Think there's going to be an 'open' game console any time soon?

[Dustin2128]

I usually use consoles to play my games, and one thing that's aggravated me over the years is how much the developers hate homebrew games. Until recently, I thought the playstation 3, with the linux option, was a definite step in the right direction but since they reverted it makes me wonder which, if any, console manufacturers to look at. I somewhat understand the reasoning behind making them so closed; greater profits for games, but IMO the first game system to endorse homebrew games will immediately get a HUGE market share boost over the rest. In addition, not having to pay devs to sneak in system updates for the sole purpose of eliminating homebrews would save money too.

[Yarui]

This seems unlikely to ever happen. Console manufacturers tend to make their consoles at a loss so that they will sell better, making back the lost money with videogame sales. If there were an open game console it would have to cost much more than all the others and it is unlikely it would sell well just on the merit that the games are open source.

[AllRadioisDead]

Maybe Google will do it eventually.

[Dustin2128]

This seems unlikely to ever happen. Console manufacturers tend to make their consoles at a loss so that they will sell better, making back the lost money with videogame sales. If there were an open game console it would have to cost much more than all the others and it is unlikely it would sell well just on the merit that the games are open source.

No, the games wouldn't have to be open source. It's just giving you the capability to write games. You can play closed source alongside the homebrews.

[betrunkenaffe]

This seems unlikely to ever happen. Console manufacturers tend to make their consoles at a loss so that they will sell better, making back the lost money with videogame sales. If there were an open game console it would have to cost much more than all the others and it is unlikely it would sell well just on the merit that the games are open source.

When he says open, I believe he is talking about being able to run homemade games, not forcing open source..

I don't think any console will ever be completely open however with better content distribution systems, easy to get your games out there.

[Yarui]

No, the games wouldn't have to be open source. It's just giving you the capability to write games. You can play closed source alongside the homebrews.
Well in that case, not everything is totally closed. With the xbox arcade, wiiware, and whatever the ps3 equivalent is it is not too difficult for independent groups to make a game for any of the current consoles.

They prevent you from just writing your own arbitrary code, of course, but that is to prevent you from easily being able to create and run software that will allow you to pirate their stuff. Not that it really stops people from doing that anyway.

[Chronon]

No, the games wouldn't have to be open source. It's just giving you the capability to write games. You can play closed source alongside the homebrews.

It's a bit old now, but what about this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GP32
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GP2X

[AllRadioisDead]

http://www.openpandora.org/

[Warpnow]

Isn't the Xbox's development program free for students? Thought so, could be wrong.

There are alot of single developer games and such available on the wii through wiiware as well.

[AllRadioisDead]

Here's another by the people who brought us the wiz:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUwUG7iTx-I

[earthpigg]

IMO the first game system to endorse homebrew games will immediately get a HUGE market share boost over the rest.

and the greater their market share, the more money they will lose. recall that they lose money on every sale of a console.

alternatively: they sell the console for the cost of the hardware + expenses... and no one purchases it.

let's be clear here, this is what seperates a console from a computer:
-Sold at a loss
-Strict control over who can market software for it, and under what terms they can do so
-Strict control over hardware access. Even when ps2/3 had Linux support, that doesn't imply any access to or control over the GPU. (A GPU under any name smells just as necessary for gaming).

If you sell a console with a slight markup over the cost of hardware, completely accessible hardware, and no control over who can legally create/release software for it.... then you are selling a desktop computer with a custom formfactor, custom operating system, and crippled human interface devices. Nothing more, nothing less.

don't let the fancy vibrating controllers confuse you. An xbox/playstation is a PPC computer with an Operating System created by MS/Sony and a whole bunch of legal & technical mechanisms to ensure that anyone dealing in games gives MS/Sony a cut of the proceeds. That is all it is.

The entire console business model relies upon having extreme levels of control over how the device is used. Give that up, and all you have is a money sink.

[earthpigg]

Here, I'll design an "open game console" for you.

Put a $350 MicroATX or Shuttle (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuttle_Inc.) formfactor computer together. 2gb of RAM, i5 or i3 CPU, whatever nVidia cards currently exists in massive surplus. This machine is as powerful or more powerful than the current generation of consoles.

Install 32-bit Ubuntu Netbook Remix or Win7 with a custom "10-feet away" desktop interface - like Hulu Desktop or Boxee or the way some people use UNR.

Include a modified Ubuntu Software Center that includes these repos:
-Free Software
-Freeware
-Paid Software requiring credit card purchase, linked to your account. Toss some DRM into the mix -- maybe a licensed version of Steam that gives you a cut?

One or two bluetooth or wireless/USB console-type controllers are included with every purchase. If you want the deal to include wireless mouse/keyboard, and the video game controller, bring our price estimate up to $370 in parts.

After purchasing $370 in parts and then putting them together, sell these for $250 each.

When you calculate just how much money you are going to lose per sale and looking at sales forecasts to predict net losses, be sure to factor in that people will purchase them 20 at a time, install pirated copies of Windows 7, and then sell them on craigslist. They may or may not gut the hardware and put it in a different case, to make it less obvious. Plenty of old Dell cases sitting in landfills that can be gutted of their old hardware and cleaned up in 30 minutes or so.


I agree that it sucks, but I don't think this is a viable business model. People expect consoles to be significantly cheaper than the value of the hardware that is inside them. That will be the greatest barrier to entry for little guys like me and you. For big guys like Sony and Microsoft, their business model works outstandingly well for them.

[forrestcupp]

Other than no name products like OpenPandora that have only sold consoles to the developers' family members, it will never happen.

Console makers are out to make money, not to help people. Anything they do to make things user friendly is actually an ulterior motive to get the edge in the market and advance the making of money.

They will never condone or make something available that will not generate a profit.

[betrunkenaffe]

let's be clear here, this is what seperates a console from a computer:
-Sold at a loss

Wii was sold at a profit. I'd remove this bullet point. It is not mandatory however it has been a common theme in order to try and garner additional market over their competitors.

If the console was sold at a profit with less expensive hardware to keep the costs down, the ability to play homebrewed games/free downloadable games could be enough of a selling point to push it past some of those taking the hit.

There's good money for DLC but at the same time, with a subscription service, freebies can be worthwhile too.

[alexan]

Linux distro, which load only the essential stuff and latest proprietary ATI/Nvidia driver.

Highly optimized to run on nearly any desktop pc on this planet (divided by "generations*")
Run from usb, latest OpenGL update



*Generation examples:


286 to 486 - "FreeDos" || Competition with SNES
Pentium I~III - Support for older PCI cards (voodoo&co) for emulators, basic wine and multimedia, OpenGL start there || Competition with PSX/N64
Pentium IV+ - Start nearly "serious gaming".. suggested nvidia cards (proprietary driver) || Competition with PS2/Xbox
Core Duo/Quad+ - The actual edge of gaming, support for any nvidia and recent ATI cards || Competition with xbox 360/PS3
i5/i7 - Only the very edge of latest ATI/Nvidia cards || Beat Xbox 360/PS3


Open source drivers will be aviable in any generation-derivative
One OpenGL to rule them all...