THis actually kinda interest me. I LOVE PC gaming. however, I have a problem with a newly purchased game crashing to my desktop because "Error code: 08DD7 FU fool" if they could make a PC based gaming system that ships with a built in software program that'll guarantee no driver clashes while still automatically updating said drivers for us. I'd be a lot more than interested.

Jesterhead369

I havn't really seen PC Gaming killing it self, more like weeding the kids out. The annoying little cockbites ones [aleast 5 to 14], which so far is becoming true.

Because kids are too lazy to get jobs and you have to some what mature (I said somewhat) to keep a job and to be paid repeatedly by said job.

Interwebs

"PC based games machine"? I call a glorified set top box, nothing more than a windows media centre monstrosity with S video out and a wireless keyboard.

Surely they're not considering breaking in with proprietary hardware, not after how much Microsoft spent to get in last generation. I wonder if their games division is even making a profit yet, let alone paid back its investment of the last decade?

DuctTape

If the quality is anywhere near my Acer laptop...it's going to be shit.

AnTi PRO

@SG79:

Just to add, there is a reason why MS eventually entered the console game market and gave up on their crusade to mass market PC gaming in the 90's.

SG79

@Fryfat:

How is backwards compatibility part of a spec that allows new games to be played? HDD use aside, and firmware, the the upgrades consoles require are much more simple than PC gaming.

The bottom line is that core specs in each console are the same: Same CPU, RAM, GPU etc. Game A will play on any Xbox, PS or Nintendo hardware. The same can't be said for PC games.

SG79

Oh? That's rich. Acer criticizes the closed nature of consoles?

I worked on an Acer laptop that was so old it was basically worthless. Maybe $100. It was locking up at random, and I needed to get inside to work on it. I checked documentation - no dice. Checked for service manuals - none. So I called Acer to ask simply how to open it - they refused and said the ONLY option was to send it back with $400 for off-warranty repairs. I took a quarter that much and got a used Thinkpad with the same specs. (And opened the Acer, but it was beyond repair... probably a bad CPU)

That was the last time I touched an Acer because I like my PCs user servicable.

fuchikoma

Acer will fail miserably if they try. Meet the Phantom: part 2. As Microsoft has shown, you need an insane amount of capital and resources to make a foothold in this market. Acer can feel free to take Gateway down with them. A pc based console is not a good idea.

Gagamus

@noboard: That doesn't make sense and without really working in the industry yourself it sounds layman or hypothetical. Stating dev's would be lazy and doing less work if we had a single platform system? Are all the rampantly worse game delays over the last few years clue anything? Every game delay time and time again gets blamed on ironing out a certain multi-platform's release or trying to overcome each platforms unstandardized hardware limitations. If things were more standardized in both PC and console markets, the dev's would have more time to work on a game that will guarantee to work on anything you play it on and most importantly get them actually released on time instead of a dozen delays. Nothing wrong with wishing to streamline the workflow in the industry.

TC

I hope they do it, then we can see all these game dev's that are saying how much they want one single open system up sticks and develop exclusively for this.

Of course when they don't move and the system fails it will prove what a bunch of arses they are and the only reason they want a single platform is so they have to do less work for the same money.

There's no problem with wanting more money for less work, just don't wrap it up in bullshit.

noboard

BS. We don't want another PC masquerading as a console. If they want to break in the video gaming market properly, they should release a console with kick-ass hardware, kick-ass games, and fantastic developer support tools, at the $250 mark.

garytek

Sounds like MSX...

PC gaming has been killing itself for years by chasing specs and graphics with absolutely no regard for the needs of gamers who can't afford £2000 overclocked Alienware systems. (Even those games that consider lower specs are washed up in the impression that PC games are spec hungry)

If you had to upgrade your 360 every year to play new games you wouldn't bother; you'd just buy a PS3.

So this sounds like a good idea to me.

RobTheBuilder

@.endejas.: I rest my case

Fyren

This isn't a surprise at all with the recent formation of the PC gaming alliance. The more companies that join to create a universal PC gaming spec, means the less time I spend worrying if a PC game will work install or be compatible with the internal PC's various hardware components or not.

TC

@Fryfat: i'd like to nominate you for the best comment thingy, but i'm too lazy.

Waka in Japan

Acer already has a gaming laptop (Actually pretty good one as well for price and power for mobile market) under their Gateway brand.

ACER owns the brands, eMachines and Gateway.

Interwebs

Why god, why?!

I hate acer for the sole reason I used to work tech support. Haven't seen too many problems with the actual hardware itself (their desktops are a little bit iffy sometimes) but the additional acer branding software shit they put on their consumer PCs is horrible. I really hope this is a rumor. I call failure on this one if it actually is true.

タイヘン

I hope they just mean they'll be taking over making the 360 hardware. MS needs to retool their hardware production.

@CrashHedgehog: I agree, I use an acer laptop (right now) and it's great.

PSN ID: Kadaj24

Hah, my dad used to work at acer.

If THAT is indeed not a rumor, then it'll be interesting to see how it'll turn out. Probably will fail though, since acer isn't nearly as big of a name as the Big Three.

The_Antihippy

"If consoles aren't closed-platform, you start to have to worry about typical PC-gaming problems. System requirements, upgrading, etc. "

Hrm, does this game require the wifi extention? Would it play better with a hard drive addon?

Maybe we should upgrade to the 60GB version with backwards compatible support, or is that a downgrade from the 80GB software-backwards-compatible version?

Does this game not work because I don't have the latest firmware, or do I need to get the latest patch to fix the bugs?

Fryfat

Acer, please, don't shot you in the foot. You make devent hardware.

tei

I don't know what they plan, but I've got an Acer notebook and I can stand behind the hardware itself.

Now, the question lies with how they plan to utilize the hardware... as interested as I am, I chuckle at the thought of it being proprietary.

CrashHedgehog

Phantom?

.endejas.

Ugh...I just posted a comment about this whole open-platform console idea in the article about Dyack.

Making an open-platform console brings up all the problems that make many people choose console over PCs. If consoles aren't closed-platform, you start to have to worry about typical PC-gaming problems. System requirements, upgrading, etc. That's the main draw of consoles over PCs, is you don't have to worry about any of that stuff, and if you make the games open-platform, system requirements are a necessity.

Heartwork

Quiet...weird.

I will give it up to their laptop though, I've been very happy with their products.

I see this as going the direction of "Fragbox" and "Phantom"..

Fyren