NEOGAF! Quick note of introduction: My name is Christopher Taber, I am the founder of Analogue.
I'm here to address the concerns in this thread. I would've done so sooner, but I was only recently made aware of this thread and it took some time for my account to be activated/username to be changed to my real name.
I'm addressing NEOGAF directly as we have little to no reports of the issues listed here, nor have we experienced the magnitude of outrage exhibited (it's quite shocking). We've experienced virtually nothing but positivity from our customers from the beginning till today.
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I'd like to start by saying, when it comes to things of this nature, it is important to understand that the internet can be a tyrannical monster, filled with conspiracy theories and speculation.
Though, I do believe it is coming from a good place. I know everybody was excited to get their Nt and it is a result of frustration that we could've eliminated -- and for that, I apologize.
For the record, there is no one from Analogue posting in this thread, other than me. This is my first post on NEOGAF, period. It remains unclear to me how a rumor of an 'employee posting' (Ernest Dorazio) here started, but this is a good example of blatantly reckless and unchecked statements that can quickly lead to misconceptions.
Pre-orders & delays
Regardless of the conspiracy theories and speculation may be found on the internet -- the Nt was indeed finished, in production and planned to ship on our originally announced dates. All of our delays have been honest. The short version: it took time for us to reach our quality demands after we scaled production up. The smallest issues result in weeks and months of delays. This caused us to miss estimated dates and as we focused totally on production obstacles, communication suffered in some areas.
To be clear: the Analogue Nt is not a Kickstarter...an important distinction between a Kickstarter and taking pre-orders: we offer refunds to our customers at anytime. Pre-orders are there simply to 'lock' your place in line, since the Nt is a limited product. Those that are willing to pre-order get the benefit of locking their place in line. If you don't want to pre-order, or for whatever reason you'd like to cancel your pre-order sometime in-between your original order date and when your order ships: you could and can do this at anytime.
There is a reason why virtually all high end aluminum products like this are produced in house, with internally developed infrastructure and guidelines: it is incredibly difficult to manufacture and maintain perfect quality control without developing the process and controlling it entirely. Those that don't usually run into problems, even with manufacturing partners with decades of experience. This is also why most off the cuff anodized products are quite generic when compared to the quality we expect today from aluminum products (Apple).
Our aesthetic requirements are higher than any part any one of our manufacturing partners has ever made.
Now, we had already achieved the quality we were looking for with smaller sample production runs, before mass production - but as it scales up, additional variables are introduced. It can be really maddening.
To meet the quality we required, we had to be there, every step of the way, for every piece of production. Essentially this means we are at the production facilities with our manufacturing partners, through every step, every process.
To give you an idea: there was a running joke with several of our manufacturing partners that we should just open our own factory, since we personally developed our own process and had to be there, working with them, every step of the way.
And that is just the aluminum.
Our PCB's are fabricated with an unusual set of features. It's 2mm black FR4 with 2oz copper and a transparent solder mask. There is only one company who will produce it in the quantities we require, and they produce it once per quarter, and it takes up to 6 weeks to complete. This is only the material the PCB is manufactured with, nothing to do with etching, assembling etc. It's just raw material.
We designed and manufactured a highly unique product, with a demand for quality that requires truly unreasonable legwork to get it right.
Outside of the above -- the other delays were more or less out of our hands (port congestion / port strikes). Needless to say, none of this is anyone's problem but ours. I only hope this provides a little insight into the effort it takes to produce something like this -- and how easily months and months of delays can occur.
When a small team becomes consumed by problems that are of the highest priority -- other areas can lose their sharpness (communication, the finer details etc).
The good news is that we understand exactly where and how we can improve. We've successfully developed a scalable production process and strengthened our relationships with our manufacturing partners. We'll be providing more specific details and creating a more consolidated content release, versus the staggered approach we took before.
In other words, our next production is exceptionally dialed in.
HDMI & RGB
We developed an RGB to HDMI upscaler specifically for the Nt. It was significantly better than any other RGB>HDMI upscaler in its price class, especially since there are none developed specifically for this kind of use (in its price class). There were no problems and it didn't fail. It was developed for use exclusively with the Nt, not any other products or systems. It worked great, but it paled in comparison to the HDMI upgrade you guys are enjoying.
As we we're running into delay after delay, we came across a unique opportunity to provide an almost unbelievably superior solution.
Even though it is several times more expensive than what we had already developed (and we lost all the time and money for development and production) -- the frustration of delay after delay of course upset us too. We wanted to do everything we could to surprise everyone with something beyond expectation - something that made the extended wait even more worth it.
