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EVO PC-game console detailed

Envizions announces its hybrid system will go on sale October 20 for $679.95; loads of features promised.

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The past few years have seen several attempts to marry the vast library of PC games with the ease of play of a console. Infinium Labs has been trying to launch its much-maligned Phantom system for years (though it does have a release window scheduled for the system's lapboard attachment). Meanwhile, Digital Interactive Systems' DISCover software promised to let users play PC games on their TVs as easily as console games. DISCover did hit the market (even Alienware made a home theater PC using the software), but it hasn't caught on.

Now Alabama-based Envizions Computer Entertainment Corporation is trying to achieve what Infinium and DISCover haven't with its EVO: Phase One system. The company has announced details for its hybrid system, including a launch date and price. Envizions expects EVO: Phase One to be available October 20 for $679.95.

According to the system's official Web site, the device will act as a DVD player, PC, and Digital Video Recorder, and it will play PC games (offline and online) and customized EVO: Phase One games. It will also provide downloadable movies, previews, anime, and more through the Akimbo video-on-demand service and will include biometric security features (fingerprint scanning to save and access saved data), an 80GB hard drive, a 2GHz AMD Athlon 64 3200 processor, and a liquid cooling system.

EVO: Phase Two is advertised on Envizions' site as shipping in 2007, with Phase Three following in 2008. The company is currently accepting payments for preorders for Phase One and promotional "Evo it!" scratch-off cards through PayPal. The cards (which come in bundles of five for $5) offer a chance to win $10,000 or a Phase One system.

121 Comments

  • Tony-Baxter

    Posted Oct 16, 2006 6:30 pm GMT

    kewl

  • knife_prty

    Posted Aug 3, 2006 5:47 pm GMT

    Come on people! Support the evo, support the evolution of gaming! Honestly, I could forge a prettier looking box...

  • lagreendown

    Posted Jul 17, 2006 8:45 pm GMT

    I dont like it

  • CraigD

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 4:29 pm GMT

    Well, there is a Phase two and three in2007 and 2008...

  • elementfx

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 2:31 pm GMT

    I wonder what type of features it will have... Not hardware wise, but software... Like internet browsing, and IM support.

  • faizali86

    Posted Jul 13, 2006 12:37 pm GMT

    people are already hating the ps3, i like the features but i dont think this console will be any good, especially after reading phase two and three will be coming a year later.

  • KoruKinshi

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 11:40 pm GMT

    Again...let's see the 3rd party games.

    Why, oh why Sega....will you NOT RELEASE A HOME ATOMISWAVE/NAOMI!?!?!

  • anamnawshad

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 11:28 pm GMT

    Why they want to make it?
    This will flop.............
    Too bad *sighs*

  • azizrulez

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 11:01 pm GMT

    the video card and the ram arent that exciting
    rather get a PS3 for that kind of money
    id atleast get value for money

  • Shim567

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 10:21 pm GMT

    these are the features from there website

    CPU- AMD Athlon 64 3200
    L1 Cache 64kb + 64kb
    L2 Cache 512 kb
    2.0 Ghz.

    GPU-Sapphire Radeon X1600 Pro w/HDMI
    Twelve pixel pipelines
    Core Clock 500 MHz
    Memory Clock 800 MHz

    Tuner card- Hauppauge with built-in FM radio

    RAM- 512 RAM DDR

    Storage- 80 gig hard drive
    DVD-Rom drive

    Digital Media Support-Support for DVD-video, DVD-ROM, DVD-R/RW

    DVD+R/RW, CD-ROM, CD-RW,

    Send customize Envizions games to any EVO wireless router

    Many players playing from one master hub

    3-D graphics

    Cooling: Customize CoolIT Systems liquid system

    Audio- Creative Labs Audigy SE
    24-bit Advanced HD
    EAX Advanced HD
    Supports surround sound 7.1, 6.1 and 5.1

    I/O – Support two 2.0 USB PC ports (in front)
    Four rear 2.0 USB ports
    On board Ethernet port

