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Build your own game console kit
boingboing.net — ThinkGeek is selling this sweet-looking DIY video-game console kit for $200. So, if you're going to spend the summer indoors getting pasty, at least you can learn a trade.
cdrew- 734 diggs
- digg it
- modifiedbears, on 10/11/2007, -0/+33http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/science/9617/
- sexybobo, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8http://www.xgamestation.com/media/hydra_sml_annotated_01.jpg
a much better picture http://www.xgamestation.com/media.php has some game screen shots from the hydra
http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=32360 has some demo videos and is $.05 cheeper - amfantasy, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2thanks posting a Link, I really wish people would LTFA
- sexybobo, on 10/11/2007, -0/+8http://www.xgamestation.com/media/hydra_sml_annotated_01.jpg
- agrabob, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6Pretty cool. Anybody know anything about the Spin language or the Hydra hardware?
If both are decent, I hope someone overcomes the development and marketing hurdles and makes a successful(in the cult following sense) open console.- jschrab, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6The Propeller processor was written up in a recent issue of MAKE Magazine:
http://www.makezine.com/blog/archive/2006/02/first_look_at_parallaxs_propel.html - smackhero, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6seems like a fun way for kids to get into programming, and it's probably a great hobbyist platform, but if you already had a decent programming background, wouldn't this just be a very limiting platform compared to just doing game development on a normal x86 PC?
maybe i'm just ignorant, but most modern consoles are just personal computers in a compact form factor, so what's the point of buying this unit to develop games on when you've already got a far more capable platform in your computer? you could just as easily build your own "console" with a micro atx motherboard that has video out and plug a game pad into it. unless it's got hardware specialized towards graphics/gaming like a cell processor or something, i don't see the point. - croxis, on 10/11/2007, -1/+4Because some people just love to tinker with different and new stuff.
- smackhero, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2i understand that. i just think that there are much better alternatives even if you didn't want to develop on a normal PC. a PSP is only $140 these days, and it's also got more powerful hardware. the DS, likewise, seems like a better game development platform--there are all kinds of possibilities made possible with the touch pad input system. the GP2X is another handheld platform that you could develop games for which seems more interesting.
i mean, what exactly about this system makes it unique from all the available alternatives for game development?
- smackhero, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2i understand that. i just think that there are much better alternatives even if you didn't want to develop on a normal PC. a PSP is only $140 these days, and it's also got more powerful hardware. the DS, likewise, seems like a better game development platform--there are all kinds of possibilities made possible with the touch pad input system. the GP2X is another handheld platform that you could develop games for which seems more interesting.
- jschrab, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6The Propeller processor was written up in a recent issue of MAKE Magazine:
- carpespasm, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4any advantage to this over developing on an old C=64?
- ray4389, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Better power consumption and smaller?
- sannm, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Easy introductory way to learn programming, should attract alot of high/middle schoolers.
- LavaHot, on 10/11/2007, -2/+1How many high middle schoolers do you know? why do you have to be stoned to program these days?
- smackhero, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3kids in high school these days are pretty smart. i think this is probably aimed at a younger crowd. i stopped programming in basic in 7th grade, and although i was never into game development, i think i would have much rather just developed games on my PC.
if i were a high school student who wanted to get into game development today, i'd get into the PSP homebrew scene, which i've actually seen some pretty impressive games come out of. there's also the gp2x, which is an open-source linux-based handheld. either of them would be much more exciting for a high schooler i'd imagine.
- sannm, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Easy introductory way to learn programming, should attract alot of high/middle schoolers.
- echeese, on 10/11/2007, -0/+4Why not use a modded C64 DTV? I've seen some pretty cool things come out of those little joysticks.
- ray4389, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Better power consumption and smaller?
- hartley, on 10/11/2007, -0/+18Is that an NES controller port I see??
- tekrat, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Your are correct. In the description it says 'includes NEW compatable controller.' Also if you look hard thier are 2 NES ports.
- ray4389, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5I want one, but I have no money...
- MasterChi, on 10/11/2007, -8/+7WTF, link to thinkgeek and stop with the blogspam. Simply said. Link to thinkgeek is first post and thanks for posting it. Buried as spam.
- royall64, on 10/11/2007, -2/+5Thinkgeek is kick ass. Here's some more stuff:
http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/warfare/8ea9/
http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/games/83ab/
http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/lights/74f0/ - MrFisty, on 10/11/2007, -15/+2I'd always wondered how Wii's were made.
- inspecality, on 10/11/2007, -0/+9They're made in a factory.
- Novagenesis, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2They come from a can. They were put there by a man in a factory downtown.
- web3, on 10/11/2007, -1/+6http://www.xgamestation.com
- cmiller1, on 10/11/2007, -1/+8Yeah yeah, I bet basic is nostalgic for a lot of you, but for programming modern games? I was thinking of building my own consolePC recently myself, and I got to thinking that the future of 2D gaming involves high dpi images and vectors, and wished I could find some specialized chip to facilitate high speed vector drawing so I could use a much smaller and slower CPU
- ffleming, on 10/11/2007, -1/+11Hey, neat, it's a beefed up TI994A.
