PlayJam approached me to help create an affordable, portable TV games console. I played an instrumental role in the early stages of its development, producing conceptual ideas for branding, hardware, UI and packaging.
The project evolved out of earlier work I did for PlayJam on smart TVs and a concept called HEX. The product itself drew inspiration from classic consoles like the SNES, Game Boy, and Game Boy Advance. It was simple, approachable and built around instant pick-up-and-play fun, intentionally less complicated than modern PlayStation and Xbox controllers.
The branding and packaging I developed for the console and its accessories were designed to stand out on busy retail shelves while maintaining a clean, premium feel. The console was later launched on Kickstarter in January 2013 under the name GameStick, raising over US$650,000 in its campaign, more than six times its original target.
GameStick found early success but struggled after launch. Reviews often mentioned its limited hardware and small game library, and the challenge of competing in a market already dominated by smartphones and next-gen consoles like the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Despite that, it was an ambitious and enjoyable project to work on. The team set out to make console gaming more accessible and affordable, and it’s hard not to be impressed by what they were trying to achieve.
