Scientific-Atlanta Mulling Video Game Set-Top Box

pooh, thats nothing by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-04 05:27 · Score: 3, Funny

i will only consider it if and when it performs better than the phantom.

Re:pooh, thats nothing by Thrymm · 2004-03-04 06:03 · Score: 1

Retrack those comments hence a lawsuit on you from those Phantom peeps! :)
Re:pooh, thats nothing by __aaklfb6460 · 2004-03-04 06:03 · Score: 1

hehe..if u wanna see whether it performs better than phantom, you've gotta wait for BOTH to come out!! Then compare the two. ;) Leaving that adide,the concept is very original.It'll be interesting how things turn up. I just hope its not another vapourware product though it 'sounds' very much like one (ie, very ambitious concept and not proven in the market before). Its a high risk,high return project. Lets see what happens.
Re:pooh, thats nothing by 5+Second+Rule · 2004-03-04 07:04 · Score: 3, Funny

You state that you will only consider it if and when it performs better than the Phantom. The innuendo is that the Phantom does not exist, performs poorly and is generally a laughable piece of vaporware. You can expect a C&D statement shortly.

-The Infinium Labs Lawyers

Whatever they pay him, it's too much by NSash · 2004-03-04 05:27 · Score: 4, Funny

"I can give (game players) the same performance you get out of those game boxes," he added.

Now here's a man who sounds like he knows what he's doing!

Re:Whatever they pay him, it's too much by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-04 05:35 · Score: 0

"I fixed the internet"

-PHB
Re:Whatever they pay him, it's too much by cgenman · 2004-03-04 06:07 · Score: 3, Funny

Bob from accounting: "My kids really love their Xbox thingie, and we already use Windows in our boxes. Why not make a hybrid box?"

James the CEO: "Why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?"

Bob from accounting: "That doesn't make any sense."

James the CEO: "Then they'll never see it coming."

--
The ______ Agenda

I call vaporware! by MonkeyCookie · 2004-03-04 05:29 · Score: 5, Insightful

I can give (game players) the same performance you get out of those game boxes

Details? It takes quite a bit of effort and expense to produce a good, fast, modern gaming console that is as good as currently existing ones. I'm rather skeptical that a cable box company will follow through on such a plan.

I can see them making a gaming box that plays simpler less resource-intense games, like solitaire and tetris, but a console to match the current top consoles? I doubt they'll get that far. With the lack of details, I'm pretty sure they haven't even reached the phase where they begin the actual engineering of the box. It's just an idea in the head of some executives right now

I predict vaporware

Re:I call vaporware! by EnglishTim · 2004-03-04 06:00 · Score: 1

They've already got boxes playing tetris, solitaire and the like. I don't see why they shouldn't try and do something to compete with the other big players, after all they may be able to make a more expensive box and get the money back with the cable subscription fees, in much the same way that mobile phone handset manufacturers do at the moment.

Current console manufacturers do a similar thing, but have to make money off software licensing, which is a much less reliable source of income.
Re:I call vaporware! by MBCook · 2004-03-04 06:02 · Score: 2, Insightful

Well, that statement shows that he doesn't know what he's talking about (at least thats what I get out of it). It's all well and good to have a powerfull system, but that doesn't mean anything as the 3DO and other systems have shown us.
It takes GAMES. The power isn't all that important. The GBA is far and away the best selling system out there right now, as the GameBoy was before it. Both are ludicrously underpowered compared to everything else on the market, but one of the major reasons they are successful is that they have great games. If there is one thing that companies (should have) learned by now, it's flashing graphics don't make good games. If the game looks half decent but plays great, it's a great game. There are plenty of games that really don't look that great that are amazing (Animal Crossing comes to mind).
It doesn't matter if he puts a one of the most powerfull comptuers in the world in every subscriber's house. If the games aren't their focus, it's doomed.

--
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.
Re:I call vaporware! by Overdrive_SS · 2004-03-04 06:08 · Score: 4, Interesting

I don't know. I remember being in a hotel and having the original super mario bros and a few other games available to play on demand. I assume the cable box was responsible for the emulation, but I can't be certain. If it was and this company was responsible for that box or even has a similar offering (obviously wild speculation on my part), then I assume they have a few engineers working there with an idea of what it would take. Of course, emulating a nintendo is a far cry from creating a next generation console, especially if the emulation was all done by Nintendo, which I assume is also very likely.

