I find programming for consoles utterly confusing trying to understand others. I may be a kind of new programmer but I want to start my own console. Would anyone like to help OR give me some tutorial links? I know about 5 programming languages and each one touched slightly(except javascript, html, and libertybasic which I have tried hitting hard on) I am hoping on building a whole new console. I don't care if its even simpler then the nes was. Oh, by the way, it may help- I know electronics too. may be helpful
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New Console
Started by brandonman, Apr 06 2006 04:19 PM
32 replies to this topic
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#2 Members - Reputation: 300
Posted 06 April 2006 - 04:33 PM
You may be interested in the XGameStation. Looks really cool for tinkerers, and goes into everything from hardware design, Verilog, FPGAs, to designing the software API and making games for it.
#7 Members - Reputation: 794
Posted 06 April 2006 - 05:08 PM
A console would be rather difficult to make from scratch and would be very difficult to sell (that is, if you plan on selling it).
Again, this is NOT a chatroom.
Quote:
Original post by brandonman
It was active earlier on the forums...quiet now.
Again, this is NOT a chatroom.
#8 Members - Reputation: 102
Posted 06 April 2006 - 05:21 PM
talking to you roboguy, I don't plan on distributing it quite yet. If you all could post some tutorials on here overnight, dat would be great. I have to go to bed so anyone who comes here, don't expect me to reply. Still looking for tutorials...zzzzzzzzz
#9 Members - Reputation: 794
Posted 06 April 2006 - 06:18 PM
Quote:
Original post by brandonman
talking to you roboguy, I don't plan on distributing it quite yet. If you all could post some tutorials on here overnight, dat would be great. I have to go to bed so anyone who comes here, don't expect me to reply. Still looking for tutorials...zzzzzzzzz
Tutorials on what? Making consoles? I doubt there would be many on that (if any).
#10 Members - Reputation: 300
Posted 06 April 2006 - 06:29 PM
Quote:
Original post by brandonman
I am in desperate need. would give me something to do and would be easier to program for I am guessing. Even if it's harder, I would be proud and take the extra time so plz post some links you might find.
If you're this deperate, frankly, this project is probably above you. Though it is not an impossible task, if you find other consoles "utterly confusing", what makes you think you'll be able to accomplish the task of making your own? This sounds like a wholly unrealistic project, but feel free to prove me wrong..
#11 Members - Reputation: 1988
Posted 06 April 2006 - 07:04 PM
To design a console from scratch, you need more than 10 years of solid working experience in digital electronics, and you need to be extremely good in the trade.
In addition, you need a very robust software design skillset, to be able to define at least the programming interface to the console - and you would have to provide samples and proof-of-concepts as well as documentation and help for your development kits.
To manufacture a console prototype, you'll need a vast amount of custom chips and electronics which can cost a pretty penny. Also, you'll need to be capable of microelectronic manufacturing to solder all this electronics together - if you have looked inside a NES, for example, some of the solders are extremely tiny (even more so in modern consoles).
To sell the idea and the actual console, you'll need extremely good marketing skills and you need to be generally convincing. I'm sorry to say this, but you show no signs of either at this time.
In short, you could as well say, "I'll climb to the moon with the ladder I built last week".
If you're still willing to learn how to make a console, I recommend you start studying hard for the next ten years or so, then re-assessing the situation, repeating studying as necessary, and finally build the machine if you're still interested in doing so.
Kind regards,
In addition, you need a very robust software design skillset, to be able to define at least the programming interface to the console - and you would have to provide samples and proof-of-concepts as well as documentation and help for your development kits.
To manufacture a console prototype, you'll need a vast amount of custom chips and electronics which can cost a pretty penny. Also, you'll need to be capable of microelectronic manufacturing to solder all this electronics together - if you have looked inside a NES, for example, some of the solders are extremely tiny (even more so in modern consoles).
To sell the idea and the actual console, you'll need extremely good marketing skills and you need to be generally convincing. I'm sorry to say this, but you show no signs of either at this time.
In short, you could as well say, "I'll climb to the moon with the ladder I built last week".
If you're still willing to learn how to make a console, I recommend you start studying hard for the next ten years or so, then re-assessing the situation, repeating studying as necessary, and finally build the machine if you're still interested in doing so.
Kind regards,
Niko Suni
Software developer
Software developer
#12 Moderators - Reputation: 7553
Posted 07 April 2006 - 04:57 AM
Quote:
Original post by Roboguy
Tutorials on what? Making consoles? I doubt there would be many on that (if any).
Sure there are. They are called "Electronic Engineering classes". You can find them at your local University. You can also find tutorials at places like this.
They aren't free, and they aren't easy. Of course, manufacturing the hardware needed for a game console is neither cheap nor easy as well.
You're not going to find one that says "Instructions on making your own XBox console on a whole lot of really big breadboards", but everything you need can be found in those publications.
