Play well with others

Anime London Announces It's Own Game Console

April 1st, 2008
The game industry has had it share of wannabes in the gaming market over the years, so what makes a BYO console any different?

For one, we don't manufacture the game components but rely on tried true technologies to extend the gaming experience. The real problem is many game manufacturers don't play well with others. Once the shelf life of a game console has reached it's end, it's time to buy new hardware and games all over again. Upgrading at times with exisiting game consoles means buying a whole new console just to add extra memory. Not to mention that controllers which are forever nonstandard die with the game console.

HARDWARE

So what a BYO console have or should have?

Slimline case about the size of the original PS2.
Cheap, fast, low power CPU(so much for Dual-core)
USB four 2-port USB ports in front for controllers with a SD card slot for each for game save memeory.
Support for multiple USB keyboards, mice and other controllers. Built-in LAN
Bluetooth built-in for wireless controllers.
WiFi for network and also to be allow handhelds like Sony PSP and Nintendo DS to interface with console and sever-based games.
Compact flash and Memorystick slots to transfer pictures, videos, and programs to handhelds like PSP.
User-replaceable harddrive using IDE for notebook drives.
Linux OS that runs in flash memory on the console which is upgradeable.
Replaceable CD/DVD slimline drive with an option of DVD-RW so it can act as a PVR.
3 PCMIA cards slots for the ability to add new features without having to open the case.

TV-in and TV-out with HD as an option. Also standard monitor output and the option for multiple displays.

Operating System

The operating system will be using a dirvative of Linux optimised for gaming. First drafts could be released as liveCD distros.

Software

The question you might have is what games would be available for such a console.

Play well with others

One real problem is there is no real way for PSP and Nintendo DS users to go head-to-head against each other on a level playfield. With BYO cosnole using both WiFi and Bluetooth technologies that users could load client version for their handheld while the BYO console could act as mediator and score keeper.

Everybody wants to rule the world

FreeCIV

Fight Club on the LAN

It also could be possible to have Street Fighter like open tournaments where the game server pits contestants within the network. While this might lead to cheating, server checks for valid builds and being impartial. If game cheat isn't install on the game server, the cheat has little worth. Latency and lag would have to be monitored within server parameters so fast players aren't pit against slower ones. Defaulting due to lost connections would also counted but not as severe as losing.

One alternative is Open Arena which is a Quake dirvative. Having Open Arena on dozen or so handhelds in a room with active server would rock.

Worlds at War

Open source MMORPG and you.
Would compromise of official world severs and wildlands, user generated lands. Players can travel between worlds or lands carrying many of their character stats and reconized items. Interword banking system would be in place for reconized lands or worlds. Each server would handle which other world serves they allow players to migrate from.

DISCLAIMERS

None of this is real... yet.
Trademarks...