Genius idea to make a lot of money!
I was thinking about how cool it would be to have an N64 that could connect directly to the internet, then I realised how it could be done. After that, I realised that the same principle could be applied to virtually every cartridge based format.
Insert a cartridge into any system of your choice, containing a specialised bios and Wi-Fi antenna, with the ability to gain full access to the internet to download game ROMs. The ROMs could be saved onto SD card storage in the cart. You could possibly even engage in online enabled multiplayer, although it may take a high level of programming skill and additional infrastructure to pull off.
The best part is you could online enable any system without any further modification, simply plug in the cart to connect to Wi-Fi and play!
Am I crazy, or have I just given away a brilliant business idea?
Insert a cartridge into any system of your choice, containing a specialised bios and Wi-Fi antenna, with the ability to gain full access to the internet to download game ROMs. The ROMs could be saved onto SD card storage in the cart. You could possibly even engage in online enabled multiplayer, although it may take a high level of programming skill and additional infrastructure to pull off.
The best part is you could online enable any system without any further modification, simply plug in the cart to connect to Wi-Fi and play!
Am I crazy, or have I just given away a brilliant business idea?
Comments
I was thinking about how cool it would be to have an N64 that could connect directly to the internet, then I realised how it could be done. After that, I realised that the same principle could be applied to virtually every cartridge based format. Insert a cartridge into any system of your choice, containing a specialised bios and Wi-Fi antenna, with the ability to gain full access to the internet to download game ROMs. The ROMs could be saved onto SD card storage in the cart. You could possibly even engage in online enabled multiplayer, although it may take a high level of programming skill and additional infrastructure to pull off. The best part is you could online enable any system without any further modification, simply plug in the cart to connect to Wi-Fi and play! Am I crazy, or have I just given away a brilliant business idea?
I honestly coming up with a console (with maybe the structure like that of the Polymega - if it ever launches) while somehow incorporating a psn or xbox live style network to do player matching in these old games for multiplayer, well... that would be an absolutely incredible boondoggle for whoever is able to get past all the legal hurdles, licensing requirements and technical aspects to get it done...
Also, I think 64Drive HW2 has WiFi.
There is an N64 game with a built-in modem (Morita Shogi 64) so perhaps a homebrew can be written with networking support using a NULL modem cable or something (have to reduce a repro board's logic into a board that replaces the ROM).
All you'd have to do from there is build in a WiFi setup screen, then have the device connect to, say, TOR to search for ROMs. If you preload file hashes on the device for all licensed N64 games, users can pull these from TOR searcher (or other pre-loaded locations) and verify that the files are legit. Of course, a local share option with a software "server" that allows for hosted files on a device at home is an option too.
So, download the game load the game and boom, you have a WiFi cartridge capable of playing any game available. Of course, this very model could be expanded on tremendously and you could certainly even do this for NES, SNES, Genesis... basically any cartridge based game that has a big enough housing to hold the hardware.
I... I think we need to do this guys. I'm not a hardware guy, but if anyone is, I am a software guy with embedded software engineering experience. C, C# (or Java if I have to, ugh) I could probably piece the software together and make the interface. Let's kickstart this! It could change the world!
internet-dependency doesn't sound like a good idea to me, not everyone has reliable internet you know.
True, which is why something like this should remain an option, and not something mandatory or something that would out-right replace the standard we're using now.
Que the "why not both?" little girl meme.
However, the idea of a WiFi connected device that provide a way for you to on-the-fly access all games is amazing. But, if you want to put an SD card in it, or something like that, look for the alternatives.
In my case, I used a 2017 Macbook pro and I hate adapters. A wireless option would be amazing. I also prefer original hardware, so building an interface into a cart to pull games out of thin air sound amazing to me. Sure, it's not for everything. But what's the problem being solved-- getting games on demand "over the air". I think there could be a lot of demand for something like that. Just my $.02.
This makes no sense. If you're already connecting to the internet, why would you need a cart anyway? It would just be a glorified HDD.
No, the idea is you have a cartridge you show into your NES, SNES, N64, whatever the cart is and you turn on the unit and you have all that you need (assuming you have wifi at your house.) No fiddling with SD cards, card readers, USB cables, PC interfaces, etc. You simply boot up your console with the cart, and the cart takes care of the rest.
I'd consider buying a unit for a fair price.
This makes no sense. If you're already connecting to the internet, why would you need a cart anyway? It would just be a glorified HDD.
No, the idea is you have a cartridge you show into your NES, SNES, N64, whatever the cart is and you turn on the unit and you have all that you need (assuming you have wifi at your house.) No fiddling with SD cards, card readers, USB cables, PC interfaces, etc. You simply boot up your console with the cart, and the cart takes care of the rest.
I'd consider buying a unit for a fair price.
How? The console would have to be heavily modified to achieve anything like this, and again... what would be the point of the cart by then? You're just downloading ROMs. Why not just use an Everdrive.
Please explain how this is a good idea, and in any way better than how you can currently play these systems. I can't even understand the logic.
I GET wanting an online-enabled console for multiplayer/leaderboard purposes. That would be AWESOME. But just what is the significance of the cart in this idea?
Via software, you can setup of an interface for connecting to the user's WiFi. The WiFi connections happens from within the cartridge, so there is no need to mod console. The user, once connected over wifi can then search the web for roms, download them and then push "play" to load the rom.
The difference between this setup and an everdrive is that you don't have to interface anything with a PC, and there isn't any need for modding consoles.
You aren't making a console, you are making a cartridge. Inside the cartridge is the unit that does all the work of loading/accessing roms. It's a turn key "box" that you simply place in your console.
Via software, you can setup of an interface for connecting to the user's WiFi. The WiFi connections happens from within the cartridge, so there is no need to mod console. The user, once connected over wifi can then search the web for roms, download them and then push "play" to load the rom.
The difference between this setup and an everdrive is that you don't have to interface anything with a PC, and there isn't any need for modding consoles.
Hmm. Sounds interesting. I don't understand how it would work without any mod done to the console though, but someone smarter than me could probably explain it.
Unrelated... are you the musician for I Fight Dragons, or just a fan? It's been a while but I use to listen to their tunes on Spotify.
I'm just a fan of their music, their blend of chiptune and rock is just really cool
From a hardware perspective, I see absolutely no reason why all the relevant tech could not be slapped together from common cheap parts, and easily fit into any cart. If you can get a game to load on original hardware from an SD card, you can get it to load from inbuilt storage connected to WiFi.
Software wise, just building a simple menu interface that can be navigated by the user, and connecting to either specialised servers or a custom website would not be too tough either. Running online enabled multiplayer, however, would take considerably more work, both modifying the ROMs of existing games and creating the backstage infrastructure for matchmaking.
Probably a system like this would work great paired with a smartphone app or laptop, which you could use to manage your game list and select ROMs and activate various other options and features etc. The smartphone or laptop interface would be optional, of course, but would potentially make it much more convenient to use the device.
So, where are our angel investors then? I'll be the Steve Jobs, I just need some genius hardware and software dudes for me to crush underfoot and take all the credit! It'll be great!