XGameStation Console Tries DIY Angle

Alex Varanese writes "We've released new information about the XGameStation, a revolutionary new video game system which comes with a complete game development kit, and is trying to revive the magic of programming for systems like the Apple II, Atari 800 and Commodore 64. Unlike systems from Nintendo and Sony, XGS developers face no legal or financial restrictions with XGameStation. There's no official license, no royalties to pay, and no guidelines to follow." Any 'console' with vector monitor interface and Atari 2600 joystick adaptor add-ons is at least worth a second glance - it certainly looks a little unconventional.

hmm...

[ThePeices]

Well, looking at the system, alot of work has been put into the design. Obviously, this gaming system wont go mainstream, but its definitely of interest to geeks. The only downside i can see is the low specs of the hardware, and the fact that the games will be somewhat akin to the games of the late 80's. (68HC12 micro, and an atari/c64/appleII like graphics system can only go so far). Expansion has been very well thought out and thats where this system shines. While retro gaming is having something of a comeback, im not sure if it will be a hit or not. Definitely interesting though.

Re:hmm...

[torpor]

If they get the hardware actually done - everything is "COMING SOON" - and actually can get it working as specified for cheap - I mean $200 for a good system, then I think they will have a winner on their hands.

A lot of people pick up programming because they want to learn to make video games to entertain themselves... and this is a good system for that. Particularly if they have good API's for game system management (sprites/vectors/etc.) then they're going to attract a lot of new and interesting program

Re:hmm...

[Yorrike]

It is a shame they don't have a beefier CPU, though I do admire their I/O design. Perhaps there is room for different CPU modules in the future, same peripherals ...

Agreed. I also think it's a shame that they're going for a 16bit processor. Why limit yourself to that? It's not like whacking a cheap 32bit 100MHz CPU in there would cost them much more.

Still, I'll be interested in giving this thing a shot, although I doubt it'll take long for someone to get a good emulator going, which begs the question, w

Something else for me to do with my osciliscope...

[dJCL]

Cool, something interesting to do with my osciliscope... Picked it up for free from my university, they were going to trash it, works great. I currently use it most of the time to display whatever is going to my speakers, but now I have an urge to slap together an interface that will allow me to do this... This could be fun... I wonder if I could do it with my sound card? Hmmmm We will see...

Re:Something else for me to do with my osciliscope

[oddbudman]

got a scope for free? Tell me if you can get hold of any more... what a score!

Talk About Limiting Your Options!

[coaxial]

"Vector Graphics Display"? It's an oscilloscope. Instead of just using a standard raster display, and using tried and true vector-raster algorithms, you're supposed to use an oscilloscope. While I'm sure there are people here that own one or more oscilloscopes, I have only met one person that owned an oscilloscope, and he got that one for free because it was flakey.

While there's plenty of geeks who'd like to old school it up with this, requiring them to shell out $500+ dollars for an oscilloscope instea

Re:Talk About Limiting Your Options!

[djcapelis]

> The XGameStation Video Game System development
> kit. XGameStation is a 16-bit video game console
> designed specifically for both hardware and
> software hackers. The system outputs video and
> audio directly to any TV via composite video, and
> is compatible with PlayStation DualShock
> controllers. Games are played off custom
> cartridges that you burn yourself

That's from the homepage.

The cue that the vector graphics display isn't meant to be an abosolute standard might lie in the wo

Ya, umm...

[dimator]

Prepare to get sued by Microsoft if you don't change the name.

Re:Ya, umm...

[Equidist]

... And Sony, and Nintendo.

I mean, c'mon, XGameStation?

X...Game...Station !?!?

Originality is not exactly off the charts here, folks.

And...

[Tom7]

Notice it's called X-Game-Station, as in X box, GameCube, Playstation. They can get sued by all three!

Why is going to work?

[it0]

Hmm, I like to code and I like to play games and I like to tinker with hardware.

However If I just want to play a game, I don't want to build the hardware first and then program the game.

I think the treshold is just a bit too high..

Re:Why is going to work?

[bonizzem]

From the about page:
What is the XGameStation Kit? The XGameStation is the world's first video game system development kit.
The kit comes with an assembled XGameStation console, a blank, ready-to-use game cartridge, a CD [..]

So if you like to code, you can code your own games, and if you want just play, you can download other games and play them.

Vector hackers

[pashdown]

Vector hackers should check out the Zektor ZVG [zektor.com]. They've recently hacked MAME to run all the available vector games through it, but what I'm looking forward to is new software.

This is NOT another Indrema

[gnudutch]

This is designed by Andre' LaMothe, well known and regarded game programming author [google.com]. Here is a guy who truly understands the spirit of video games, and is actually interested in spreading this knowledge and skill.

This is great!

