A New Way to Play PC Games

[billt]

Wow. A Windows PC, with TV output, and some sort of auto-install-play software. Whee.

I've got a home theater PC coming together, finaly got Linux to work OK on it a couple weeks ago, that I can put some flavor of WINE on, perhaps Transgaming is best for more games, though I'd have to go through the install process, and not all games work. Do I care? No. Getting MythTV to work is more important than that. I got a WinXP PC for games, it's not good for much else at the moment. And until I get an HDTV, my 19" monitor is a much better picture to play PC games on than my old 21" TV.

[Hammer]

From FAQ

What is "Drop and Play" technology?
"Drop & Play" is a patented mechanism that allows a DISCover® console to emulate the behavior of a videogame console. DISCover® accomplishes this by recognizing a PC title and automatically installing and playing the game. No other home entertainment system can play all the games and interactive multimedia titles available for a PC while requiring no computer knowledge to operate.

It seems there's a beef-up 'autoplay' and games 'slipstream' install database...

[billt]

>Apex eh. I just got a cheapass Apex DVD player for
>my father. It's quite cruddy (but hey, it works .

I've had 3 Apex DVD players die on me over the last couple years. There ain't gonna be a 4th... I Currently use my Xbox for DVDs, and will switch to using my HTPC once I get a few more things sorted out and the right software running on it. I hope to soon be able to play my small colection of region 2 DVDs again too, that was the one good thing APEX was good for, and I havent' got around to hacking up my Xbox much yet, though I do have a modchip installed to let me install other software. (I haven't played a game on it for at least 6 months now)

[BigBenAussie]

I think there's a market for this device, which I heard about quite a while ago. If you consider that the current Xbox is merely a PC and that this is practically the same hardware you have the potential to have games as good as an Xbox. I don't think the device is far fetched at all technologically speaking with its plug and play concept, however there is no differentiation in terms of it being a platform in its own right as its still a PC. Who knows, they may sell a few if its priced ok.

It strikes me that with concepts like this there is no sense of differentiation, no sense of fandom or allegiance. Its just another ho-hum PC clone. No one at all will miss it if it died. I think its a different case with the Amiga but I am biased.

O crap the price is ok.
US $299-$399 for p4 1ghz 256meg 40gigHD as entry level. That's quite good. If other PC companies start to do it then the set top box concept as it stands is in trouble for Amiga unless they can significantly differentiate and bank on the Amiga name for what it is worth.
Apextreme is a cool name though.
http://www.apextreme.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=91

I have to say that the box is a step in the right direction to where the Amiga needs to go. A little on the bland side but reasonable. The Amiga needs more pizazz to set itself astride the likes of Macs. It sounds ridiculous but an innovative concept in terms of case design could generate a lot of interest for a new Amiga box as an feasable and stylish alternative platform.

The other thing to mention is that building such a set top box, succeed or fail, is not a bad step for the Amiga community as we simply will have a different footprint for our favourite hardware. Its all good. Not even all the current Amiga community cares to upgrade to the fastest or most versatile thing available. An entry level set top box harms no-one and may just get some newbies back on board.

[Lo]

Ok, it hides Windows from the user?? :-? ??

[color=FF0000]HURRAY!![/color]

 :-D  :-D  :-D  :-P  :lol:

Seriously, tho' whats in the ROM? *shrug*

[BigBenAussie]

I think it runs on WinCE and exposes the DirectX API to the games. Maybe I'm getting confused with the Phantom console. Although I heard someone on a newsgroup forum say that it doesn't have Windows running behind it so potentially the games would be faster than a similarly specced PC. Wait, I think its got Windows Xp, embedded edition.

I imagine the licensing is much, much cheaper for WinCE, or WinXP embedded than fully blown Windows. As far as MS is concerned its all good as they win any way you look at it. You know, I'm a little surprised that Apple haven't released a really easy peasy set top box yet that integrates with your IPod or a successor to iPod which'll stream movies.

Actually, come to think of it, one advantage KMOS now has with OS4 is that they have probably paid less for OS4 than for continuing to license from MS. A set top box seems the only likely reason KMOS bought OS4. We were already going to get it on a desktop, so why did they buy in otherwise unless its to gain them some sort of advantage in a different area? Garry Hare's background is streaming video and internet delivery mechanisms. The very technology that could revolutionise the industry and put Amiga back on the road, if not at the head of the pack, in this area.

[XDelusion]

Here is the link to the forums for the company really responsibe for these machines:

http://www.discoverconsole.com/forum/

It WILL NOT support homebrew, thus no UAE, but I am sure there is an easy way around that. With UAE (Amithalon rest in peace) on one of these, it would be like a classic Amige somewhat (on TV and all) and would prolly run better than UAE in a full blown version of XP.

[DethKnight]

Try dropping something like LOMAC or Poop of Radiance in this thing and I could nearly guarantee the game will not work.

[XDelusion]

It will only play games that have:

A: Had a script written for it, in order that it may self install.

B: 100% Winblows XP compatability.

They plan to have scripts written for 2000 games by the time Apex launches its unit. More scripts will come out down the road. It's an iteresting idea, nothing for most Tech junkies, but definatly for people who are computer virgins, console lovers, and hobbists if not mere Apex fanatics.

[NightShade737]

Afaik, WinCE isn't compatible with 9x/NT at all, so that wouldn't make much sense.

[Elwood]

DISCover® accomplishes this by recognizing a PC title and automatically installing and playing the game

Yes, insert a game and wait 15 minutes that it is installed ! The A500 was faster to load a floppy-game ! :-)
At least I hope they don't use 5400 RPM IDE disks :-)

[Loki1]

Afaik, WinCE isn't compatible with 9x/NT at all, so that wouldn't make much sense.

It is NOT WinCE!  It is Windows XP Embedded!

Loki

[vortexau]

Kodak Picture CD Compatible

Okay, I'm sure that the CDTV had that!

. . hides Windows from the user

Does it hide the BSOD feature, also?

Is it immune from Virus, Trojans, and Worms?

[samdu]

"Dreamcast"

I don't see what this has to do with the Dreamcast in any way. Sure, the Dreamcast had built-in WinCE, but even that's not a similarity as this thing runs XP behind the scenes. Besides, the DC was/is a great machine. The WinCE games were absolutely unplayable, though. They were slow and buggy. Native games were awesome for the time. Some actually still hold up well. That's why I keep the DC hooked up right next to my PS2 and GameCube.

[CannonFodder]

Dreamcast died an earley death thats all.

I think this is also a dead duck.

Great technology doesnt always sucseed
 :-P

[Floid]

I have no idea if this is something different, or if these guys are the software half of Via's initiative, but... as that sentence suggests, Via just announced something similar in the past few months.

Basically a Phantom that works, or a '3DO'ish alternative to the XBox.  (Wherein Via still gets a cut, MS still gets a cut, but users get a choice of vendors and developers can just write once to Win/x86.)