Malgraŭ tre antaŭenigita lanĉo (inkluzive de estado nomita la 1993 Produkto de la Jaro de Time-revuo") kaj amaso da avangardaj teknologioj, la 3DO's alta prezo kaj trosaturita konzolmerkato malhelpis la sistemon atingado de sukceso kompareblaj al veteranaj konkurantoj Sega kaj Nintendo.
Kiel rezulto, ĝi estis nuligita en malfrua 1996, tri jaroj post sia komenca liberigo.
#000002
Hawkins asertis ke la konzolo estis HDTV-kapabla, kaj ke la firmao povis uzi ĝian teknologion por televidomalĉifrilo.
Computer Gaming World raportis en januaro 1994 ke tiuj 3DO "estas poziciigitaj por lavango de softvarsubteno por ekaperi en la venontaj 12 monatoj", male al la Atari Jaguaro kaj Pioneer LaserActive.
La revuo antaŭdiris ke "Se 3DO's licencitoj povas publikigi sufiĉe daj maŝinoj kaj softvaron en la merkato, tio povis tre bone iĝi la enirnivelmaŝino de la interaga ludanto" kaj eventuale "la ideala ŝtopilo kaj ludi solvon por tiuj el ni kiuj estas lacaj de ludado de cirkvitplatenruleto kun niaj personaj komputiloj".
Electronic Arts antaŭenigis la konzolon en du-paĝaj anoncoj, priskribante ĝin kiel "teknologian salton" kaj promesante "dudek novajn titolojn ...
dum la venontaj dek du monatoj".
#000006
La lanĉo de la platformo en oktobro 1993 ricevis grandan interkonsenton da atento en la gazetaro kiel parto de la " multmedia ondo" en la komputilmondo tiutempe.
Reveno-fajro , Road Rash , FIFA Internacia Futbalo , kaj Jurassic Park Interactive estis planita por lanĉeldonoj sed estis puŝitaj al mez 1994 pro la luktoj de la programistoj kun la tiama tranĉeĝa hardvaro.
Krome, la 3DO firmao faris daŭrajn ĝisdatigojn al la konzolhardvaro preskaŭ ĝis la liberigo de la sistemo, kiu rezultigis kelkajn triapartajn titolojn sopirantajn la lanĉdaton, en kelkaj kazoj de malpli ol monato, ĉar la programistoj ne estis lasitaj sufiĉe da tempo plene testi ilin sur la finpretigita hardvaro.
La nura 3DO softvaro havebla ĉe lanĉo estis la triaparta ludo Crash 'n Burn .
Panasona ankaŭ ne produktis abundan liveradon de la konzolo en tempo por lanĉtago, kaj kiel rezulto la plej multaj podetalbutikoj nur ricevis unun aŭ du ekzemplerojn.
#000007
La sistemo estis liberigita en Japanio en marto 1994 kun komenca vicigo de ses ludoj.
La japana lanĉo estis modere sukcesa, kie 70,000 trupoj ekspediĝas al 10,000 butikoj.
Tamen, vendo baldaŭ falis kaj antaŭ 1995 la sistemo estis konata en Japanio kiel gastiganto por pornografiaj eldonoj.
#000008
La 3DO's postulo je la titolo de la plej multaj progresinta konzolo sur la merkato estis perdita kun la 1995 (-datita 1994 en Japanio) lanĉoj de la Sony PlayStation kaj Sega Saturn.
La 3DO firmao respondita emfazante la grandan ekzistantan softvarbibliotekon de ilia konzolo, pli malaltan prezon (kaj la Panasonic kaj Gageomodeloj estis 299 USD antaŭ tiu tempo), kaj promesitan posteulon: la M2.
Por certigi al konsumantoj ke la 3DO daŭre estus apogitaj, la M2 estis komence sciigita kiel aldonaĵo por la 3DO.
Estis poste rivelita ke la M2 estus totale aparta konzolo, kvankam unu kun 3DO re-kompatibleco.
