A92: Independent Gaming Platform

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A92: Independent Gaming Platform

   This message may sound off topic for this list, because it has to do
with hardware, but it is intended to be read by those people who have done
extensive programming with Fargo and/or ZShell (which includes most of the
subscribers to this list in one way or another).

   What I would like to know is two things (plus a sidenote):

   1) Has anyone in the TI community with an electronics background
tinkered with the idea of creating a hand-held game system that could be
programmed by the average user (read Fargo and ZShell programmers)? If so,
what were some of your findings regarding such an endevor (drawbacks and
possiblities in contrast to just programming a TI calculator to run said
games)?

   2) Would enough people be interested in such a product, that it would
make such an endevor worthwhile? In other words, if there was a 'game'
platform that existed out there that the average user (read 'hacker' in the
traditional sense)
could program without have to spend an arm an a leg to.... Nintendo, for
example, how many of the game programmers that currently program in
Fargo/ZShell would be writing your games on that platform instead of a
calculator?

   3) This final question is aimed more at Shawn Prestidge than anyone else.
While I know that you can not divulge any direct information as to the
current plans that TI has for it's line of calculators, is there any reason
that you can see why such a 'gaming' device would be illogical, considering
TI's future plans... Most of us are loyal followers of the TI brand of
calculators, however it has to be admitted that many of us like to use
their calculators for endevors other than math class, a fact that I'm sure
TI has been made aware of, through either yourself or other employees.
Also, many complaints have been mentioned by Fargo programmers that they
would like to see outright support of Assembly programming (even though TI
is already partially doing so with the 86), with enough memory on the
calculator to make the creation of large games (like RPG's) possible
(256Kb+).
What I'm looking for, Mr. Prestidge, if possible, is a 'wait and see (year
or so)' or 'totally illogical' kind of vauge answer to my question.

Thank you for your time,

Nathaniel Gibson
ngibson@postoffice.ptd.net
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