Affordable Android-powered MG device targets young gamers

A Wi-Fi-only Android device called the MG was announced for pre-order today. Apparently MG stands for More Game, or My Generation, or something. It isn't made by anybody you've heard of, but they're hoping the low pricetag, preloaded games, parental controls, and included $10 credit towards Google Play apps will rope in at least a few moms and dads.

The MG has a Gorilla glass-clad 4-inch 480 x 800 display, a 1880 mAh battery with 3.75 hours of playtime, and a 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera. It runs Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich and is powered by a single-core 1 GHz processor. Needless to say, hardcore gamers may be more interested in the Xperia Play, aged as it may be, since there are familiar hardware gaming controls included. It seems like MG is geared more towards to younger kids and their parents that want to monitor usage, though.

There are built-in tools that allow mom and dad to see what's been installed and how long has been spent on each app. Parents can even fill a designated Digital Wallet, so kids can spend a special allowance on games as they see fit. The Remote Trust section allows parents to block certain activities on the device, or simply get notifications when the kids are trying to do something in particular. The demo video below also takes baby steps explaining just how useful it can be swapping out microSD memory cards to allow users to keep more games handy, and the press release nudges that such a device would ensure kids won't have to use their parents' devices anymore. 

For the kids, there are a few preloaded games, like NBA Jam, need for Speed Hot Pursuit, Homerun Battle 2, and a handful of others. There's also a customizable avatar system in place which should appeal to the younger kids. There's no dedicated, separate game store, but instead MG just opens up the door to Google Play in all its glory/

Preorders are available now for $149, but expect it the price to climb to $169 after it starts shipping in the first week of November.  Parents, do your kids tend to hijack your devices for games? Would a dedicated device with parental controls built in do the trick, or is there any reason not to just get them their own full-blown smartphone and find a third-party solution from there? Do you think these guys failed their Kickstarter campaign for a good reason?

Source: MarketWire