indieGO! All-in-One Retro Game Console (Raspberry Pi 3)
Created by ARES Computer inh. Pascal Papara
A true console with access to thousands of games from past, present and future, powered by a spiritual successor to Commodore Amiga OS.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
The last week - again some small problems but solved already
almost 8 years ago
– Sun, Jul 03, 2016 at 04:53:25 PM
Hi,
a bit later than planned here we go with another status update with everything which happened after the last one.
I've got to the Projekt Lila CDROM-Master and visited Markus Tillmann (the guy behind www.amiga30.de and the upcoming www.amiga32.de) to test the compatibility to a real Amiga CD32. Well.. it didn't work.
Test- Master didn't work
Markus was so nice to give me his CD32 for further testing at home. The original ISO was ok, I have verified it with burning to a normal CD-R. So the failure happened during the conversation from my ISO file to the DDP file for the printing Station.
This is now fixed. I have send them my CDROM as base and they managed to do a 1:1 glas master. This glas master is now used to produce the CD-ROMs.
The bad thing had something good.. We won 1 day extra time for the game and Erik Hogan programmed a world selection menu for the game and also created an optimized CD-layout (the way specific files are ordered on a disc to reduce loading times).
The video was screenrecoreded on a slow computer.. normally it is smooth scrolling.
The game discs should arrive here during the next week. And I will send them directly to those who ordered only the game. If it was ordered together with a console, I will keep it to ship them together.
This was one problem which is now solved and had a positive side-effect : )
I am still waiting for the WEEE Registration. As planned the missing USB-cables for roughly 1/3 of the consoles (I've got some cables meanwhile from german sources) which I have ordered in china should be ready this week and shipping should take around 4-5days. Whatever I hope I can start sending out boxes starting from July-11th.
Boxes.. hmm.. This was another new problem.
Before the campaign became that successful I have planned for 50 -100 consoles.. The company Packwerk in germany worked with us on a paperboard box (dimensions and rules). But they have told us now that they can't produce the demanded quantity in an economical way. They have told me to contact http://www.jungeschachteln.de as an alternative. It took two days and I've got a so called white master
white master is approved - production is running
They have also corrected the box-design by themselves and the production is now running since last week. The boxes should now arrive next week.
Corrected boxart
Besides this Fabio and Andreas fixed a lot of bugs in the Hollywood programming language (which occurred on ARM devices only). And as a result the Thank you demo is now working natively on the indieGO! : )
The indieGO! In the picture is right now using a pi3 as brain because it is slower than the odroid and we try to optimize it on the lower end : )
You can also see that the green LED indicating that a sd-card is inserted into the front sd-slot.
Also you can see the 2 front USB ports.
I have in one a USB joypad attached and in the second a USB-hub to attach a mouse and keyboard.
The small black box next to the console is the psu.
In parallel i am fighting with a new server for the cloud.
Oh and the cloud storage has been raised now to 25GB as promised. It was 5GB so far.
If you like to change your shipping address because you moved home please use the backerkit page for this.
Small updates ... getting close
almost 8 years ago
– Mon, Jun 20, 2016 at 10:56:45 PM
Hi,
the last week(s) have been an up and down with some turbulences and a bit of stress : )
As you know I had trouble to get USB-cables in the required number and I've found a company which will produce them for us.
They should arrive in the next days. In the meanwhile I will get 100 cables from a german seller. So this problem can be considered as "solved".
Another thing is the box of the console and I hope to get tomorrow the feedback from the printing workshop. I will call them via phone to speed this up again.
The box is inspired a bit by the european Dreamcast box (see here: my favorite console from the big boys at SEGA). In fact the shortened "IGO" Logo (indieGO!) is inspired by the Dreamcast whirl as well.
Meanwhile I've got also the contract from take-e-way signed and an inquiry by german WEEE authority "Stiftung EAR" which asked for a SEPA mandate : )
Since this is required to fetch money from my account, it is a good sign that they speed up the registration process.
To save time I will not wait to print this number to the paperboard box. Instead I will put a sticker on the box with the final number (one of the requirements for shipping).
So everything can stay in flow.
Also I have got the "Powered by Amiga Forever" license stickers. Each console will have its own license key number. So every indieGO! comes with original AmigaOS 3.1 Kickstart ROMS : )
Amiga Kickstart licensed ? Check!
If there is light, there is also shadow : ) Last week my 3D printer died, (The ARM-Board holders are 3D-printed parts). It is still inside the warranty period but as usually this "repairing process" can take some weeks. So I've asked them if it is possible to buy "meanwhile" until they repaired the old one, a new one with a small discount.. Yep.. So it took only 2 days to get a new one. In ~2 weeks I will end up with 2 printers : ) ... which is again a positives effect.
I would say 1-2 weeks if everything goes well and I can start with shipping. I have to thank you for your patience so far. Trust me I am also eager to get this done asap to continue on the software side and future updates and to relax a bit while playing games again.
What else... Hmm... One of the options you get is to use the indieGO! as desktop computer. You can close the console mode at any time to do some web surfing or write a letter whatever you would like to do with a computer.
I've some critics regarding the default wallpaper form AEROS. It shows Kitty (the AROS mascot) as dominatrix and TUX (the linux mascot) enjoying it a little.. It is a metaphor about the Hosted OS trumping on the host OS.. But hey... customer is king and so this is the new Wallpaper for AEROS:
Besides Emulationstation and Kodi you will also get as first people our own EmuLA. It will take still a while before it does everything and supports everything but when... yeah when, then it will rule the world of retro-gaming : )
Fabio has now added also support for MegaDrive/Genesis Roms.. (Gameboy, GBC, Gameboy Advance and NES/Famicom where supported already).
