I've kept this project to myself and would only describe it occasionally to some coworkers and friends. I never thought that many people would find it cool. And always thought that people with more knowledge than me would find a lot of flaws.
So it's really awesome to read yours and all the other comments. :)
I don't think I could write a book, but I have though in writing other posts, giving more detail in certain aspects of the console.
There's really a lot I could say about it and I only realised how much there was to say when I started writing this.
>And always thought that people with more knowledge than me would find a lot of flaws.
Firstly, anyone who nitpicks on a totally handbuilt computer has almost certainly not built their own, so their criticisms can be taken with a pinch of salt (that is to say while they may be valid, can probably be ignored... they're bust criticizing other people's work while you are actually getting on with building something)
secondly if they HAVE designed/built their own computer (not just built up an arduino into a thing) then they are probably more likely to help you ("Hey, have you tried.... to get around..." etc.) than try and fault you. so the only reason to hide your project is to protect it from someone "stealing" it. but I don't think that is a concern, nor is anyone planning on releasing a new design of 8-bit computer/console that's not compatible with anything that's come before.
what I'm trying to say in a long-winded way, is that this is an amazing project, and keep at it as it obviously brings you a lot of joy.
my electronics projects are all currently stalled and finding the motivation to carry them forward it hard right now, so I applaud you!
Just adding to the chorus saying they’d buy a kit and/or book. For branding, play on your introduction for PGG: Portuguese Guy Gaming. Either way though, you definitely should write more posts if it’s something you’d be interested in, you definitely have an excited and willing audience.
A kit for this console would be crazy though, too many components, too much complexity. But for a smaller version, it could be done.
Branding...yeah, I could never get a name for it, til this day I don't know what to call it, I'm terrible with names.
Maybe I'll take your suggestion :).
Well, I'm glad the response has been so positive! And I'm always afraid of that too, but getting something done and out there is better than not doing anything. Plus, I think most people are supportive, and if there is any constructive feedback, hopefully it's coming from a place of just wanting to help rather than tear down.
I think most people are just amazed at what you accomplished :) I am!
Please consider writing a book or blog posts or at least something! But if you don't I totally understand, don't feel bad about not doing something requested, or anything else either. It's your life and your project :D
We are here just to support you and say thanks for inspiring us!
This is amazing. I'd also love to read a book on this. Electronics is always something i've thought was cool and played around with a little bit, but never really thought something like this was possible with a bunch of slapped together parts. I feel I learned a bunch just reading the bit od your process described in your article and it really made it feel like something accessible for the average person with a bit of technical knowledge and patience. Thanks for sharing that.
You won't know until you start. It's not about writing book, it's just about putting your hardwork in words. You mentioned in your writeup that you used to think same way about building a console.
I have zero knowledge about electronics, consoles, or any of this and I am fascinated by what you did with your free time. Please write a book and publish it here. I'm sure lot and lots of people would love to read it.
Start writing a book and keep writing posts on some of the details and use them to collect emails of people interested in buying the book once it comes out. Also, get on twitter for the same reason.
He wrote a great, thick book called The Black Art of Video Game Console Design. It walks you through making your own game console from scratch. It's a mini EE/CE program in a book. Definitely a great jumping-off point for those looking to learn this stuff.
It is sad that TAB books is no longer a thing, they totally would have published the "BUILD YOUR OWN VIDEO GAME" book. That said, I bet that you could get NoStarch Press to publish it.
Yeah, absolutely. Especially coming from a modern software developers POV. I always think it would be fun to get into electronics, but it just seems so much to take in.
I would pay up to around $50 for a well-produced, high quality, and comprehensive hard copy book that documented the entire process. $30 feels reasonable for an ebook version of same high quality. What would be even cooler is if he partnered with a seasoned EE, who could chime in with contextual commentary on what they would’ve done differently and why. That would be even more valuable to me.
Great job