Video Games

Pricing for Xbox 360, PS2 and N64 portables!

63 Comments

Amazingly enough, even though I have repeatedly said I am not making any more Xbox 360, PS2 or N64 portables, people keep asking for them! It kind of reminds me of all the times I’ve emailed CNN.com and ordered a cheeseburger – it never comes but I keep asking.

That said, here is the official price list for these always-popular requests, in US dollars:

Xbox 360 Laptop – $10,000

PS2 Portable – $5000

N64 Portable – $5000

Dreamcast Portable – $8000

Create and send you plans to build [insert project here] – $3000

These are the absolute minimum prices I will accept for these projects. If it’s too much (which is the point) then by all means build it yourself, read my Engadget how-tos, or buy my book. Not trying to be rude (but fully aware I sound that way) I just want to drive the point home. Perhaps someone on our forums might build one for you? They have the skills.

I enjoy making prototype projects but sometimes they just become so difficult I don’t want to duplicate them or it’s not worth my time. Which is exactly the same reason there won’t be a Port Washington 2 or probably any more films at all.

Doesn’t anyone care about the old Atari 2600 anymore?

63 thoughts on “Pricing for Xbox 360, PS2 and N64 portables!”

  1. It’s like comparing an old classic Corvette to a new Ferrari Enzo. Your sweet new laptops are really flashy, and somehow in our geek hearts I’m sure that people think the chicks will flock, toot-sweet.

    However, the Atari projects have serious classic merit. I just can’t decide if I spend the time and money with the book route (my soldering skills suck big time) or just try to commission you for the extra dough.

    Besides, I can’t do anything but play Crackdown right now …

  3. I was just wondering. Has been ever built a Dreamcast portable? Sure the Treamcast was nice but since it still had a controller and needed a power source it wasnt a true portable. I wonder if he will ever attempt one? I mean he made a Jaguar portable why not dreamcast? Hmmm… I wonder if a 3do portable would be possible???

  4. I care about the Atari. I want to see you use the Atari Flashback 2 as a springboard for an Atari portable with a ton of built in games (something I emailed you to suggest, I think, but you probably get a gazillion emails, so I don’t hold it against you =) )

  7. No more films!? :(. Some people still care about the Atari, just I’d make it myself. What about a solar powered Atari2600p or one that charges via kinetic energy when you walk…. Sega Master System would be cool to. The VCSp Gold is probably the coolest looking portable you have done imo so maybe base your next design off of it? 😀

  9. You know, if it was me, I wouldn’t even post those prices, it would be much more than that. What would happen to you if someone actually called your bluff and payed for it? I don’t think I’d open an XBox 360 for $10,000 and even think of telling someone I might make something cool with it.

  10. Well, if they’re supplying the system and he can pull it off in 2 months that’s a pretty healthy paycheck. Even if it took 3 months, that’s probably an income that would easily cover expenses in WI.

  11. Maybe I put those prices up so people would stop asking for those systems.

    But I’d build them for that much, sure. But I suspect no one will pay, so I am covered! Ha ha ha!

  12. I still like my Atari VCSp !! I haven’t played it in a few days, but it’s a blast ! I’d really would love a 7800 portable though….. 🙂

  15. Great idea ben! No more ridiculously hard portable requests! Sucks though that there is no more films 🙁

  17. I care about the old Atari 2600, just bought one to eventually mod. But a Sega Master System 2 portable would be sweet, althou the motherboard is pretty big, maybe 8-9 by 5 inches at a guess, so bigger then the Atari 2600 4×4 board, but still do-able i’d say.

  23. I still like the VCS… I guess kids these days can’t appreciate the classics anymore. Well they generally think “really old games” are any games made before they were born, mostly NES, Master System, and SNES. Playstation and N64, too, depending on their age. Darn kids and their Hanna Montana, and their stupid Nickelodeon, and their “drinkable yogurt”… *grumble grumble*

  26. I actually prefer galaxian, space invaders, frogger, all the old atari classics to half the new ones… most of the pc games I own are remakes (or whatever you’d call them) of old atari games, eg. pong: the next level, combat, mrs. pacman, atari anaversary edition… frogger… lol…

  27. Nice price list. It’d be interesting to see how many legit offers you get now or see if other people step forward to pick it up. Howabout Flash movies since you already have an army of voice actors at your beck’n call. Eh Eh Eh?????

  30. How about a Radio Shack Model 4 Laptop or even better, a Model 16 with 8″ floppy disks !!

    JUST KIDDING !!!! (maybe….)

  34. Woah Ben, relax. People will be asking for these things forever no matter what you say. Put me down for three Dreamcast-Ps, btw.

    PS. I always thought it would be funny for you to make console versions of portable units. Like a DS using 2 TVs and a Wiimote or sumpin.

  35. I design water jet cutters for a living. Certainly in my field to outsource a project to someone with the expertise, experience and capability of Ben you will be paying about $500/hour for design and $200/ hour for fabrication and assembly. I don’t know how long it takes to build an Xbox 360 laptop but $10 000 seems like a bargain for a one off prototype of Ben’s caliber.

  36. Wow Alan you should point me towards whoever’s paying that much! But yes, these complex projects, the time involved is not remotely worth what I used to charge or what people would pay, so I made these projects sky-high.