Poste, aliflanke, la M2 projekto estis forigita entute.
#000009
Male al Panasona, Goldstar komence produktis nur 3DO hardvaron, ne softvaron.
Tio faris malfacila administri konkurencivajn prezofalojn, kaj kiam la prezo de la Gageo 3DO falis al USD 199 en decembro 1995, la firmao prenis perdon de pli ol 100 USD sur ĉiu vendo.
Gageo provis ŝanĝi al la kutima industriomodelo de vendado de hardvaro ĉe perdo kaj profitado en softvaro, sed kvankam manpleno da Goldstar-ludoj estis publikigitaj por la 3DO, la softvarigoperacio de Goldstar tro malfrue alvenis por permesi al ili enŝalti profiton la 3DO.
Tiu manko de enspeziga komercmodelo, kombinita kun Panasonic akiranta ekskluzivajn rajtojn al la M2 teknologio, estis citita kiel la du ĉefaj kialoj de Goldstar finanta subtenon por la 3DO frue en 1996.
Dum la dua kvaronjaro de 1996 pluraj da la 3DO's plej lojalaj softvarsubtenantoj, inkluzive de la softvarsekcio de La 3DO firmao mem, sciigis ke ili jam ne faris ludojn por la sistemo, lasante Panasonic kiel la nura firmao apoga aktiva softvarigo por la 3DO.
#000010
La 3DO sistemo estis poste nuligita ĉe la fino de 1996, kun kompleta ĉesigo de ĉiu interna hardvarevoluo kaj senigo de la M2 teknologio.
La 3DO firmao restrukturis sin ĉirkaŭ tiu saman tempon, vendi for sian hardvardividadon por iĝi multplatforma firmao temigis softvarigon kaj retan videoludadon.
#000011
La pli alta kvalito de poste KD-nurlegeblamemor-bazitaj sistemoj kiuj aperis en la mez-1990-aj jaroj, [ citaĵo bezonis ] la neegala kvalito de la ludoj, kaj la komenca alta prezo estas ĉiu pripensis esti inter la multaj temoj kiuj kaŭzis la 3DO's fiaskon.
En intervjuo baldaŭ post kiam La 3DO firmao finis subtenon por la sistemo, Trip Hawkins atribuis ĝian fiaskon al la modelo de aprobado de ĉiu hardvarproduktado kaj softvaro al triaj partioj.
Li argumentis ke por konzolo por esti sukceso, bezonis ununura forta firmao ke ekgvidu enen merkatigo, hardvaro, kaj softvaron, kaj substrekis ke ĝi estis esence manko de kunordigo inter La 3DO firmao, Panasonic, kaj la 3DO's softvaristoj kiuj kondukis al la konzolo lanĉanta kun nur unu matĉo pretaj.
#000012
Dank'al la licenca metodo de La 3DO firmao, kelkaj malsamaj produktantoj produktis la 3DO sistemon por la merkato.
La Panasonaj versioj estas la plej konataj kaj plej oftaj, kondukante al la platformo ofte (kaj erare) estante nomitaj la " Panasonaj 3DO."
#000013
La origina eldono de la konzolo, la FZ-1, estis referita en plena kiel la 3DO Real Interactive Multiplayer.
La konzolo avancis hardvartrajtojn tiutempe: ARM60
RISC CPU, du specialadaptitaj videokromprocesoroj, kutimo 16-bita
Ĝi ankaŭ havis 2 megabajtojn (MB) de Dram, 1 MB de VRAM, kaj duoblan rapidecan CD-ROM'o iniciaton por ĉefa CD+Gs aŭ Photo CDs (kaj Video CDs per aldona MPEG videomodulo).
La 3DO inkluzivis la unuan malpezan sintezilon en ludkonzolo, transformante KD-muzikon al elektra kolorpadrono.
