3DO Interactive Multiplayer

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    A variant of the console by GoldStar.

    Welcome to the REAL world.

    The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer (more commonly known as the 3DO), released by the now-defunct 3DO Company in 1993, was an attempt to create a standardized video game console format. The 3DO Company was founded by Trip Hawkins, the founder of Electronic Arts, which he left to form 3DO.

    The system was unique in that it wasn't manufactured by the parent company. Instead, 3DO licensed the blueprints to various manufacturers, which provided their own versions of the console. Panasonic was the first, with Goldstar and Sanyo providing their own versions later.

    Despite a great deal of hype (to the point that it was named Time Magazine's "1994 Product of the Year") and graphics far superior to anything else at the time (the Atari Jaguar had theoretically superior specs, but the games released during its commercial life were far from impressive), the 3DO never took off. The console launched with a price of $700, making it one of the most expensive systems of all time; also, the early games squandered the system's impressive specs on Full Motion Video.

    Nevertheless, 3DO's shrewd business model made it decently profitable, and a very liberal licensing policy gave the system a surprisingly large number (if heavily varying in quality) of third-party productions, with Crystal Dynamics, 3DO themselves and Electronic Arts releasing some very solid titles. However, this didn't save it from the hype for the superior Sega Saturn and PlayStation systems just around the corner, and the 3DO format died a quick death after a much-hyped 64-bits add-on called the "M2" ended up being unceremoniously cancelled by its buyer.

    3DO tried to re-brand itself as a third-party developer (much like the Sega of today), but went bankrupt in 2003.

    Specifications

    * CPU: 32-bit ARM60, 12.5 Mhz, with math coprocessor.

    • GPU: Two custom video coprocessors.
    • Sound: Custom DSP.

    * 2MB main memory.

  • 1MB video memory.
  • 32K battery-backed saved game memory.

    • * 640*480 resolution.

  • 24-bit color.

    • * 16-bit stereo or surround sound.

    Exclusive titles and Multi Platform games that started here

    Ports

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