EVO Linux game console now up for pre-order
By Joshua Topolsky 
posted April 3rd 2009 10:22AM
posted April 3rd 2009 10:22AM
The last time we heard from Envizions, the company was just starting to get its game plan together -- but it looks like the gears are officially in motion on its Linux-based game console. The final specs for the box now seem to be in place, with off-the-shelf components like the Athlon 64x2 5600 CPU (clocked to 2.4GHz), an ATI HD 3200 graphics chipset, 2GB of DDR2 RAM, and a 120GB hard drive filling out what is essentially a standard PC housing. Envizions say that the console will run a modified, quick-boot distro of Fedora called Mirrors (which can be upgraded to a beefier build named Mirrors Evolution X), and will feature a "cloud" service stacked with Amiga (!) games and an Akimbo-based video service. Beyond that, proper titles will be sold online and on SD cards for around $20. Envizions is currently taking pre-orders for the box, and say beta units will be shipped on April 10th. Pricing for those consoles will run between $280-350, while the final retail version can be had for $380, and should be available sometime in June. We have just two words of advice for the fledgling company: get some killer games on there fast, and please, please update your site.[Via Digg, Linux Devices]
Wow that website looks amazing.
It's awesomely 2002 in its design!
Well it is based on linux. Being that the os generally looks like it was created about 8 years ago, the graphics are perfectly fitting. My favorite is the noise on mouseover. Animated gifs could only make this site better.
Did they intentionally make every graphic look bad?
I like the nav bar that requires a mouseover to figure out what each item is.
@ Brian -- uhduh! All the Quake games and just about everything with WINe!
Seriously -- I don't see how this is anything special. I didn't see any specs at the website. It might be a decent little Linux-based PC for that price -- but I seriously doubt it'll ever gain ground as a "console."
Oops. Wrong "reply" click. -1 for me.
The website looks 2002 because this guy probably made it when his clothing business went bust (in 2002).
check out this awesomely done professional EVO video. Tell you the a to z of EVO features.
http://envizionscorp.com/videos/evo_video.html
i'm definitely dumping my pcs and getting EVO now
Penguin sledding
penguin skiing
snake
quake 3
What other games have been rewritten for linux?
This might be the first gaming console to be shown up by a MAC.
quake 4
And Enemy Territory: Quake Wars.
Just hope there's an explosion of Linux-friendly open source games for it, and they make it easy for OS developers to work with. Otherwise, it could drop off the market very quickly...
I'm sure there a lot more penguin themed games in the works. "Tux of Duty", "Grand Tux Auto", "Tux Effect", "TuxShock", "TuxRaider", "SuperTux Galaxy" . . .
You forgot Counter-Tux: Source, Half Life Tux 2, LeftTuxDead, Tux Fortress 2, Need for Speed Tux Wanted, Tux Evil 5, The TuxFather II.
No, no, no. You have it all wrong. It is not Linux's (and by extension this console's) fault that there no games for it. It is because of the oppressive monopoly held by the manufacturers of the Wii, 360, PS3, and PC that illegially strong-arm game makers from creating games for Linux platforms. But even with this oppression from Nintendo, M$, and Sony, once everyone, all the way down to the house wife that cannot figure out how to set the clock on their VCR (they are so technically challenged they are still using a VCR) sees that the EVO is an open source platform, they will be reading programming books because they will be wanting to recompile the kernel and create their own games.
The EVO and Linux will overcome though, and next year will be the year of EVO and Linux. And if it does not happen next year, it will be the year after that. And if it does not happen that year...
And Tux Tux Revolution, Guitar Tux, and Tux Band, as well as Tux Fantasy, Gears of Tux, Tux Sports, Untuxical Tournament, Crazy Tuxi, The legend of Tux, Super Tux Brothers, Tux Kart, Tuxroid, Tux Faction, Tuxcent, Tux Fighter, World of Tuxcraft, Tux Attorney, Tuxzone 2, LittleTuxPlanet, and Katatuxi.
*gasps for air*
Nexuiz...
World of Goo!
HD 3200 fail
I totally agree. I just build a system with an integrated HD3200. The 3d accel works, if you don't mind horrible screen tearing. I got so frustrated I went out and bought an Nvidia GEforce 8400.
Nvidia+Linux = great
ATI + Linux = FAIL
Agree...3200 is very weak. The last few generations of nVidia and ATI have followed a pretty good numerical scheme involving the second number of the series:
x1xx-x3xx=Garbage....ie: nVidia 7300, 8200, ATI x1100, HD 3200, etc.
x4xx-x5xx=Passable...ie: nVidia 8400, 8500, ATI x1500, HD 4500, etc.
x6xx-x7xx=Good........ie: nVidia 6600, 8600, ATI x1600, HD 4650, etc.
x8xx-x9xx=Awesome..ie: nVidia 7900, GTX280 , ATI x1900, HD 4870, etc.
