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Doyodo RetroEngine Sigma Is a Linux-Powered Classic Video Game Emulation Console (betanews.com)
BrianFagioli quotes a report from BetaNews: The Nintendo NES Classic is quite an amazing console. True, it is not as powerful as modern game systems like Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but it comes pre-loaded with many classic NES titles. Unfortunately, its strength is also its weakness -- those pre-loaded titles are the only games you can play. You cannot load other games, so you are stuck with what you got. As an alternative, some folks use software emulation and ROMs on their computers to play countless video game titles. Of course, there are moral concerns here, as you are often downloading the games illegally -- unless you own the physical copy, that is. Even then, it is a gray area. Today, a company called Doyodo launched a new Linux-powered emulation console on Indiegogo. The device not only plays NES games, but Atari, Game Boy, PlayStation 1, Genesis, and more. You play using USB controllers. In addition, it can serve as a media player (with Kodi) or a full-fledged Linux desktop. Some other features include 4K video playback, Wi-Fi networking built in, and a compact and portable design. There's even a deluxe version that ships with Bluetooth, an extra controller and 32GB of storage; the basic configuration includes just one controller and 16GB of storage. You can view the Indiegogo page here.
1) It's simple
2) It's plug-and-play
3) It's cheap (or rather, it will be when you can find them in stock)
Most other emulator consoles only succeed at #3. Most people aren't going to hunt down ROM's from skeavy pirate sites or buy overpriced old cartridges just to play old games. They want something they can just buy, plug-in, and play.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
All these facilities exist on plenty of devices right now. The only draw of the official ones is precisely that - they're 'official'. If you don't care about that, you've already got a myriad of ways of emulating everything.
What's the over/under on time until these people are sued into oblivion for contributory copyright infringement?
This is pretty much exactly what you get with RetroPie. I wonder if the 4k video is limited to x264 or can it do HEVC (kind of doubt it)?
Twinstiq, game news
Ouya, is that you?
Which means it wasn't good enough for Kickstarter.
I predict disappointed backers in the near future.
I adapt my moral to that of my interlocutor. Just not to be told to be on a "high ground" or something.
Nothing worse than being perceived as arrogant.
Looking at the specs, it appears that this is likely just a build of MAME that runs on a single board computer with an ARM chip. It may be a quad core chip but due to IPC speed limitations, only one core can be effectively utilized by emulators. You'll get better performance out of a Raspberry Pi 3 but this does come in a fun case.
Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
"Doyodo RetroEngine Sigma Might Someday Be A Linux-Powered Classic Video Game Emulation Console, Or Like Many Crowdfunded Pipe Dreams, You Might Just Be Throwing Your Cash Into A Conceptual Toilet"
Of course, there are moral concerns here, as you are often downloading the games illegally -- unless you own the physical copy, that is.
Owning a physical copy does not make downloading a ROM legal. There's no statutory or case law to back up this silly and oft-repeated claim.
Of course, there are moral concerns here, as you are often downloading the games illegally -- unless you own the physical copy, that is.
These games have often been out of print for decades, and legally exist in the wild only on outdated hardware. Is it not equally immoral to wait for the copyright to expire on these games to copy them, when the technology to do so may not exist in the future? Why is protecting a copyright on something that has been out of print, presumably determined by the publisher to be unprofitable somehow "moral".
You can do this all with a Raspberry Pi 3 running Libreelec (or openelec) and using a Retroarch addon for Kodi.
I know I did it, cost me ~$50 CAD for the board, case, power and sd card. Had an old USB controller that worked just fine.
I admit my machine does not look as cool
until then my money stays with me.
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
Might as well keep your money. They only intend to make this one batch for IndieGoGo.
Anonymous Coward, his post downmodded.
So..........they're selling a retropie box?
You can tell from the shots its obviously just a skin for retropie, even the feature set gives it away. So they are using the cheapest PI-esque chipset they can get to keep their markup high enough for a profit. When you could just get an rpi3 and get bluetooth built in for the same price and have a faster board
So what does this thing do legally?
People have been selling Raspberry Pi's with versions of Snes9X and such for years. They are not popular. "work-arounds" like the Retron N5 and the GameFreak device are exactly the same thing, an ARM core with software emulators that are just "good enough", but not really good at all since they aren't very accurate. The only reason for this thing to exist is because someone saw Nintendo sell a closed-box and said "there must be an open way"
That said, the future of emulation is FPGA's for 100% accurate hardware emulation and they aren't cheap. Right now a $50 FPGA can emulate all 8-bit systems, and a $200 chip is needed to emulate 16-bit systems accurately, use the original controllers or new third party versions, or wireless versions, whatever. If you have not heard of the RetroAVS, go look it up.
The Nintendo NES Classic is quite an amazing console.
No, it's not. It's a glorified emulator with a limited game library and vendor-lock-in. It's a gimmick - a toy meant to appeal to nostalgia and will be just as quickly relegated to the back of the cupboard.
True, it is not as powerful as modern game systems like Xbox One and PlayStation 4, but it comes pre-loaded with many classic NES titles.
6 which you'll probably actually play.
Unfortunately, its strength is also its weakness -- those pre-loaded titles are the only games you can play. You cannot load other games, so you are stuck with what you got.
Until someone hacks it to play anything.
As an alternative, some folks use software emulation and ROMs...
'software emulation and ROMs' is literally what the NES Classic is, the only difference being it's been released by Nintendo.
...on their computers to play countless video game titles.
You're also completely ignoring mobile phones, tablets, OTHER CONSOLES (See PSOne Classics on PSN).
Of course, there are moral concerns here, as you are often downloading the games illegally -- unless you own the physical copy, that is.
Even if you own the physical copy, it's still illegal to download a copy. The only legal precedent you have is to take the ROM dumps/backups yourself (and then not distribute them).
Even then, it is a gray area.
It really isn't, unless you live in a country where ripping and sharing software is legal.
Today, a company called Doyodo launched a new Linux-powered emulation console on Indiegogo.
So, like the RetroN?
The device not only plays NES games, but Atari, Game Boy, PlayStation 1, Genesis, and more.
So, like MAME?
You play using USB controllers.
So, like every emulator that supports controllers in some fashion (Original, USB, Bluetooth)?
In addition, it can serve as a media player (with Kodi) or a full-fledged Linux desktop.
So... it's a PC?
Seriously this sort of thing is nothing new, why is it news?