So, I agree that most likely this will be vaporware or at best on par with a playstation or nintendo64, but I will at least give them the benefit of the doubt for now. More than I can say for the phantom anyways.
Re:I call vaporware! by old-lady-whispering- · 2004-03-04 06:20 · Score: 3, Interesting

Actually the original exporer was pitched to cable companies as a game delivery device along with all the other feature sets. The companies were more interested in video on demand and services like that (94-95). So no effort was made to continue to develop that feature. I believe they did have some demo games at the time. I don't recall if they actually worked though. SA also had one of the first cable modems on the market (along with Motorala and GI). They did some trials with US west with the cable modem and the explorer and I thought at the time games were part of the test. It was a long time ago and my memory is not very clear on that. It was very clear that SA and GI wanted to enable cable companies to be able to deliver games over cable back in the mid 90's. It turned out the big cable companies could only digest one new technology at a time and so video on demand was adopted. I was working on this stuff back in 93 and it looks like this is the next technology the hardware manufacturers want to push on cable companies. If it works it will sell alot of set top boxes and head end equipment. I don't believe they were or are now interested in a stand alone set top game system that you can go down to the store and buy the latest game for. Remember SA makes money selling to Time Warner and the like not you the consumer.

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The truth suffers more from convictions than from lies.
Re:I call vaporware! by nelsonal · 2004-03-04 07:46 · Score: 2, Interesting

I'm curious couldn't a company make an X-Box that downloaded games rather than sticking in a DVD? Would anything major have to change? You could either just ship the games to the console overnight as they were released or download the next level as they were playing the current one. It doesn't seem like much of a leap to me. Can anyone fill me in on the technical difficulties here?
The nice thing about a cable company console, is that the cable companies will pay a much higher price, and charge their users monthly rather than the hardware companie at best breaking even on the early consoles.

--
Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
Re:I call vaporware! by 8tim8 · 2004-03-04 07:49 · Score: 1

Details? It takes quite a bit of effort and expense to produce a good, fast, modern gaming console
Details? Why do you need details? They're Scientific Atlanta! They're squarely in the public eye for producing set top boxes and, um, microscopes? Don't they make microscopes or oscilliscopes or something like that? Something electronic?
At any rate, it's well known that to produce a video game console all you need to do is nail the hardware. The software takes care of itself because you have other people make the software for you. I'll even bet there's a VP of development who's already scheduled a meeting with EA! This video console is on schedule and on track!
Re:I call vaporware! by crazyaxemaniac · 2004-03-04 22:20 · Score: 1

*Warning*
This is a bit off-topic.

I'm impressed by the ability of the cable companies to generate revenue.

What kind of services might the typical consumer by paying for?

Digital Television $80/month (+$4/PPV movie)
Broadband Internet $40/month
VOIP Telephone $30/month
Game Box Rental $10/month (+$8/game rental)

So when it's all said and done they're collecting something like $200/month from the consumer. Nice. For our sakes I hope they have some real competition.
Re:I call vaporware! by eightball01 · 2004-03-05 06:36 · Score: 1

I've heard of them. They've been making cable boxen for around 20 years or longer now. That's just how long ago I remember seeing the Scientific Atlanta name.

Why not mention XBox? by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-04 05:29 · Score: 0

Would that have destroyed the intended pointe of quoting his incompetency?

So what? by aztektum · 2004-03-04 05:38 · Score: 1

So he can give the similar performance as Nintendo and Sony. The games are what make a system and/or company. Anyone can make a box that spits out pretty interactive pictures.

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:: aztek ::
No sig for you!!

If they really mean it... by clausiam · 2004-03-04 05:38 · Score: 4, Insightful

it would be time to dump those Scientific-Atlanta shares (if I had any).

There's just no room for a new player in this area right now. Starting up from scratch with no game support, no previous industry experience and no real synergy from other product ranges (the cable set top box is a bit peripheral), not to mention probably not with the cash reserves to carpet-bomb the consumers with marketing and ads. This is either vaporware or the downfall of SciAtl.

/Claus

Re:If they really mean it... by shaka999 · 2004-03-04 05:44 · Score: 1

Actually there is a TON os synergy. I'd bet they plan on capitalizing on game delivery rather than creation. As a set-top box this may not even come with DVD/cartridge. All games would be on demand and be charged as a service.

Its really moving the gaming model to be more like a cable TV model.

