Spawn Labs HD-720 enables streaming of console games
by JC Fletcher 
{ Sep 14th 2009 at 4:58PM } 
The really crazy part is that Spawn Labs advertises the ability to allow other people to connect to your console and play games with you while you play at home, or watch your gameplay. Just like that, couch co-op becomes online play.
The HD-720 costs $199.99, and requires a $30 controller adapter for each variety of console controller you wish to connect -- all of which seems a bit pricey for something that makes it a little more convenient to play the games you already have.
Gallery: Spawn Labs HD-720
[Via TechCrunch]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Heh @ Sep 14th 2009 5:02PM
If you still have to load a disk into your console to play..what is the point of this again?
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Sep 14th 2009 5:05PM
Well... At least the console looks attractive...
/s
Jerk Face @ Sep 14th 2009 5:27PM
Let's say you're a married dude who has his consoles in the living room with a bitchy wife who never lets you play because she's always watching shitty, shitty TV. You could use this to play the games in other rooms, on other TV's or even computer monitors, without having to unhook everything. That's a pretty neat thing to do.
Shagittarius @ Sep 14th 2009 5:29PM
If your really lucky your mistress loves games.
Latin_Trident @ Sep 14th 2009 5:32PM
this would be great if you travel internationally all the time. But if you are going to use it at home, might as well get another tv and console. Cheaper and better resale value.
Wes @ Sep 14th 2009 5:43PM
The point of this is that when I'm at work, I can't realistically bring my tv/consoles with me to play on my work pc's monitor while I'm on lunch break, etc. With this device, you can feasibly stream the video and stream input back. Great for logging into an mmorpg and griding a few items/levels out?
Captain Planet [Planeteer | Power of Captain Planet] @ Sep 14th 2009 5:45PM
This thing is so fucking sexy. I want to make sweet, sweet love to it.
golobulus @ Sep 14th 2009 6:12PM
I'll stick to what I got. Ain't no woman going to tell me when and where to play my shits when there's more than one TV setup in the house.
@Shagittarius
a mistress and wife are 2 separate things.
Swagman @ Sep 14th 2009 6:47PM
This would be great for Xbox 360, which is pretty much going digital distribution faster than any console anyway.
Between XBLA, Indie Games, and now Games on Demand, plus the rumor of a 250GB HDD surfacing next month for Xbox 360, there is less and less reason to worry over having to put a disc in the drive tray to use this device remotely.
Combined, all of the various online stores on Xbox 360, there are literally hundreds of games (766 to be exact) you can play right now just from the 360's HDD - plus you still have access to all 221 demos. You could leave one game in the tray (something you cannot download yet) when you leave home, and still have access to 766 others as well as the one in the tray.
And check this, according to the Spawn Labs website, you still have full access to everything on your console dash, so for Xbox 360 that also includes the over 10,000 bits of content available from Video Marketplace, play over Xbox LIVE as well as all the other stuff already on 360 or coming soon to the system. Stuff like Netflix, Twitter, Facebook, Last.fm, Zune Marketplace, etc.
Works just as good for PS3 and PSN I am sure. However, with Sony being so far behind the game of digitally distributed content, there simply would not be as much content available to the user - and certainly not any full retail games like the 60 or so games on Xbox 360's Games on Demand channel, which would be available to Spawn Labs HD-720 users. Even so, you could still leave your favorite full retail PS3 game in the disc tray and at least have access to one retail game while away from home, plus all the PSN titles you can store on your PS3 HDD.
In a year or so once Sony finally starts trying to catch up to 360 on the digital distribution front, that will no doubt change. However, in the meantime if you are away from home a lot on business or whatever, and have an Xbox 360 with 120GB HDD, I do not see how you could go wrong picking up a Spawn Labs HD-720 to take your gaming on the road to anywhere that has a broadband access.
SourceJR @ Sep 14th 2009 7:09PM
?? how is Sony behind in digital distribution ... just because they aren't creating crazy unnecessary names for things like "Games on Demand" doesn't mean its not there.
