PlayMG is asking the Kickstarter community for $950,000 to fund the marketing and production of its Android-powered gaming handheld, the MG.
The device is perhaps best-described as an Android equivalent of Apple's iPod touch a smartphone-sized system with media capabilities and access to the Google Play store, but with a lower pricepoint and no capacity to make calls.
And, much like the iPod touch, PlayMG hopes its creation will appeal to a teenage market that's keen on gaming and technology, but lacking the funds to purchase high-end smartphones.
Compare and contrast
The MG differs from the typical Android-powered media device, though, in that it's designed with an audience of gaming youngsters in mind.
Its 'remote trust' system, for instance, lets parents monitor their offspring's purchases and downloads, as well as showing how long the device is being used for each day.
MG is also developing a digital wallet system that will enable parents to bankroll their child's Google Play purchases by depositing a 'games allowance' into a reloadable debit account on the MG device.
The thinking here is that parents won't need to be nagged for permission or a password every time their child wants to make a 99c purchase.
The council
While it's unclear how much the MG would retail for at launch, backers can currently 'purchase' a device by pledging $99 to the campaign.
Developers can pledge $450 to receive 2 MGs, early access to any MG SDKs, and a place on the 'developer council.'
The exact purpose or function of this council is another point of uncertainty, although PlayMG offers this explanation on the project's Kickstarter page.
"We're going to have the only Android user base that is 100 percent gamers," details PlayMG on the Kickstarter page.
"We're going to make decisions on hardware and software down the line specifically for you the game developers. Join us in our game developer council and you'll be involved in everything we do."
A big if
Of course, these are the plans that PlayMG has laid out, but they depend upon a successful Kickstarter campaign.
So far two days after the launch of its campaign PlayMG has been pledged just $16,470 of the $950,000 it requires in order to receive funding.
PlayMG has made it clear that the device is essentially finished, and is aiming for a launch in the 2012 'holiday season.'
Should the company's crowdfunding efforts fail, it seems likely that the MG will still make it to market, although it will be accompanied by rather quieter fanfare.
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