New Console Like PC

[Big_al]

Any thoughts on this?

Doomed to failure???

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3414281.stm

[Nephil]

This thing was anounced some time ago. But with the specs listed in the article, it won't stand a chance. 1,2 GHz... I have an XP800+ (2067 GHz) and am getting frame rate problems with some modern games. 40 GB harddisc... if I think of games like XIII or LOTR, with 4 or 3 discs each, installing about 2 GB each... it's not very much space. It's not even upgradeable! And why should I spend 399 US$ just to play games which I can play on my pc? For 399 US$ i get an PC with at least these specs, and it is much more usable and upgradeable.
So, I think it is doomed to failure!

[CyberG]

First the Eggs Box (http://www.thisstrife.com/view.asp?ComicID=0530629102001Eggs-Box) and now this. What is the world comming to?

"Discover PC game console is a biro that always points to magnetic north! It is guaranteed to save you a hundred pounds a month and connects to a sticky label."

"Put A Discover Pc Game Console In Your Tank."

[Big_al]

Bacon and eggsbox for me :P

[Nomad]

I doubt there will be any frame rate problems. You're forgetting that while you're playing a game, such as XIII, that in the background, you've got your OS, and many other programs running in the background. And XP takes a good bit of that processing power.

This thing has a super-stripped down version of XP in it, which will probably take no more processing power than the OS's on the PS2 and Xbox.

So, I doubt there will be any frame rate problems in the near future. Though, at the rate that computers are progressing, this console will be obsolete in a year or two. I'm sticking to the dedicated consoles, thank you.

[ToXiCFLUFF]

Finally, a console which can give gamers the same enviable crashing experience as a PC. I feel vindicated.

[Nephil]

I doubt there will be any frame rate problems. You're forgetting that while you're playing a game, such as XIII, that in the background, you've got your OS, and many other programs running in the background. And XP takes a good bit of that processing power.
That sure is right, but even with a totally stripped down XP, 1,2 GHz is too slow for current games. Ask someone with Windows 98. Not even Windows 95 could handle modern games at high framerates with only 1,2 GHz.

Another problem I see is: If this thing is meant to play standard PC-games, what about the requirements of those. For example, now DirectX9 is standard (if it even supports this), but what in a year? What when games will require DirectX 10? What if a game has a driver problem with the console's drivers? Can I update them myself? And if yes, what when the update crashes the whole OS? Do I get a CD with the special OS, so I can reinstall it? CAN I reinstall it (not every console gamer has the knowledge to install an OS)...

What's with security? If it can download patches and updates from the net, it should have some security measures onboard. Like a virus scanner and a firewall. (Btw, Nomad: I don't have much more running in the background than a virus scanner). Which mean additional work for the CPU, which brings us to framerate problems again.

There are too many problems that I see for this little baby. It won't make it. And even if it would, it wouldn't last long.

[Big_al]

If you are tempted by this you'd be better off with an X-box

[thegrimmling]

Hey support an american system...buy X-box.
And throw a little more money at Bill Gates (of hell).

[Nephil]

Hey support an american system...buy X-box.
And throw a little more money at Bill Gates (of hell).
Yeah! Do that. The children in Africa might be thankful!

[Aliotroph?]

I would never buy such a system. Totally useless. I only buy computers I can use to compute and program. I like being able to swap out old parts and add new ones as well as switch my OS on a whim. And on top of all this already-mentioned stuff, even an HDTV isn't as good on resolution as a modern computer.

[Player_of_Doom]

I thought about buying an Xbox but I'm still deciding whether I want one or not.

[Deathgiver]

Something like the Discover PC game console would be good IF you didn't already own a PC or if your system is severily undepowered IMO

[Tyberious]

you have to look at the bright side though, its only 399 which costs as much as a good graphics card or a good process or or a motherboard plus ram. Its hceap, affordable, an industry standard and it will have pcesque interfaces and those 16 year olds working at albertsons can affors one in around a month or two.

[Wicked Anime Kid]

This thing is indeed DooMed to fail.
Cept if you could upgrade stuff like a new vid card and extra playing memory

[Doom_Dude]

This thing is indeed DooMed to fail.
Cept if you could upgrade stuff like a new vid card and extra playing memory

Some people will buy anything and peeps without a console system and or PC may be tempted by to buy this thing.