--
One should not theorize before one has data. -Sherlock Holmes-
Re:If they really mean it... by tekunokurato · 2004-03-04 06:40 · Score: 1

I'm afraid you don't know what you're talking about. SFA is poised perfectly to capitalize of game delivery, and it's the perfect way to distinguish themselves. Cable providers are consistently looking for more ways to increase revenues, and this is absolutely perfect. I'm a buy-side analyst covering the industry (the guy sitting next to me right now actually covers the company), and I can tell you that the valuation is very low right now (though I haven't checked market reaction to this announcement yet). We've tagged a price target of about $39, based on discounted cash flow analysis and P/E multiples.

--
Read jack phelps dot net
Re:If they really mean it... by nelsonal · 2004-03-04 07:49 · Score: 1

I'm a buy side analyst too. Who do you work for? Nice to see a few other financial types here.

--
Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.
Re:If they really mean it... by blincoln · 2004-03-04 11:00 · Score: 1

There's just no room for a new player in this area right now.

Yeah, the plans they've got are the same kind that led to the videogame crash in the 80s.

Sony, Nintendo, and Microsoft are too popular for something like that to happen again IMO (especially with the greater quality of games on modern consoles versus e.g. the Atari 2600), but I am sure that systems on the periphery (e.g. N-Gage, Phantom, this one) are going to be as forgotten in a few years as the Bally Astrocade and Fairchild Channel F.

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"...always new atoms but always doing the same dance, remembering what the dance was yesterday." -Richard Feynman
Re:If they really mean it... by Tenfish · 2004-03-04 13:16 · Score: 1

Particularly insightful, considering that they couldn't even get their cable boxes to change channels in a reasonable amount of time. Slowest channel-surfing EVAR.

--

--Guns don't kill people, abortion clinics kill people.
Re:If they really mean it... by tekunokurato · 2004-03-04 14:21 · Score: 1

I'm an undergraduate (senior) on a student team (four undergrads, twelve graduates) that manages a chunk of the Babson College endowment. I agree that there frequently aren't enough people with finance knowledge on Slashdot -- whenever a company does something, people cry about or hype up its stock without a good understanding of the financial impact.

Yourself?

--
Read jack phelps dot net
Re:If they really mean it... by nelsonal · 2004-03-05 05:13 · Score: 1

I'm at the state pension fund in Montana, the pay sucks compared to NY, but my 40 hr week and my sub 10 minute commute more than make up for it (including a coffee stop).

--
Degaussing scares the bad magnetism out of the monitor and fills it with good karma.

Endless possibilities, but I doubt the success by almaon · 2004-03-04 05:39 · Score: 2, Insightful

I could forsee this company being able to make a competitive (but not superior) game platform modeled into a cable box.

Take the xbox for example, when it comes down to it, it's nothing more than a glorified PC with some proprietary bits thrown here and there with the dashboard frontend. I could see these guys at least being able to come up with some nvidia/x86 based guts to put in their cablebox.

You could get even more ghetto, go mini-itx, linux frontend and the rest of the digital cable crap in there for good measure. I think it could be easily done...

What I don't believe is that they'll be successful in launching this fabled platform and get games developed for it. Which is kinda a bummer, I believe that digital content delivery over broadband is gonna happen, but I just don't think these guys are gonna be the ones to pull this off.

Sega had a testmarket for SegaTV out of Chattanooga, TN, a little different, but similar in some ways. Had a gizmo that hooked up to a Sega Genesis and you could download games off of the cable straight into the box. At the time, it wasn't that cool cause you were limited by the number of titles and the cost. A good model is gonna have to be in place to pull games-on-demand off, but before then you'll need the games. Titles people are going to want to play, that's the biggest hangup I see.

Software can be such a risk, a lot of time, money and capital invested in the hopeful success, taking a risk on a flakey positioned product like a game/cable box to me, sounds dangerous. Especially with matured platforms from Sony/Nintendo/MS have proven theirselves to be safe markets.

Who knows, that's the fun thing about the future. You can sit back and arm-chair analyze it to death, but you won't know till it's done and over with. God bless 20:20 hindsight.

