Introduction to How the Indrema Game Console Will Work

Editor's Note:
Since this article was published on December 11, 2000, Indrema Corporation has gone out of business.
Imagine for a second that you have formed a new electronics company and your first product will be a revolutionary new video game console. It sounds like a video game player's dream, doesn't it? You may even have had an idea for a new kind of video game console yourself. Well, this isn't just a dream for Indrema CEO John Gildred -- it describes the past year of his life.


Photo courtesy Indrema
The Indrema L600 will be the first Linux-based game console.

Gildred founded Indrema in January 2000, and by spring 2001 his company will be playing the role of David taking on the Goliaths of the game console industry. A company would have to be incredibly brave to launch a video game console in today's market unless it could attract a large portion of the gaming audience by offering something truly unique to gamers. Sony has just released the PlayStation 2, a sequel to its original popular game console. Nintendo, a company synonymous with video games, is planning to release a new console, called GameCube, next year. And Microsoft is going to spend $500 million to grab its share of the game console market with its machine, called the Xbox. How will a small independent company ever compete in such a crowded market?

Indrema's L600 video game console will be the first to use the Linux operating system, and is being promoted as an all-in-one home entertainment system. Linux is a free, open source operating system that has become a popular alternative to proprietary operating systems, such as Windows. In this edition of How Stuff Will Work, we'll find out what separates L600 from other more established game consoles and why its manufacturer has chosen to use Linux.

Inside Indrema


Photo courtesy Indrema
As you can see from Indrema's early promotional image of the L600, the machine will have a sleek design, actually looking more like a futuristic cable box than a game machine. It won't have the flash of the shiny chrome Xbox demo unit or the rainbow of colors that characterizes GameCube. The L600 console is simple in design and will be packaged with a game controller similar to that of the PlayStation 2.

Although Indrema will market the L600 as a game console, the machine is much more than a video game player. It truly will be a full entertainment system in one compact unit. It is 12.5 inches long, 10.5 inches wide and 3 inches tall. The L600 can serve as your DVD player, CD player, Web browser and MP3 storage device. It has a built-in digital video recorder that allows users to record antenna, cable or satellite TV feeds to its hard drive, similar to how TiVo or ReplayTV works. Indrema will also incorporate HDTV support in the L600.

Let's take a look at the components inside the L600 and see what they can do. If you want to compare the L600 to the PlayStation2, Xbox or GameCube, check out this detailed comparison page.

These specifications could change prior to the L600's release.

  • The L600 will be powered by an x86-based 600-megahertz (MHz) microprocessor; but Indrema has not said who will supply these microprocessors. It will have a maximum bus transfer rate of between 5 and 10 Gigabytes (GB) per second.
  • NVidia is said to be the developer of the machine's graphics chip. Indrema says that its console will produce 120 to 180 million polygons per second.
  • The L600 will also feature a GPU slide bay that will allow you to slide out the graphics processor when a newer, more powerful one is available. In effect, this will give you a more powerful console without having to buy a new $300 machine. The slide bay is said to be a first in the game console industry.
  • The console will also have 64 Megabytes (MB) of random access memory (RAM) and 96 MB of total memory. Part of this memory can be used by the console to store your MP3 music collection.
  • The storage medium for the L600 will be 10-GB discs.
  • Users will be able to access the Internet with a 100-Megabits-per-second (Mbps) Ethernet port. A 56K modem will be available as an optional add-on. Connectivity to cable modem or DSL modem is available through the Ethernet port. The L600 will also have a built-in Mozilla Web browser.
  • Other L600 features include:
    • HDTV support for output at resolutions up to 1080i
    • Four USB ports on the front of the console
    • Digital surround sound
    • A bundled game to be announced at launch
You've probably noticed that most game consoles, like Sony's PlayStation 2, debut at the beginning of the holiday shopping season. Indrema is using a different tactic in their marketing campaign and will launch the L600 next Spring. This might be to Indrema's advantage. A Spring release allows Indrema to avoid being overshadowed by the PlayStation2, and it will still beat Xbox and GameCube to the market, both of which debut next Fall. The L600 will cost $299, the same as the PlayStation 2 and Xbox, but $100 more than the GameCube.

Why Linux?

The idea to use Linux as the basis for the L600 was born out of one of those late-night "what if" sessions like the ones we have with our friends. "What if a video game could do this?" and "Wouldn't it be cool if a video game played off of an open source architecture?" These what-ifs led a group of video gamers, led by Gildred, to design the L600.

Indrema has chosen to use an open source software architecture to break down the barriers for anyone who wants to become a video game developer. The company is hoping that it will appeal to independent developers as well as those video game developers who make today's widely distributed games. So someday, you could see games like Tomb Raider and Quake being played on the L600. Unlike most game console manufacturers, Indrema is being very secretive about who they are working with in developing games for their system. Indrema is hoping that it might have those popular games, but it is really pushing to open up the creative potential of video games by allowing anyone, including you, to design video games for the L600.

The Indrema software development kit is available for free download at the Indrema developer Web site. Most gaming companies, like Nintendo and Sony, charge tens of thousands of dollars for their development kits. Indrema is providing developers with the tools and application programming interfaces they need to make L600 games at no cost. Developers will be charged an unspecified fee when a game is submitted for technical certification, and all games must be certified to play on the L600. There is also a royalty charged for every copy of certified software sold. But Indrema won't charge royalties to developers who don't sell their games for a profit.

By not charging for their development kit, Indrema hopes to draw many smaller developers who can't afford to make games for Sony or Nintendo, as well as well-known developers who are looking for another creative outlet. This could also mean cheaper games for consumers. Indrema plans to have 30 titles ready for release when the L600 debuts. Another 20 games could be added to their lineup by the end of 2001. Games will be available at stores in DVD disc format or as a download pack via an online software channel.

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