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PC Games (Games) Entertainment Games

Discover The DISCover Console 46

Posted by simoniker from the more-crazed-pc-based-hardware dept.
Thanks to GameShark.com for their interview with Curtis Kaiser of DISC regarding their forthcoming DISCover "PC game console". Kaiser describes the DISCover as "a game console that plays unmodified PC games. As with a PlayStation or Xbox, you simply drop the disc into the console and play. The difference is the video game consoles can only play games made for their proprietary formats, while the DISCover can play the thousands of available PC titles." Entry-level models will be priced from $299, and the company is trying to tout ease of use as the biggest advantage of buying the DISCover over a normal PC - "...patching scripts will be received through the DISCover network. Patches will automatically be applied to any installed program or they will be applied as part of the installation process."
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Discover The DISCover Console More

Discover The DISCover Console

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  • This could make a great entry level PC -- if scripts are used to manage installation and execution of programs, I can see a huge market for these in various areas where minimal knowledge of computers is needed, such as third world countries, schools, etc.

  • X-BOX KILLER (Score:2, Interesting)

    by gnudutch ( 235983 )
    This thing is a better X-Box than X-Box. I'm surprised Microsoft granted them a WinXP embedded license...

  • I can guarantee... (Score:1, Interesting)

    by Anonymous Coward
    That this company will NOT be selling their hardware at a $100 loss, expecting to recoup these losses on software sales. Come to think of it, how do they expect to make any money?
    • They plan on selling subscriptions.

      "How Are The Scripts Updated?
      Each time a new PC game is launched or about to be launched, your DISCover® enabled console will use an Internet or phone connection to pull down the new script/s. It's a bit like the TiVo® model."

      I wonder, however, if they are going to completely require it? will this be enforced in hardware as well?
    • Come to think of it, how do they expect to make any money?

      One stream of money they can make is targeted advertising. Think of it, let's say you install Madden 2003 on your DISCover box. Since they know you like football games, they may stream an advertisment to you when you are checking for updates. They could easily send you information about the new NCAA football that is coming out in two weeks, or about the new Tiger Woods game with 14 additional courses. They can build a pretty big demographic dat
  • For $299 USD, I can build a pretty decent computer. I mean, it won't be cutting edge, but neither will it be as slow as the hardware that's standard to a XBox, y'know? I just don't see a niche for this sort of thing. A PC can do gaming, but it can also do a heck of a lot more -- and *anybody* who says that they only use their comp for games is lying.

    Now, a PS3 that can play PS games as well as PS1-3, now *there* would be an interesting product... maybe an XBox 2?
  • This sounds an awful lot like the Phantom, doesn't it? Except that they don't seem to be talking as much about DRM and content controls...

    Sounds like it could swipe a lot of Phantom's market share, and Phantom needs a big market to be profitable.

    Personally, I'm all for it. The idea of a market for PC games that don't work on actual PCs is offensive to me on many levels, but the idea that people buying a PC only for gaming should pay less than those buying one as a workstation seems to have a certain mer
    • The Phantom seems to focus on one thing: online game distribution. The prospect of buying a game online and having it downloaded to a computer is a compelling one... one that should have happened years ago. Honestly, I would rather see the Phantom integrated as a part of a computer distribution running regular PC games, rather than trying to make a palladiumesque black box, but the idea is sound. Honestly, if I could pay 3 dollars to rent Elite Force II tonight, I probably would have. That kind of impul
      • The phantom is just that - a phantom. A piece of vaporware that'll never materialize. In fact, they've already missed several major trade shows where they claimed they'd be unveiling more information.