Re:Endless possibilities, but I doubt the success by Kyouryuu · 2004-03-04 07:37 · Score: 1

Like you, I don't see it as an inheritly bad idea either. It has potential, especially if they keep rates low.
For example, imagine that you had a setup console box and subscribed to your cable company's gaming network. For a flat monthly fee, you could play any game you wanted on the network. Like changing channels with a remote, you could change games. High-speed multiplayer would obviously follow.
Which is not to say that Scientific-Atlanta will make good on the idea. I'm just saying that it has potential.
Re:Endless possibilities, but I doubt the success by MMaestro · 2004-03-04 14:13 · Score: 1

Take the xbox for example, when it comes down to it, it's nothing more than a glorified PC with some proprietary bits thrown here and there with the dashboard frontend.
True the Xbox is really nothing more than a glorifed closed off PC in a box (unless you mod it of course). But what the Xbox has that makes it so unique is the fact that Microsoft is getting developers to work on games ONLY for that system (Bungie).
If, say IBM, was to build a closed off PC in a box; the market would never accept it without a ton of preplanning done by IBM. It was possible for the Xbox to break into the market with its off the shelf parts, because it BOUGHT its way in. Other companies? Pfft, pocket change compared to what Microsoft spends to keep the Xbox in the game.
Re:Endless possibilities, but I doubt the success by UserChrisCanter4 · 2004-03-05 08:56 · Score: 1

Sega had a testmarket for SegaTV out of Chattanooga, TN, a little different, but similar in some ways. Had a gizmo that hooked up to a Sega Genesis and you could download games off of the cable straight into the box. At the time, it wasn't that cool cause you were limited by the number of titles and the cost.

What you speak of was eventually marketed nationwide as the sega channel. While the test market may have shown it to be "not so cool", it actually had a reasonably succesful run, and I have some fond memories of playing Sega channel when I was younger.

The box had the same amount of Flash RAM as your higher-end Genesis cart, and you had about 50 games to choose from each month. If I recall correctly, it added $10 to our cable bill monthly, with no charge for the equipment, which really made for a pretty reasonable expense when you consider that game rentals were already running close to the $4 mark at that time.

You're correct, though, the reason sega channel succeeded was because of the cartridge based system it was used for. Neraly every game could fit in a 3MB flash ram area. The genesis had an established market and plenty of games already. I wouldn't ever see it being a viable solution as a stand-alone product, but every once in a while I kind of miss those days.

Not such a bad idea - if they keep it simple by lightspawn · 2004-03-04 05:43 · Score: 4, Insightful

I'm sure many non-console-owning cable customers would just love being able to play solitaire and bejeweled on their television - and remember these kinds of software take a very short time to develop. How many people would actually pay $5 a month for 20 games or so? I'm not talking specifically about you or the people you know, but the normal cable customer base.

So the simple puzzle games may not be such a bad idea, and if you can port a Sega Genesis (say) emulator or even add actual on-board hardware to run Genesis software you have a library of hundreds of real titles. Pay $5, play Sonic for up to 30 days. Not a bad deal for some people. Again, not for you, but for some people.

Now, as far as modern games are concerned, there are two ways to go about it. Convergence (combo cable box + xbox + DVR) which may or may not make sense to some people (but not to us) and developing a new competing next-gen platform which is probably not such a good plan.

Re:Not such a bad idea - if they keep it simple by Mandoric · 2004-03-04 06:38 · Score: 1

Genesis gaming-on-demand over cable was tried in the mid-90s. It bombed.
Re:Not such a bad idea - if they keep it simple by ronfar · 2004-03-04 06:41 · Score: 3, Interesting

Hmm... whatever happened to Pace and their Dreamcast set top box:
Sega/Pace Dreamcast Set-Top-Box Revealed.
I think it is this one, but there isn't much information on the games:
IP420
I remember this as one of the great, "let's throw the disgruntled say-it-ain't-so Dreamcast fans a bone so they won't realize they've got a dead platform" stories that the Dreamcast sections of game magazines were running when it was clear that time was running out for the Dreamcast.

--
All the creatures will die, And all the things will be broken. That's the law of samurai. (Jubai, 1605)
Re:Not such a bad idea - if they keep it simple by blincoln · 2004-03-04 11:02 · Score: 1

I'm sure many non-console-owning cable customers would just love being able to play solitaire and bejeweled on their television

I'm not so sure. Remember the Nuon? It was basically the same concept, except it bundled the game system into your DVD player. It failed pretty spectacularly.

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"...always new atoms but always doing the same dance, remembering what the dance was yesterday." -Richard Feynman

What ever happened to...standardization? by b0r0din · 2004-03-04 05:48 · Score: 4, Insightful

'There is no question that games is one... market we will be in.'"

