Knockoffs

[Xilef]

You know some thing's good when another company steals every aspect of it's design and makes stuff like this:

Spoiler: Is it a Nintendo Dual Screen? NDS

http://www.therror.com/uImg/post706_neodouble.jpg[/img]
It's a Neo Double Game! NDG
An 8-bit two screen handheld.

Spoiler: Is it a Wii?

http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/cn.engadget.com/media/2007/10/0e3332fd6464251c09244d91.jpg[/img]
It's a Vii! A 2d motion sensing console.

Spoiler: Is it an iPhone?

http://lapinchevida.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/6-20-07-tphone.jpg[/img]
It's a tPhone! Notice the backwards apple logo.

Spoiler: Is it a Sony PSP?

http://media.techeblog.com/images/sonypsi.jpg[/img]
It's a "Sony" PSI! (I don't think sony made this though)

Spoiler: The GBA?

http://www3.netwave.or.jp/~okuimyry/134_35001.jpg[/img]
No! It's the GTA! Game Theory Admiral!

Most of these clear knockoffs of decent hardware come from China. Why do they do this to such good products? All of these copies are incredibly cheap and incredibly crap. You're better off getting the real deal.
Any thoughts?

 

[Rye]

They are cheap in terms of price aren't they? If they are, it makes sense. Let people be duped by a samller price-tag.

 

[lunarea]

It's the same reason for which you can get a "Gutti" bag that looks very similar to the original "Gucci" bag, but only costs a quarter of the original price.

Other businesses want to enjoy the popularity of the original product, but have found a way to make it cheaper (and usually of much lesser quality). People who buy their product, whether knowingly or because they were duped, support them.

When something is popular and successful, everyone wants to get in on it. And similar brand names catch the eye of the consumer.

 

[Sabao]

Game Theory Admiral = Lamest knockoff name ever.

Personally, I'm cheap. Whatever helps me save more, I'd go for. Quality still matters of course. I'd still like to have it last longer than a year, at least.

 

[Andy6000]

When you're only paying for the name, sometimes it's better to just get a cheap alternative. Like the gucci for example. In Korea, you can buy a 'gucci' purse for like $30, and it's practically the exact same thing you can pay $1100 for here, though probably with some cheap stitching somewhere. It looks the same, is probably less durable, but considering you can buy about 300 of them for the price of one original, I think the decreased durability is probably worth it.

Oh and the Wii, it's got Gamecube esque hardware, plus motion controls. I still don't get why it costs $250, the hardware they made it for could easily have gotten it down to $150 and still turned a better per-console-sold profit than an Xbox360 or PS3. And yet it's still $250. Admittedly, it's higher grade equipment than an xbox360, since I've yet to hear of one just up and dying after a year, though it's not durable like the gamecube was. You could toss a gamecube off your roof and it'd still work.

 

[Cruelty]

i like cheap 30$ 60GB iPods

 

[Cheeze]

Hey you forgot the PS3..-cough-

But the "tPhone" could of just been a hack of some sort

 

[Marcus]

Normally, "knockoffs" are almost of the same quality as the originals. A pair of wal-mart blue jeans are made of the same fabric material as SUPER STAR ROCK/RAPPER/COUNTRY STAR blue jeans. The only difference is that with the latter, you're getting some assholes logo stitched into the knees or something which instantly costs 200 bux extra.

These products aren't even the same thing. They're not even close to the same thing. I saw them in Hong Kong and watched a demonstration. It's basically a bunch of homebrew 2-bit atari games built into a piece of plastic.

Although if the Wii had a motion bar built into it I would kiss Nintendo. I don't know why they seem to think their fans want to hassle with a clunky thin bar that has 8 miles of cord.

 

[PeteD2S]

Spoiler

http://boingboing.net/images/starlightcoffee-lg.jpg[/img]

 

[$t3v0]

I agree totally with what Andy said.

I don't blame smaller companies using the shape and "style" of other leading companies. It gets the attention of the consumer just enough for them to maybe go "Okay then ... I'll give it a try". And with these products being "false" it also opens new windows of illegal activities that the mainstream consoles couldn't take on. People break the law to save money, FACT! I know of 3 policemen (one I work with) that download and DISTRIBUTE bootleg copies of every media imaginable. And I don't blame them for one second.

Spoiler: Strange PSP thing (Official concept?)

http://www.engadgetmobile.com/media/2007/05/pspsamwinninten.jpg[/img]

Spoiler: iPod

http://www.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2005/12/moonbow_apple_ipod_nano_player_knock-off.jpg[/img]
http://www.makezine.com/blog/DSC05041.jpg[/img]

Haha.