Blissbox 4play kickstarter for new controller cables

[panzeroceania]

The Blissbox 4Play is a device that allows you to connect old video game controllers to modern devices via USB. It can accept 4 controllers at once and does so using patch cables that adapt your existing controller to the 4Play.

It doesn't require you to install any drivers on your machine, works with rumble, Dreamcast VMU, microphone input, you name it. It's both the best and most cost effective device I've found for these tasks.

Recently they put up a kickstarter to produce a new set of cables that includes more obscure connections than their original set.

I'd encourage anyone looking for a great emulator controller solution to research it themselves and back their kickstarter if it's something that you're interested in

http://kck.st/1WtOevm

[mickcris]

The Blissbox 4Play is a device that allows you to connect old video game controllers to modern devices via USB. It can accept 4 controllers at once and does so using patch cables that adapt your existing controller to the 4Play.

It doesn't require you to install any drivers on your machine, works with rumble, Dreamcast VMU, microphone input, you name it. It's both the best and most cost effective device I've found for these tasks.

Recently they put up a kickstarter to produce a new set of cables that includes more obscure connections than their original set.

I'd encourage anyone looking for a great emulator controller solution to research it themselves and back their kickstarter if it's something that you're interested in

http://kck.st/1WtOevm

3rd times a charm maybe?

[Guspaz]

It's really bizarre. You need these adapter cables to convert from your controller of choice to HDMI (yes, HDMI), and then you need their wierd HDMI-to-USB converter hub, which seems to cost $120 minimum (they don't sell it by itself)... And they are making you pay for absurd controller adapters that nobody will ever use. Want an example? The Apple Pippin. If you want this thing, they make you pay for a controller adapter for the APPLE PIPPIN.

Because when I want to play a game on my computer, the first thing I think is "I need an Apple Pippin controller to HDMI converter to use an HDMI to USB converter so that I can play games with my APPLE PIPPIN CONTROLLER."

It seems really convoluted. Raphnet makes adapters for most of the controllers you'd care about for quite a bit less, and they're simple controller-to-usb adapters without any of this bizarre HDMI-hub stuff.

EDIT: It's worth noting that the cables are useless by themselves, and most of the reward tiers *DO NOT* include their strange quasi-proprietary HDMI-to-USB hub. The cheapest Kickstarter tier that includes the HDMI hub that is required starts at $180 USD. If you get it from their website, it's $120.

Actually, I'm not even sure what they're kickstarting. They're already selling this stuff on their website. It seems to just be for more types of adapter cables. Why do they need a kickstarter for that? And why do they think that people want all these obscure adapters bad enough to kickstart it?

EDIT2: Does the HDMI licensing situation even allow them to make these controller adapters without paying HDMI licensing fees? They're using the HDMI connector and name.

[mickcris]

every time they try this kickstarter they lower the funding goal. still dont think its going to make it this time though.

[BuckoA51]

The product is already funded and available to purchase, the kickstarter is to help fund different adapters, so more controllers can be hooked up.

The basic 4-play comes with 4 Gamecube adapters, buying 4 such adapters from Raphnet would already cost you more, plus with 4-play you also get 2 Saturn adapters too, which is one of the best pads for 2D games. Fair enough, not everyone wants to play 4 player Gamecube games in Dolphin, but some folks do, and for them 4-play is already better value.

The HDMI connectors were dropped ages ago.

[Guspaz]

If the HDMI connectors were dropped ages ago, how come the stuff they sell on their website and their kickstarter still says they use controller-to-HDMI connectors?

What's the advantage of this thing over simple controller-to-USB adapters, other than locking yourself into a proprietary system?

The basic kit costs $120, while 4x Raphnet adapters cost 21.20 * 4 = $84.80

I'm not saying this thing doesn't work. I'm sure it works fine. But it all seems very sleazy and convoluted.

[BuckoA51]

As I understand it only the first batch used HDMI connectors due to the license fees etc. I could be wrong though.

There is no advantage to it if all you want to do is attach a single controller, it's for folks that switch between 2 or 3 controllers for different games and emulators.

I don't get why you're hating on it, just because it doesn't suit your needs doesn't mean it's not good value for other people.

[Guspaz]

Somebody should tell them about that, because their kickstarter still says they're using HDMI.

[BuckoA51]

Odd, I am sure I remember reading they'd dropped HDMI. Oh well, maybe we were over cautious with OSSC.

[Guspaz]

That's entirely possible, although the audio mod seems a good compromise (isolate Marqs from any potential liability while still allowing customers to get HDMI audio).

[mickcris]

didnt know they started making them. their kickstarter page says none of their campaigns ever got funded so i guess they went a different route?

[panzeroceania]

to clear up some misconceptions

This kickstarter is not for the 4play, the 4play has been out for at least a year and is available for purchase on their website.

The 4play is a device that allows you to connect 4 controllers to your computer via usb

the cables are nothing but port/pinout adapters that allow you to interface your controllers with the 4play device

the controller ports connect via an HDMI connector, this is not an HDMI port, He uses the HDMI connector because it has enough pins to connect any controller pinout to the HDMI pins. it is not for HDMI video nor using HDMI licensing. I have seen several products use this before when there was no standard interface.

