XPost: alt.sega.genesis   
   From: alofusblountmaybe@alltel.net   
      
   "Kendrick Kerwin Chua"  wrote in message   
   news:zIOdneiOeKxsNvDanZ2dnUVZ_vumnZ2d@io.com...   
   > In article ,   
   > BelPowerslave   wrote:   
   >>>   It's just been something that I've been kicking around int he back   
   >>> of my head for a while now, but, really, how difficult would it be to   
   >>> create a Genesis or Game Gear card to put into a computer? Obviously   
   >>> the question shows my lack of knowledge about programming, but it   
   >>> seems that most of the stuff is right there. There could be some sort   
   >>> of PCI card that would slide in and connect to a 5.25" "drive" with a   
   >    
   >>>   I know there are emulators out there but it just seems that this   
   >>> might be a bit more interesting. Just throwing the idea out there as   
   >>> the group is a little slow.   
   >>   
   >>I've crossposted this as it's about the only way you're going to see any   
   >>kind of response, but also because KKC or Scott H may very well have   
   >>some info already on this(they are real techies). :)   
   >   
   > This is perfectly doable, and there's plenty of precedent. There was a PCI   
   > card that allowed you to read 3DO games from the PC CD-ROM and has   
   > controller ports on the back. It's rumored that the 3DFX VGA card with the   
   > Saturn controller ports was intended as a toe in the water for a similar   
   > (but unreleased) Saturn card.   
   >   
   > The hard part in this instance is not the hardware, but the software. In a   
   > nutshell you're essentially running an emulator, but you're passing all   
   > the code through the real hardware rather than through an emulated 68000   
   > and Z80. Then you'd need some code to take the RGB or digital video output   
   > and encode it to be displayed in a window on the screen. Then you'd need   
   > some control code to turn the hardware off and on, or at very least cut   
   > power to the cartridge slot.   
   >   
   > I have a very faint memory of a 386 PC that actually had a Megadrive built   
   > into it. However, it was sort of an either/or affair, where by sliding a   
   > door you covered the floppy drive and exposed a cartridge slot. The   
   > computer portion of the device would be shut down and unusable while you   
   > used the gaming portion, and vice versa. So you're not the first person   
   > who's wanted to cram a Genesis into a computer, but your end goal is way   
   > more ambitious. :)   
   >   
   > Anyway, building such a beast would be way beyond my abilities. I'll skip   
   > over the debate on how practical this is, if only because that's not   
   > relevant when we're being hare-brained. :)   
   >   
   > -KKC, girding up for the latest comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.rpg flamewar...   
   > --   
   > -- Universal survival rule #109 - Chicken nuggets must be served --   
   > kendrick   
   > in a quantity that is also a prime number. Failure to do so will --   
   > @io.com   
   > result in a geometric disturbance conducive to the resurrection of   
   > Cthulhu.   
   > Disregard this rule if the meat in the nuggets is not actually chicken.   
      
      
      
      
      
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