        Furthermore, the Phantom's claims are just ludicrious. It was clear from their marketting drivel that they're talking about distributing old PC and/or emulated games (ie. MAME.) Sounds like a good idea, until you stop to think about the copyright issues... Many of those companies don't exist anymore, yet

  • The specs:

    • DISCover® plays unmodified PC games.
    • DISCover® will play thousands of PC games at launch!
    • DISCover's patented technology makes it the only video game console able to play PC games
    • A "sizzling" Pentium®4 3.06 GHz
    • 1Gb of RAM
    • 120GB Hard Drive
    • 3D audio capability with Dolby® Digital 6.1 Surround Sound
    • nVIDIA® GeForce®4 TI Graphics
    • TV out onto a standard resolution TV using AV (composite) or S-Video
    • True HDTV component out
    • DVD player
    • MP3 player

    And it's running WinXP.

    • Re:Interesting... (Score:3, Interesting)

      by Txiasaeia ( 581598 )
      These specs are ridiculous. If they're the real deal and not modified in any way, what's to stop me from buying one, ripping it apart and shoving the components into a real computer? They're DEFINITELY going to be making a loss on the initial sale of the unit.

      And how are they going to make this money back? They're not making money offa PC game sales, nor are they likely to in the future. I just don't see how this works.
    • Ehh... all that for $300? Sign me up... I don't think you can even buy those kind of parts separately for $300. And if it plays PC games, it can't be too far from a normal PC hardware/software-wise (unlike Xbox)

    • That's the 700 dollar machine (Score:4, Informative)

      by cgenman ( 325138 ) on Sunday July 27, 2003 @01:30AM (#6543311) Homepage
      Just pointing out, what is listed is the specs for the high-end machine. The 300 dollar machine specs with

      A Via CPU and motherboard

      40 GB hard drive

      512 MB Ram

      SIS graphics card (http://www.xabre.com/)

      A reviewer at E3 commented that "the $299 unit, on display at the show, struggled to run Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit 2. The game, released in 2002, couldn't manage a steady frame-rate, and sometimes dropped to completely unplayable levels, if only for a few seconds."

      So no, there would be no point in buying one for parts.

      Next-Generation systems need to blow all current systems out of the water. This one appears to struggle to keep up. Sad.

      • Oops... (Score:1)

        by Danse ( 1026 )

        My bad then... those were the only specs that they list on their site. I assumed they were for the $300 machine. Guess if it seems too good to be true...

      • A Via CPU and motherboard
        SIS graphics card

        It's probably a mini-itx motherboard, bc it has integrated SIS graphics. I'm running on one of those right now. It's very good for office work, internet, and 2D gaming. But if you plan to do anything 3D that's beyond directx6, forget it. Even old games like SimCoaster crawl here! On the other hand, Diablo2 runs fine.

        The price is still interesting though if it's a 1 Ghz model. For $299 I could only get the mobo/cpu, the ram and the case. I still had to add a har
  • ...how long it takes for this to: -boot linux -act completely as a regular box (ie, running a real OS) For the price, I would buy it if someone could get Linux to run on it.

  • Doom 3 coming out soon. Doomed DISCover won't be. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by cgenman ( 325138 ) on Saturday July 26, 2003 @11:32PM (#6542979) Homepage
    The DISCover® game console is the only game console designed to play PC games instead of video games.

    XBox? Indrema? Phantom? Pippin? I know there is a necessary threshold of bs when reading press releases, and I know we're supposed to swallow more than this, but the lack of knowledge doesn't bode well.

    Besides, that threshold is quickly exceeded.

    The Pentium®4, along with today's graphic and audio processors allow for PC games with awesome visual and audio effects.

    Here comes that threshold. According to the Gamers.com article, the $300 price tag will get you a Via processor, not the touted intel P4. For a P4, you need to pay $700, or roughly the cost of a P4 system. And there is an even MORE expensive version in the pipeline, with TIVO capability. Do you expect "awesome visual and audio effects" from that $200 Wallmart machine?

    There are thousands PC games, far more than video games, in proprietary formats (i.e. PlayStation2 and Xbox). And the best games are made for the PC.

    Bad punctuation aside, how many of those games are worth playing? You too can have 9,999 Bust-A-Move clones on your own device! AAA titles are as rare on the PC as they are on the PS2, as they both require large development houses and a large outlay in manpower to create.

