Brilliant!!
So a while back I was getting on the kick of building my own arcade box, reminiscent of the Pac-Man and big boxes you see in Arcades (or Aljons, whatever). As I began to look into the time and effort (and space) that an arcade box would take up, I started wondering if it was really worth it. What would I really be building the thing for? Obviously the answer would be to play games on but why the big box? Euphoria?Â
Recently, our IT group changed over all our computers and in the process changed the desktops from boxes the size of a few stacked large pizza boxes to those the size of a few stacked small pizza boxes thus reducing the space taken up by the desktop. When I saw these new computers, my arcade dilemma was resolved! I would not build the big box but build a universal console that I could play through my TV like any other gaming console. It would be a master console (MC) that would be able to play everything ranging from Atari to N64 (even higher depending on the processor, memory, vid card and HD space). As I had already been experimenting with gamepads on the emulators on my current computer I figured that I would just have two gamepads attached to the MC which would control everything within the unit. After speaking with my IT guys I found the model of the computers and started researching small/mini/micro computers.
This search became much like Goldilocks and the 3 bears with some being too big, some too small (amazingly enough) and some seeming just right for the application. The result was that I found a computer that was even smaller than the ones at work and even looked better. You can check it out HERE. That is a pretty wicked looking computer if you ask me. Imagine it sitting under your TV and someone gawking in amazement as you explain that it is a gaming console that can play any game from the creation of gaming to today. Awwwww yeah it’s sweet like that. Anyway, that is my new obsession, developing this project and getting it underway. The only obstacle is the price of one of those AOpen babies, they start at around $300 for low end systems so getting the wife to buy in will be difficult. I got $300 lying around from Christmas but I was planning on using that towards a new laptop later in the year when college kids are lured into purchasing for the new year and the dual core processors are standard.
And yes…..once again this post proves that I am a geek. Alas I am already married and can not appear on my new guilty pleasure Beauty and the Geek.
January 29th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
I guess you are going to need some usb hubs though. With only two usb ports and no keyboard or mouse ports, if you want to add any controllers, you will need more ports. While you are at it, add a usb tv capture card and a usb HDD. Then, when you are not playing games, you can use it as a TIVO. Or load all of your MP3s on it and hook it up to your stereo to use as a jukebox. I am thinking of doing the same thing only not as small. Basically I am thinking of using it as a Home Theatre PC (burn all my DVD movies on the HD), Media Library (Music (jukebox) and Pictures(for a neat slideshow on the TV)), TIVO, and emulator. I was thinking of something more along the lines of this: http://www.moneual.com/product/item.html?num=1006031&spec=5
February 1st, 2007 at 3:14 pm
Have you talked to Spearman about his? Half the fun of the box is the fact it is old school. There is something to say about having lower back pain in your twenties and early thirties becasue you spent your Friday night leaning over the big box, bitching because your Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter II character won’t do their special move when you instruct them.