Don't forget they released Warhawk on PSN and in stores at the same time. and have many other games for download.
Burnout Paradise, Hail to the Chimp, NFL Head Coach 09, Ratchet & Clank Future: Quest for Booty, Siren: Blood Curse, SOCOM: U.S. Navy SEALs Confrontation.
also Wipeout HD. which will soon be in stores as a full game.
Cody @ Sep 14th 2009 7:47PM
"Let's say you're a married dude who has his consoles in the living room with a bitchy wife who never lets you play because she's always watching shitty, shitty TV."
No wonder you're such a loser.
Get your personal problems in order and stop using Joystiq as an outlet for your domestic life regrets and rants.
Who am I kidding, no one would marry you lol
Ethan Rom @ Sep 14th 2009 7:55PM
Hey Swagman
Can you get me a job at Microsoft??
Saria the Cat @ Sep 14th 2009 8:02PM
Um, who (aside from journalists) desperately needs to be playing console games ALL the time, even when they are traveling internationally, at work, at a friend's house, etc.? How about just wait till you get home? Am I missing something here?
@Jerk Face: Those are terrible things to say about your wife. I have no idea why you were voted up. You obviously have bigger issues than not being able to play games whenever you want if you can't even communicate with your wife or compromise properly.
Swagman @ Sep 14th 2009 8:07PM
@ SourceJR
Don't go getting your fanboy hat on, now bud. It is just a simple statement of fact, no slight meant against Sony. When it comes to digital distribution, the PS3 is way behind the Xbox 360. I should know, I own both systems.
You name just a small handful of premium games on your list, and I am sure you had to stretch to even get those. By way of comparison, Xbox 360's Games on Demand has over 60 premium retail games and counting.
And even factoring in PSN titles, the facts are these, there are over double the number of XBLA titles available than PSN titles. Once again, Xbox is clearly ahead in digital distribution.
And then there is the Indie Games channel. Fact of the matter is, Sony has absolutely zero equivalent on PSN to counter Indie Games, and Indie Games accounts for more than 470 titles in Xbox 360's online distribution system. And judging by the fact there were over 700 entries in this years Dream.Build.Play contest, that is a whole lot more games in the pipeline coming to Indie Games and XBLA that simply are not coming to PSN. So in yet another category, Xbox is way ahead in digital distribution.
And that is just the games. Getting into other forms of entertainment (films, television, music videos, podcasts, etc.), there is tons more digital content available on Xbox LIVE than on PSN. And we are not even going to discuss all the digital content that peripheral digital distribution services like Netflix, Last.fm and Zune Marketplace are going to bring to the picture.
No matter how you stack it, when it comes to digital distribution in the game console space, Xbox 360 is the king by a long margin over any competitor. That is not a slight against Sony, that is not a slight against Nintendo, that is just stating the plain truth of the matter. You can get upset on the matter, and put your fanboy blinders on if that makes you happy. But none of that is going to change the fact that Sony still has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to digital distribution.
And in truth, they should have a lot of catching up to do, as Microsoft simply has been doing it longer. Back when Sony was betting the farm on blu-ray, Microsoft was busy betting the farm on digital distribution. It's only in the last couple of years that Sony has begun to take digital distribution seriously. But Microsoft has been doing that since last generation, back when they were giving expansion paks away for free. They've got the best experience in dealing with digital distribution, and as a result have the better infrastructure for plugging new modes of digital distribution into their existing infrastructure, as well as securing the most content by a long mile, to their digital distribution services.
No matter how you stack it, it is what it is. You can chose to get upset about it, or you can just accept the truth for what it is. But getting upset at the fact that Microsoft is way ahead at the digital distribution game, is no different than getting upset that PS3 has blu-ray. Every system has it's strengths and weaknesses versus the competing systems. That's just life. Most of us simply get over it, as there are more important things to care about in the world.
Sly (PSN: SniperChameleon) @ Sep 14th 2009 8:23PM
"Who am I kidding, no one would marry you lol"
cody, are you suggesting that someone would WANT to marry YOU? that is surprising and creepy at the same time.
