# Will "TiVo Bolt" bring a new set of games?



## davidblackledge (Sep 9, 2008)

In the trademark filing (https://trademarks.justia.com/866/89/tivo-86689996.html) it includes:

*Statements*
*Goods and Services*
Interactive television programming; entertainment services, namely, providing online interactive electronic games; non-downloadable electronic publications in the nature of guides to interactive television programming

I call your attention to "providing online interactive electronic games"

That seems strangely prominent.

Maybe this has been discussed elsewhere, but I hear Xbox is doing an over-the-air DVR included in their device... maybe this is TiVo lashing back by doing a game console in a DVR?

I lately have particular interests around providing TiVo games.

I would be tempted to point at Valve's SteamOS as an interesting possible collaboration. Steam is mostly about the downloadable content instead of buying games from the store. 
The new standard of RF remotes is just one step from wireless game controllers.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

I doubt it, they're probably referring to the games available via the Opera Store.


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## ej42137 (Feb 16, 2014)

davidblackledge said:


> *Will "TiVo Bolt" Bring a New Set of Online Games?*


That would be a pivot of biblical proportions!

(The answer is no, by the way.)


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## davidblackledge (Sep 9, 2008)

Dan203 said:


> I doubt it, they're probably referring to the games available via the Opera Store.


I don't know. Opera store has a lot more "entertainment services" than games...why are they bothering to so explicitly call out games in the filing ("namely...").

If Opera-style games were such a draw in their minds such that they would talk about them specifically, why would they also delete their own games off the current DVRs about the same time?

It seems to me the expense of keeping the games was negligible, but it's a great excuse to make us upgrade by deleting games from the "old models" and bringing out the Bolt as the only model that includes games (unless you add enterwebz.tv to your "old model" ;] ).

I think the phrase "Unified Entertainment System" practically *requires* it to support game consoles in some way. At least in some pass-through form.

Oh, and I looked closer at SteamOS... it's an even better option than I was thinking because it actually is just a streaming video plus controller interface to your own computer elsewhere in the home. So it would unify your entertaining PC games system and your entertaining TV system. ;]

I suppose we'll find out pretty soon one way or the other.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

I think they got rid of their own games because they got rid of all the apps that run via HME. They also got rid of a couple of non-games during that purge. I think you're reading more into this then there is. I don't think TiVo is going to release a system powerful enough to run full blown games just because MS said they were adding DVR capabilities to the XBox.


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## davidblackledge (Sep 9, 2008)

Dan203 said:


> I think they got rid of their own games because they got rid of all the apps that run via HME. They also got rid of a couple of non-games during that purge. I think you're reading more into this then there is. I don't think TiVo is going to release a system powerful enough to run full blown games just because MS said they were adding DVR capabilities to the XBox.


Nah...you're missing a couple of my points.
Blackjack, Kaboom, and I forget what else were not HME games...they were flash games...no good reason to get rid of those ones if games are a feature they want to advertise. (however, I guess the one reason is I think they required a TiVoConnect listing to make them work - but they haven't gotten rid of that need still (on demand app, live365...), and in the future could replace it with a static file of just the flash games)

Second, and more important, the SteamOS option shouldn't require any more than video streaming and reasonably quick RF controller processing - all the rest of the work is done on a home PC.

I'm probably wrong, but it all sure fits nicely. 
If I were at TiVo and thought this up, I'd try hard to work with Valve to make it work since it's not a stretch at all (Linux... Video... RF...)... and then I'd name the product with a similar-sounding name to "Valve" as an homage...perhaps "Hinge" or "Bolt." ;]


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Oh so you think it will be some sort of streaming game system, like what the Xbox does but in reverse. (i.e. Stream from PC to TiVo, rather then from Xbox to PC) They could probably do that if they wanted. They already have RF for remotes including a full set of commands that could be mapped to a PC keyboard. But I don't think they will. Seems a bit out of their wheelhouse to me.


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## moyekj (Jan 24, 2006)

To me the name "Bolt" conjures up tying everything together - i.e. Linear and streaming sources all bolted together into 1 box.


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## trip1eX (Apr 2, 2005)

It might bring mediocre crappy games of the sort that will turn off most people. MY SEries 2 had a few games. And I think marketing might have put that on the side of the box. But they were games in name only. 

For those that want to play good games, go where the good games are. That won't be Tivo.


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## davidblackledge (Sep 9, 2008)

moyekj said:


> To me the name "Bolt" conjures up tying everything together - i.e. Linear and streaming sources all bolted together into 1 box.


hmm... from that, I think you're saying the "Unified" is more a matter of them including a blue ray player or something? They already have Cable and Internet streaming, so that's the only video source I can think of that they're missing in the Unified theory of TiVo.