The "..." stands for overloaded.

I think it's a good idea, but right now, you've got three pretty massive players in Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo. If you ask me, that's already one too many. I didn't mind it when pretty much only Sega and Nintendo were there, but when these companies start making excellent games ONLY for one system, you aren't serving your clientele, you're forcing them to choose your product or another. This is sort of like the VHS. Remember the Betamax issue? In the end, there was only one format. This is not the case in video games. Instead of one standard, we're forced to use all these proprietary game systems if we want to play all the best games. If you think about it, most hardware manufacturers have standards. Everyone agreed on CD and DVD standards, and for the most part PC standards. (well, until it came time for DVD-R and DVD+R, but I won't even go into that.)

Yet none of this seems to faze the video game world. So now we're going to have yet another competitor, not even counting the Infinium Labs Phantom system, in the market. And Nokia with its N-Gage, and now Sony in the handheld market too? Wow, can you think of a worse time to try and enter a market? And this just pushes the whole ownership issue, with cable able to control the content it provides.

Re:What ever happened to...standardization? by MBCook · 2004-03-04 05:57 · Score: 2, Interesting

Personally I doubt we'll ever hear of this thing again, but this guy has one major edge over the competition: his product is free.
Most people don't buy their cable boxes. They rent them from the cable company as part of their bill. If the cable company adds video games to the cable box and still charges you the same ammount per month for the box, most people won't say no. That means he get in for free. If you make the games a sensible price (and GOOD, which is the most important part) he could make some money. I don't think he'll ever be a real part of the video games industry with this thing, but he could still do a decent business and make some money.
He has a chance to break into the market becuase he'll be in the home. Now if you have to pay extra money for the box (like $200 up front), or the rental fee is higher, or the games suck or cost too much, he's dead. But if he does things right, he's got a chance to do decently.
But I can't see this EVER being any real player of any kind in the industry unless his boxes are so popular that nearly every cable company is willing to use these boxes.

--
Comment forecast: Bits of genius surrounded by a sea of mediocrity.

If it's anything like their DVR... by martone66 · 2004-03-04 05:55 · Score: 3, Informative

...then it will be a major failure. I have the Scientific Atlanta Explorer 8000 DVR ($10/month through Comcast) and the thing is a major POS. The interface is terrible. Occasionally I have to wait 10-20 seconds for the channel to change while the recorder catches up. Sometimes the box dies, and has to reboot itself. Oh, and from time to time it forgets about its recording schedule.

Its only advantages over Tivo are the fact that it can record 2 channels at the same time, and doesn't require a landline connection (don't have one).

It seems like a product that was rushed to market. Given their track record with this, I can't help but think that a game system produced by them would be a major flop.

Re:If it's anything like their DVR... by LordNimon · 2004-03-04 07:04 · Score: 1

The DirecTV models of TiVo can record two channels at once. Also, you can connect any TiVo to your broadband connection.

--
And the men who hold high places must be the ones who start
To mold a new reality... closer to the heart
Re:If it's anything like their DVR... by CanSpice · 2004-03-04 08:00 · Score: 4, Informative

Jesus yes. I was going to say that if it's anything like their Explorer 8000 then this game console is going to be a pile of shit.

"Features" of the Explorer 8000:

- if you're watching a show that's being recorded at the same time, when the show stops recording you get dumped to live TV rather than continue to watch off the recording.
- live pausing only appears to hold for an hour and a half.
- no easy way to find out how much space you've got left without going through an arcane developer's menu.
- if you have a recording conflict and choose to not record a show that you've set a "season pass" for, it won't record any of that show ever again, even if future episodes don't conflict.
- no way to remove repeat episodes from "season pass" recordings. Especially annoying for things you know are going to repeat, like Adult Swim that repeats three hours after initial showing.

I've had playback quality issues a couple of times where the playback freezes for a second or so. Fast-forwarding sometimes freezes too, although I'm not completely sure if only the video output freezes, because when it unfroze it looked like it was a few seconds past where it froze.

And there are a bundle of UI problems, like the practically useless favourite channel list (oh boy, you get to scroll up through them, heaven forbid you should want to filter your guide to only show you your favourite channels!).

The only good thing (besides two tuners) about it is that it costs $5 a month over regular digital service. If it cost any more I'd be cancelling my service.
Re:If it's anything like their DVR... by VividU · 2004-03-04 08:21 · Score: 1

I just got a SA 8000. We were looking into a Tivo but the price was too high. For $5/month I could get a SA8000 that has greater capabilities than a regular Tivo.

