The 3DO Deserved Better

[@retrobeliever]

I remember getting the Goldstar version, it was beautiful and I thought it would be the future lol. Fun vid my friend!

[@MarquisDeSang]

PC-Engine was also using the same business model as the 3DO

[@artemusprine]

Idk that. I was a Turbo fan, I thought it was the best system of that generation. I was also an Amiga fan, so was following 3DO from the beginning. They should have subsidized the console by going into the cable titling business. I bet it could do anything the Toaster could.

[@MarquisDeSang]

@sprine Toaster? Do you mean the Amiga Video Toaster? If yes, did you know that Lightwave3D was bought by the moployees last year?

[@GreyMatterShades]

Enjoyed the video. Definitely agree that the 3DO deserved better. The hardware was capable of a lot for the time, as evidenced by the in-development homebrew port of MK II. I see the 3DO's failure as the result of a mismatch between their business model and their hardware. I really think that either of those elements could have succeeded if it hadn't been paired with the other. The business model was fairly innovative, attracted a ton of developer interest due to the low licensing fees and manufacturing costs, and (had the console sold well enough) could have led to fairly rapid drops in price due to manufacturer competition. The hardware was bleeding-edge for a console at the time, and had it been sold at a more consumer friendly price point, could have dominated the market for at least a couple of years until the Playstation hit the market. I think the business model would have been amazing if paired with an innovative but relatively inexpensive console, like the Nintendo Wii. That would have allowed the manufacturers to make a modest profit without putting the price out of reach for most consumers. The 3DO hardware on the other hand, could have done very well if it could have been sold at a loss like traditional consoles. Though it bares repeating that it's success would have been short-lived even at a low price, just due to the rapid evolution of gaming hardware at the time (as embodied by the cheaper and more powerful Playstation a couple short years later).

[@BadBoyBobby85]

I played one of these at a BEST store in the 90s it looked cool but I recall it costing more than a TV

[@-Evil-Genius-]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:00 🎮 *The 3DO's Unfulfilled Potential* - Overview of the 3DO gaming console and its history. - Discussion on why the 3DO didn't reach its full potential despite being ahead of its time. - Analysis of factors contributing to the 3DO's commercial failure. 03:30 💸 *Pricing and Market Competition* - Comparison of the 3DO's high price point with competitors like Sega and Nintendo. - Impact of pricing on the 3DO's market performance and consumer adoption. - Explanation of the inability to subsidize hardware costs through software fees. 06:02 🕹️ *Technological Advancements and Game Quality* - Highlighting the technological advancements of the 3DO, such as texture-mapped polygons. - Discussion on the visual quality and performance of first-generation 3DO games. - Speculation on the untapped potential of the 3DO platform for future game development. 08:19 💡 *Commercial Viability of Open Platforms* - Evaluation of the commercial challenges faced by open-platform systems like the 3DO. - Examination of the business decisions and strategies that impacted the 3DO's success. - Reflection on the significance of hardware pricing and market competition in console gaming history. Made with HARPA AI

[@JasperTedVidalTale]

The IBM PC Speaker (1-Bit Sound Chip) also deserved better. Because most game companies just hired unskilled/amateur composers to make music for it. As a result those composers don't know what they are doing or they just don't know any better or they don't know how to do tricks like Arpeggios/Fake Polyphony & Vibrato.

[@williamoverton7775]

did they make a road rash movie? I wish they would do a lowish budget jetset radio/road rash game.

[@SNARC15]

Eventually the 3DO did lower its price on the original Panasonic FZ-1 model to $400 a year or so after launch, which is when I got mine. But yeah the initial launch price of $699 (not $799 as you said) was way too much sticker shock

[@itsanarse]

I’ve got the Sanyo Try after seeing all the videos and reading about the 3DO for years and years, it’s better than I expected. A machine I plan to keep in my collection forever