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History of video games/Platforms/EVO Smart Console

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The latest reviewed version was checked on 11 November 2023. There are template/file changes awaiting review.

History

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Development

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Envizions was a company based in Anniston, Alabama.[1]

Work on the EVO Smart Console dates back to about 2003, when it was known as the EVO: Phase One.[2] A more media oriented model, the EVO: Trinity HD3, was also announced.[3]

On August 4th, 2004 the company Envizions was founded.[4] The EVO Smart Console was initially shown at E3 2006 where it was referred to as the EVO: Phase One.[5][6]

A complimentary EVO brand energy drink touted to improve the immune system and stamina was planned to tie into the console.[7][8]

Launch

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At most a few hundred EVO Smart Consoles were shipped[9] in either 2008 or 2009. depending on the source[10][4] A Linux Magazine article listed November 20th, 2008 as a launch date for developers in the United States of America and Canada, with an unspecified 2009 date as a general launch time.[7]

The base Linux EVO Smart Console cost $399.[5] The version with Windows 7 as an operating system cost $579 and the Blu Ray model with Windows 7 cost $679.[5] Linux Magazine suggested that a refund system would allow the cost of the console to reach $250.[7]

Legacy

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The EVO Smart Console is considered by some to be a spiritual successor to the Indrema L600 as both attempted to be early home consoles that were relatively open and ran Linux,[11] though the consoles are otherwise unrelated.

The EVO 2 successor was announced in May of 2011, with preorders opened,[12] but the system was never released.[10] A successor named EVO 2 DX was released in small numbers in December of 2011.[5]

The most ambitious successor, the OTON console, was conceived in 2010.[10] The system was claimed to be able to develop new games autonomously, though by 2013 real hardware had not materialized.[10][13] A kickstarter for the OTON X launched in 2016.[14] While prototype hardware was pictured, and while a smaller mini version and a high end version was also shown, funding for the OTON X was unsuccessful.[15]

Technology

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The EVO Smart Console was essentially made from standard PC parts.[16]

EVO Smart Console

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Fedora 12 in 2009. It is unknown which version of Fedora was used in the console, and what user interface was selected.

Compute

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The EVO Smart console was powered by a dual core AMD Athlon 64 x2 5600+ CPU clocked at 2.9 gigahertz.[4] An ATI HD 3200 GPU is used,[4] and the system can output at resolutions up to 1080p over either a DVI port or an HDMI port.[7] The system has 2 gigabytes of DDR2 RAM.[4][5]

Hardware

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At least one source suggests the CPU was water-cooled.[8] If true, this is perhaps the only mass produced console of its era to adopt such a technology.

The system has a 120 gigabyte hard disk drive for internal storage.[4] The system has a DVD drive by default, though the highest end version shipped with a Blu-Ray drive.[5] Unlike most consoles this generation, the DVD drive was not generally used for game media. Games were delivered in a number of ways, including digitally, physically via SD card, or via a cloud service for Amiga titles.[17]

The system was said to support fingerprint and voice based biometric authentication.[7]

The system was pictured using a controller similar in style to that of a PlayStation 2 or 3, with dual analog sticks near the center left and right, dpad in the upper left, and face buttons on the upper right.[7]

Software

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Most EVO Smart Consoles ran Fedora Linux, though a smaller number ran Windows 7.[5][4]

Online Services

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The EVO Direct online service was used for downloading games to the console.[7] A game streaming service was planned.[18]

Crystal Space was a service offered for game developers for the platform.[7]

PitchBuzz social media services and services of an unspecified internet TV station were integrated.[7]

EVO 2 DX

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The EVO 2 DX was a Windows 7 based console that ran an AM3 socket processor and a ATI Radeon HD 4200.[5] An Android 2.3 tablet was included for hybrid play.[5]

Games

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  • Super Tux - Included[4] Open source platformer.
  • Kobo Deluxe - Included[4]
  • Battle for Wesnoth[8] - Open source strategy game.
  • World of Padman[8] - Notable open source 1st person shooter from 2007 with a cartoony aesthetic.
  • Amiga software titles.[7]
  • 2009 screenshot of SuperTux, an included game in the EVO Smart Console.
    2009 screenshot of SuperTux, an included game in the EVO Smart Console.
  • 2010 Battle for Wesnoth screenshot.
    2010 Battle for Wesnoth screenshot.
  • World of Padman (WOP) logo
    World of Padman (WOP) logo