Manage ROMS, Emulators and more
Emula features also a TV-mode
I will use this week also to include the "licensed" EmulationStation theme to the indieGO!-OS image.
Our Backer Sjoerd has translated the short manual to dutch. Thank you again! This helps a lot!
Projekt Lila production will be finished in 7 days. The boxes are done already. Today I have send them a new ISO because there was and is still a delay regarding the Kickstart ROMS. My idea was to include executables for Windows, Mac, and Linux to the CDROM. This would work with Kickstart-Roms and an Amiga-Emulator.
The problem is that this isn't covered by a standard license model from Cloanto, so it needs to be clarified by lawyers and this and that.. and it may take some weeks.
So I've decided to print a download code inside the boxes. When the "contracting" stuff is ready, you can download the WIN, OSX and Linux versions.
The CDROM will work on the indieGO! anyway, because the indieGO! has the required ROM installed already. (Bundling ROMS with Hardware is covered by an existing license model form Cloanto, so it was just a matter of days).
So the Projekt: Lila CD contains:
Amiga CD32 version (the CD will boot on an CD32 and indieGO!)
Amiga 030/4MB version (with better music = bigger MOD's with vocals)
Amiga 030/4MB Hardcore mode (tough to play but doable)
A download code for the digital version and later releases for Win, Linux and OSX
CD cover
Besides this Fabio is working together with the creator of the Hollywood programming language to fix some sound related bugs on ARM devices which affects one of our other game projects.
The chat system is now done on the server side.. In the second half (closer to the end) we will roll out an update which will allow you to chat with other gamers.
I wish you a good week.
Take care!
Update time
almost 8 years ago
– Tue, May 17, 2016 at 07:03:36 PM
Hi,
as promised here is a new update with more infos about the latest things going on.
Deliveries of components
During the last days and weeks I have been busy with ordering, and managing deliveries but also cancelations by suppliers and finding alternative sources or splitting orders over multiple suppliers.
40TB+ in Memory cards
Now we can start the assembly
Arrival of the cases
@Ahlon I will post more fotos on friday. Maybe a slide-show is better suited : )
Production is now ongoing and I will do a foto-documentation about it. In the moment I need also to take the time to write a manual which is one of the requirements for shipping.
Updated Board-holder
Some days back I had an meet and greet with one backer and we discussed the possibility to add support for Kryoflux and original floppy drives. It must be an external solution. I have updated the Board-holder which allows to mount the ARM-Board in a ITX case. It features now "slide-to-open" expansion hole. This will be used later for the Kryoflux-extension or other things.
A small door to the future : )
Pre-ordering Projekt: Lila
Our Amiga and indieGO! game Projekt: Lila is getting close to the finishing line.
The 8Bit style game features many tracks from the duo Blue Metal Rose with vocals plus instrumental versions and new creations.
The Intro song is called "3 Töne" which means "3 tones"
The translation is:
3 tones
I need 3 tones...
Than I am happy
3 tones
tones
I need 3 tones...
Than I am happy
The original song "3 Töne" was created using an C64.
Besides this the game features also songs with english vocals. I know only 2 Amiga Games which had vocals... Xenon 2 and Oops Up.
In a few days we should be able to show you a in-game trailer. All videos we have made so far were for internal discussions and made with a shaky cam..
The 34.90€ include shipping (just choose the "self-pick-up option and I send it to you). Kickstarter backers can get it for 29.90 including shipping. Please contact me before ordering, so I can mark you in the shop-system as VIP. I need to do this manually for your account.
G.E.M.Z indieGO! Edition
One stretch-goal included our puzzle game G.E.M.Z.
Fabio has decided to enhance and optimize it. The result is now an update from 1.1 to 2.0 with a lot of changes. So much that it could be G.E.M.Z 2 : )
G.E.M.Z for the indieGO!
We will post an extra update about the new G.E.M.Z Version in a few days.
Boot Menu to switch between operating systems and Front-Ends
Please excuse the Typo "Boot Memu" : ) Should be "Boot Menu" will be fixed tomorrow. The menu can be disabled so the console starts directly into your favorite option.
You can modify entries and change font, font-size, colors and animations.
Our Backer Kai "Solyant" Schickentanz who has send us some of the best decals, has also created gfx for EmuLA. I have reused the Wallpapers for the boot loader : )
Thank you again Kai!
If you like you can also check our Facebook page : )
Please use the "Pick-up" option to save shipping costs since it comes built-in with your indieGO! . it make no sense to pay extra shipping but the shop system isn't that flexible.
It is a 6x BD- Burner btw. (Samsung SN-506BB)
As you know we've agreed on replacing the Pi2 by the Pi3 in the believing that the Pi3 is compatible... well it was not 100% and also it brought new problems on the desk like power demand. Both problems are solved. The most cumbersome was a black-out at boot.
This is solved now and a new AEROS Image for Raspberry Pi3 is available for download at www.indiego-gaming.com (16GB+ card should be used)
AEROS is now also Pi3 compatible
We have also updated the indieGO-Appstore for desktop computers and are now enhancing the indieGO! deamon. This tools checks CD-ROMS and tries to run the content with best fitting emulator and settings. This requires a growing database and so we thought it would be at least nice to have if our users can use the tool to request compatibility.
Ex-Amigans will recognize Final Writer : )
Let's say you insert a Playstation game and it is not recognized as such. The tool will than give the option to "force execution as "PSX Game" or to request adding this game to the database. In the following process you can pre-answer a few questions and the info will be send to us, where we can add this game to the next update for the database.
This way the next one who insert this game (and updated his database) will be able to play the game out of the box.
Besides the Blu-ray drive we will also add a hand full Retrode's to the store as soon they arrived (should be next week). I thought to order a few more because who knows when they will be produced again.
