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Android console newcomer GameStick is off to a flying start after hitting its Kickstarter funding target on just its second day.
The project was after $100,000 and currently sits on $142,000 with 27 days still to run.
The hardware is the brainchild of casual games firm PlayJam. It comes in the form of a joypad with a USB-like drive that can be removed from the underside and plugged directly into a TV’s HDMI slot.
The response from the Kickstarter community has been truly overwhelming,” PlayJam CEO Anthony Johnson stated. We are confident in our product and what we hope it will mean for gaming but we were taken aback at how quickly the message was adopted.
There is no better feeling than having hundreds if not thousands of people endorse your idea.
While we are shipping as a dedicated games console, we are keen to ensure that users have the ability to hack the device if they so wish and will be providing support for XBMC & DNLA via an optional firmware update in September. We encourage users to hack the device – the time for closed, proprietary systems is ending which bodes well for true innovation.”
While its design is unique, GameStick is of course not the first Android console to call for funding – the machine’s most notable rival being the crowd-funded Ouya. But UK firm PlayJam is confident GameStick can hold its own.
PlayJam already works with a network of over 250 developers to bring games to Smart TVs, including Disney, Relentless and First Star Software.
