about plugin players

I think there are should be Mediastation with 2 or 4 slots for expansion boards with CPU and memory only. This slots can be dedicated VST plugins player. Hardvare without plugins will be obsolete nowdays.

Strength of Mediastation solution can be... price! E.g. price of Plugzilla consist of price (possible 2) CPU and memory -- this is unavoidable in Mediastation case -- plus box, knobs, hard drive, fans, electric power system, ADC\DAC, inputs and outputs. Mediastation have it all! I.e. "plugzilloid" can be worth not more than $700 per 4 channel luxury VST play -- instead $3200 at plugzilla stadalone.

Think about it: such a board can host plugzilla's technology or opensource plugin server or whatelse (e.g. not VST-compatible extension).

Anyway you can already market your Mediastation and plugzilla as complete solution (up to cross sale technics).

That is my Grand Performance Setup-2004 can be:
Mediastation $6200
Additional keyboard controller $700
Plugzilla $3200
Bose L1+2*B2 left $2300
Bose L1+2*B2 right $2300

$14700 with free VST only -- too much for restorant players, but affordable for many others (e.g. for me ).