Retro VGS Game Console

[elmer]

At least 30 years ago they did. That's an Apple ][ proto.

Didn't John Carlsen do that ... I thought that I saw it on his resume! 

No ... wait ... now I remember ... he was just trying to brag that he attended the same university as Woz.

Isn't that almost the same thing? 

[MrBroadway]

At least 30 years ago they did. That's an Apple ][ proto.

Didn't John Carlsen do that ... I thought that I saw it on his resume! 

No ... wait ... now I remember ... he was just trying to brag that he attended the same university as Woz.

Isn't that almost the same thing? 

Wait, seriously?

[SignOfZeta]

Do people actually breadboard something as complicated as a game system? I genuinely don't know the answer to this.

At least 30 years ago they did. That's an Apple ][ Apple 1 proto.

http://www.cpmuseum.com/Exhibit.aspx?address=7603

Ah, by "breadboard" I assumed the white plastic ones where you just slip the components into place. To me that is "project board" but maybe they go by both names. These ones are a lot harder to use on the next project.

Btw, that was nearly 40 years ago! Well before today's Chinese PCB manufactures that can turn your drawing into a PCB and have it on your doorstop in two weeks.

[Mathius]

They seem to be designing it in a retro fashion as well.

[elmer]

At least 30 years ago they did. That's an Apple ][ proto.

Didn't John Carlsen do that ... I thought that I saw it on his resume! 

No ... wait ... now I remember ... he was just trying to brag that he attended the same university as Woz.

Isn't that almost the same thing? 

Wait, seriously?

Shameless resumé-padding at it's best! 

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/retro-vgs#/story

John Carlsen, Co-Founder, VP Operations and Platform Development– As a principal hardware engineer, John created a Sony PlayStation for emerging foreign markets and co-founded Iguana Entertainment, where he created powerful low-cost software-development interfaces for SNES, Saturn, PlayStation, and Jaguar.

John contributed to the development of system software for PlayStation 3, the first computer with AMD 64-bit processors, most flash-based MP3 players (including iPod Shuffle), Altera programmable logic semiconductors, Media Vision's high-quality PC sound cards, and the first TV input device for personal computers. John has also worked for Atari, Atari’s former president and co-founder Nolan Bushnell, and Activision, and has taught college courses in game development.

John has degrees in computer science and management from St. Edward's University in Austin, and five degrees from De Anza College in Cupertino—where Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak studied.

[NightWolve]

Shameless resumé-padding at it's best! 
https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/retro-vgs#/story

As a principal hardware engineer, John created a Sony PlayStation for emerging foreign markets and co-founded Iguana Entertainment, where he created powerful low-cost software-development interfaces for SNES, Saturn, PlayStation, and Jaguar.

John has also worked for Atari, Atari’s former president and co-founder Nolan Bushnell, and Activision, and has taught college courses in game development.

John has degrees in computer science and management from St. Edward's University in Austin, and five degrees from De Anza College in Cupertino—where Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak studied.

Aaah, so that's partly where the basis for attempting to resurrect the "glory" that is the Atari Jaguar shell comes from... Heh. So there was more to it than it's just awesome-looking, the molds weren't destroyed, and "manifest destiny" in that it must "wise fwom its gwave" in some form to expand throughout the world, etc.

But anyway, that resume is silly in its "Hey, I happened to attend the same university as an Apple co-founder once did!" unnecessary padding... It was already a respectable resume objectively for a videogame software/hardware developer, but he ruins his credibility by adding something unnecessary like that... If you can say you attended Harvard, great, but that's enough, you don't name drop somebody famous that also went there in your resume... That's a red flag false comparison to somebody that was successful which is no guarantee the same reflects upon you.

[MrBroadway]

Actually, name dropping like that is a major red flag. I get that he wants to trumpet his school, but he's not doing himself any favors with that. As someone in academia, pulling something like that would just about be an automatic disqualifier from any job. I can only imagine in industry it's equally frowned upon.

[TheOldMan]

When I read that closely, I have to ask myself "How does software developement make you a hardware engineer?"

[NightWolve]

When I read that closely, I have to ask myself "How does software developement make you a hardware engineer?"

As a principal hardware engineer, John created a Sony PlayStation for emerging foreign markets

Well, depends on what "created a Sony Playstation for emerging foreign markets" means... What are they trying to claim by that anyway ? The PSX was engineered in Japan by the Japanese... It's not specified what he did while working at Atari as well, so perhaps there's experience from his time there in his defense ? 

Now we did see his work lab table which DOES have an oscilloscope, a DMM and soldering iron on it among other things, so that proves something, right, right ?? Heh-heh. C'mon, weren't you blown away by his "power goes in, video goes out" quickie presentation ? Man, picky picky... Everybody's a critic these days!

