EVO Linux Gaming Console Opens Pre-Orders 247
Engadget is reporting that Envizions, maker of the EVO Linux game console, has finally announced final specs and opened the doors to pre-orders. All bets are off until users actually see the hardware, but it will be nice to see a new player in the market. Of course, this assumes they put some time into a little polish that is usually expected from the gaming community (that website, yikes) and some effort into a killer game library. "Envizions say that the console will run a modified, quick-boot distro of Fedora called Mirrors (which can be upgraded to a beefier build named Mirrors Evolution X), and will feature a "cloud" service stacked with Amiga (!) games and an Akimbo-based video service. Beyond that, proper titles will be sold online and on SD cards for around $20." I'm sure they won't forget to send Slashdot a beta review copy with a couple of games.
Fool me upteenth time (Score:4, Informative)
Lemme see here...
Many of the vaporware game consoles and PDAs over the years have convinced Linux users to plunk down pre-order cash before a product existed. Of course, the product often never materializes.
I wouldn't put too much credibility into anything offering pre-orders until they are vetted as a reliable company with actual hardware in the mail.
Fool me once, shame on -- shame on you. Fool me -- you can't get fooled again. :-P
Re:$380... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:$380... (Score:2, Informative)
That's true, not sure if sony is going to open it up in the future or not.
Also that yellow dog ppc distro that's officially supported has a long way to go. They don't pack the current release with an mp3 decoder or flash support (which is turning away a lot of people that try it), but at least it ships with gcc.
Re:$380... (Score:4, Informative)
Linux on the PS3 has access to 6 of the 7 SPUs. It does not have direct access to the GPU, only a frame buffer.
Re:$380... (Score:5, Informative)
For $180 less you can get a PC with the better specs than this thing that also runs Linux.
Re:So... what will it play? (Score:5, Informative)
Oh, hey! I forgot about these guys. EVO acts as sort of a clearing house for indie games. Except that their website is horrible and there has never been anything there worth buying. So I've always gone directly to the studios themselves.
If this is the same EVO, I wouldn't put too much stock in their success.
Especially if you think about what they're offering. Operating Systems are quite possibly the least important part of a game console. At least to the user. Developers only care about APIs and ease of development. While Linux may alleviate the latter issue, what is truly gained by advertising a console based on Linux? Because you'll be able to... to... um... recompile the kernel! No, that's not it. Port TuxRacer! Um... hmm... Run you Linux applications on it! Yeah, that's it. Run your--
Wait. Why would you want to do that? Isn't the point to play games?
Re:$380... (Score:2, Informative)
The Sony Hypervisor runs on one of the SPU's, Linux is given access to 7 of the 8 SPU's and the PowerPC core.
The hypervisor forbids access to the graphics accelerator (RSX), so you only get frame buffer graphics.
Re:Looks all right (Score:3, Informative)
Well PS controller hasn't changed much since the original Playstation.
Let's look at the major competitors.
XBox - Buttons in approximately the same locations/quantities + the white and black buttons.
XBox 360 - Same thing as XBox except that black/white have been moved/removed (can't remember which).
Nintendo 64 - No where close to PS controller design.
Gamecube - Similar feel to PS controller, except that the right side buttons are arranged in a different format.
Wii- Totally different.
Re:I"ll wait. (Score:5, Informative)
The Linux version is cheaper and lacks the SD reader, Wireless networking hardware and it isn't supported by their NVE Movie Service and Say2Play (wtf that is).
They have a game store [evosmartconsole.com] up already and it looks like its all Windows games.
Calm down, folks. It's just a regular scam. (Score:3, Informative)
Crappy Website [envizionscorp.com] built with a crappy 50$ template in a very crappy manner. Tacky template music. Boilerplate pictures of some office building somewhere in the about section. Crappy pictures of crappy boxes with what looks like your standard Mini-ITX package in them and way overpriced purchase options to buy them. Bets are ten to one that this is a scam and you won't even see any hardware at all if you fall for it. /. - let alone the buzz in the comments right now - is beyond me.
Nothing to see here, move along. How this even gets any attention at all on