The Story Of The 3DO - The Console Born From EA's Founder & Makers of The Atari Lynx & Amiga 1000

The 3DO was one of the most hyped consoles of the 90s. It received a large amount of attention from the mainstream media, financial investors, and gamers alike. When released, it was considered an incredibly powerful and impressive system. So why did it have such a short run and why did the 3DO Company fail. In this video we're going to look at how the founder EA teamed with the co creators of the original Amiga computer and Atari lynx to create one of the most anticipated pieces of gaming hardware from the 90s… only to see it fail to capture the market that seemed to covet it. This is the story of the 3DO. Partial list of sources at the end of description.
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Sources:
Billboard 1994 Year In Review - books.google.com/books?id=ugs...
Console Wars - By Blake J Harris
New York Times - December 19, 1992
www.polygon.com/a/how-ea-lost-...
www.vintagecomputing.com/index...
articles.latimes.com/2003/aug/...
www.cnet.com/news/3do-files-f...
Gamepro Magazine Issue 53
Gamepro Magazine Issue 56
Gamepro Magazine Issue 58
Gamepro Magazine Issue 66
Gamepro Magazine Issue 75
Electronic Gaming Monthly Issue 84
Game Machines - By Winnie Foster
Retro Gamer Issue 122
www.wired.com/1994/01/3do/
davidmullich.com/2013/11/25/t...
archive.org/details/nextgen-i...
Next Generation Issue 12

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

This video covers the overall story of how the 3DO came about, failed, and the people behind it. This video doesn’t quite cover everything regarding the 3DO. For example, I didn’t dive into the Sanyo 3DO model, AT&T’s 3DO prototype, or the European and Japanese launches. If you want to learn more about the 3DO I added some of my sources to the end of the description of the video. I almost broke this video up into two parts since it’s a bit longer than what I prefer my videos to be. There’ just so much information out there about the 3DO. Also, I know some people may feel like it’s unfair to concentrate so much on the 3DO not being able to compete with the Playstation and not really discuss the Saturn as much. I chose to concentrate more on the Playstation since it did so well and even Trip Hawkins feels like the Playstation is ultimately what finished off the 3DO. I try to make my videos as accurate as possible but I’m only human. If you have any corrections please let me know and I’ll be happy to look into it. Well, maybe not happy, haha, but I’ll look into it and issue a correction if needed 😊

[@MoonMagicks]

Amazing work as always!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Aaron Johnsen Thanks!

[@gokusondbz]

Wrestling With Gaming only just last 2 years I picked up a 3DO at my local retro gaming store. Great decision so far I've collected 9 games I love the port of Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo. Easily the best version of the soundtrack for that game. Also a big fan of Dragon's Lair. Indeed this is a very underrated console the labrys actually really nice. 😍 I appreciate this informative video I'm glad I watched it I've learned a lot more of the backstory of the console now. Awesome job subscribing to you now I appreciate the work you put into videos like this. 👍

[@cryptojonny6837]

Wrestling With Gaming I wish 3DO was still around to continue the Army Men games.

[@antelmotrevizo2198]

Wrestling With Gaming because it was a piece of shit

[@Kyotosomo]

My Dad worked at 3D0 so I used to play it all the time as a kid. So many great games; so many childhood memories! Especially loved Gex and Twisted!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

It's library is really very underrated. Pretty sturdy consoles too. My FZ1 still works perfectly!

[@andrewharris9302]

My uncle worked at Nintendo.

[@brotherjuggernaut7299]

Did you get one? Do you have like one brand new still sealed up lol, I would have.

[@tsusksatheanimator8220]

@@andrewharris9302 my dad In the past worked at sega

[@BeeBumper]

My Dad was a cop.

[@Yoss2023]

I had a Panasonic 3DO and I loved it. Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo, Samurai Shodown, Alone in the Dark, Gex, Road Rage, Quarantine, and some erotic games that I rented in a videoclub. Oh the magical 90s!

[@123doomdoom]

I love my Amiga

[@statesminds]

Need for speed, gex as well. Remember the terrible robots fighting game lmao. And some game with dennis rodman from a movie was terrible.