[Wicked Anime Kid]

Perhaps, but i'm not;)
I think the best we have is a pc and nothing is better

[Doom_Dude]

I don't like the black bits on the front or the design of it. You'd think with the tech they have now that they would make something really snazzy looking instead of this bloated looking dreamcast-kinda-looks-crap jobby. They need to sex it up and give it some oomph.

[Aliotroph?]

I would have made it really shiny and less fat looking.

[Doom_Dude]

Yeah cause its a fat bastard. Id make it shiny like you say with a nice looking red color or something. :D

[Wicked Anime Kid]

Yea, and it looks alot like an xbox.
Imo this thing is crappy and i prefer a good 'ol pc:D

[Azrael_ rage]

It will sell shitloads. Simply because people will buy it. They bought the shite box didn't they?

[Tyberious]

lol, personally I almost want to buy it so I can modify the hell out of it, because like this console will have, the X-box had a harddrive,a dn they are both upgradable, you can't support non industry standard parts then sell it, otherwilse it will be plagued with compatability problems. Maybe not in the future any time soon but, I dunno, maybe ill just wait for a forums to popup on how to turn that sad console box intoa true gaming box. I sure hope then didn't throw in a Geforce 2 or a Radeon 7000 int he gox claiming it has good grapics..... yeah maybe for DIRECTX 7, we all know DX7 is fixed function and looks like crap!!!

Note: off topic, rage, I think your avatar is cool.

[Azrael_ rage]

Thanks.

[Big_al]

Only console I've got is my PS-1 :p

[HyperFlash]

I don't care if it has a pee see in its case (haha! what a lame name. Same sympathy goes toward the people making fun of other consoles just cuz they can't let go of their Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.). Fact: People buy shit because it looks cool. Same almost went for the N-Gage but the GBA beat it to it. So you guys can bitch and complain about how today's consoles are ripping off the PC, which they are. But I sure as hell don't wanna wait minutes just to install a game. Oops. Don't have the memory. $200 for a new hard drive. Oops, don't have the processing power. That's another $400. Oops, don't have the graphics. That's another $300. Oh wait. I've just spent more money on hardware than I did my actual PC. Imagine that...

[Player_of_Doom]

Only console I've got is my PS-1 :p

Hey Big al, you should get a PS2, your missing out. ;)

[Big_al]

I only got my PS-1 back in October ;)

[Azrael_ rage]

Poor thing. I have a ps2, and a helluva lot of games for it. Had a ps1 for ages but felt the need to upgrade, due to the fact that all games for the ps1 are now designed for six year olds.

[Big_al]

There's still a massive back catalogue of games that aren't, which you can pick up for not much cash.

[Nephil]

I just read some actual specs for this thing: It will contain a VIA C3 cpu (1,4 GHz) !!! And a gpu with a S3 chipset!!!!! So it IS doomed to failure!

[Azrael_ rage]

spose there are some old games that you can still get hold of. You are more than welcome to some of my old ones.

[Wicked Anime Kid]

Heh well i think playstation did a good job because the games on it where cool and stuff...
Gamecube games suck on the other hand (cept for mario stuff).

I still got my ps1 and i play alot of tekken3, ever had your brother so mad that he started to smash the controller because he couldn't get up*rolleyes*

[Azrael_ rage]

I had a guy so pissed at me that he threw the controller at the telly. He was playing as Eddie Gordo and using the spinny technique to lame everyone else to death. So I stepped up as Jin, and kicked his arse twenty times in a row, without losing a single round. He was so mad. Accused me of cheating! Just 'cos he couldn't touch me, and I kept kicking him in the head every time he started spinning.

[Tyberious]

Poor thing. I have a ps2, and a helluva lot of games for it. Had a ps1 for ages but felt the need to upgrade, due to the fact that all games for the ps1 are now designed for six year olds.

amen, I still play some old PS1 games on my ps2, I invite my friends over to play me against Capcom vs. snk 2000 and die! They are getting pretty good, but in games I can be pretty damn good, man I have alot of stories about how I messed up my opponets in different games. I perfer pc's more (especially when it comes to first person shooters because ps2 sucks with them! You try explaining how you died on return to castle wolfenstein on the first level by the first guard! The only thing I could shoot of his is his toenail!). I plan of getting rid of my playstation as a donation since I don't use it. I was gonna mod it and make it look really cool, it doesn't matter anyway.

