hi,
i have some suggestions that i would like to share:
first, python scripts + an api should be added (at least sooner since people can start developing their games)
second, don't you think the number of buttons is a bit low? a simple joystick has 8 buttons + 4 direction type, + "stop" and "start" buttons
third, networking capability should be added for online games (like a chess between 2 players).
forth, the games should be signed by the names of the developers (in order to have a better secure system).
fifth, beside all of these, like playstation 4, it should be possible to ban the devices who run stolen games and don't let their devices to be turned on cause they used pirated games.
sixth, if python gets added, then it is possible to have ai models trained and executed on the device and ran on the device, thus the ai will be better (something like mxnet should be able to be executed on the device).
seventh, if wifi gets added, then how would we type in the information for a wifi network to connect to them?

I've seen game consoles allow for typing via controller before. Might help to habe more than 3 face buttons though.

Ok, so visual studios has addresses a few issues, lets go through them:
1. The sooner python can be added the better, I do agree with this. On the console side this wont be a big task, but on the G D E it could be a bit more tricky. The sooner the work load can be shared with a third party the sooner I can consentrate on this.
2. The Sonus only has 3 less buttons than the likes of PS4 or Xbox. I dont see this being an issue, dont forget that buttons can also be combined, for example you could program a game so if you hold button 4 it completely changes the functionality of the otehr buttons.
3.The wifi issue has been mentioned once before. I think wifi would be a great benefit but to focus on the more important software aspects of the project I am trying to find 3rd party help with the PCB work, this is something I will be discussing with them. I do think it will be included in the final product.
4 and 5. The piracy system for the Sonus is mostly handled by the play store, this will hopefulyl be both a website and a phone system. Each Sonus has a serial number which must be given to the play store to download a game. This Game then comes with a key file on it that the Sonus will look for and allow the game to run if found. When a game is uploaded to the play store the user who uploaded it will be visible and possiblity even have a rating assigned to them by the players.
6. Yes python would have mnay benefits
7. Playstation and Xbox system dont require a keyboard for such things, and I didnt think it would too much of an issue for the Sonus either. Would it be too much of an issue to use the arrow keys to navigate a character selection menu to input text on the rare occasions it is needed?

I hope these answers shed a bit of light, please follow up with more questions if you feel the need. I want it to be as good for everyone as I can make it.

oh and Angel, yes the system is Linux derived. And uses espeak for TTS

for games I'm thinking of something that's like fable the lost chapters, final fantasy x, or the star ocean games. what if people are on the road can they still play with out being connected to wifi?

Hi.
Regarding testing the game when developing:
For me, it's difficult to imagine how the game would be played on the console when I haven't seen it yet. It's kind of difficult to keep the motivation for developing a game for a console, which hasn't been released yet.
I have to take a look at the GDE again. I'm not a coder, so it's quite difficult to get used to the system. I need to practise a lot to be able to make anything playable.
Regarding the TTS: Well, we have to wait to hear other peoples opinions about this.

The 1 memory stick per game thing sounds like what mainstream portable consoles are already doing. It also sounds like these will be specifically designed memstics for the console. I wonder if support for use of a third party storage unit like an sd card could be implemented for those who don't want to lug around a dozen games and risk losing them.

I mean, only one stick for the game?
If we have, for example, 64 gb sticks, would we waste one like this only for a small game?
And like others said, I can huck a stick to my keys, or to my phone case with a key ring, but can not keep alot of them with me without losing them.

I mainly would like something like vocalizer. Apple uses it for VO on mack and iOS.

How will solo/two person  developers with little or no money to spare manage to distribute the sticks? Especially if they live in a country like Turkey or Iran? Because that's most of our developers right now...
Sounds like only Indi Devs who happen to be making an audio game or two will be able to manage it, and if their aren't that many users of the console than they may not see the point in spending more money to support that platform along with their main ones.
Thankfully their seem to be more and more game studios making audio games lately, and they also have the funds/people to take full advantage of the console's audio capabilities, plus the people who might buy the console are more likely to shell out cash for a game VS the average PC audio gamer, but we're still only getting a new release maybe once or twice a year tops.
I fully understand the piracy concerns, but wouldn't a single license per device based on hardware ID and using some kind of account based system like an app store for games work too? You can't change the ID nearly as easily as you can on a standard PC...
And how will devs patch/add new features to their games with the cartridge format as well? Their is a reason we're moving away from them...
Not to mention that I'm guessing the stick will well, stick out? That kind of takes away from portability and adds a big point of mechanical failure as well.
I think an SD would be a much better choice, even if it's internal storage only. It could even remove the need for ethernet if you do go removable, because you can just download games/firmware updates onto it with your computer and then load them that way. It doesn't even need to be larger than 32GB probably... And if you go the built in rout and add WiFi for downloading, you can avoid any ports that, with some hacking, could allow access to the firmware, switch and ps classic style.

Personally, I could handle not having WiFi and just using ethernet for updates and such, but if it's within the budget then I think multiplayer support could add allot of potential game types.
I like this console concept because of the portability and ability to support advanced audio, which is just like a phone. But it's allot cheaper which makes it easier to justify, and has physical buttons which would appeal more to console gamers and purists.
As it stands though, I don't see it having enough games to compete with mobile, because the architecture seems stuck in the early 2000s which limits developers allot, especially if new devs come on the scene again and start making games like A Blind Legend and the somethinelse games once more. I'm also guessing that the games will tend to be more closely priced to PC/console titles than mobile titles, which is also a factor.

I see allot of potential use as well though, we have a major lack of mortal kombat style fighting games, racing games, or decent sports games, and a large group of people wanting them, and these physical controls are perfect for that kind of thing, while not requiring you to buy a controller and get it working, which is a pain with versions of Windows below 10.

I think you could have saved some money by not insisting on surround sound support and such, because I tend to see this being better for simpler, fast paced arcade style games rather than RPG's, strategy titles, sims and such, but the popularity of the DS kind of disproves that notion. However this is a unique market with allot of potential buyers that grew up using PC, so who knows, your a brave guy for taking this leap...
You'll have to choose your pricepoint carefully though, most blind people are on government support, which means that, especially for kids, their more likely to have it bought for them on a holiday by someone else. Above 200USD and that will be hard to justify.
Compromises will have to be made either way though, and I understand that we shouldn't expect the world when your just one guy and we're a small, uncertain market.

Hi. One of the questions that has not been asked yet, when exactly will this be released? You can just give me a rough estimate. I know it is still a Proto type, but it was announced in 2014. Also, may we please have another demonstration? Thanks.

this sounds fun, I'd be interested in giving it a go when it comes out. The USB thing sounds like it would be a pain though, those things aren't cheap and given that half the games developed around here only keep me entertained for a few hours at best I feel like I would end up installing a game, plugging it in, playing it, ripping out the USB in disgust, deleting the game and then repeating.

I'm not sure how easy this would be but having multiple games on a single USB would be a good feature to have, many of the games that will get made won't take up all that much space anyway.

Multiplayer functionality would be a good bonus as far as I'm concerned, I think that it would be a lot more fun to play games if they were on line.

Finally, if I made a game and wanted some people to test it for me, a functionality should exist on the store to privately host a game and to have a link to it made available to me, I could send that to my testers and they could download the test version. I can see issues with trust here but I still think it would be necessary.