Read THIS!!!!!

You are in violation of several forum rules, particularly the mandatory post template. You will need to reformat your thread to fit the requirements or it will be deleted by the moderator. It's also considered poor form to use thread titles like "READ THIS!!!"


Developing a console is an extremely sophisticated project. The hardware you've listed may well not all be compatible (I'm not going to do your research for you), and it will certainly be underpowered if you want to compete with even "last-gen" consoles like the Xbox and PS2. Of course, whether or not your hardware is adequate depends almost entirely on what types of games you intend to support.

What you're doing here basically looks like building prefab PCs, not consoles - and the PC parts you've got aren't going to handle much in the way of interesting games. There's honestly not much point in that, as chances are very slim that you would be able to deliver the hardware at a competitive price, and gamers will probably have other preferred ways to get ahold of gaming PC hardware.

If you're interested in homebrew console development, I'd recommend the GP2X - a number of people here use it. It's a pretty decent platform, and a good place to get your feet wet.


In any case I would highly recommend that you do some more research on your own; get a good feel for how console hardware is designed, how software is created for consoles, and so on. Your post indicates that you've got the beginnings of a plan, but not nearly enough to get others on board.

Since you asked, I'll be frank: you will not succeed with your current plans and approach. Consoles are hard to develop, and cost a tremendous amount of money. Asking people to work for free is not going to work, especially not if you're asking for experienced programmers. Good programmers are worth a lot of money, and will almost certainly not join a project for free, not when they could do similar work and earn a guaranteed hefty chunk of cash in the process.


However, that does not mean that it's totally impossible to succeed. The GP2X is a good example of a bootstrapped console project that has done fairly well - although it's not making anyone filthy rich just yet.

If you're genuinely interested in pursuing this, you will need to put some hardcore time into research, and more importantly into networking. To get people on board with a project, you need to impress them - show us what you bring to the table. Especially if you are not in a position to pay out salaries, you will need to have some skills and do a sizable chunk of the work yourself, in order to make people comfortable with joining the project.


But definitely the first place to start is to get your post compliant with the rules; we can work from there [smile]

Quote:

Original post by Tylor2bcool Also: Do you think this will be a success?!!!

Unless you have a couple of billion dollars, no.

Your setting your sights way too high. Have you had any experience with this sort of stuff before?

Oh, and while I'm at it - get the GP2X! Great little device I'd reccomend working on.

you want to make a console....from pc parts....with a from scrath built OS....in one year....lol

Thread title - I need answers to my questions!


Starch Interactive
Developing Our Console

Suicidal Software
Publishes exclusive games for our system

Working Title:
No info yet

Brief description:
I am thinking about making a game console with an udecided name. I have decided to make this console using PC parts. I have a list (see below) of the components. Please tell me if they are compatible:

Console Case- COOLER MASTER CAV-TO4-UKC Black Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Desktop (media center like case you set on the desk, school pc lab computers) PC case w/ 350W Power Supply

Console Main Board- PC Chips M 789 CG (V3.0A) VIA C3 Samual 2 2000+ (800MHz/133) Socket 370 VIA CLE266 Flex ATX Motherboard/CPU Set

Console CPU- Intel Pentium 3 Tualatin/Celeron (integrated into MB)

Console GPU- S3 Graphics UniChrome 2D/3D (integrated into MB)

Console Audio- C-Media CMI 9761A 6 Channel (integrated into MB)

Console Memory- Corsair ValueSelect 512MB 184-Pin DDR SDRAM Unbuffered DDR 266 (PC 2100) System Memory

Console Storage- Western Digital Caviar WD400BB 40GB 7200 RPM 2MB Cache IDE Ultra ATA 100 Hard Drive

Mobile Storage- A-DATA 1GB Flash Drive (USB2.0 Portable) Model PD2- 1 GO

I have yet to decide on a media delivery medium: DVD, CD. or Blu-Ray?

Also, what should I use as my operating system on this unamed console?

Again, what game programmer(s) should I use? Should I let the developer decide. Starch Interactive is my company and Suicidal Software is the branch that publishes EXCUSIVE Content only!

Anyway, are those parts compatible?

One more thing: This is basically a PC that will be purchased online (and hopefully in a store)that includes a console-like controller gamepad, and the 1GB flash drive. How can I market the product? I am looking for people in the FLORIDA GEORGIA Area for employment. You must be willing to work WITHOUT Pay (temperarely of course)at home until we have this console and a few launch games. We will try and achieve a Summer-Fall 2007 Flagler County Fl Launch, Winter Launch for most of the South east, and a early 2008 release for the rest of the US. Then when we begin to make some money, I will begin to pay you!

Also, are the above components good for a console? Research these items to find out if you want to.

Finally, I need 2 or 3 EXTREMELY EXPERIENCED programmers to program the console and the OS (if we nned to create our own.)

Also: Do you think this will be a success?!!!