[@iconofsin4578]

Erotic games?? Damn! 😂

[@jesserobinson9600]

Pretty sure my Mom got it for 400 bucks because they werent selling well and I absolutely LOVED that machine. Arcade perfect Super Streetfighter, arcade perfect Samurai Showdown, Way of the Warrior had crazy fatalaties and was set to White Zombie music, Twisted was fun, Gex was good, and if you put a CD in it to play music it would make the craziest trippy designs on the screen with box that would bounce up and down to the beat of the music....waaay better than even the PS1 or PS2 did years later.

[@j.st.1274]

It's a shame that Trip left EA. He seems like a genuinely decent guy that could have helped keep EA's practices more honest than they are today.

[@davidnotonstinnett]

Did you watch the video? He stayed on EAs board. Also this was like 30 years ago. He would be retired by now. EAs bad practices are a consequence of being a major corporation for a long time.

[@gmoddude12]

@@davidnotonstinnett sadly that is usually how it is hell i cant even think of another big company like blizz or ea who was able to keep themselves decent after growing so much :/

[@kevinvanneste2500]

@@davidnotonstinnett he left in 1995

[@simeonmaximofernandez3364]

Yikes, thats right EA is Trip Hawkins!

[@cardioandfriends]

Hawkins is a tool, having been known for berating his employees and forcing strict and yet still inefficient development cycles .

[@RW-ij1ci]

3DO gives me more nostalgia then any other system, It was my first system that I felt like I owned and my dad bought it for me for helping him with odd jobs. We didn't have much money so I got it right as it went suuuper cheap. But it was awesome because I was able to buy games for $10-20 a pop. I had ALMOST the entire collection. Like an idiot I threw away all the boxes and opted for a huge CD case...ugh. Then like a bigger idiot I gave the system to my girlfriends brothers after I got a PlayStation. Two years ago I noticed I was friends with one of the brothers on Facebook, they grew up. I ask them on a whim if they still had the 3DO I gave them and since my dad had passed and it was our favorite system to play, my dad live Madd Dog shooting game :P Well, sure enough they did and it still worked :D my copy of Super Street Fighter Turbo was in the system and the 3DO I had when I teen I got back :)

[@HOWLWOLF]

Great story, I'm glad you got to meet back with your 3DO. Your dad sounded like an awesome guy, rest in peace.

[@ethansloan]

"WHAT TIME WILL MY DAUGHTER BE HOME?!" "How should I know? I'm here for your wife."

[@iiiDartsiii]

that would be the PC players :D

[@drunkensailor112]

Haha. Funny!

[@voteDC]

Why not both?

[@DAIadvisor]

Is it just me or the commercials for pretty much every video game consoles in the 90s were down right psychotic??

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Ромашка 1941 lol I agree with you

[@kevdmiller]

This is the era where the word "EXTREME" got overused to death. Everything had to be turned up to 11.

[@AR7271]

@@kevdmiller hell yeah it did!

[@ImperialMJG]

@@nofleshspared No its Just the cringiest decade ever.

[@user-pf5xq3lq8i]

The marketplace was teenagers purchasing via their parents credit card. The marketing was 100% correct for this.

[@davidg8912]

Some of the most well done video game documentaries I've seen. I seriously get pumped to see new ones. Thumbs up!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+David G Thanks a lot man, really appreciate the kind words. I'm already working on my next video and hope to have a preview of it up in the next few days. After a rough day at work reading your comment was a breath of fresh air. Thanks again.

[@jean-claudemarra343]

David G I agree

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Jean-Claude Marra thanks guys, really appreciate it. Sorry it's been so long since the 3DO one. Trying to get the jaguar one out this week. Good news is the one after the jaguar is already researched and written up so the turn aground time will be much shorter.

[@ColtSSR]

Very well researched.

[@Urbansilverback]

Agreed I remember most of the classic consoles in the 90s when I was a teenager but I love the history behind them.

[@Nick_Nightingale]

After inflation a $699 3DO in September 1993 would be $1,179.22 on July 2017.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Don T Crazy huh?