    RE Rock, making consoles of portables is another thing I have no interest in, especially since there’s the GBA player for Gamecube, the old Super Gameboy for SNES and emulators.

  38. Those prices are for subcontractors who need to factor in things in addition to salary. Things like rent for their workshop, overhead and operating cost of machines, marketing for their services, and insurance for every conceivable contingency.

    If this were your job rather than your hobby you would have to charge something along those lines. The fact that it is not your living puts you in a luxurious position the envy of machinists and designers the world over: you can tell your customers to piss off when you don’t think the job will be fun.

  40. The Atari 2600, the best video game system and now thanks to Ben…portable. The original Pitfall still is fun, my kids love it.

  41. Obi-Wan Heck? I wonder he means old Ben Heck. Ah, he’s just this strange old hermit that wants 10,000 to build game systems.

  43. Ben look I care about all of your portables no mater which one it is. If it was not for you bunches of 2600 would be roting in dumps. But because of you people are saving the 2600. And making them into portables but they are always 2 steps behind you design wize. Hey here is a idea if someone acutuly wants one for the asking price. Only half finsh it and dubble it for complety finshed project. That would make no one would ask you to make them portables ever again.

  44. I just bought a 2600, twenty or so games, and a nifty case and game holder for $22 at a thrift store. No power cord or controllers, but i already have some controllers.

  45. I would really like the N64 but I don’t have the money to buy one and I don’t have the stuff and the time to build one.

  46. If I had any atari games, I would probably get a protable, but I don’t.

    If I ever want to duplicate your micro nes, I might bother you about a case, but I think that’s it. Now, if anyone wants to shove that much cash at you, go right ahead becaue that’s more than enough for labor!

  48. Those prices are entirely reasonable in my opinion and well worth it. It is a shame that he must take such measures due to people not respecting his wishes but that’s the internet for you. We just need a lawaway plan here and I’d sign up in a heart beat.

    Sucks that you won’t be doing any more movies, but I can imagine they are an extreme amount of work for very little payoff. Guess I’ll just have to watch Port Washington lots more times.

  49. Okay, now no offense Ben, cause I really liked the 360 laptop and I’m even thinking about building one for myself, but I think the Wii Laptop was kinda dumb. I mean it’s great that it’s so small but imagine trying to play wii boxing on that thing. No what you need to make is a wii projector. Mitsubishi makes a mini projector that would go perfectly with the wii. Just tape those 2 things together and you could have something as good as the 360 laptop….Just a thought

  50. If you would just sell detailed plans for a few hundred dollars people would stop asking you to build them. You would make a fortune and still have time for all your other projects.

  53. i basically wanted to say i get why they priced high
    but the only reason they kept asking from my point of view
    was because he was god of portability and basically knew his sh!t about the electronix

    i can admit i sometimes go gaga about some of his creations cos thier that cool
    but i just dont have the time, cash, some of the ability, or manpower to make this a reality for myself
    if i had any of those i’d ask only for hints just to get things right ,
    i nerly offered a lot of cash for the x360 laptop but i decided against a loan lol

    keep it real peeps

  55. If i had the money i would pay it no doubt! to bad i only have 3 sisters… intersted? ok 3 sis and a cousin… last ofer… no, hhmm tanks anyway.

    Seriously your proyects rock i really admire your work, more after i burned 2 ps1 lcds tryingto attach itto my pc… guess my mod-abilities are as bad as my english 😛

    cheerssss

  57. Ben all of your work is awesome but how can you survive just doing your hobbies and doing projects for individuals? [ok, the movies.]
    Anyway, I know you portalize everything but here is my idea. Why not take a bunch of portables and integrate them into a ‘cube’? For example, 1 power source with a switch to choose each console, and 1 console for each side of the cube. So you could have a cube with the face of a game-boy, another of a neo geo port. and so on…

  58. Wow……I dont have that much mony to spend on a portable. rian gardeners palm ps2 costs less and is smaller!!!!!!!! Your book does not say how to make a portable ps2 or the xbox 360 labtop!!!!!!!

  59. Hey, crazy idea! Instead of an xbox 360 laptop, how about an original xbox laptop, or just an original xbox that plays 360 games? could you give me a price quote on each?

  60. Hey there Ben! I was curious on your price for a one handed 360 controller, exactly like the prototype that you made. Yep, you guessed it, I have one arm, and can never reach that right trigger :p

  61. o man i really wanted to buy the N64 portible:( i cant afford that. how bout ill give u a new N64 with a controller and 5 games for the N64 portibal. i think thats fair enough. plzzz i say its a good deal. email me back if u will accpet this deal. heres my email wwe101@walla.com. plzzzzz. o and also can u show me the size of the N64 portibal, or at least give me the thickness of it.

  62. $3000 just for instuctiuons? isn’t that a bit pricy. Don’t get me wrong i know you don’t want to just give them away but that’s a lot. Anyway say if we send you the parts for the modding would will still have to pay?

  63. Hi

    since you made this price listing I have been saving like mad but to no avail. Im 14 years old now and have saved $342, I feel I’ll never get the $10000 you are asking for. Is there anyway we can nego….haglle the price. I have been saving for over a year now and realise that by the time I have enough it will be pointless. My dad tells me to get a life

    fankyou

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