Pointless Hardware Questions

[Qenan]

Just picked up a 7" DVD player to keep my kid entertained during an upcoming trip. As it turns out, the model we chose takes video input, so I'm debating bringing a gamecube or PS2 along as well.

My question: Why on earth doesn't nintendo or Sony make one of these with their console embedded into it? I'd certainly pay an extra $100 or so for a portable Gamecube player that could also play DVDs.

Seems like a missed market opportunity.

[Aeon221]

Here are some issues, at least in my head.

It would probably require a bigger fan to deal with cooling
Higher price
Small screens make many games virtually unplayable
Most people who buy a console have or can afford a tv that is probably larger

I agree that the convenience factor is ginormous... but it still ends up in either an suv that already has a tv or a house because it is not nearly as portable as the handhelds.

Or maybe I'm a moron, my objections are stupid, and this is the best idea since sliced bread. It could go either way.

[Qenan]

I thought about the size factor, but since multiple vendors sell small LCD monitors for the gamecube, it would seem that there is some market. I was thinking the primary advantage would be portability. You could certainly still provide AV out.

Hadn't thought about the fans, though.

[Doug Erickson]

Most of those screens are 320x240. Current-gen gaming consoles output in 640x480 or similar. Yoiu'd be losing 3/4s of your pixel data -- not an issue for an actiopn game, but brutal for any text-heavy game which would become nigh-on unreadable.

[Qenan]

I've been trying it on a 7" Insignia DVD player (which will display external input), since we are on vacation and there's no hooking up our GameCube to the evil LodgeNet-affiliated TVs. It works pretty well on many games, but you are definitely right that some games become hard to read -- Eternal Darkness, for example.

Still, I'm thinking that this will be a future opportunity for console-makers as LCD screens get cheaper.

[Ex-S Woo]

There are a few 3rd party ones available though...seen plenty of those for the PS1,PS2, and the GC.

[Qenan]

Yes, but they're just monitors that you add on top, which doesn't do much for portability.

[Sarkus]

Sony tried it late in the small PS1's life but even when the system was $100 that was still $200 when you included the screen.

On top of that think of all the people who already have screens installed in their cars and you realize the market is not quite as big as you might think.

[RickH]

Yes, but they're just monitors that you add on top, which doesn't do much for portability.

That can be fixed with a $10-$15 car cord from ebay. Some Gamecube screens come with a car cord.

Even around the house, the kids would rather play the GC on a 5" LCD screen as long as they get to be in the same room as everybody else.