I've never had a Tivo so I can't compare the two. I do know that the 8000 has worked great so far.

UI: It integrates smoothly with the channel guide UI that we had before. In fact, I can barely tell the difference.

Ease of Use: My wife learned to use on her own!

Stability: It did crash while I was watching a recorded program, but it kept right on recording the second scheduled recording (it has two tuners).

Impact: Its great. I now know what Tivo users are raving about.

More notes:
- The channels do not take "10-20 seconds" to change. Thats nonsense. There is a delay measured in the milliseconds.
- It has recorded all scheduled programs with no errors.
- I can take it back to Charter at any time and get my old box back with no costs.
- There will be a HD version coming out in the next few months.
- The price can't be beat.
- Much like Mac-heads. You can already see a cult of Tivo devolping. It's interesting to watch develop.
Re:If it's anything like their DVR... by Spankophile · 2004-03-04 08:31 · Score: 1

Do work for them? Jesus.

Here are some more annoyances with the 8000.

1. You can't pause a PIP window, even though both are being recorded (you can swap windows, then rewind, but why would I want to do that?)

2. The Search interface SUCKS. Why can't they include a string match search. Heck, they could use a string match search just for finding the right Genre!

That being said, I'll never go back to a non-PVR system (and in Canada, we don't have a lot of choices), but it would be nice if these "Software Upgradable" devices actually got upgrades flashed once in a while.
Re:If it's anything like their DVR... by martone66 · 2004-03-04 13:01 · Score: 1

It works fine ~90% of the time, and now I can't imagine going back to watching TV without a DVR. The other 10% is what pisses me off. I pay an extra $10 a month (through Comcast) and I expect it to just work.

I don't consider it acceptable when I press rewind when watching live TV and the box displays a black screen for ~30 seconds, then promptly shuts itself off, reboots, and then takes 60 seconds to load the guide. It happened during the Super Bowl. Twice.

Overall it really has changed the way I watched TV, but I would really like the machine to be less flaky. The interface could use some polish too.
Re:If it's anything like their DVR... by martone66 · 2004-03-04 13:08 · Score: 1

What is this arcane developer menu that you speak of?
Re:If it's anything like their DVR... by CanSpice · 2004-03-05 08:04 · Score: 1

Hold down the + button on the front of the unit, then when the Mail light starts flashing, press the Info button on the front. The left/right arrow buttons on the unit can be used to cycle through the different pages.
Re:If it's anything like their DVR... by Luigi30 · 2004-03-06 02:02 · Score: 1

Works on a 2000 too.

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Any idiot can... by BW_Nuprin · 2004-03-04 05:57 · Score: 2, Insightful

Hell, -I- can give you the performance of a PS2 or Gamecube... I'll just build a tiny PC in one of those tiny Shuttle cases. The question that should be asked is will Mr. McDonald be able to woo Konami? How about Capcom? Hell, Activision? Any chump (Infineon) can make a PC in a case and call it a video game system, but its not about hardware, its about non-whack games. Of course, CEOs only see numbers, and its much easier to measure MHz than "fun".

Comcast by hambonewilkins · 2004-03-04 06:01 · Score: 4, Interesting

There's an ad in these parts (Maryland) which shows a guy tossing out all his home theater components (VCR, DVD, Receiver, etc) because he just got the new Comcast DVR system that allows you to "pause TV" now that TV is "at your command."

It's a moronic ad (obviously), but I'm curious Scientific-Atlanta sees a similar (completely wrong) future, where people toss out their Xboxes, Gamecubes, and PS2s because they now have this all-in-one unit.

It shows a complete misunderstanding of games and gamers. Unless you're in Japan, people I know don't have much interest in replacing two or three devices with one all-in-one, jack-of-all trades device (which is usually very expensive).

People like buying things modularly because it seems cheaper and also you can get the best of each modular component.

CEO James McDonald's comment: I can give (game players) the same performance you get out of those game boxes exemplifies his misunderstanding... performance is perhaps 10% of what is important in games (I'm talking frames per second, load times, etc). What this guy should be giving is the same games or experience.

Put this right up there with the Phantom for game decks we will never see.

--

God Bless America. Why? Did it sneeze?