[Tyberious]

man thats funny Azrael! I was racing this one guy who thought he was hot sh*t and thought he could kick anyone's ass. He beat me in the first race but, ic allanged him again, he started ramming me into stuff and I thought ok, ya want some? I rammed him into a dead end street and I heard him make a moaning noise and tried so hard not to laugh (and I didn't laugh either). The next tiem he callanged me and rammed me intoa car, so I cought up and rammed him intoa center divider and he left, I thought he started it so I finished it. Man, stories like these are great. Anyone got any stories to share?

[FATAL]

I'd REALLY like to hear few things about consoles. First of all, why spend like 200€ to a thing that gets old in a less than a year? They even have worse graphics than PC-games have. They have worse controllers (yea well for some EA sports games it's ok but then again: you can buy gamepads for PC too!). Mouse and keyboard kick ass in FPS. You even CAN'T play RTS game with a console cause
no mouse = no good cursor :p

I must agree, PCs are more expensive than consoles, but even if you spend some cash every year upgrading PCs, you can still play most of the old over ten year old games like DooM. You couldn't be on this forum with console, or you couldn't make console games (or computer games and programs) without PC. People think you're smarter when you have a PC instead of console, you can download lot's of funny shareware/freeware/abandonware/warez (well I don't prefer this one) -games with PC! Very few really good games aren't released on PC, and many good PC games aren't released on consoles (games made by Blizzard are DAMN good example of this).

This is my very own PC vs. console -post everyone should read and learn! I know that this may be a bit narrowminded, but hell, only good thing about consoles compared to computers is that they're a LITTLE cheaper. Though in the long run PC is cheaper I suppose!

[GoldEyes]

There are a ton of games on consoles that you can't play on the PC. So really, the post makes no sense. I do agree that I won't play any kind of FPS on a console, but still, I like having all of my consoles and all of my games for the consoles.

[Tyberious]

same here goldeyes

[Azrael_ rage]

The fps setup on consoles is less natural, but I have gotten used to it. I can annihilate all my friends on any fps, due to the fact that they can't hit me.
This one time, we were playing time splitters 2, and my mate was on top of an incline, I ran up as he fired every weapon he had at me, he didn't hit me once, and I bashe him good with my fists. I also like placing proximity mines on peoples heads.

[Tyberious]

sounds like what I do in goldeneye. I place prox mines on armor, they pick it up, I say guess what, they say what and I detonate it. Man its fun to do stuff like that to your friends, thats why they don't play against me anymore I bet lol.

[Azrael_ rage]

We used to do that on the dam level. The bit with the armour in the room, you pick it up, then put a p-mine where it respawns. The other trick is to put it on the inside of doors you have come through.

[Nephil]

I also like placing proximity mines on peoples heads. *roflmao* *rofl* Just make sure that this sentence doesn't get out of context, or they'll lock you up!!! SCNR... :D

[Azrael_ rage]

Hmmmm..... I like fluffy bunnies and kittens and puppies, and walks in the park.
There, all better.

[sLydE]

...I also like placing proximity mines on peoples heads.
hahaha, that's when they realise it and start running around going crazy (in timesplitters 2). that was a great game.

[Azrael_ rage]

Managed to attach fifteen onto my mate before he realised it once, then he tried chasing me so he could explode near me. So I shot him.
Fluffy kittens.

[Wicked Anime Kid]

Lol, well in goldeneye i used the proximity for traps in small corridors...that was really fun:D
Wonder how they plan on doin the controller for that thing

[FATAL]

There are a ton of games on consoles that you can't play on the PC. So really, the post makes no sense. I do agree that I won't play any kind of FPS on a console, but still, I like having all of my consoles and all of my games for the consoles.

I apologize my late reply, but let's get the propaganda machine running again! WHAT!?!? it's out of gas... damnit. Well ok, you won this round, but battle RAGES on... Maybe not. ARGH!!! I have to admit that I lost that very single argument... bah, accidents happen...

I need to actually think about this thing...

WOAH, I've got awesome idea: IF you know a console game that you would want to play on computer, then you should buy the game for console, then get that console emulator and then since you have rights to, play that game with your emulator. It's so simple. Only minus comes from that emulators usually come few years later than the console. Oh well, they say you should have patience :p!