Actually, name dropping like that is a major red flag. I get that he wants to trumpet his school, but he's not doing himself any favors with that. As someone in academia, pulling something like that would just about be an automatic disqualifier from any job. I can only imagine in industry it's equally frowned upon.

I would interpret that as an insult to one's intelligence. If I am going through a pile of resumes and his is equally impressive to the others except that he threw in a lame name-dropping attempt, I would feel more inclined to pass his up.

[toymachine78]

It boils down to these guys are clowns, desperately trying to pass off a poorly planned idea, with a unsustainable business model, in the hopes of achieving riches and greatness so they can pull themselves out of their normal mundane lives.

Ain't gonna happen. People see right through that shit, and its down right insulting to their prospective customers.

[Koop]

Just imagine Square Enix, Konami, and Capcom jumping on board to revive their classic Secret of Mana & Final Fantasy titles, Castlevania, or even Mega Man?  If they find that sequels to classic series working out, maybe they will even develop original content.

Not a snowball's chance in hell that would ever happen which is the whole point of why this project was/is a failure. Too much wishful thinking. Would've been cool if it worked out that way somehow.

[sunteam_paul]

[NightWolve]

Interesting.

Eh, I think I agree with what elmer said about it (the "Kevtris 3000"), it isn't a bad idea as far as him designing a super accurate all-in-one emulation box whereby we acknowledge retro systems aren't gonna last forever and this would be the 2nd best thing versus original hardware as a replacement down the road. I'm still more likely to settle for cheap Windows tablets with micro-HMDI output and using emulators on 'em as far as repurposing into a "console," but yeah, I think there's a market for this. It's not a far-fetched "retro-land" fantasy like what the Retro-VGS is trying to sell people on...

Other thoughts: One motherboard with one HDMI output and a separate digital-to-analog module that supports all possible classic analog signals (Composite, S-Video, RGB, YPbPr, VGA, etc.) to separate costs is pretty thoughtful. So those who'll be fine with HDMI won't have to subsidize a console with all the classic video signal outputs, and those that still want to use a CRT can pay more for the ability should they want it.

Well, there's not much to lampoon here.

[elmer]

Well, there's not much to lampoon here.

Hahaha ... it's like you're not even trying! 

How about (from AtariAge) ...

I don't know how I can be expected to treat this "Kevtris" guy seriously when all that he has to show is years of experience, working boards, working cores, a protoype, and a plan to keep costs manageable ... but yet, there's not a single picture of what laboratory POWER SUPPLY he's using!

I want to believe Kevtris can make this happen. It looks like he knows his stuff.

But honestly, I don't think he knows what color shell to use, and that is very, very disturbing.

Yeah; it's like he's not even halfway there!

****************

As a principal hardware engineer, John created a Sony PlayStation for emerging foreign markets

Well, depends on what "created a Sony Playstation for emerging foreign markets" means... What are they trying to claim by that anyway?

He worked (lead?) a team that was doing a cost-reduced version of the PS1 for emerging foreign markets. That means taking the old design and using newer parts to integrate more things and reduce manufacturing costs. The project was never released.

Not the hardest of tasks, with little creativity involved, and it never got manufactured anyway, so nobody can be sure if it ever worked.

Actually, name dropping like that is a major red flag. I get that he wants to trumpet his school, but he's not doing himself any favors with that. As someone in academia, pulling something like that would just about be an automatic disqualifier from any job. I can only imagine in industry it's equally frowned upon.

Yep, it totally smells of B.S. Just putting it in there says a whole lot about how his mind works. Conclusion: Toxic, Avoid!

As a principal hardware engineer, John created a Sony PlayStation for emerging foreign markets and co-founded Iguana Entertainment, where he created powerful low-cost software-development interfaces for SNES, Saturn, PlayStation, and Jaguar.

John has also worked for Atari, Atari’s former president and co-founder Nolan Bushnell, and Activision, and has taught college courses in game development.

John has degrees in computer science and management from St. Edward's University in Austin, and five degrees from De Anza College in Cupertino—where Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak studied.

But anyway, that resume is silly in its "Hey, I happened to attend the same university as an Apple co-founder once did!" unnecessary padding... It was already a respectable resume objectively for a videogame software/hardware developer, but he ruins his credibility by adding something unnecessary like that.

Actually, there's a bunch of warning signs in there ... particularly for someone that has supposedly been running a hardware consulting/prototyping/manufacturing company for a number of years.

It boils down to these guys are clowns, desperately trying to pass off a poorly planned idea, with a unsustainable business model, in the hopes of achieving riches and greatness so they can pull themselves out of their normal mundane lives.

Hahaha ... cruel, but fair IMHO. 

[Mathius]

Those Atariage posts are hilarious.