References

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Wikipedia has related information at EVO Smart Console

  1. ↑ "Envizions Unveils Prototype Design for Next Generation Media Hybrid Console Hub" (in en). GamesIndustry.biz. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/envizions-unveils-prototype-design-for-next-generation-media-hybrid-console-hub. 
  2. ↑ "Dark Watcher's Console History". web.archive.org. 20 October 2007. Retrieved 18 May 2022.
  3. ↑ "Envizions Unveils Prototype Design for Next Generation Media Hybrid Console Hub" (in en). GamesIndustry.biz. 3 November 2005. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/envizions-unveils-prototype-design-for-next-generation-media-hybrid-console-hub. 
  4. ↑ a b c d e f g h i "An Interview with Envizions Founder Derrick Samuels - Feature at Thunderbolt". web.archive.org. 8 December 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121208014721/http://www.thunderboltgames.com/features/article/an-interview-with-envizions-founder-derrick-samuels-feature-for-all-none.html. 
  5. ↑ a b c d e f g h i "EVO". Video Game Console Library. https://www.videogameconsolelibrary.com/pg00-evo.htm#page=reviews. 
  6. ↑ "Envizions to Unveil the EVO: Phase One prototype at the E3 Expo Show 2006" (in en). GamesIndustry.biz. https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/envizions-to-unveil-the-evo-phase-one-prototype-at-the-e3-expo-show-2006. 
  7. ↑ a b c d e f g h i j Kissling, Kristian. "EVO Smart Console: Playstation Competition? » Linux Magazine". Linux Magazine. https://www.linux-magazine.com/Online/News/EVO-Smart-Console-Playstation-Competition/(language)/eng-US. 
  8. ↑ a b c d "Playstation-Konkurrenz? Die EVO Smart Console kommt" (in de-DE). LinuxCommunity. 2008-10-20. https://www.linux-community.de/nachrichten/playstation-konkurrenz-die-evo-smart-console-kommt/. 
  9. ↑ "Crowdfunding and the Mysterious Oton Console - Tap-Repeatedly". web.archive.org. 19 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160319031859/http://tap-repeatedly.com/2012/12/crowdfunding-the-mysterious-oton-console/. 
  10. ↑ a b c d Sarkar, Samit (10 January 2013). "The not-so-true story of OTON, a console that makes video games by itself" (in en). Polygon. https://www.polygon.com/2013/1/10/3833080/oton-autonomous-game-console-crowdfunding. 
  11. ↑ Dunn, Jeff (July 15, 2013). "Chasing Phantoms - The history of failed consoles" (in en). gamesradar. https://www.gamesradar.com/chasing-phantoms-history-failed-consoles/6/. 
  12. ↑ "Envizions EVO 2 Android gaming console up for pre-order". SlashGear. 26 May 2011. https://www.slashgear.com/envisions-evo-2-android-gaming-console-up-for-pre-order-26154500/. 
  13. ↑ "I'm Not Quite Sure What To Make Of 'Oton', A Console That Promises To 'Self-Create' Games" (in en-AU). Kotaku Australia. 2 December 2012. https://www.kotaku.com.au/2012/12/im-not-quite-sure-what-to-make-of-oton-a-console-that-promises-to-self-create-games/. 
  14. ↑ "OTON X Artificial Intelligent Game Console Hits Kickstarter (video)". Geeky Gadgets. 23 August 2016. https://www.geeky-gadgets.com/oton-x-artificial-intelligent-game-console-hits-kickstarter-23-08-2016/. 
  15. ↑ "OTON X:The First Artificial Intelligent Game Console". Kickstarter. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  16. ↑ "Linux-based Evo "Smart Console" now up for pre-order" (in en). Engadget. https://www.engadget.com/2008-10-22-linux-based-evo-smart-console-now-up-for-pre-order.html. 
  17. ↑ "EVO Smart Console is Linux-based; available for pre-order". SlashGear. 3 April 2009. https://www.slashgear.com/evo-smart-console-is-linux-based-available-for-pre-order-0340087/. 
  18. ↑ "The Mugen Fighters Guild - Envizion's EVO the smart console (Open Source Console)". mugenguild.com. https://mugenguild.com/forum/topics/envizions-evo-smart-console-open-source-console-88607.0.html. 
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