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Envizions Announces Next Generation 3-D Online-User Open Source Community For EVO Smart Console, Our Universe
Open source EVO combines both 3-D community and multi-player delivery service
For Immediate Release
ANNISTON, Ala. Apr 16, 2009 --- Envizions Computer Entertainment Corporation today announce its 3-D online community service for the EVO Smart Console. The open source 3-D community will be known as "Our Universe." The new open platform will allow users to create their own avatars and explore a real-time virtual world.
Our Universe beta is expected to go live in the last quarter of 2009. The Our Universe moniker is homage to open source development, meaning that Envizions 3-D online community platform belongs to everyone.
Unlike other 3-D online communities, the Envizions' Our Universe will have a sub-plot story line for users that require a more-game entertainment challenge; other users may simply want to meet new friends, download new content, watch videos, communicate with friends and demo new open source games.
An additional feature allows users to upload content from their EVO console to their Our Universe world. Users can travel from Earth to other planets based on special achievements.
The Our Universe platform will also support gamers to connect with other gamers for online multi-player game delivery service. More details and pricing for the online component for this service will be available over the coming months.
Presented as an open source platform, developers can create new worlds, environments and characters. Open source developers can also utilize Envizions' e-commerce services and launch new games. The platform will use an open source 3-D server platform, to be named in the future.
Terrence Johnson, director of Envizions' operations, stated, "Envizions will contribute code to the project and is excited to work with other developers. Our Universe will launch directly from the EVO Mirrors X interface link. We want our customer base to know that EVO will operate similarly to other virtual world applications but provide an expanded features-set and storyline theme.
The Our Universe viral campaign was kickstarted at BlackFridayProject.com (http://www.blackfridayproject.com) a month ago, accompanied by several other EVO surprises.
EVO is the first open source convergence system to combine PC, DVR, Gaming Hub, Cloud, and Internet TV in an all-in-one device. Currently beta units are been shipped to customers, partners, and distributors. The suggested retail price for the system is $379.99, and 9 classic Linux games are available April 29, 2009.
About Envizions Computer Entertainment Corporation
Envizions Computer Entertainment Corporation was incorporated on August 10, 2004, and founded by Derrick Samuels. With main headquarters located at 801-5 Noble Street, Anniston, Ala., the company is involved in electronic devices, media, and publishing. The company's most ambitious project is the highly anticipated EVO Smart Console. For more information, visit EnvizionsCorp.com (http://www.envizionscorp.com), and NVETV.tv (http://www.nvetv.tv).
Quote:Original post by AvatarOfChange
Currently beta units are been shipped to customers, partners, and distributors. The suggested retail price for the system is $379.99, and 9 classic Linux games are available April 29, 2009.
What's the price of an X-Box in America?
While its nice to see that someone has actually brought a linux-based console to market after the failed Indreama and Tuxbox project, I just don't see them being successful until they shift away from the PC-based platform these projects always pursue.
The reason being, is that they simply cannot compete on cost or distinguish themselves in the market. They can't include cutting-edge hardware because it costs too much, so they rely on older technology that, even then, wasn't at the cutting edge, just to keep the retail price within the realm of reason. They can't subsidize the hardware, because they don't seem to have a way to monetize on software sales. Ultimately, this leaves them as nothing more than they really are, a Linux PC that calls itself a console.
If someone ever wants to come along and do it right, I think the plan would look something like this:
1 - Drop the PC platform; its just too damn expensive. Adopt a Media-centric ARM SOC instead, such as the Omap3530 (Pandora portable, Beagleboard) or the i.MX515 (upcoming ARM-based netbooks) or nVidia's Tegra. Any of these chips can create something capable of performance in the range of the Dreamcast or PS2, in 480p resolution. Furthermore, *I*, myself, can order an Omap3530 chip in single-unit quantities for about $75 USD. For my money, I get a super-scalar ARM Cortex A-8 core with SIMD running at 600Mhz, I get a DSP for Video and audio codecs, I get a programmable OpenGL|ES 2.0 GPU, I get 256 megs of on-chip flash for OS and system files, I get 128 megs of on-chip DDR RAM, and a host of other small features. Its time these folks stop trying to make an open-source PS3 (while ending up with an open-source XBox) and start trying to make an open-source PS2 (which is entirely feasible). Texas Instruments' Omap3530-based beagle board sells for $150 USD, and turns a profit for both TI and the distributor, Digikey. There's no reason you couldn't make an open-source Dreamcast/PS2 and break even at a $130 price point.