In each generation, you could assume that the prior generation woudl perform about one level lower, with the exception of garbage cards. Like a 8600GT would perform about as well as a 7800GT. But garbage cards are still junk. I would bet that a GeForce 6600 would smoke a HD 3200, despite being many years older.
And you would be wrong. The HD 3200 is one of the 3 most power integrated GPU's out. Granted a dedicated card will obviously have an advantage, the HD 3200 is capable of a lot more than you would expect. I have watched a HD 3200 playing WOW at 37 FPS average with medium settings. Not great, but damn good for an intergrated solution.
P.S. If I am not mistaken, an HD 3200 has more power than the ATi card in the Wii, so it might be pretty damn good for a console.
Possibly you could put your own card in there.. And if it running linux it will have hardly any processing to deal with.. I want to see where this leads.
@ Laughing Man
Even though the hd 3200 is one of the best IGPs around, ATI doesn't really have good linux drivers so that's why it's a fail.
Game Console?
Only if it can run Crysis, Fallout 3 and WoW.
I believe all of those are PC games (bar Fallout)
http://evosmartconsole.com/gamestore/index.html
They have Fallout 3 to download directly to the console, but not WoW or Crysis (although you can download the Prima Strat Guide on the site...).
There's also a Windows version of the console.
It also, apparently, works as a DVR.'
And here's the worst advertisement I've ever seen.
http://envizionscorp.com/videos/evo_video.html
Ive just finished Crysis (3 days of full time playing!) and its just... shiiiiiiiit..!! AWSOME! best game I ever played.
Cant wait to get Crysis Warhead!
Oh man that video is gold. Wow! I am interested in what happens with this device, but that video actually made me feel worse about it.
Um... For that price?? I already have a xbox 360. But unless they got some killer exclusives for that console I would rather buy a ps3 for that price.
I agree, whilst i would love to buy into this, to support it more than anything, i just cant see it catching on.
This is just a mid range SFF linux pc, i could build an ITX pc with a better Athlon and 4Gb RAM for the same price.
Wow, I love sites that are Flash only and I can't see from work. When will people realize that some of us still need alternatives to Flash?
Wow, it must be hard to be productive when all you guys have at work is iPhones....
:x
j/k
Wow, I didnt notice that was flash.....WORST....FLASH....SITE...EVER
Also without flash at work how do you watch youtube while not working :/
"gaming"
"HD 3200"
Does not compute. Waste of $300 to do something you can do with any normal PC.
I think that they should just release the distro to other PCs, you can dual boot into this setup and game that way.
I think they should just market it as a killer HTPC. As far as specs are concerned this kicks the crap out of the nettops in this price category. I'd buy the thing just to throw windows 7 on and run it in my home theater.
OR . . . I could run those games on my computer for free.
what an unbearably stupid idea
MAME?
:)
The ps3 called wants its philosophies back. And if they should release a distro for ps3 users to install so we can have 2 consoles for the price of one
Would be a great idea if Sony would un-gimp Linux installations.
Press release was posted April 1st.
How many nukes can this thing launch?
Could be ok if it can play 1080p MKV files without any problems and allows you to run regular Linux applications without any fuss. Then it would be a great replacement for my old XBox with XBMC. Then again, I can just build an HTPC to do that so the question then becomes "why buy this instead?"
Couldn't agree more. Personally, I'll take one of those Nvidia ION boxes due out any time now. MKVs no problem, Windows Media Center, PC gaming (L4D in 720p on the TV is pretty good), no Hulu workarounds to worry about... sub $400... maybe try Boxee in a dual boot situation... not seeing the appeal of this at all.
Hmm... Amiga games eh? I wonder if UAE is preinstalled or something of that nature? Dammit I want my real Amiga! Come on Mr. McEwen! Some time next year...
What a horrible website...
It seems that this is more a ploy to get you to sign up to a ISP/Telecoms provider, reading around.
Very nice concept, but i think it wont be able to compete with major consoles.
Horrible website, plus when you click "buy" (then "buy" then "buy" again) you end up at a page that won't allow you to buy one.
I call April Fools. Whether it's Engadget or EVO that's the fools here is what remains to be seen.
unfortunate;yits real, they mentioned ita while back
OMG... Amiga!!
If it runs Wizzy's Quest, the most incredible platform game I have ever played, I will buy it just for that.
Only Mario Galazy comes close to Wizzy...
OMG... Amiga!!
If it runs Wizzy's Quest, the most incredible platform game I have ever played, I will buy it just for that.
Only Mario Galazy comes close to Wizzy...