TI99 never forget- Tazmaster, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3The Ti99 4/a was my first personal computer. I remember typing in pages of code from the backs of magazines. You needed the "extended basic" cartridge for some of them, lol. Back up and load from a cassette player running at x1 speed. Love was a Ti99 4/a and a Gorilla greenscreen monitor.
Oh yeah, and the TRS80 can suck my balls. - qishi, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Two words. Moon Patrol.
- Tazmaster, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3The Ti99 4/a was my first personal computer. I remember typing in pages of code from the backs of magazines. You needed the "extended basic" cartridge for some of them, lol. Back up and load from a cassette player running at x1 speed. Love was a Ti99 4/a and a Gorilla greenscreen monitor.
- LakeshoreBaby, on 10/11/2007, -0/+2Cool
- crazybrit, on 10/11/2007, -7/+2"To program the Hydra fully you will need a PC running Windows, XP, 2000, or Vista."
Doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose of the device?- tsinder, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1No, most console game programming is done on personal computers.
- whyteeford, on 10/11/2007, -0/+5Not what I expected, but awesome still!
I thought it was going to be a sweet tutorial for what to think about when making a case-mod : (- Elranzer, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Speaking of cases, does this thing have a case? It's kinda dangerous for it to be just an exposed motherboard while in use, not to mention how easily damaged it could be carrying it between the TV and computer (especially if it's kids doing it).
Would be nice if they sold cases for the system and cartridges on the site. I'm sure most of the customer base for this would buy such cases.
- Elranzer, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1Speaking of cases, does this thing have a case? It's kinda dangerous for it to be just an exposed motherboard while in use, not to mention how easily damaged it could be carrying it between the TV and computer (especially if it's kids doing it).
- compgeek, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1that looks pretty neat. if someone could program an emulator you could have instant 3-4 consoles in one unit
Dugg- sneakerelph, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3it doesn't look powerful enough for emulation of other systems. Maybe an Atari 2600, but other than that i don't think it has the muscle to emulate more modern platforms.
- smackhero, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1i would check out the hardware specs first. i'm not sure you're going to be able to emulate much on a 160 MIPS processor with 32KiB of total RAM.
the system appears to only be capable of rendering 80 to 96 colors maximum at a 256x192 screen resolution in NTSC/PAL format, and 64 colors at 800x600 for VGA display.
- L33tmaster, on 10/11/2007, -0/+6I read his "Black Art of Video Game Console Design", it's pretty interesting stuff. The kit's overpriced as hell though.
- Malik112099, on 10/11/2007, -1/+13I'd rather spend $50 more and get a Wii.
- Jankos, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1I knew all those assembly language classes in college were for something!
- fLUx1337, on 10/11/2007, -3/+2Why the hell would you wanna buy that? You make a crappy computer, you learn to code games in a old BASIC language...?
You could just build a cheap small PC, which can run XP, be able to play LOADS of games, and also create simple games with XNA game studio...
Maybe it would cost more than $200 (£100), but it works tons better, can have net access, and can play 1000's of PC games.....
Or maybe I just dont see this as other people do, not growing up with these kinda (low performance) PCs... - magicman0201, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1thats been around for a while. The point of it is to teach people more about electronics and how computers and such work. it is pretty cool to.
- wafflesomd, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1That's pretty neat.
- Jeffler, on 10/11/2007, -2/+3Bet you this thing has more games the the PS3 and PSP combined...
- fr34k5h0w, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2But games worth playing? Not so much
- Jeffler, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Yeah, those two have 3 combined where this has 2.
(Btw I'm not a fanboy, I'm very neutral when it comes to my games)
- bobbeckybob, on 10/11/2007, -3/+0they will get cheaper
- BigFont, on 10/11/2007, -1/+1lvl 375 console builder LFW
- JDoggqx, on 10/11/2007, -0/+3Makezine.com sells the xGameStation Pico edition that does most of the same things for only $79.
http://store.makezine.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKXGAME
http://makezine.com/xgamestation/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XGameStation - jerryn, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1ThinkGeeks is cool, but if you really want to learn how to write games, build yourself a linux box, install the SDL libraries, download some games written with SDL w/source, read and learn the code. Write your own app. The Hydra is ok, but you can only write old school stuff. OR... write code for the gameboy DS! there's open source tools out there that will get you going. Just use your favorite search engine and do it!
- smackhero, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1we can always use more linux game developers. and if you decide to go that route, you could probably do game development on the linux-based GP2X as well. personally i'm most interested in the PSP homebrew scene at the moment though.
- chuzbox, on 10/11/2007, -1/+2Id rather buy a first gen modded xbox for like 75 bucks and play all NES, SNES, Sega and whatever else old games + xbox games
- CCullen, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1It's a cute idea, but i would probably read a book or two by Andre' LaMothe first before buying this. If you are the type of person who buys that "limited programming experience" bull, then you probably just waisted your money. His books are littered with unexplained jargon and 50% of the time if you run into a problem, it's with understanding his own coding and not the programming.
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