    Software-Media Center 2005

    Physical specs-Width-318mm
    Height-100mm
    Length-415mm

    High-Definition- Standard-definition and high definition video support

    Support HDTV, DVD player and CD capabilities.
    DVR Capabilities: Record, Rewind and Pause live TV, 125-channel cable ready TV tuner, Surf the net, program menu and FM radio receiver.
    Six USB ports and one Ethernet port, one fireware 1394 port.
    Set up will allow several users to access the system at the same time; play the same game or different games in several different locations simultaneously. Allow users to store/download EVO console games to the hard drive then stream game data to several TV's from one console.
    ***Provide a 100% wireless network. Wireless console, wireless keyboard and game controllers. Console can be placed anywhere in the home. Will have encryption security features for wireless application network.
    A full functional PC and media center and can be converted to a game console by choice of user.
    ***Biometric game save. Save EVO games with fingerprint.
    Navigate between PC and console interface.
    Comes with a built-in 80 gig serial ATA hard drive. Hard drive can be upgraded to an Envizions external or internal hard drive for recording extra HD or other content. Allow for portable media devices like digital cameras and MP3 players to be plug into the system by USB ports.
    Built-in IRA remote sensor
    Store EVO customize games from disc for later use
    Customize CoolIT System next generation cooling system
    ***S.R.I (Simulated Realistic Intelligence) Player reaction and environment will increase the in game obstacles and A.I capabilities

  • _Sam_

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 10:19 pm GMT

    I'm not going to be getting this

  • tonyleo01

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 9:50 pm GMT

    The spec is pretty weak for that kinda money... But if it plays pc game by just pop the disc in like a regular console then that'd be pretty cool.

  • tequilasunriser

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 9:32 pm GMT

    this reminds me of the indrema console...

  • diesil

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 9:27 pm GMT

    if a company that someone has actually heard of did something like this and sold it cheap people would buy it

  • fartsimpson

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 9:17 pm GMT

    rule number one when entering the console market. have a well known rich company backing it. i can see this being the phantom all over again.

  • Kwiksilva

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 9:12 pm GMT

    good idea but 700 is kinda high

  • rynmls

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 9:05 pm GMT

    to expensive...

  • frodo_baggins

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 9:02 pm GMT

    Please, tell me this is April´s fool!!!!! ~_~

  • TooDamnRaw

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 8:59 pm GMT

    This may actually be a better deal than the PS3 and 360. I probably wouldn't buy it, but as I recall, nobody expected Sony to succeed in 1994 but behold today they are the number one console developers right now. If it played more than just PC games, and it had some kind of third party support, this thing could take off.

  • mrblah00

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 8:09 pm GMT

    Who cares about the hdd and processor, why are the 2 most important things for playing a PC game mysteriously missing from this article?

    Theres no way of knowing how good this will be without knowing the VIDEO CARD and RAM. Since that will determine what games you can even play!

    >$700 would be a very good price if it includes over 1gb of ram and a good PCI-X video card. When you look at the sub $800 PC's its clear that they are serious pieces of junk for gaming and any sort of performance computing. If this thing has good ram and a good card then it would be a good budget PC in general and could easily compete with the $1300+ PC's. Who cares about the fact that they are aiming at making it a game console like device, look at the big picture for its other uses compared to other computer in its price range.

  • Mp5slipknot

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 8:07 pm GMT

    Thats just stupid. I mean I already have something with the same but better capabilities.... A PC!

  • Pablo620

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 8:01 pm GMT

    HAHA PS3 NOT the most expensive console. My PC is doing just fine on my Dell 24" widescreen

  • _sean_05

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 8:00 pm GMT

    it looks like an f'ing VCR. and sony should sue THEM over controller design, lol

  • black_cat19

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 7:55 pm GMT

    Pathetic...
    I've never been a pc gamer, but if I wanted to start, my pc is almost twice as powerful as this, so why bother? And it COSTS MORE than a P$3 (OMG!!!).

  • gdogg4210

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 7:39 pm GMT

    I wonder what sort of videocard it will come with. If it is something like a 7800gt or x1800 i might buy it for the card and put that in my pc

  • nappan

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 7:33 pm GMT

    This is absolutely mind boggling. Unless this is a scam by the heads of this company to funnel the money of gullible investors to private offshore accounts, I truly can't understand why anyone would consider something so pitiful.

  • AA7

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 7:12 pm GMT

    FLOP

  • jeebs213

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 7:06 pm GMT

    I know one company that hasn't been following gaming news recently

  • emadayag

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 7:05 pm GMT

    I'll stick to my Turbografx-16, thank you. My Vestex is needing a bit of usage also.