The HDMI upgrade information was provided via an email update to everyone who pre-ordered -- Judging by the emails we received when we showcased these never-before-seen features and most importantly, when your units were finally delivered - we've seen virtually universal acclaim. Needless to say, we're really happy that you guys are as excited about it as we are.
But -- I think you guys are right. We could've elaborated further. I can see that there are a handful of people who feel they were not informed in enough detail about specific things like RGB functionality in conjunction with the HDMI upgrade.
After all the delays, our primary concern was getting your Nt into your hands, so you could see first hand how amazing it actually was -- we could've done a better job explaining and gone into more detail. I apologize for any misunderstanding this has caused.
The good news:
1. If you want your unit to output RGB, we are happy to convert your Nt free of charge. We'll cover shipping both ways.
2. We are in the process of producing a solution to allow HDMI upgraded units to output composite (its already being manufactured now ^^). This will allow you to dual output HDMI and composite (separately, not simultaneously). We'll install this in any Nt owners system, free of charge. ETA: 4-6 weeks.
3. Second production: we're working on implementing composite video directly in the Nt motherboard so every HDMI upgrade unit will be able to output composite, stock.
4. For those interested in their Analogue Nt dual outputting analog and digital: we are investigating development into a 'kit' solution in the future for customers who'd like this 'dual' output option. No promises at this time, but we are exploring all possibilities.
5. If for whatever reason you are unhappy in regards to dual outputting HDMI and RGB, we will accept a return and provide you with a full refund.
Cartridge scuffing
Firstly, to the individuals who have experienced any cartridge scuffing: this truly makes me feel pain. I am deeply sorry you have experienced this.
Fortunately, this seems to be highly isolated -- few people (<5) have reported this experience (on various places on the net). We're not getting reports of people having issues of this nature, it appears to be less than 1% of customers. We have more reports of individuals who have literally tried to scratch their cartridges, and have been unable to do so than those that have experienced the opposite.
To avoid any issues with your Nt, please read the
user guide before operating your Nt. All game cartridges should be inserted and removed in a straight, upward and downward motion to avoid any issues.
The good news:
We have solutions for everyone:
1. We're developing an elegant cartridge adapter, for NES & FC (similar to the honeybee adapter except it provides extension only) that will extend the cartridge slot. For those who don't want their games touching anything but your hands and your shelf. This is a pretty cool accessory for collectors, as it totally removes contact from anything except the cartridge connector itself. It is as small as possible and have an acrylic housing. It is already designed and being prototyped now. You can see what it looks like
here. We're offering these first and foremost to anyone who has had an issue, free of charge. ETA: 4-6 weeks
2. For the second production: we've beveled the outside and inside of the cartridge slots to reduce any potential issues when a cartridge isn't inserted straight / is rocked etc.
Communication
We quite simply do not have the bandwidth/personnel to respond to every single thread and comment on the internet. The best way to get a hold of us is directly via email at info at analogueinteractive dot com. Please contact us directly and you'll always get a prompt response. We strive to get back to everyone within the same day (within business hours), but sometimes it takes 24-48 hours. As others have noted in this thread, if you email us directly, we'll help! Additionally - we are working on putting up a dynamic support hub on our website for announcements, updates and enhanced customer service.
SCART cables
We are aware of the issue with some SCART cables leading to brightness / over saturation. These issues were rectified immediately for each individual who contacted us and for all future SCART cables. If you have this issue and have not contacted us already, please do so and we will provide you with a free replacement cable.
Everdrive compatibly
The Everdrive N8 is now compatible (as of 9/27/15) with firmware v13. You can download the update
here.
Castlevania 3 compatibility
We are aware of a compatibility issue with Castlevania 3 with the HDMI upgrade. We think we have found the issue and we'll have a firmware update available asap. Firmware updates can be done through a flash cart (powerpak, everdrive). If you do not have access to these, we will send you a cart to update your system with. We're aiming to put some carts into rotation for users on NEOGAF. We're already in contact with several people posting in this thread. There are no known compatibility issues with the default, RGB version of the Analogue Nt.
​Connector issues
​There are no known issues with connectors. 99% of all game issues are solved by cleaning the cartridge pins on your game cartridge. We can redesign the NES/FC to be amazing in all ways - but we can't fix the original perks of the way cartridge connect to the system. The good news is: if you give them a nice clean, your games will run perfectly. If a game will not boot, has glitches, or virtually any other problem - the cartridge pins should be cleaned.
​
User guide
​​Please read the user guide online
here. It is filled with important information on how to take advantage of all the amazing things your Nt can do.
Where can I find announcements and updates for the above?
We are working on putting up a dynamic support hub on our website for announcements, updates and enhanced customer service. Feel free to follow us on
Facebook and
Twitter too.