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## JoeKustra (Dec 7, 2012)

moyekj said:


> To me the name "Bolt" conjures up tying everything together - i.e. Linear and streaming sources all bolted together into 1 box.


The only thing "bolt" make me think of is a nut. Too much hardware background I guess.


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## Dan203 (Apr 17, 2000)

Huh, I think lightning bolt.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

davidblackledge said:


> hmm... from that, I think you're saying the "Unified" is more a matter of them including a blue ray player or something? They already have Cable and Internet streaming, so that's the only video source I can think of that they're missing in the Unified theory of TiVo.


Funny you say that. I was actually thinking maybe this Bolt could have built in Blu-ray Disc features awhile back, after seeing an email ad I received about this curved Samsung Bluray player:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00TK...ved+bluray&dpPl=1&dpID=31TVHLf0zuL&ref=plSrch


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## TazExprez (May 31, 2014)

Dan203 said:


> Huh, I think lightning bolt.


+1.

I was thinking that maybe it would be fast like lightning when dealing with apps.


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## davidblackledge (Sep 9, 2008)

Not to continue the thread in this direction, but that's the beauty of a skilled product naming team... Bolt means lots of things, and they may want us to think all of the connotations we mentioned... of course it also means "run away" as in this headline: TiVo Ready to 'Bolt' on Roamio?


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## jonw747 (Aug 2, 2015)

Dan203 said:


> Oh so you think it will be some sort of streaming game system, like what the Xbox does but in reverse. (i.e. Stream from PC to TiVo, rather then from Xbox to PC) They could probably do that if they wanted. They already have RF for remotes including a full set of commands that could be mapped to a PC keyboard. But I don't think they will. Seems a bit out of their wheelhouse to me.


I don't follow it too closely but there are still at least a couple of streaming gaming services in business such as GameFly and PlayStation Now. Support for streaming games makes sense for a modern network streaming box.

Support for Web hosted games is another possibility.

btw, since PlayOn has gotten away with it so far, TiVo might consider adding the option of recording streaming channels. I doubt it, though, because then they'd be working against the will of the content providers and would have to constantly update their s/w as content providers come up with new ways to prevent their stream from being captured.


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## aaronwt (Jan 31, 2002)

Bolt makes me think of the animated dog


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

Dan203 said:


> Huh, I think lightning bolt.


Yup. I just don't see how "Bolt" isn't going to be an association with getting Internet-based content -- whether via typical OTT streaming apps or a new capability similar to Sling TV.

I just hope it doesn't confuse potential consumers into thinking there's an electrocution risk.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

Maybe "Bolt" has a dual meaning as in the Lightning bolt that brought Frankenstein to life, and also those two bolts on the side of his neck? 

The Frankenstein reference/similarity would be mashing all the "parts" together like OTA and cable DVR, Streaming apps, OTT like Sling, 4K, maybe Blu-ray Disc playback (see my reference and similarities to the curved Samsung bluray players!)


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## krkaufman (Nov 25, 2003)

HarperVision said:


> Maybe "Bolt" has a dual meaning as in the Lightning bolt that brought Frankenstein to life, and also those two bolts on the side of his neck?
> 
> The Frankenstein reference/similarity would be mashing all the "parts" together like OTA and cable DVR, Streaming apps, OTT like Sling, 4K, maybe Blu-ray Disc playback (see my reference and similarities to the curved Samsung bluray players!)


Fun, but too convoluted, I expect.*

Cloud/Internet -> Lightning Bolt -> Ground/Home Viewing

* edit: Well, the mashing together part, anyway; and I'm not sure TiVo would want their new product marketed as a cobbled-together monster that could murder the family if startled.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

krkaufman said:


> Fun, but too convoluted, I expect.* Cloud/Internet -> Lightning Bolt -> Ground/Home Viewing * edit: Well, the mashing together part, anyway; and I'm not sure TiVo would want their new product marketed as a cobbled-together monster that could murder the family if startled.


Yeah, kind of why I posted that as a joke.


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## DocNo (Oct 10, 2001)

Will be interesting to compare what Apple launches next Wednesday with what the Bolt offers.


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## HarperVision (May 14, 2007)

DocNo said:


> Will be interesting to compare what Apple launches next Wednesday with what the Bolt offers.


The Bolt with an Apple OTT streaming "cable" service a la' Playstation Vue.....only better!


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