2 - Physical media is for retail-bound players. Distribute all software through something like Apple's AppStore. Eliminate the reliance on retail shelf-space, eliminate shipping, and go directly to the consumer's hard-drive. This also gives them a way to monetize on software sales -- the big players get maybe $5-10 USD on each $60 USD game sold (10-20%), Apple keeps 30% of each AppStore sale, I'd be willing to bet that keeping 25-30% of sales would provide the sustained profitability they need to succeed, but also a means of attracting developers.
3 - Monetize on open-source staples. Games like quake 1, 2 and 3 have long been popular in the homebrew like scene that surrounds these types of devices due to iD's support in releasing source code. The problem though, is that the game resources are not open-source, requiring the user to track down an old disc release, and possibly run some extraction tools on the data to make the game complete. I'm certain that iD would be happy to license the content into an easy-to-use package. Sell the full game for 10 bucks, give away the engine-only version for free for those who have the disc already. $7 in iD's pocket, $3 in the hardware manufacturers.
4 - Concentrate on what counts. These companies always pile on features in order to try to justify their hardware costs. The primary example is DVR features which, while it makes a nice bullet point, I think most people who want a DVR at this point, have one. This doesn't mean you can't do PC-like things, such as web browsing and streaming audio/video -- in fact, you should do everything that adds value to the platform, you just have to be careful that software features aren't used as an excuse to justify expensive hardware decisions.
Look at what we see today in the game industry -- AAA titles are costing so much money that even big-name platform exclusives are largely a thing of the past. We've seen the up-surge of downloadable game content: The AppStore, Xbox Live Arcade, Community Games, PS Store, Full last-gen games from xbox, PS2 and PS1, downloadable classics on Nintendo's Wii... These are trends that are the up-and-comers. Re-monetizing older software is hugely profitable, as are the kinds of small-scale games you find on Live Arcade, PS Store and WiiWare. Furthermore, the type of independent developers a non-mainstream device will attract aren't able to compete with AAA Xbox 360 titles, but they are able to compete with any of the downloadable content we've seen, and even much of the retail software (for better or worse) that we see on the Wii.
The reason being, is that they simply cannot compete on cost or distinguish themselves in the market. They can't include cutting-edge hardware because it costs too much, so they rely on older technology that, even then, wasn't at the cutting edge, just to keep the retail price within the realm of reason. They can't subsidize the hardware, because they don't seem to have a way to monetize on software sales. Ultimately, this leaves them as nothing more than they really are, a Linux PC that calls itself a console.
If someone ever wants to come along and do it right, I think the plan would look something like this:
1 - Drop the PC platform; its just too damn expensive. Adopt a Media-centric ARM SOC instead, such as the Omap3530 (Pandora portable, Beagleboard) or the i.MX515 (upcoming ARM-based netbooks) or nVidia's Tegra. Any of these chips can create something capable of performance in the range of the Dreamcast or PS2, in 480p resolution. Furthermore, *I*, myself, can order an Omap3530 chip in single-unit quantities for about $75 USD. For my money, I get a super-scalar ARM Cortex A-8 core with SIMD running at 600Mhz, I get a DSP for Video and audio codecs, I get a programmable OpenGL|ES 2.0 GPU, I get 256 megs of on-chip flash for OS and system files, I get 128 megs of on-chip DDR RAM, and a host of other small features. Its time these folks stop trying to make an open-source PS3 (while ending up with an open-source XBox) and start trying to make an open-source PS2 (which is entirely feasible). Texas Instruments' Omap3530-based beagle board sells for $150 USD, and turns a profit for both TI and the distributor, Digikey. There's no reason you couldn't make an open-source Dreamcast/PS2 and break even at a $130 price point.
