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Monday, September 06, 2004
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Nurve Networks LLC unveils The XGameStation Micro Edition
Complete with all the tools for game development, Nurve hopes to bridge the gap between game development and learning the knowledge it takes to develop a game.
Nurve Networks LLC unveils what is undoubtedly the most unexpected kind of new video game system: one that users will learn how to design, program and build themselves.
Video games generate billions of dollars in revenue each year and game programming books occupy rows of bookstore shelf space. Video game development has made its way into college curriculums and entire game programming universities have emerged. But, video games run on advanced hardware, the design of which is a black art that few understand.
For over a decade, books by Computer Scientist and best-selling game development author Andre' LaMothe (his latest title "Tricks of the 3D Game Programming Gurus") have taught generations of game developers to create today's cutting-edge video games. Now, his focus is changing from video game software to video game hardware with the unveiling of the XGameStation Micro Edition, a revolutionary new video game system that offers users what no PlayStation or XBOX can - knowledge. While the other systems duke it out in a never-ending battle of polygon counts and shader passes, the XGameStation is less about upgrading its own hardware and more about upgrading your grey matter.
The XGameStation Micro Edition (XGS ME) is a complete game development kit inspired by classic systems such as the Atari 2600, 800, Apple II, C64 and Nintendo Entertainment System. The XGS kit includes a fully-assembled XGS unit with all necessary cables and accessories, a full-length eBook written by Andre LaMothe on the design and programming of the XGS along with all the software necessary to create your own games, demos, and experiments. The book introduces the reader to analog/digital engineering, then gradually explores the entire design of the XGS's hardware and software.
Armed with a complete understanding of how the system was built and operates, users then create their own games or play games made by their peers. The online community at xgamestation.com completes the system's appeal, providing a place for XGameStation developers to share ideas, software and even discuss hardware modifications. As the holy wars continue over which console is better, XGameStation unites gamers, hobbyists and students in a single community where the goal is not to prove who has the best specs, but to work together for a common goal of learning, understanding and pushing the system's limits.
The system plugs into any NTSC/PAL TV and supports vintage Atari 2600 controllers as well as a PS/2 keyboard. XGameStation Micro Edition games and applications are stored on internal processor Flash, allowing users to develop and download their games from a PC using the accompanying tools.
In short, by empowering hobbyists and game developers with a game platform they can truly call their own, the XGameStation Micro Edition is reviving the magic of programming and hardware hacking for systems like the Apple II, Atari 800 and Commodore 64. For the first time in history, the engineers of tomorrow's cutting edge video game systems will learn and build their skills using one from today.
Posted by on 09/06 at 11:09 PM
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