#000015
The 3DO is one of few CD-based units that feature neither regional lockout nor copy protection, making it easy to use illegal copies or homebrew software.[33] Although there is no regional lockout present in any 3DO machine, a few Japanese games cannot be played on non-Japanese 3DO consoles due to a special kanji font which English language consoles could not read. Games that have compatibility issues include Sword and Sorcery (which was released in English under the title Lucienne's Quest), the adult video game Twinkle Knights and a demo version of Alone in the Dark.
#000016
50 MB/s bus speed (synchronous 32-bit @12.5 MHz bus)
#000019
44.1 kHz sound sampling rate[1]
Custom 20-bit digital signal processor (DSP) - 20-bit accumulator with 16-bit parameter registers for extended precision
#000020
Double-speed (depending on manufacturer) 300 kB/s data transfer CD-ROM drive with 32 KB RAM buffer
#000021
All 3DO consoles have integrated power supplies. Some models (Panasonic 3DO FZ-1, Sanyo TRY 3DO, and Goldstar 3DO) have hardwired power cords, others (Panasonic 3DO FZ-10) use an IEC 60320 C7 "figure 8" power cord. All North American model specifications are AC 120V 60 Hz 30W.
#000023
Most 3DO systems shipped with a standard controller, as well as A/V and power cables. The 3DO controllers were unique in that the system base unit contained only one controller port and the controllers could be physically daisy chained together via a port on the back of each controller. Up to eight controllers could be linked together in this fashion. All controllers for each 3DO console are compatible with one another.
#000024
In addition, standard 3DO controllers released with the Panasonic FZ-1 also contained a headphone jack and volume control for silent play. The GoldStar (LG) model also included a controller with this feature.
#000025
Third party controllers were produced by a number of companies including Logitech. World International Trading Corporation also released an adapter that allows Super NES controllers to be used with the 3DO.[35]
#000026
The only light gun ever released for the 3DO was the Gamegun, a product of third-party developer American Laser Games. Despite this, no fewer than 10 games with light gun support were produced for the system. Most of these were arcade ports from American Laser Games (including the infamous Mad Dog McCree), but Virgin Interactive and Digital Pictures also released 3DO light gun games.
#000027
The 3DO Gamegun uses the same design as the Gamegun released for the Sega CD: an orange "Old West" revolver. Select Gameguns house a controller port so that another Gamegun may be daisy-chained for two-player gameplay, which is supported in most of American Laser Games's 3DO titles.
#000028
Though no light gun was released for the 3DO in Japan, the Japanese localizations of Demolition Man and Corpse Killer retain light gun support, and could be played by Japanese gamers using imported Gameguns.
#000029
Panasonic and Logitech both released the 3DO mouse. The Panasonic FZ-JM1 and Logitech 3DO mouse are identical aside from their markings. Fewer than 20 games supported its use, some of which were optimized for the standard controller or light gun rather than the mouse. Of the 3DO games which were optimized for use with the mouse, the best known are Myst and Lemmings. The Panasonic mouse was also bundled with Konami's Policenauts Limited Edition in Japan which came with a Policenauts mouse pad.[36]
#000030
Home Arcade Systems released a steering wheel for the 3DO which is supported by several racing titles, including The Need for Speed.
#000031
The Panasonic FZ-EM256 is a 256 KB Expandable Memory Unit that plugs into the 3DO Expansion bay on the back of the console. Released in 1994 and sold in Japan only, but is compatible with all models. It came with a Storage Manager start-up disc that is required to use the unit.[37]
#000032
Since its release coincided with the arrival of the modern first-person shooter, the 3DO also had some of the earliest members of the genre as exclusives, such as Escape from Monster Manor, the previously mentioned Killing Time, and PO'ed, as well as ports of Wolfenstein 3D and Doom.
