DraStic included with GPD XD hardware?

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tomkatt
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DraStic included with GPD XD hardware?

Post by tomkatt » Mon Dec 07, 2015 9:55 pm

I've been getting a lot of info about the GPD XD Android handheld recently and it comes with several emulators preinstalled, including DraStic, apparently. Were you guys aware of this? Is it legitimately licensed?

Exophase
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Re: DraStic included with GPD XD hardware?

Post by Exophase » Tue Dec 08, 2015 3:10 am

No, we haven't licensed it to GPD, or anyone else for that matter. That hasn't stopped other Chinese handheld makers from putting cracked versions on their devices before (such as JXD 7800b, which even interfered with the config file to the point where the latest legit version wouldn't work).

In GPD's case it looks like they go totally full bore with illegitimate content. They have a frontend called "Happy Chick" which not only comes packaged with a bunch of emulators but it even lets you download ROMs and games, and I think it's fair to say they didn't license those either - or at least whatever ones weren't free to begin with.

The thing that bugs me about this is less that they're blatantly distributing pirated content and more that they're doing so in a way that leaves the users blissfully unaware of that fact, or at least the ones who wouldn't know going in that these are not sanctioned downloads. People could think that they're even supporting the authors/owners of this content by buying the device. They really should not be put in a position where they can't make their own informed decision about this.

But I doubt they care an awful lot about and I doubt anything can really be done to stop them (that is, unless a really big player decided to try to get them embargoed from some cooperating countries) - not that I personally would try. On the other hand, they're stuck using an old version of DraStic (probably because the cracks break more things in newer versions) so users have some incentive to buy it to get access to newer features, and I have seen people use the latest version under an independent installation so at least it's not breaking it like JXD did.

EDIT: There's actually an about page that has pictures of the emulator logos where it says "The Happy Chick Studio respects their work and copyrights".. LMAO.
EDIT #2: Current version of Happy Chick from their website doesn't actually come with DraStic pre-installed but makes you do an install download to get it. But I've given up trying to get the download to actually work. The forum integrated into the app has people with the same complaint, or other complaints about the emulator not starting. So.. yeah. But AFAIK GPD XD still comes with it all pre-installed.

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huckleberrypie
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Re: DraStic included with GPD XD hardware?

Post by huckleberrypie » Tue Dec 08, 2015 7:54 am

Suffice it to say, there's little, if any, that you can do with having the cracked Drastic builds taken off said hardware, not unless if you have the legal resources to pull it off.

"...respects their work and copyrights?" Hah, since when did they do so as they cloned pretty much anything from iPhones to even automobiles.

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