I wouldn't say this is that proprietary of a solution as you have to adapt all the various controller connectors to something common.

The kickstarter is not for the 4play, the 4play you can buy on their website.

you can buy a basic 4play for $120 USD and it includes these controller cables

1x 4-play Hub
1x USB Cable
2x Nintendo Entertainment System Cable
2x Super Nintendo Entertainment System Cable
2x Nintendo 64 Cable
4x Nintendo GameCube Cable
2x Retro DB9 (Atari/Sega) Cable
2x Sega Dreamcast Cable
2x Sega Saturn Cable
2x Sony PlayStation/PlayStation 2 Cable

http://skunx7.wix.com/bliss-box

The kickstarter is for people who love the blissbox but also want to play with controllers for Neo Geo, PC Engine, Atari Jaguar, Virtual Boy, etc

If you are person who emulates many different systems or has many different controllers, this solution scales much better than buying individual adapters. The blissbox works with almost any video game controller ever made, works on multiple operating systems, does not require you to install drivers, and is still supported with new firmware, controller cables, etc.


@mickcris

The device was originally made as enough people preordered it and has been out for about a year or so now IIRC.

[BuckoA51]

They were supposed to be doing a 1 play adapter at some point too, so that folks who only wanted to connect a couple of different controllers had a lower cost system, similar to just buying a standard, fixed adapter. I suspect that will happen in time.

[Guspaz]

HDMI Licensing may beg to differ about if the connector can be used without paying licensing fees, but there are other connectors with as many pins that don't require licensing fees. MiniDP (the connector itself) is royalty-free, for example. They also offer a large number of pins in a compact connector (one pin more than HDMI).

The pentagonal shape of the device is odd, certainly not optimal for four people playing games. Increases likelihood of torque on connectors when cables are pulled. They did a poll over a year ago and 82% of 262 people said they would prefer a rectangular box, and yet because the poll got less than 300 responses, they stuck to the pentagonal design. On the other hand, it's possible that they couldn't afford the injection moulding to change it. But then why did they pick such a bizarre shape that nobody would like in the first place?

I don't like how they don't sell their device stand-alone. If it fails, or you need another one, you have to buy all the adapters again. It seems nice that it comes with 18 different adapters, but they charge $80 for the cables alone, and $120 for the cables with the converter box. So if your box breaks you need to buy $80 of cables just to get the $40 box.

And it's all very proprietary. The converter box only works with their adapter cables, and their adapter cables only work with their converter box. You're locked into the ecosystem.

[panzeroceania]

HDMI Licensing may beg to differ about if the connector can be used without paying licensing fees, but there are other connectors with as many pins that don't require licensing fees. MiniDP (the connector itself) is royalty-free, for example. They also offer a large number of pins in a compact connector (one pin more than HDMI).

@Guspaz

There have been several devices that have used an HDMI connector when no standard was in place, look at the PS Audio PerfectWave DAC and DirectStream

http://www.psaudio.com/products/wp-cont ... m-Rear.jpg

They use an HDMI connector for I2S input and output

PS Audio is easily a bigger company than blissbox, has been selling their products for years with no issues from the HDMI consortium.

I don't like how they don't sell their device stand-alone. If it fails, or you need another one, you have to buy all the adapters again. It seems nice that it comes with 18 different adapters, but they charge $80 for the cables alone, and $120 for the cables with the converter box. So if your box breaks you need to buy $80 of cables just to get the $40 box.

And it's all very proprietary. The converter box only works with their adapter cables, and their adapter cables only work with their converter box. You're locked into the ecosystem.

If you look at his website he sells DIY kits of the 4Play for $35 USD without any cables for 1 player use. you can get a cable harness for that DIY kit for $10 if you prefer to make your own patch cables.

He also sells an HDMI DIY adapter for use on the retail 4play that breaks out the HDMI connector to a wider format that you can make your own cables for. Honestly you make it out like he's trying to lock people into some special system but if anything the guys seems to be bending over backwards to help people do it however they want.

See for yourself

http://skunx7.wix.com/bliss-box

as for the size and the shape, it seems like he tried to make the most compact unit he could.

[BuckoA51]

And it's all very proprietary. The converter box only works with their adapter cables, and their adapter cables only work with their converter box. You're locked into the ecosystem.

You can DIY build your own cables and buy them from Blissbox. If you buy an Adapter from Raphnet, Amazon, eBay or anywhere else, that only works with one type of controller anyway, so, assuming you actually want to use a bunch of different controllers, how is buying individual, one use adapters any better/less "proprietary" than this? What exactly are you locking yourself into going with this adapter? It's giving you more options not taking them away, I don't understand your reasoning here at all.

[Guspaz]

Fair enough in terms of the adapters. They're admittedly cheap, and there was going to have to be some sort of such thing for a controller-agnostic solution. I still don't like the forced bundling or bizarre shape. He should be selling the thing standalone.

[BuckoA51]

That would be ideal, but it's difficult to manage so many SKUs when you're only a microbusiness.