#000035
However, the 3DO library also exhibited less successful traits of home consoles at the time. The 3DO was one of the first CD-ROM consoles, and early titles on the 3DO (and Sega CD alike) frequently attempted to use interactive movie-style gameplay. Such titles rendered all or nearly all of their graphics in full motion video, which necessitated that any interactive influence from the player be limited to a greater extent than other games of the time. Some games followed a single unfolding of events simply by correctly timed prompts executed by the player. Night Trap, Mad Dog McCree, and The Daedalus Encounter are among the more famous examples of full motion video driven games. Also, digital video was of very low quality at the time, especially on low-cost home devices.
#000036
The 3DO Company designed a next-generation console that was never released due to various business and technological issues. The M2 project, which began as an accelerator add-on for the 3DO,[38] was to use dual PowerPC 602 processors in addition to newer 3D and video rendering technologies. Late during development, the company abandoned the console hardware business and sold the M2 technology to Matsushita. While Matsushita initially claimed to be planning a game console with the technology, it was shortly thereafter re-branded for the kiosk market competing with the CD-i system.
#000037
Konami later made an M2-based arcade board.[39] Games ran straight from the CD-ROM drive causing long load times and a high failure rate due to the CD-ROM being continuously in use.
#000038
Reviewing the 3DO just prior to its launch, GamePro gave it a "thumbs sideways". They commented that "The 3DO is the first CD-ROM system to make a real jump forward in graphics, sound, and game design." However, they questioned whether it would soon be rendered obsolete by the upcoming Jaguar CD and "Project Reality" (i.e. the Nintendo 64)[note 2] and felt there were not yet enough games to justify a purchase, recommending that gamers wait several months to see if the system would get a worthwhile library of games.[40] The 3DO was awarded Worst Console Launch of 1993 by Electronic Gaming Monthly.[41] In a special Game Machine Cross Review in May 1995, Famicom Tsūshin would score the 3DO Real console a 26 out of 40.[42]Next Generation reviewed the 3DO in late 1995. They noted that due chiefly to its early launch, it had a larger installed base and more high quality games than the newly launched Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation, making it a viable alternative to those systems. However, they debated whether it could remain a serious contender in the long run, in light of the successor M2's imminent release and the Saturn and PlayStation's superior hardware. They deemed the 3DO hardware overhyped but still very good for its time, especially praising the DMA engine. They gave it 2 out of 5 stars, concluding that it "has settled out as a solid system with some good titles in its library and more on the way. The question that must be answered though is this: Is having a 'good system' enough?"[1]
#000040
Citing a lack of decent exclusives and an "astronomical asking price", in 2009 video game website IGN chose the 3DO as its 22nd greatest video game console of all time, slightly higher than the Atari Jaguar but lower than its four other major competitors: the SNES (4th best), the Sega Genesis (5th), the PlayStation (7th), and the Sega Saturn (18th).[43] On Yahoo! Games the 3DO was placed among the top five worst console launches due to its one-game launch lineup and high launch price.[22] Gaming retrospectives have also frequently accused the 3DO of having an abundance of poor quality interactive movies.[44]
#000041
Trip Hawkins' business model for selling 3DO was widely derided by industry figures.[45]
#000042
PhoenixEmuProject - 100% compatible 3DO emulator. Developed by one of the FreeDO authors, but only in Russian (but translations are available).
#000043
4DO is working on a 3DO emulator based on the FreeDO source code.[46] Most games are playable though with minor issues.[47]
#000044
List of 3DO Interactive Multiplayer games
#000045
^ Sales figures for Gex remain unclear. While the October and November 1995 issues of GamePro and Electronic Gaming Monthly both state that Gex exceeded 1 million in sales in July 1995 (well before the game was released for any platform other than the 3DO), an article in Next Generation also cover-dated November 1995 says that the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer had sold only 750,000 units worldwide.[7]
^ Though the Jaguar CD and Nintendo 64 would not be released until 1995 and 1996 respectively, at the time the media thought they would both be released in mid-1994.
#000046
This article is based on material taken from the Free On-line Dictionary of Computing prior to 1 November 2008 and incorporated under the "relicensing" terms of the GFDL, version 1.3 or later.
#000050