2 - Physical media is for retail-bound players. Distribute all software through something like Apple's AppStore. Eliminate the reliance on retail shelf-space, eliminate shipping, and go directly to the consumer's hard-drive. This also gives them a way to monetize on software sales -- the big players get maybe $5-10 USD on each $60 USD game sold (10-20%), Apple keeps 30% of each AppStore sale, I'd be willing to bet that keeping 25-30% of sales would provide the sustained profitability they need to succeed, but also a means of attracting developers.
3 - Monetize on open-source staples. Games like quake 1, 2 and 3 have long been popular in the homebrew like scene that surrounds these types of devices due to iD's support in releasing source code. The problem though, is that the game resources are not open-source, requiring the user to track down an old disc release, and possibly run some extraction tools on the data to make the game complete. I'm certain that iD would be happy to license the content into an easy-to-use package. Sell the full game for 10 bucks, give away the engine-only version for free for those who have the disc already. $7 in iD's pocket, $3 in the hardware manufacturers.
4 - Concentrate on what counts. These companies always pile on features in order to try to justify their hardware costs. The primary example is DVR features which, while it makes a nice bullet point, I think most people who want a DVR at this point, have one. This doesn't mean you can't do PC-like things, such as web browsing and streaming audio/video -- in fact, you should do everything that adds value to the platform, you just have to be careful that software features aren't used as an excuse to justify expensive hardware decisions.
Look at what we see today in the game industry -- AAA titles are costing so much money that even big-name platform exclusives are largely a thing of the past. We've seen the up-surge of downloadable game content: The AppStore, Xbox Live Arcade, Community Games, PS Store, Full last-gen games from xbox, PS2 and PS1, downloadable classics on Nintendo's Wii... These are trends that are the up-and-comers. Re-monetizing older software is hugely profitable, as are the kinds of small-scale games you find on Live Arcade, PS Store and WiiWare. Furthermore, the type of independent developers a non-mainstream device will attract aren't able to compete with AAA Xbox 360 titles, but they are able to compete with any of the downloadable content we've seen, and even much of the retail software (for better or worse) that we see on the Wii.
Author
The Evo Smart Console has brand new, expensive hardware that makes it a very strong system. Check the specs and you will see. How we offer this for the price that we do is very simple.
Also, if there weren't more and more people wanting DVR everyday, then there would be a few large companies going out of business. What's more important is that all those TiVo & DVR users could save a stack of money by switching to the Evo because the Evo's DVR capabilities come without monthly fees.
I like your your plan though. You should give it a try and maybe we will meet at Linux World. I wish you the best of luck.
Also, if there weren't more and more people wanting DVR everyday, then there would be a few large companies going out of business. What's more important is that all those TiVo & DVR users could save a stack of money by switching to the Evo because the Evo's DVR capabilities come without monthly fees.
I like your your plan though. You should give it a try and maybe we will meet at Linux World. I wish you the best of luck.
No offense, but if you want to give this an honest chance, you may want to present it better. The current website doesn't have a very professional look, contains spelling and grammar errors and starts playing fairly annoying background music on every page.
He moved it to the appropriate forum. Apparently you posted it in the wrong forum. Consider it a service.
Quote:Original post by AvatarOfChange
what do you mean?
He moved it to the appropriate forum. Apparently you posted it in the wrong forum. Consider it a service.
Author
I really do appreciate the move.
I'm told that, with a little programming experience, one could run wine on the console.
The websites are always being updated. Thank you for your input. The music will either be changed or there will be an option to turn it off.
We humbly accept any and all suggestions.
I'm told that, with a little programming experience, one could run wine on the console.
The websites are always being updated. Thank you for your input. The music will either be changed or there will be an option to turn it off.
We humbly accept any and all suggestions.
This topic is closed to new replies.
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