Game Platform Of The Cult

#1 You plan to succeed where the Indrema L600 failed? Do you have the funding to produce these without going bankrupt?

-Tim aka Spock

#2 No, but it sounds like they have a plan! Isn't that all you need? :P

#3 Hey... it's a step closer than if they had no plan.:P

As per their FAQ:
Q: Why do you feel TuxBox will succeed where Indrema failed?

A: We believe one major reason the Indrema failed is because the community wasn't as involved as it should have been. We believe the TuxBox will succeed because we are open to the community. The TuxBox project got started so soon after Indrema's demise because we wanted a Linux-based community-developed console.

#4 Well, I know this. 2 area companies in my city. (Quincy Illinois) will support Tuxbox IF we can release 2 games for them to try. And, if you were wondering, the os is in v.4.1

#5 You have to have money to produce the consoles. A fair amount of money. And you have to take a loss to compete with the mainstream consoles, as they are heavily subsidised by licensing fees and game sales. This is what killed Indrema, not community.

#6 I thought that Console companies take a loss on the hardware; it's the software that makes the money.

#7 Okay, this Console is NOT going to be mainstream, face it. It may be come a cult hit, but will never be recognized as a major system. The only people who will buy it are Hard Core Gamers, and Hard Cor Linux Users. It is never gonna be on a shelf a Toys R Us. It is waht I would call a "underground project".

#8 Only Microsoft and Sega take a loss on the console. (And look what happened to Sega...) Sony and Nintendo turn a profit on what they sell in both hardware and software. A Tux would be fairly expensive to produce, so the price would have to be quite high. Especially since 'cult status' imples low production runs which implies no volume discounts on parts.

I just don't see the point of the tuxbox, is the thing. Wouldn't it be just as good to develop an open source SDK for some existing console, like KOS on the dreamcast (http://dcdev.allusion.net)

#9 We are NOT making this to make money. It is a for the fun thing. And, our price of current to build one $264 + Were using a Pizza Hut Box for the case. Well, I am not sure 'bout that, but we need a good case.

#10 The Tuxbox already exists and everybody that reads this site has one. It's called a PC.

However, I love the idea of a bunch of guys doing this type of project with grassroots funding. If the Tuxbox comes to fruition, I would be tempted to put one in my living room if it connected to the Internet, ripped MP3's, acted as a dvr, and played great Torque games!

Don't be so quick to pass on this project. I'm sure people laughed when a couple of guys decided to make an operating system, or web server, or database.

Jeff Tunnell GG

#11 Hey, thanks for the encouragement. Infact, me and some other people are going to purchase the Tourque Engine Liscence and make a game. And, we can do everything mentioned except one thing... Burn Mp3's. Unless, of course, you wanna put an extra $30-$50 on, then we can include DVD+R, instead of a DVD player.

#12 You could probably put a DVD/CDRW hybrid on it. I don't think they are that expensive.

-Tim aka Spock

#13 I had an idea for a linux project and it would be a lot cheaper than what you are doing now. Basically you have a Miniboot linux kernel that will boot from a cdrom and loadup the game on the cd. So basically it works like a console. So what you could do is create linux games, which linux users could use like normal, but people without linux could still play it by rebooting and loading the game like a console would and skip their OS installation whether it be Windows or Mac OS.

This seems like a much easier and realistic way (not that the tux box will fail..I encourage you on it) to create linux games. With this you can get linux games out on the market but the people still afraid to try linux don't have to worry about it and they can just use it like a Console does a game.

-Tim aka Spock

#14 Yes, but you would run into the problem of hardware incompatibility since not everyone runs on the same stuff...Still an excellent idea.

#15 Something I forgot to post in that. Windows and Mac would have utilities that would probe hardware and download new driver modules and store on disk..the kernel would just load this configuration at boot..that way the kernel doesnt have to detect anything either.

-Tim aka Spock

#16 -BUMP-

#17 Uhhh... the link goes to "XXX", "Best nudes on the planet!!!", "Get you *FREE* porn here!!" site rotator. Don't bother going to http://www.tuxboxproject.com.

I'd avoid this if you're at work like me.

#18 Mm, that post was in 2002, lol, google did turn up a link.
http://www.tuxbox.50megs.com/

#19 And that link also goes to XXX...

#20 That second link seems to work.

@Tim: There are already a few projects like the one you describe out there. I think most of them are based on Knoppix. Maybe Knoppix is a solution :)