealed the final design for the device, as inspired by community feedback from pledgers. The funding deadline ends this Friday, February 1st.
According to the developers, “GameStick is a product by PlayJam – the premier global platform for casual and social games on TV. By partnering with all major TV brands, we’ve created the largest and most vibrant games network for millions of players around the world.” It is an android-powered console the size of a USB flash drive, powerful enough to run the most powerful android games on the market today.
The vision is to create a portable console that provides the best of casual games on a big screen. If you want to share your favorite android games with friends no matter who’s house you’re hanging out at, GameStick aims to provide you with easy access and fast, fluid gameplay.
For the technologically inclined, here are the specs you need to know:
- Processor – Amlogic 8726-MX
- Memory – 1GB DDR3 / 8GB FLASH
- Content Download Manager w/ cloud storage for games.
- WiFi – 802.11 b/g/n
- Bluetooth – LE 4.0
- O/S – Android Jelly Bean
- Controller – Bluetooth, 3 mode controller: gamepad, mouse and keyboard with support for up to 4 controllers.
- Full 1080p HD video decoding
- Support for XBMC & DLNA from Sept via optional firmware update.
- Support for iOS and Android mobile devices to be used as controllers
The newly redesigned controller features a number of subtle adjustments that many fans were clamoring for. Such changes as additional USB and HDMI ports to support peripheral hardware (keyboard/mouse, microphones, cameras etc.), wire-free charging for the controller, and support for more storage bringing the total capacity to about 104GB.
Additionally, the controller now includes a more ergonomic form with extended grips. The detachable HDMI stick itself now resides in the back of the controller and can support an expanded 32GB MicroSD slot.
Commenting on the success of the KickStarter campaign, as well as the design changes made in response to community feedback, PlayJam CMO Anthony Johnson said, “It´s hard to believe that we launched GameStick just a few short weeks ago. The Kickstarter campaign has been a roller coaster of a ride and one which has given us more feedback than we could ever have possibly imagined.” He mentions that, “We have been able to take that input and literally better shape our product to give our backers a truly bespoke creation – one which has been designed by the Kickstarter community that backed it.”
If everything continues to move along on schedule, GameStick intends to fulfill customer orders on April 13th. The console is set to be released with a U.S. price tag of $79 (£50). For more information, you can visit the official GameStick website.