Re:Comcast by salesgeek · 2004-03-04 14:34 · Score: 1

CEO James McDonald's comment: I can give (game players) the same performance you get out of those game boxes exemplifies his misunderstanding... performance is perhaps 10% of what is important in games (I'm talking frames per second, load times, etc). What this guy should be giving is the same games or experience.

Actually McDonald is more intelligent than you are giving him credit for. Scientific Atlanta has huge pull in the cable marketplace and if they can deliver a box with gaming capabilities, it will get placed in homes for the purpose of decoding scrabled premium station signals - game capability will be seen as bonus. They also have a very very good engineering and R&D department, deep pockets and so on. Now it plays games... and the cable companies can use their already existing broadband capability to deliver them. Low distribution cost, big hard drive and captive market that is getting the HW for free (or $5.00 per month).

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-- $G
Re:Comcast by Gleapsite · 2004-03-04 15:53 · Score: 1

People like buying things modularly because it seems cheaper and also you can get the best of each modular component this is of course why we have prefab computers [dell Macintosh ect.]? be careful when you apply your veiw to everyone.

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face the world with eyes of fire.

Existence is a good sign by ArmenTanzarian · 2004-03-04 06:26 · Score: 1

They appear to be a real company, that's a good start.

fishing by BigChigger · 2004-03-04 06:48 · Score: 1

sounds like he's angling to get MS to throw in with him. Did he mention xbox as a compeitor? (no, I didn't rtfa)

bc

Could Be Cool by Pizzop · 2004-03-04 07:09 · Score: 1

If you just think about the box, it could rock. If they don't screw the ppoch and charge too much, they could have some awesome features. Built-in Cable Modem Static IP address for hosting games Built-in Multiplayer options Not that it's going to happen, who ever above me said "I predict Vaporware" is probably right, but it could be hella cool. But it could suck outrageously also...

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How to Speak Leet

Another bluff by superpulpsicle · 2004-03-04 07:17 · Score: 1

Until I see it in the market, I won't believe the rumors. The phantom has been in magazine publications since mid 90s. Hype Hype Hype.

This sounds utterly unexciting... by kommakazi · 2004-03-04 07:31 · Score: 1

He claims they can put out a box with the same capability as existing systems such as the PS2 and GameCube....big deal! Those systems are years old now...basically he's saying they're going to start development of a console on par with old technology...it doesn't stand a chance...first of all it should be comparable with the PS3 and Xbox2...second of all they're going to have a hell of a time competing with the amout of available games for other consoles unless they are like M$ and just have money to literally burn.

Re:XBox rules!! by kommakazi · 2004-03-04 07:36 · Score: 1

**bite** No, actually it's not. Your Xbox was made in either Mexico, Hungary, or China.
Aren't you missing a NRA meeting or something?

This guy really knows the industry! by andman42 · 2004-03-04 07:41 · Score: 3, Insightful

"I can give (game players) the same performance you get out of those game boxes," he added.

Right, because we all know that, historically, superior hardware performance is what sells game consoles.

I mean just look at how well Xbox is doing against the PS2! Or look at how well the NGage is selling compared to the Gameboy Advance. When the 3D0 Atari Jaguar came out, look what happened to the Super Nintendo's market share. And remember when Sega introduced the GameGear, a portable with a color screen to combat the inferior monochromatic Gameboy? Heck, don't forget how "poorly" the original NES sold compared to the technologically superior Sega Master System and NEC TurboGrafx 16.

While Sony and Nintendo fuss about games, Scientific-Atlanta will be boldly following in the steps of Atari Jaguar and deliver a system with more impressive hardware specs. I for one am excited!

Re:This guy really knows the industry! by cgenman · 2004-03-04 14:44 · Score: 1

Ahem.

I hate to be the one to break this to you, but Scientific-Atlanta just promised to give you comparable performance to existing gaming platforms.

Becase we all know that, historically, inferior hardware performance is what sells game consoles.

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The ______ Agenda
Re:This guy really knows the industry! by Worminater · 2004-03-04 21:59 · Score: 1

I agree, to a point. The gamegear is not as portable as a game boy of that era.

Better system? undoubtabl.

better for taking to class? Not on your life. I had a gameboy, and a game gear way back in high school. What did i carry around? The gameboy. Its much smaller now than then, and back lit. Gamegear? If i aws on a 10 hour car trip i took that. Better games for the game boy? not really at the time in my opinion.

My point? Its not always the best hard ware, or the best software for a niche product like this will be, its oft times convenience that leads to purchase. "If your going to buy one anyway... why not just get the extra feature for 20 more bucks..." type of thing.

