Let's dream about a new console gaming PC...

• Current console has special hardware design, which is getting more and more costly, when PC performance is growing rapidly, they get oudated really fast too...
• Current console is usually sold at a loss, for the first year or longer...
• So, how about something close enough to a PC but designed for console gaming, besides the PC functionality?
• I am thinking about a gaming PC with optimized CPU/GPU bandwidth like old xbox and xbox360, but with x386 CPU
• PC game companies complain about a few things:
• highend gaming pc is too expensive, not so many people can afford it
• piracy, those who spend that much money on gaming pc know about piracy (some recent interviews mentioned this)
• too many different hardware, accessories, it's hard to test for them all and it's hard to do optimization
  
• so we can limit hardware, only certain 'certified' video card, motherboard, peripherals can be supported by this, less trouble, easier optimization... you can go with the optimized setting or you can get a little less pleasant experience by config stuff your way... (like your car)
• the more security steps, the easier for it to break, since hackers only need to break one chain... so maybe the security is only in the BD(or what ever high capacity media reader in future). let's lock it down, put os/dash all in a single chip of this drive, either detect and alarm when the drive is dissembled or make it impossible to solder wire to break anything internal
• this hardware may be manufactured by any hardware company, as long as it follows the rule and certification. let's limit the functionality variation, maybe just some clock/memory difference or just clock difference.
• but companies have to make money on it, I am thinking a licensing mechanism for who ever design it (license for os/dash cost), just like license for any SDK cost, game development kit cost.
  
• dev kit will be simple and people can run their own stuff outside of the dash with the PC part of the API. then it's sealed by who ever licenses os/dash to make it the console part application. make it easier to people to create/share stuff, the PC part is free for all, the console part is through license process...
• It has to have game, if ms will abondon xenon, they might be able to do it, but sony wont abondon cell... maybe EA can do it...
• one more thought, each machine will have one sim card like device which you can use to activate games for your device. each game media/disc needs to be activated for your console to be played (at retail store, when order online or you can do it yourself online if you buy it from some one else on ebay). it will remove the ability for other people to play this game... this sounds troublesome though...