    Until now serious gamers were required to install and run computer programs on a PC. With DISCover's patented technology, the PC is no longer the only place to play PC games. PC games, with their dazzling graphics and stunning audio, can now be played on a TV hassle free.

    They patented video out to a TV? Or did they patent playing games from an installer without actually installing. Did they do anything to deserve a patent on playing PC games on a TV? Commodore 64? TV-Out? XBox? Linux on PS?

    As a game console, DISCover® is connected to a TV, not to a computer monitor. To play any one of thousands of PC games on TV, you simply Drop the game in the DISCover® and play.

    BTW, standard TVs run at a maximum resolution of 640 x 480 interlaced. Many modern computer games don't even support a resolution that low. In other words, games will not look nearly as good on your TV as they do on a computer monitor.

    Picking apart their press releases aside, I fail to see the point of this console. It plays PC games, so it is redundant to anyone who owns a gaming PC. It plays on a television, so graphics will be inferior. What they appear to be trying to do is sell a PC gaming machine to console people by telling them that consoles, in short, suck. That's like trying to gain votes for the democratic party by calling the republicans inferior and stupid, and wondering why people don't feel swayed by your compelling arguments.

    But don't let me say it: Let's hear from their own mouths.

    Markets: Our market is the digital interactive entertainment market, in particular the $9 billion game markets. Individuals who would enjoy playing PC games on their TV are the specific target in this market. At the low-end of the market are video gamers who would like to move up to PC games (ages 12-25); at the high end of the are PC gamers who would like to move from their computer monitor to their big-screen home-theater (ages 25-45). The middle market is made up of those who would like PC games and other PC entertainment on their TV, as well as having a DVD, DVR and movies on demand.

    On the one hand, you have young people who want to play PC games, but who can't afford a PC. Because targeting markets with no money is the right way to launch a product. On the other hand, you have people with money and high-end theater systems, but who haven't discovered their high-tech PC comes standard with an SVideo out port. And finally, you have those people who are swarming out to buy a set-top box, to rent movies-on-demand and to buzzword their buzzword with B.U.Z. and W.R.D. disks.

    There are other problems: One

  • Grab fo da Money (Score:3, Interesting)

    by Mulletproof ( 513805 ) on Saturday July 26, 2003 @11:48PM (#6543045) Homepage Journal
    [sorry, screwed the pooch on the last post]

    Isn't one PC game playing console [infiniumlabs.com] enough already? This is just a bad idea in SO many ways. For one, PC games have never been plug & play unless they have been heavily modified for the box they run one which makes them propretary whether the submitter/company admits it or not. And sorry fo yas, but the words PC games and console are mutually exlusive, especially when one includes the word "patch", whci in itself implies, crashing, freezing stuttering and other bugs PC games are regularly shipped with. Speaking of PC games, how do these people intend on keeping up with the ever increasing demand games place on their hardware? After all, an Entry Model also implies other models will be availible as well. With better spec undoubtably and the same uneven playing field as a PC provides.

    See? Yet another bastard PC gaming child that will crash and burn with the rest of them.

  • In response to Txiasaeia, there is some knowledge curve to PC gaming, and up until just a couple years ago, I would have disagreed with you that "anybody" can play PC games. You have to remember that there are still quite a few people who are afraid that if they click the wrong icon, their system will die and they will need to buy a new one. Hats off to LordoftheFrings, I agree 100%. If it runs linux and has a 3.06ghz chip, I'm on it, but as for a via chip and less specs as was also stated- I'll stick wi
  • ...between this [gameconsole.tv] and that [cappuccinopc.com]?
  • Look at the picture of the device at their site:

    http://www.gameconsole.tv/demos_pictures.html

    Now look at the Cappuccino mini PC at Thinkgeek:

    http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/handhelds/5a9 8/

    Inovation rules! What a revolutionary design!
    • heheh, yeah.