[CrazyWingman]

Dude - I have to say that I think this is just exactly what is needed today. While it's fairly easy to learn some common graphics/input API today (Java's Swing, GTK, etc.), these can also be daunting when trying to do something like a game. A simple system like this would be great for getting newbies to learn the ins and outs of a system. Yes, I know it will have its own API to learn, but I'm betting it will be something more like putPixel/getPixel/isButtonPressed than frame.getContentPane().getGraphics() or whatever.

I remember learning to program in BASIC on an IBM PC Jr. It was great! The darn thing even came with a book to teach you how to do it! (or, at least mine had a book - I was young, so my parents could have bought it as extra, and I wouldn't have known). Following that I found a guy who was big in to Apple Basic and Logo. More fun to be had.

But, the great thing about all that was - it was simple. There were no extra libraries to worry about, no difficult configuration (you friggin' booted to BASIC from a floppy), just a place to code and test.

Of course, I finally moved on to C, but that was way back in the days of DOS and Win 3.1. If I wanted to draw to the screen, I friggin' called the monitor interrupt to change video modes, and set the memory at 0xA00000...(wow, it's been a while - whatever that number was). Still "simple", although a great next step - after learning the idea of "programming", I learned something about the actual structure of a computer.

Basically (sorry for the pun), I think it will be great for newbie programmers to be able to get their hands on some simple hardware to just goof around with. It will be easier for them to learn more difficult stuff if they can relate to something they already know.

By the way, I'm also really excited that this project includes Andre LaMothe. "Teach Yourself Programming in 21 Days" was an awesome book (and the first place I ran in to assembly). The guy really does a great job of explaining things.

Finally, I have to say that I also hope people really work at games for this machine. I think it will be very interesting. Of course the first months of its release will be Tetris/Space Invaders/Mario clones, but I have a feeling that if someone with a little bit of game know-how got into developing something for it, there could be a rather interesting game released. Sometimes restrictions (i.e. on hardware abilities) produce wonderful things. (I wish I could properly form the analogy to classical music (even though I'm leary of arguing by analogy here), but I can't remember the names of movements/composers/styles to do it.) ...also, I plan on buying one, and I don't want to have only Tetris/Space Invaders/Mario along with my own creations to play on it. :)

68K rides again!

[idries]

Seems like my 68K skills are not quite redundant yet. When Palm went ARM I figured that was the end of it, but now 68K is back in the garage so to speak. It's a good thing really, I wish that it had been around a year or so before I started trying to get into the games industry, I think that it would have made things alot easier. Putting a nice demo together would have made interviews go alot better.

I wonder if they'll release a "non-SDK" version, with a nice case etc. then you might actually be able to se

um... Dreamcast?

[paradesign]

Not to say that this is bad, but isnt it a lil obsolete? I can see it being useful maybe in an educational setting, "Game programing for beginners" whatever. but if you want a decent modern platform to work with, drop the or, you could get a PS2 linux kit and learn how to program for that. ive noticed that the demo scene has started working wth PS2 linux, tAAt comes to mind.

theres also the GBA that has a large dev scene, and you dont even need to buy the hardware to get started for that, the emus work so well. or what abut the GP32, its completely open hardware.

i just wonder how successful this product will be, and i think a large factor to that will be the cost, which i cant see being cheap since its sales probably wont be that high.

Re:um... Dreamcast?

[topside420]

No its not obsolete. I don't believe its made to be able to play badass new 3d games, but to get AWAY from that for a second. To go back to the past where young hackers had a very imtimate understanding of all the low-level details of any given system they were working on. I don't even think this is really ideal for future game developers as much as its for future hardware/software engineers.

This is definitly made to be used almost exclusivly in the educational setting, although - not necessariy the class room.

I am a second year computer engineering student. This little XGameStation seems like a godsend. I am not buying it because of its game development ability. I am buying it for its ability to be an example to new & upcoming hardware engineers.

With this XGameStation it seems I am pretty limitless when wanting to modify the hardware. Every design & implementation detail is documented, thereby creating one AMAZING learnign experience.

I believe because of this, they aren't going ot focus on making it a fun & modern gaming system to program for because modern gaming systems do not require as intimate of an understanding of the hardware and software.

I believe making the games may only be a VERY small part of what hackers will be doing on it. I dont see myself programming any games, however I do see myself hacking on the kernel or hacking on the hardware itself. My main concern is how all the low level software & hardware details all fit together.

Thats where this project fills its niche. I can't think of another system like it where all documentation is out in the open and is specificly made for those who wish to hack on it. Nothing like turining a whole bunch of conductive/non-conductive material into a complete working computer system AND knowing how it ALL works together and why :)

i just wonder how successful this product will be, and i think a large factor to that will be the cost, which i cant see being cheap since its sales probably wont be that high.

Having said all that, I expected to see this system at around $250...again, not because of its gaming ability but its educational abilities.

However, this product is priced VERY nicely at a mere $99 for all necessary equiptment & software to get goin!