Target aim:
We plan to sell over the net then possibley move into retail

Compensation:
I cannot pay at the current moment, but expect money when if the console sells

Technology:
Not to strong, in the Brief description, not sure what language for development

Talent needed:
I need 2 or 3 extremely talented programmers for console and OS programming
Programmers to program software and main console screen
Someone willing to put the system together and try it

Team structure:
There is nobody but me on the team. I basicly will overview the design process and be involved in many different aspects of the consoles design
Website:
n/a

Contacts:
blowmoney2@wmconnect.com
tocool2btylor@aol.com

Additional Info:
We are not trying to compete with the big leagues. We want to give the consumer a way to experience multimedia in the home.

Feedback:
I want Encouraging feedback, no "oh it won't work" or "give up now", but positive feedback.

TWO THINGS:

WHAT AM I SUPPOSE TO DO WITH THE GP2X?

PLEASE GIVE POSITIVE RESPONSES AND DO NOT CRUSH MY SPIRITS! I THANK ApochPiQ FOR SAYING THAT IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE. MOST OF THE CRITICIZING IN HIS POST WAS ABOUT MY LACK OF RULE UNDERSTANDING! sORRY, I NOTICED THAT MANDITORY TEMPLATE THING RIGHT AFTER I POSTED!

Well, we're giving realistic responses. You really can't expect responses at all otherwise.

Also, the GP2X is a handheld multimedia player that specialises in homebrew. www.gp2x.com

Stop typing in all caps, it's annoying.

Quote:

Also: Do you think this will be a success?!!!

Extremely unlikely. There are already plenty of existing consoles on the market, and those consoles are proven technology built and marketted by companies with massive budgets. Gamers will not want to buy your console because there are no big-name games for it. Developers will not want to produce games for your console because gamers don't want to buy it. Your expected timeline is also unrealistic.

ApochPiQ has given you some excellent advice - go off and do some more research in to exactly what would be involved in this.

Thanks to all of the heart breaking responses I have heard, I have decided to give up on:

My Console
Starch Interactive
Suicidal Software

GOODBYE!

How do you define a successful console? How many games per console do you want to sell? How many unit do you want to sell? How much would it cost? Who do you want to attract? How will you advertise it? What will be the average game budget? What kind of games will you produce? How will you construct the console itself?

The idea is not bad, but you have to handle all these information before asking for help. Building a console is not an amateur thingy - you'll have to be very professional about this (market studies, cost studies and so on). For example, if you plan to sell you console at 199$, you want to be able to built it for far less than 100$ (the console distributors will want to make money from it, just as you). If you don't, then you'll have to sell a lot of console in order to be able to sell a lot of game (this will be the only way to reduce the lost which comes from the console manufacturing).

This is not impossible. This is just very very hard to do, escpecially since there are very big companies out there who already sell a lot consoles (meaning that they are direct competitors, even if you don't want to compete against them: the consumers' pockets are not magick holes from where they can borrow unlimited amount of money).

Anyway, I wish you good luck.

I don't know whether to laugh or to cry...

Quote:

Original post by Tylor2bcool I have given up on Suicidal Software. GOODBYE!

How very ironic.

[Edited by - skarmachild on July 30, 2006 7:51:45 AM]

Quote:

Original post by Tylor2bcool Thanks to all of the heart breaking responses I have heard, I have decided to give up on: My Console Starch Interactive Suicidal Software GOODBYE!

Don't look them as "heart breaking responses". Anyway, transforming an idea into a business has nothing to do with heart. It has to do with work and commitment. Work you ideas, try to see the flaws and the good things about it, try to find a way to realize it. Don't jump right on the conclusion - it is too early to ask for developpers to build an OS - you don't even have hardware at the moment.

Regards,

Quote:

Original post by MancubuS I don't know whether to laugh or to cry...

Mockery is not a good way to help people. Do you feel superior to him?

Quote:

Original post by Emmanuel Deloget Quote: Original post by MancubuS I don't know whether to laugh or to cry... Mockery is not a good way to help people. Do you feel superior to him?

It was not aimed at him directly but this ridiculous topic really made me laugh at first, but then I saw that "GOODBYE" reply; it was just too much.
So I really couldn't decide how I felt about this thread.

Sorry about my little episode!

I am introducing a new team (well really just my old teams together) Suicidal Interactive Entertainment! Now I have though over and over again: How will I make this console? Well, I have decided, through a serious thought, to name my console. It will be called:

The Ion

Now, the success or failure of this console really lies in not just my hands, but the also in the hands of the content creators. Now, I am thinking of starting a marketing strategy to get indi developers on my side, teams such as Simpson Software. They are developing games for the Reflek, a SNES re-make using PC technology.

Do you have any suggestions?

Tech suggestios welcome!

Now seriosly, is this a joke?

What's wrong MancubuS? I don't understad. Please, I am open to any marketing suggestions to get indi developers on my side.

Also I am taking tech suggestions?

TKS

Quote:

Original post by Tylor2bcool What's wrong MancubuS? TKS

Well, first you post a "READ THIS!!!" topic about making a commercial console out of out-dated PC parts, everybody tells you how unlikely that is to happen, then you say "GOODBYE!" and come back minutes later with a name for aforementioned console, trying to "get indie developers on your side" when you don't even have a working prototype, let alone an OS or development tools.

Sorry if I can't take you seriously.