  • moocow21

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 6:58 pm GMT

    Why anybody would buy this when the cheaper (sounds weird to use that word with this) PS3 will be out the next month? And the PS3 will be more powerful at a lower price..

  • firefruze

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 6:51 pm GMT

    yeah this thing is just going to flop, nobody has a use for this mishmashed thing.

  • PiMacleod_basic

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 6:45 pm GMT

    Okay, I'm as skeptical as everyone else....

    or maybe less...some people went right to the 'never-gonna-work' option.

    In any case, all this means is that somebody, somewhere is going to buy it, because there are 'gadget' people out there who have to have new-fangled gadgets. My prediction is that it won't catch on enough to be qualified for the 'console race', but it will take away a slim few sales from a few next gen systems, since that cash could've went to one of the 'Big Three'. ....that's just my prediction.

  • paulyfknt

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 6:43 pm GMT

    why spend 680 on this when a month later the ps3 comes out??

  • Narroo

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 6:30 pm GMT

    What if I scar my finger? Will I have to start a whole new save file?

  • troakun

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 6:12 pm GMT

    mirlegend
    "rule number one when entering the console market. have a well known rich company backing it. i can see this being the phantom all over again."

    It IS the phantom as far as I care.

  • Da-Chicken

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 6:08 pm GMT

    As hard as it is for me to admit, it IS more powerful than my PC...but it can't do as much. And that's the general situation for most current PC users. Since an actual PC has more functionality than this machine ever could, most people will quite simply ignore it. Now, if they start making it more and more like a PC to the point where you're using something that's the same (but with a TV as the monitor), it'll definitely be worth it. As long as they make it more powerful GPU-wise, it will have the potential to surpass most common-home PCs.

  • SWANN2099

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 6:07 pm GMT

    I'll pass on this "so-called" console.

  • i_love_my_ds

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 6:06 pm GMT

    cough*flop*cough

  • Dextress

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 6:03 pm GMT

    Their marketing department (assuming it exists) is shameful. Look at the '80s branding and logo design. The website is shocking. And the box itself? It looks like something designed three decades ago.

  • _Margulis_

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 5:39 pm GMT

    what a rip off.

    its not any cheaper than a PC, you can't use any PC features and installing games isn't even a problem on the PC, in fact its easier to play games on the PC than the consoles, half the time you don't even need the disk. Its not like installing stuff is some great big mystery only nerds have figured out how to perform that justifies spending $700 on a handicap PC.

  • mskittykat

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 5:15 pm GMT

    It's a nice thought, but honestly it's not worth it. For that people can shell out a few bucks more and build their own gaming PCs for that price.

    Let's not forget the current look doesn't seem to be setting any records. Now if they give the case a traditional PC game look...you MIGHT start to see some hope for it.

  • CraigD

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 5:12 pm GMT

    How about that wireless "Lapboard" that's releasing in October that everyone's mad over; In more ways than one... B-D.

  • gill9221

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 5:10 pm GMT

    bah! so generic looking... no way!

  • CraigD

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 5:10 pm GMT

    [This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

  • blackhawk887

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 4:59 pm GMT

    Not worth it.
    I'm going to build a beautiful pc with dx-10 hardware next summer, regardless of price. Until then, I have a high-end Dell laptop, a mid-range gaming desktop and an Xbox360 to keep me happy.

    The hardware will not cut it for its release date, and there's no name. Give them credit, but PC games aren't meant to be played with a controller anyway.

  • Irist_11

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 4:48 pm GMT

    YES!!!!!!!!!! 1 more competitor

  • runstalker

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 4:47 pm GMT

    Best comment in this thread:
    grummzaire -

    :
    ...a $679 gaming PC. Right guys? Right? Oh wait, thats right. If I'm going to be a PC gamer, I'm going to buy a freakin sweet PC, not a piece o' crap television machine.

  • grnidbandit

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 4:44 pm GMT

    thats probably the ugliest thing I have ever seen

  • K1LLSWITCH

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 4:44 pm GMT

    It sounds like another PS3 but without the compatibility of playing PC games. Also, how much will the online service be? Will the EVO take some ques from Microsoft and charge people for basic service? Will there be add-on's in the future? And how well will this 'fingerprint scanning to save and access saved data' will work? On top of all that, look at their controller design. They stole Sony's idea! Crusify them!!!!

    Let the finger pointing begin.

  • thefjk

    Posted Jul 12, 2006 4:39 pm GMT

    I dont think this will work!

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