In related news . . . by superultra · 2004-03-04 07:50 · Score: 2, Funny

McDonalds also announced today that as of September 20th 2004, children will open the bags of purchased Happy Meals and find within McDonald's own McXPlayCube, which will, according to PR Vice-President H. Burgalar "continue to establish McDonalds as a major player not only in beef preparation, but also the increasingly popular video gaming market."

In response, Billy Gray, the 12 year old kid down the street, has stated that he plans to counter McDonalds's advance into console market with a "Whoop-ass beast of a machine that's motto will be 'All GTA All The Time.'" In what will no doubt be a welcomed change to the console market, this will not be a "box" like Scientific-Atlanta's console, but a "cool little ball of circuits in liquid that can also double as a hackey-sac."

HAH! by Asprin · 2004-03-04 08:16 · Score: 1

'I can give (game players) the same performance you get out of those game boxes'

HAH! Not if it's anything like my SA DVR/Digital Cable Box! That thing is packed with features and it's well priced from the cable company (Time-Warner), but MAN, sometimes the menus react and move so slow it's like the batteries are nearly dead!

It should have come with a screen saver of paint drying -- you know, for the excitement.

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"Lawyers are for sucks."
- Doug McKenzie

I'll believe it when... by SewersOfRivendell · 2004-03-04 08:27 · Score: 1

I'll believe it when I see a cable box that takes less time OR EVEN EQUALS the time to update the screen that an Atari 800 used to take. I mean, in Southern California, the sluggishness of the Adelphia boxes have to be seen to be believed.

wait til the bloom is off the rose by sbma44 · 2004-03-04 08:48 · Score: 1

I've used an SA8000 at a friend's house a fair amount. I was not impressed. The delay in changing channels is significant. This is a pet peeve for me in general -- I won't be getting direcTV anytime soon for the same reason.

I haven't used a tivo so I can't compare, but at home I've got a mythtv box, and I think it does a considerably better job than the SA.

Would you buy a console from Ford? by KurdtX · 2004-03-04 09:05 · Score: 2, Insightful

James McDonald: "I can give (game players) the same performance you get out of those game boxes"

Yeah, but as with the Nokia N-Gage, just because you can match the specs doesn't mean squat. Technical skill and ability get you only half way there - even Microsoft had a hard lesson to learn about usability (of the controllers) and content (C'mon, did anyone buy the X-box for a reason other than playing Halo?). And is he really dumb enough to think that trying to do a cable box that also plays video games won't prompt MS to come back with an Xbox that also does cable? I hate to say it, but Microsoft is actually really good at picking out (stealing) what others have done right and integrating those ideas. They'll never be the first out the door with anything, but once they get in, they'll market the crap out of anything until they own the market.

Maybe if they went after the market that is currently buying PSOne's they could do it. But for me, if Ford suddenly announced they were putting gaming consoles in their vehicles, I'd better see some non-Ford logo on the actual box if they want me to buy. And considering Ford charges $500 for a basic mp3 player (that doesn't even read ID3!), I'd seriously doubt if Scientific Atlanta could meet the console's price points.

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Kurdt
I'm not anti-social. Just pro-technology.

if there's one in every house... by Anonymous Coward · 2004-03-05 17:27 · Score: 0

Sci Atl does boxes for Time Warner Cable and Comcast, the two big names in cable.

If all their digital cable customers could switch to this game box they'd have an installed user base better than Gamecube or Xbox.

Looking at the Nuon, although failed, it obviously had capable hardware that was simply not marketed. It would not take much for Sci Atl to put a heftier pair of chips in their cable box, download games off Time Warner over super-fast (10 mbit) cable, and play them off the hard drive. Time Warner could charge $10 to download the game and tack it on the monthly bill like an on-demand movie. Comcast, too.

It's quite easy to see why Time Warner or Comcast would be excited about the ability to do such a thing. If Sci Atl doesn't do it then they should find someone that will.

Sure, you're not going to see Mario on it, but giving the whore nature of developers these days (Sega, EA), you'll bet that some of them will put a version of their games on a toaster if it'll improve their bottom line by any fraction.

I'll say, as long as they do the proper hardware development (which they should be able to afford after their big contract with Time Warner and Comcast), they could be an intimidating dark horse console in 2006.

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Scientific-Atlanta Mulling Video Game Set-Top Box

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