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[Diejay]

For those who don't know, "PICO-8 is a fantasy console for making, sharing and playing tiny games and other computer programs. When you turn it on, the machine greets you with a shell for typing in Lua commands and provides simple built-in tools for creating your own cartridges." -- description taken from http://www.lexaloffle.com/pico-8.php

I've had this idea myself of doing a fake game system on which you can code your own games for years. I'm glad someone else with more time on his hands managed to do it, but I still wish to build my own version.

Now, my question is; would it be a waste of my time to work on this kind of project, knowing something like it already exists? I'd like to be able to sell it too, and potentially publish it on home consoles as well as pc and web.

[Capntastic]

If you're not determined enough to know if it's a "good idea" without strangers weighing in on the pros and cons for you, it will definitely be a waste of time.

[Diejay]

Ouch. Well, fair enough. I guess what I was really asking is, is there a market for this kind of software? Would people be interested in trying it out, at least to the same extent as the original Pico-8?

[Capntastic]

I'm not familiar enough with it well enough to say, but what would you do better/different that would get people excited enough to jump ship or bring in more of an audience?

[quantumpotato]

I'm not familiar enough with it well enough to say, but what would you do better/different that would get people excited enough to jump ship or bring in more of an audience?

Second that. Are you talking about just virtually or physically? Because PICO-8 is now a handheld:

https://getchip.com/pages/pocketchip

VoidSkimmer posted a very helpful example of a game reading its own memory https://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=56755.0;topicseen using a custom assembly emulator they wrote. That was pretty cool. I don't know what else they've done with it but a custom online computer to demonstrate programming arcana to another indie was a sweet opportunity.

If you have time to spare, hack on your project for a day/week/month. You'll probably learn a lot.

[ProgramGamer]

https://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=56360.msg1254730#msg1254730

[Diejay]

Second that. Are you talking about just virtually or physically? Because PICO-8 is now a handheld

It would be virtual at first, but if I can make a version that runs on a physical handheld computer, all the better.

https://forums.tigsource.com/index.php?topic=56360.msg1254730#msg1254730

Interesting. It seems the concept of a virtual computer is kicking off! I'll give it a try anyway, seems like I can learn a lot from it.

[gimymblert]

Make it on unity, so we can install the virtual machine on any machine and webgl

[voidSkipper]

Whether something is a waste of time or not depends on what your intended outcome is.

If your intended outcome is learning more about how computers actually work, I don't think any reasonable attempt at rolling your own console will be a waste of time.

The purpose of making my virtual console is to waste time, so I am paradoxically wasting time while achieving my goal.

[Superb Joe]

children love toys. the question is how dedicated are you to providing joy to children? btw the children are balding 38 year olds with smooth shapeless biceps and malodorous genitals

[Türbo Bröther]

Joe is right, you should make a voxel engine for making rougelites.

[Superb Joe]

i agree with turbo brother, joe is right

[ｂ∀ ｋｋｕｓａ]

making rougelites.

rouge lite



rougelite rougelite rouge  Rouge

[gimymblert]

You are wrong this is red

[Diejay]

Make it on unity, so we can install the virtual machine on any machine and webgl

There's this console thingy I made in Unity a while ago, I think I'll recycle it for this project. If I can't make it as good as Pico-8, at least I can make it quirkier.