[GoldEyes]

.............................
I'm not a big fan of emulators. So no thanks. heh. If I own the game and console.. I'm gonna play the console. I didn't shell out money for my console and games to just sit there. Plus I'd have to buy a controller for my computer, and really... what's the point?

[Ninja_of_DooM]

We have a trick we use in C&C: Renegdae. We place prox mines on the front of vehicles and run people down. It stops them getting out of the way easily. We also place them on team mates as well as remothe C4 then watch then charge into the enemy with the engineer in tow so he can detonate his remote C4 and watch as trhe prox mines explode when he gets close enough to the enemy.:D You can salso place the mines on walls and ceilings so when they engineer rush your buildings they won't be able to find the mines and disarm them before they walk over them.:D

[Wicked Anime Kid]

Now that's a good tactic *me tells buddy who is best of Netherlands (check him...name is SoQRebo):D*

[Azrael_ rage]

I love hiding proxy mines in stupid places. My mate walked into a room in goldeneye, and ran at me to try and kill me. I told him to stop and look up. The whole ceiling was covered in mines, he couldn't move at all. He tried to crouch back out again, so I shot the ceiling and blew him away.

[Tyberious]

LMAO! Sounds like waht I'd do. I mine myself in or mine the whole damn level to the point where you spawn and you die instantly. We play license to kill, one shot dead.

[iori]

I like my Dreamcast :)

Too bad games arent being sold anymore, let alone made... I still need Street Fighter III: Third Strike damnit!

[Azrael_ rage]

Shenmue made me laugh. "Takes four months to complete!"
Yeah right, try three days mate.

[Tyberious]

LMAO! If you were to read the box further it says, "life not included" lol j/k :p

[HyperFlash]

Why did Valve put Half Life on PS2 only when Half Life 2 is going to the Xbox? I'd like to see it as an unlockable in HL2.

[Tyberious]

unlockable? Do you mean emulated on the pc via using third party emulators taht allow you to play console games on the pc? I believe taht HL2 will go to pc aswell but the company needs to make money some how so we shouldn't be mad at them for that.

[Nephil]

Shenmue made me laugh. "Takes four months to complete!"
Yeah right, try three days mate. I'm sure you didn't complete it. Have you seen the alternate ending? Has Nozomi brought you flowers? Did Naoiuki (or so) visit you? Or did you collect ALL of the mini figures? Did you win a forklift race? Shenmue has much more to offer than you might think. It's not just solve the puzzle and kick the baddies.

I like my Dreamcast

Too bad games arent being sold anymore, let alone made... I still need Street Fighter III: Third Strike damnit!
Ever looked at ebay? Might cost you some bucks, but it's sold sometimes. There are quite some good beat'em ups for DC, especially the NeoGeo conversions, but most of them refuse to run with a vga-box! That sucks!

[GoldEyes]

Gamestop, EB, and other game stores like that sell Dreamcast games, used. Tons of em.

[HyperFlash]

What are you talking about Tyberious? I'm askin' why didn't Valve port HL1 to Xbox.

[Tyberious]

oh, I thought you said they did, your sentance was hard to understand. I'm thinking this is a question you should take up with sony and valve to be honest.

[Azrael_ rage]

I did complete it and yes all those things happened. Except for the toy thing, cos that was just a waste of time. Me and my mate took control in shifts, when he had control, all night was spent in the arcade doing qte's. When I had control, I was practicing moves. He always did the qte's but I could kick all comer's asses!

[The Undertaker]

Just to let you know they changed to specs from the VIA C3 1.2ghz and S3 Nitro to an XP2000 and integrated GF4MX. They went from a super slow CPU (there designed to be cool, not fast) and good graphics to good CPU and dated graphics. I guess they wanted the better drivers to avoid headaches at tech support. I don't see this going anywhere, it won't be able to play any of the latest games and a Xbox is less than a 3rd of the price.

[Nephil]

Hm... I just thought of a possible use for this thing: A Windows 98 console, for all those games that don't run with Windows XP/2000. Of course, a dual boot system would do the same job, but maybe someone doesn't want that...

[Tyberious]

I agree, plus it would be fun just to experment with and have fun with, It serves its purpose.