Staccat0 @ Sep 14th 2009 8:45PM
@ Swagman
Dude, I think he is just pointing out that Sony seems less "behind" than "selective"
Games on demand is cool, but its fair to point out that you could download Burnout Paradise over PSN a million years ago. Its also fair to point out that XBLA is flooded with crappy games while PSN seems more selective. With film... Well its tricky when you are a movie company to get other cats to let you sell the movies they make and take a chunk of the cash.
I'm not saying Sony is ahead of MS in this area, but I would say that its a bit unfair to call someone "behind" and say they have a lot of "catching up to do" when ini some cases they did it first, but just havent pursued it with passion. I honestly, don't think Japanese consumers or companies have shown a zeal for this tech. I don't think it has anything to do with being "behind" but rather its just a case of different priorities.
I mean, Sony is right to have its priorities in a different place. They are a Japanese company who makes a lot of money from its vested interest in the DVD format and CD format. I can't blame them for pushing Blu-Ray format instead of DD. They have shown themselves to be very fast with digital distrobution of games. They simply don't seem interested. there is a difference.
Its sad I even have to say this but, I don't own any sony hardware aside from maybe a boombox.
David Wilson @ Sep 14th 2009 9:09PM
Keep in mind the main use cases are:
1. Play in other rooms around your house when someone else is tying up the TV.
2. Play at home on your console/TV while friends play remotely from their homes.
3. Play on the road when traveling.
Only #3 presents the DVD problem, and even there, more and more games can be loaded onto your hard drive, so you can play any of the games on your hard drive when remote. Plus you can hook up two consoles, so you can play either console DVD game.
Lionbacker @ Sep 14th 2009 9:41PM
Ballmer, stop using swagman's account!
Saria the Cat @ Sep 14th 2009 11:12PM
Not sure why I got voted down. I still haven't read a good reason why you'd really need one of these. As for the "well you can play your console in the other room" argument, are you really too lazy to take your console to another TV? Or wait until the TV is done being used?
My friend just informed me you'd be able to play onLive with a cheap laptop via someone's 360, but I feel like this device would benefit such a tiny niche group of people. I understand the technological progression may be exciting, but I don't really see a good practical reason to drop the bucks for this, at least not right now.
If I got voted down for Jerk Face, well, I stand by it. No one wants to read you saying terrible things about your wife or husband.
vdeogmer @ Sep 15th 2009 1:12AM
Man, I love when people complain about getting downvoted, it makes me want to go back in time and right all the wrongs in the world!
Heh @ Sep 15th 2009 1:29AM
My inbox hates all of you :|
CordableTuna @ Sep 14th 2009 5:03PM
"all of which seems a bit pricey for something that makes it a little more convenient to play the games you already have."
That, and the whole "useless 'cause of lag" thing.
nukee @ Sep 14th 2009 5:21PM
Well it uses ethernet between the nodes. So the lag should be pretty much unnoticeable.
End User @ Sep 17th 2009 11:16PM
Right, because hundreds or thousands of miles of network infrastructure wouldn't create lag.
MowDownJoe @ Sep 14th 2009 5:05PM
GameCube but not Wii? What, the thing can't handle two GameCubes at once?
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Sep 14th 2009 5:06PM
This isn't going to end well.
MowDownJoe @ Sep 14th 2009 5:08PM
For the record, I love my Wii. I just wanted to rehash that crappy joke. Yes, I know it started with an idiot who works at EA bashing the Wii.
profeteer @ Sep 14th 2009 5:09PM
Notice: device cannot emulate duct tape.
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Sep 14th 2009 5:09PM
You're telling me. I bashed Nintendo a couple of articles ago and I'm still paying for it.
I feel like the Kanye West of Joystiq.
MowDownJoe @ Sep 14th 2009 5:17PM
To be fair, you proudly display your PSN ID. Doing that and bashing Nintendo kinda screams Sony fanboy. I, however, keep quiet about my system preferences normally (though my comments will reveal enough).