#13 Crossbones+ - Reputation: 3292
Posted 07 April 2006 - 05:36 AM
didn't you have a thread where you couldn't find a game engine to use? now you wanna build a console... from scratch. sorry, i can't be as nice as everyone here. you need to slow down and start with the basics. learn a language, make some programs, learn an API, make an application (or game). learn some more. in that order.
#14 Members - Reputation: 126
Posted 07 April 2006 - 02:23 PM
Why don't you want to use XGameStation? Sure, it comes with a premade console, but it also come with an ebook that describes everything you need to make the console(and how it all works). Of course, you'll need to program in Assembly, which is pretty difficult for new programmers.
#15 Members - Reputation: 252
Posted 08 April 2006 - 04:07 PM
Making a new game console shouldn't be that hard, if you have previous electronics experience. Basically, what you need is:
-> A graphics board, which is basically a circuit board that interfaces the game console to the display (which is most probably a TV screen). It will have the logic required to translate something like "Set pixel 21x4's colour to red" into a command that the display will understand. You can make this more advanced and add things like shader support.
-> A main processing board, which will have memory to store your game (this could be loaded from, for example, a game cd, but you will probably want to store this in an EEPROM for now), a main processor that will run your game, and some RAM. This main board should be connected to the graphics board, to which it will send graphic commands. Any keypads or user inputs should also be added here. Optional audio circuitry is also to be interfaced here.
How you would operate this system is that you would program your game on, for example, a PC, and then download that onto the EEPROM, from which the processor will load the game and excecute it when power is supplied to the console.
Now, you might be wondering, how do you implement this? Well luckily, a company named Parallax provides some cheap materials to build this system. You will need to order:
http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=27112 (your processor board)
http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=30012 (your graphics board)
This, in total, will cost you about $60.00. You can easily use these components in another circuit though.
First, you can connect the graphics board to the BS1 (processor) board, and then you can download your game onto the console. The programming language for the BS1 is pretty simple, and talking to the graphics board is also straightforward.
Everything, including how to download a program onto the BS1 is clearly documented on their website.
By modern standards, this system will obviously be a bit old, but it offers an excellent starting point. You can slowly then add features, and then maybe one day, who knows, this might be the new competition for the 360! (It's going a bit far now).
Good Luck!
-> A graphics board, which is basically a circuit board that interfaces the game console to the display (which is most probably a TV screen). It will have the logic required to translate something like "Set pixel 21x4's colour to red" into a command that the display will understand. You can make this more advanced and add things like shader support.
-> A main processing board, which will have memory to store your game (this could be loaded from, for example, a game cd, but you will probably want to store this in an EEPROM for now), a main processor that will run your game, and some RAM. This main board should be connected to the graphics board, to which it will send graphic commands. Any keypads or user inputs should also be added here. Optional audio circuitry is also to be interfaced here.
How you would operate this system is that you would program your game on, for example, a PC, and then download that onto the EEPROM, from which the processor will load the game and excecute it when power is supplied to the console.
Now, you might be wondering, how do you implement this? Well luckily, a company named Parallax provides some cheap materials to build this system. You will need to order:
http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=27112 (your processor board)
http://www.parallax.com/detail.asp?product_id=30012 (your graphics board)
This, in total, will cost you about $60.00. You can easily use these components in another circuit though.
First, you can connect the graphics board to the BS1 (processor) board, and then you can download your game onto the console. The programming language for the BS1 is pretty simple, and talking to the graphics board is also straightforward.
Everything, including how to download a program onto the BS1 is clearly documented on their website.
By modern standards, this system will obviously be a bit old, but it offers an excellent starting point. You can slowly then add features, and then maybe one day, who knows, this might be the new competition for the 360! (It's going a bit far now).
Good Luck!
#16 Members - Reputation: 252
Posted 08 April 2006 - 04:15 PM
One more thing...
If you are thinking that you're a bit advanced to be using a microcontroller like BS1, you might want to look into www.microchip.com. They make cheap microcontrollers, for one or two dollars you can get a pretty decent microcontroller for your game system.
Some good links:
http://www.rentron.com/Myke3.htm
http://www.rentron.com/Myke4.htm
[Edited by - AcePilot on April 9, 2006 6:15:01 PM]
If you are thinking that you're a bit advanced to be using a microcontroller like BS1, you might want to look into www.microchip.com. They make cheap microcontrollers, for one or two dollars you can get a pretty decent microcontroller for your game system.
Some good links:
http://www.rentron.com/Myke3.htm
http://www.rentron.com/Myke4.htm
[Edited by - AcePilot on April 9, 2006 6:15:01 PM]
#20 Members - Reputation: 300
Posted 14 April 2006 - 05:50 AM
Quote:
Original post by brandonman
Hello. any true good tutorials you may have found yet? I've googled it tons of times and only come up with things about big companies making new games and consoles. Has anyone else found better?
I think I said this before, but if you're this desperate for other people to find "tutorials" for you, are you sure you're ready for this? There have been two good suggestions already (AcePilot's BASIC stamp and the XGameStation), what exactly are you looking for? If these two suggestions can't get you started, this project is probably too difficult for you.
