[jrockway]

If you want to write a 1 bit retro game at this point, hardware is not what's holding you back. There are thousands of hobbyist 6502 kits you can buy, not to mention retro computers that people keep in like-new condition and put on eBay. (There are lots of people still writing new C64 and Apple II games.) Or you could use an Arduino and LCD. Or, you can just only use one color in a <canvas> tag.

I think what people want is a platform where a captive audience has to play your game, because there aren't any good games for the platform. If you target modern computers, you're competing with games like League of Legends or Overwatch, which have large teams behind them. If you target this shitbox, your competition is some game where you spin a crank so you aren't late to an e-date. Your chance of "winning" is high.

It remains to be seen whether some exclusive game is so good that it sells the console. I only buy Nintendo products so I can play their exclusive games. I would much prefer to run them on my PC, but they demand an extra $500 tax. Good business model! Maybe it can be yours too.

[Meekro]

I agree with your point about Nintendo, I always thought they should release their own Steam clone that requires a $100 per year subscription before you can even buy the games. That would replace the hardware revenue and free them from the burden of making hardware. I'm guessing the reason they don't is that they're a Japanese company primarily focused on a Japanese audience who don't necessarily own gaming PCs.

But regarding the Playdate, I think your take is too uncharitable. Here's a better way to frame it: Steam is great, but it's hard for indie developers to get noticed. What if we could split off a group of customers (who want retro indie games) into their own curated mini-Steam? Developers will surely come and make games, spurred by the confidence that they can get their stuff noticed. And then more customers will come, enticed by the curated ecosystem that makes it easy to get high-quality retro indie games.