The Fun Box, China's First Home-Grown Console, To Debut This Month

[Andy Chalk]

The Fun Box, China's First Home-Grown Console, To Debut This Month

The Tegra 4-powered Fun Box console will only be available for sale in China.

Less than three months after China announced the end of a 14-year-long ban on game consoles [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/131078-China-Lifts-Ban-on-Sale-and-Production-of-Consoles], the country's first home-grown system is just about ready to take the stage. Developed jointly by networking equipment manufacturer ZTE Corporation and online gaming company The9, the Fun Box - and yes, that's what it's called - will be built on Nvidia's Tegra 4 chip, with 2GB of RAM, USB and Micro USB ports, and wireless game controllers.

Partnerships with game makers haven't been revealed, although the companies are reportedly in talks with developers in China and abroad. The unit will also support high-definition video streaming from online sources as well as through USB devices.

China represents a uniquely huge and untapped market for console makers, but the Fun Box isn't going to have a clear run to the top, as Microsoft announced last year [http://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2013/09/24/microsoft-trying-to-capitalize-on-chinas-lifted-console-ban-with-new-venture/] its intention to jump into the market through a deal with BesTV New Media Co., a subsidiary of Shanghai Media Group. The specifics of that deal haven't been revealed but if Microsoft is able to get some form of the Xbox on the market, the Fun Box may have a very tough time competing with its established library of games and aftermarket accessories.

The Fun Box is slated to debut sometime this month.

Source: Bloomberg [http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-03-11/zte-joins-the9-to-make-chinese-game-console-for-release-in-march.html]


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[faefrost]

The Fun Box?

It's still a far better and more descriptive name than the "WiiU". At least "Fun Box" makes me curious about "what is inside, and is it in fact fun?" Whereas "WiiU" makes me wonder if I've pee'd myself?

 

[luvd1]

Fun box? Still better name than xbox one. Though it does sound like a euphemism for a ladies front bottom.

 

[kajinking]

Ok first off: Anyone else hear the name Fun Box and just think of one of those $20 cheap consoles you see in Rite-Aid preloaded with all those old 8-bit games? It is REALLY hard to take this seriously with a name like that, although granted when you think about it the Playstation would sound kinda silly if we hadn't grown up hearing it.

Second: Who's gonna buy this thing or even make games for it? As the article says it's gonna be a though time for it when placed against the now suddenly legal heavy hitters. If the freaking WiiU is having trouble getting decent games made for it with it's low installed base how is new console without a major advantage over the compatiton gonna fare?

 

[J Tyran]

A Tegra 4 with 2GB of RAM could make for a fairly decent and cheap console, much better performance than something like the PS Vita TV for example. If it can get some games behind it unlike the Ouya it might be worth a damn.

 

[Jamash]

Fun box? Still better name than xbox one. Though it does sound like a euphemism for a ladies front bottom.

Sounds like a euphemism? It is a euphemism.

The only way it could be less euphemistic is if they straight out called it The Vagina... although the ZTE Vagina sounds like a sports car, so it would probably confuse the market.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Fun box huh? Guess we'll just skip all subtly and describe the thing for what it really is.

I wonder what western games will eventually get state approval for the consoles in China.

 

[FalloutJack]

Look, guys. China only recently lifted this ban. Their first foray onto the market is NOT going to be all Aston Martins and James Bond. Or in their case, Bruce Lee kicking Chuck Norris' ass. China has ALOT of frigging issues about itself. Catching up to our standards is going to take ALOT of work.

 

[PrinceOfShapeir]

It osn't a beast, but it sounds about par with last gen as far as hardware, maybe better. If it can get the Chinese market it'll make bank and we may see a new contender in the console wars.

 

[Objectable]

Funbox! Oh Funbox! Small and square and dark.
Funbox! Oh Funbox! Check out these cool fun locks!
YAY!

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

Hey it's called FUN BOX!, it sounds like such a better name than the Wii U and Xbone, totally doesn't sound like some cheap knock off product you'd buy from a thrift store, no sir it sounds 100% top notch uber quality than those other two platforms!.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

Honestly, is "Fun Box" really all that much worse than "PlayStation"?

Also, who wants to place bets on the XBox faring as badly in China as it has in Japan? Microsoft doesn't seem terribly adept in understanding Asian markets.

 

[dochmbi]

Microsoft should sell the xbox 360 for 100$ in china, should work out pretty well for them

 

[Scrythe]

Fun Box.

Games, in a Cube.

CubeGame, if you will.

Spoiler

Am I doin' it right?

 

[SonOfVoorhees]

Cant see companies outside China making games for this. Will be interesting to see what games are released on it, bet they will be bad.

 

[JoshGod]

Fun box, I wonder if people will mistake is for a male masterbater.

Fun box? Still better name than xbox one. Though it does sound like a euphemism for a ladies front bottom.

Giggity!

This just seems like baby's first console, given the specs and the limited distribution. I'm interested to find out the rest of the specs, price and any planned games for it.

 

[rofltehcat]

Ok first off: Anyone else hear the name Fun Box and just think of one of those $20 cheap consoles you see in Rite-Aid preloaded with all those old 8-bit games?

Yeah, it sounds like one of these knockoffs Ashens is "reviewing".
But then again it is probably just a lazy translation.

I wonder what games will be on it and how it will be priced.
I'm sure 300 heroes will be on it, for one.

 

[Doom972]

Those specs sound poor, but I do wonder what games it will have, and how many of them will be originals and not rip-offs of successful games [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZK4INf3p_dQ].

Looking forward to hearing more about it. Also, how come nobody can make up good names for consoles anymore?