Open Hardware
The machine we are investigating at IDDS is based upon the Nintendo Famicom (The Japanese version of the Nintendo Entertainment System–NES). The reason why we have chosen this platform is
- All relevant patents have expired (patents last for 20 years, and the Famicom was released in 1983)
- Many different brands of Famicom Clones are currently being manufactured in China, with a keyboard, mouse, and game controllers, all for a wholesale cost of less than $10
- There is a wealth of content on this platform, educational and otherwise
- There is a large and active online NES community that has developed resources to help create new games and content
The first point is most important. For because the patents on this hardware have expired, this machine is defacto public-domain (however, the software or games are still very much protected by copyright laws). Therefore, a primary purpose of PlayPower is to cultivate an online open-hardware and open-software community that has a focus on hacking these Famicom Clones and producing computer-aided learning materials.