      "this section of the site is under construction, but check out a sketch of the prototype for the first DISCover® enabled game console. Looks a lot like the home page of this Web site ... hummm?"

      i wonder how they did their prototype, ordered a bunch of them from thinkgeek? and i wonder whats still under construction about the design, the placing of the emblems?

      that said, the cappucino is at 1.2ghz $949.99, i'd say they won't be using that for the version with the 3ghz cpu(heat and power i
    • "Look at the picture of the device at their site:

      http://www.gameconsole.tv/demos_pictures.html

      Now look at the Cappuccino mini PC at Thinkgeek:

      http://www.thinkgeek.com/computing/handhelds/5a9 8/

      Inovation rules! What a revolutionary design!"

      Then again, look a few posts above that one...hmm...same two links..innovation strikes again.

  • Yeah, it's not all it's cracked up to be. (Score:3, Interesting)

    by x00101010x ( 631764 ) on Sunday July 27, 2003 @01:26PM (#6545559) Homepage
    I talked to these guys at E3 this year (they were down in the basement). This thing isn't nearly all it's cracked up to be.

    First off, they start off talking about how you can plop any PC title in there and it will play, no problem. A bit slower the first time than others though. So, I ask if they have some sort of special version of install shield and what do they do if a developer uses a really strange in house installer?
    Finally, the truth comes out, they have to write a script for each and every game, which means thousands of install scripts, in addition to the patch scripts. It seemed like a small (under 20 ppl) outfit, so I'm pretty sure "Thousands" is theoretical.

    As far as how they expect to make their money, the patches and everything will be a subscription service, don't believe them if they say otherwise.

    Basically, it comes down to one nutty guy that seems more from marketing than the tech. side of things and a few poor programmer side kicks trying deparately to keep up with his wide and ignorant feature claims.

    Did I say this thing is full of shit? It is, really, the more I think about it, the more I remember how upset I was at his obtuse claims of compatibility and performance (when was the last time you had to upgrade the processor/ram in your PS2? when was the last time you had to upgrade your gaming PC?).
    This guy is just a dreamer with no grasp of reality. I savor the memory of how red faced and deflated I left him in the basement at E3 after shooting down every response he had to my questions about compatibility, hardware performance, etc.

    Anyways, don't buy into the marketese, this product will suck if it ever makes it on the shelf.

    However, as another reader mentioned, there could be other great applications for this sort of embedded system with network patching and such, but the XPEmbedded licence pretty much spoils that.
    • However, as another reader mentioned, there could be other great applications for this sort of embedded system with network patching and such, but the XPEmbedded licence pretty much spoils that.

      Could you expand on this? I'm not familiar with the limitations of the XPE licence... How would it spoil network patching, etc?
      • Not so much that it would spoil network patching, but it would limit the types of applications it could be used on.

        With XPE you can only use it the way Microsoft lets you, I'm sure there's plenty of application Microsoft would be fine with, however, you still have to run your ideas through them. They don't have to give you an XPE license if they don't want to.

        Now, if this whole thing was based on Linux, then you could really do whatever you want with it... I wonder, have they gotten together a DirectX sor
  • The whole thing smells of vaporware-esque fraud. Taking a look at their "site" doesn't help much (a 10 year old web designer doesn't inspire confidence in me to purchase a 300 buck system). Check this out: http://www.gameconsole.tv/images/drawing_r4_c2.gi f Now if somebody actually did sketch that, ok, but it looks VERY similar to a series of edge filters in Photoshop to me. But that isn't the wierdest part, if that's true then they actually did that on a real photo (digital or otherwise), so why the s
  • I guess part of this concept is actually pretty good, opening up the pc game market (and those fancy little boxes they have now) to people who have no concept of most computer stuff. I mean, it is way fun to play Hot Persuit 2 via my tv out...

    This is, of course, until things go wrong for Discover users

    The only way to keep that magic box appeal would be to court developers to make sure to QA on one of thier machines.

    Otherwise, when ati decides to release 'el crasho driver that makes 3dmark go as fast

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