SpyderTaco (PSN: Ar4chNova89) @ Sep 14th 2009 5:21PM
Yea, I guess that could be a problem. But I weigh out the situation. The people who have been willing to add me have turned out to be pretty cool. If getting through all the hate means I can meet more people like them, then I guess it's worth it.
AsherR [Planeteer | Power of The Hoff] @ Sep 14th 2009 5:22PM
@SyderTaco: Do you like fishsticks?
Jerk Face @ Sep 14th 2009 5:28PM
No IR sensor bar, noobs. : )
Shagittarius @ Sep 14th 2009 5:30PM
Things are not going to end well for Kanye I can just tell...
ottoman673 @ Sep 14th 2009 5:37PM
I trashed nintendo in the NPD's.
Heed a warning, your comment will be downvoted so badly, your font may [or may not] become whiter than taylor swift's face when kanye decided to be a douchebag.
Mr Khan @ Sep 14th 2009 5:56PM
Because trolling Wii is older than old, and nothing can really be said about it that hasn't been run into the ground or disproven (or both).
But Jerk Face got it right. It would be hard to stream the whole IR pointer thing by remote, unless you built one of those DIY pointers.
Plus i can't imagine the kind of hell that the already shaky gesture recognition would be if you had to send it across teh internetz.
Gamer4Life @ Sep 14th 2009 5:06PM
While this is mildly better then OnLive and friends how the fuck are you supposed to swap disks when you're not there in the room with your console (else you're left just playing XBLA/WiiWare games and what ever's in the disk drive)?
Cheesus(Crust) @ Sep 14th 2009 5:08PM
You see, if you leave COD in the tray, then it works out, because the multiplayer is timeless
Gamer4Life @ Sep 14th 2009 5:52PM
I stick to Halo 3, Red Faction: Guerrilla, Puzzle Quest, Saints Row 2, and just about anything other then call of dudy.
LegendaryRedass @ Sep 14th 2009 6:42PM
That or fallout 3 Cheesus
whookid @ Sep 14th 2009 5:07PM
Requirements: 100MB/s Direct Connection to ISP Server. Not Included.
Hashbrown Hunter (OneGiantCluster.blogspot.com) @ Sep 15th 2009 2:25AM
:O
well i'm out. have fun without me.
profeteer @ Sep 14th 2009 5:10PM
I could see the draw in this if you do a lot of traveling for work and want to blast some geth on the road.
Clinton @ Sep 14th 2009 5:10PM
sounds interesting but at that price with the adapter you could just buy another system and take it and your games with you
Courtney @ Sep 14th 2009 5:54PM
In principal I agree, but this is also the very first iteration of it and the price has to drop if they're going to make a go of it. If the price were $100 and no extra for controller support, that would be a considerably cheaper alternative to gaming on the go.
Still, I don't see a big enough market to support them long enough to drop the price that much.
Space @ Sep 14th 2009 5:11PM
if you want to play your console every waking minute of your life than just do so. no need to spend the extra money
Jimiisama @ Sep 14th 2009 5:14PM
I would assume the point is that you don't need two consoles and two copies to play with someone else online. Does sound kinda cool and could make your games a little more portable, but I'd imagine you may have to buy two of these to do so.
HippoHero @ Sep 14th 2009 5:25PM
I can't help but feel this doesn't fit any real market niche. The only thing it does that a carrying case and a set of video cables can't is stream it to computer screen without the hassle of inputs.
It doesn't outsource the processing to a super-powerful server somewheres, the disc still needs to be in to play, and the console needs to be turned on somehow.
And it's expensive.
I hate to predict doom for an original video-game accessory idea, but this looks doomed.
Gun Barrier @ Sep 14th 2009 5:29PM
This machine would combo well with the 360 if you use titles stored on your hardrive instead of the disc. You could always download a game on the go too with this.
HippoHero @ Sep 14th 2009 5:39PM
Ooh. I hadn't thought about installed games.
I suppose there would be a market for travelling gamers who wanted to play Xbox or Playstation off their notebooks?
I can't see it being a very big seller, though.