Build in Ethernet ESP32 Wifi

[Matej 37]

I think internet/ethernet build into motherboard will be great. For playing multiplayer games online with friends. Also some kind of 2D virtual world / social network / MMO RPG / Scifi MMO will be cool. I am reading Neal Stephenson Snow Crash and He was inspired by C64 network game called  Habitat. Metaverse is world like from movie Ready Player One - Oasis. On Atari we have FujiNET based on ESP Wifi module. Also Wifi will be good for load uploading files to and from X16 SD card using PC or MAC etc. Wifi modules cost few USD. Like coffee latte or so. It will be nice feature.

Metaverse

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaverse

Habitat C64

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habitat_(video_game)

FujiNET

 

[Jeff Pare 12]

For me, it's a feature that is best implemented as an expansion card (or maybe through the user port?); otherwise feature creep will increase cost and make the X16 ship a lot later. Besides, the added complexity means troubleshooting and support get trickier, so it's better to have a simpler platform at first and get it right.

However, I would say guidelines on how to create APIs for the X16 and expansion cards could be enough to ensure different implementations of ESP32-base expansion boards behave well together and with software that will use them. Having clear guidelines will also spur hardware development for the X16, which would be nice.

[Fnord42 23]

I agree - this would be a great feature for an expansion card.

And I'm probably not the only one who wants to build one just for the fun of it, so please don't take that away by including it on the mainboard. Seriously, though - I don't think that this would be likely anyway. Including a Wifi module that could probably emulate the whole rest of the system without breaking a sweat would feel like a weird design decision to me. (Yes, I suppose the VERA hardware could probably do that too, but going for an FPGA solution for the video was a necessary, or at least quite reasonable, compromise in my opinion.)

[Fnord42 23]

Come to think of it, a Snow Crash / Cyberpunk themed Habitat-like game for the X16 would be really cool.

[Cyber 46]

I regret I couldn't join Habitat because of different country and situation. I like the concept of Oasis a lot. I'm glad I was able to join Active Worlds. And I hope I will expiriance something similar to Habitat with X16.