[@eyeconqueror1185]

fuck that

[@chasityreynolds3280]

I can't imagine paying that kind of money cor a console now, let alone in the 90s....

[@mj-np9sy]

I was 10 when these were out and I didn't know anyone with one. They were so out of this world expensive.

[@nikoskabbadias]

@@mj-np9sy People pay that kind of money for an Iphone, and its the same as the last one. 3DO in its day was something ten steps ahead of anything that existed then.

[@millgiass]

Back then when I saw the thing I really wanted a 3DO. It was pretty epic looking at the time. That price tag was LAUGHABLE though. In my opinion that massive price tag was probably the biggest problem when it was released.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

It does make me wonder what Trip Hawkins was thinking by the pricing they had. It's like he purposely only wanted to sell to a very small niche market, yet he himself wrote the book on how you don't segregate like that and expect to cash in big time. Failed at taking his own advice.

[@kevdmiller]

Yeah that price tag was over the top. I was a game developer and I couldn't even afford one to actually see my own work in the 3DO game I worked on!

[@chan13153]

Made by EA so it's no surprised. Imagine a next gen 3DO console made by EA today. There would be a fee to even turn the thing on. Fuck EA and fuck the EA console

[@coeurdelion3113]

GREAT JOB! I bought my Panasonic 3DO after the price drop, in the summer of 1994, and it came bundled with Madden Football, Jurassic Park Interactive and Crash n Burn, and to this day I believe 3DO has the MOST UNDERRATED game library of all "retro" video game systems. Thanks for making this great retrospective on a truly great, but doomed, system!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Eric Ehmann thanks man, glad you liked it! I love my 3DO and still play it to this day. I'm currently playing Super Wing Commander on it. I somehow completely missed out on it until now.

[@thomaspleacher2735]

I always had a really dismissive attitude toward the 3DO, but after watching this I feel more somber about it. I can see that a lot of really talented people put a lot of time and money toward this hoping for it to be successful, but it just didn't work. I appreciate how this video sheds light on the story behind that.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Thomas Pleacher I was pretty dismissive of it myself when the 3DO was out. It didn't help that a lot off news stations that covered it only showed clips of FMV games. I didn't realize it was actually a powerful console into like a decade later. It's one of those tales of what could've been.

[@soylentgreenb]

I still have a dismissive attitude towards it. Like VR in 1990 or the mid 90’s or the early 00’s; not enough to do it justice and too expensive.

[@Ammothief41]

I can't feel sorry for any assholes who thought a 3 face button controller would be sufficient in an era where the snes controller had existed for years and Sega had released the 6 button controller for street fighter. They didn't know wtf they were doing and it showed.

[@Ammothief41]

@w0g Except in the controller department. Way behind the times.

[@Amidat]

I wanted it (all my previous consoles were Atari and Nintendo)... But there was no way my parents were going to pay that much... That's what killed it in the end.

[@weakacid]

TIL: an "early access" label could have been slapped on 3DO games to add to the launch titles and save the platform

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Brandon Hayes haha. Probably.

[@waynethesnowleopard324]

R.I.P Army Men the best game that is made by 3do during its finest hours

[@Moonshadownova]

Check out Portal Runner! It's sorta like a spinoff game :)

[@HaydenX]

Good overview of the 3DO. I remember being so hyped as a 5-year-old and seeing the discussion and proposals for the 3DO. Then I learned about the price...at the time our family was poor. We had trouble getting used games for our hand-me-down NES. There was no way we were buying a $700 console. Looking back, I know we wouldn't have bought it if it were $300...but still. That price tag was truly killer...like Pioneer Laseractive or Neo Geo AES killer...more systems whose high price tags guaranteed them niche status or outright failure.

[@Larry]

I worked in EB Games in 1995, and we had standees for 3DO saying, "Don't Buy a Dodo, Buy 3DO", we found it funny to cross out the word "Don't" on them :D We knew it was going to fail, even then. All the games available felt like budget/shareware games, not much quality at all.

[@snoopdoggdankkush9285]

😂😂😂hehe u crazy bwoy (:

[@robzilla730]

Wanted one bad then. Scraped together the scratch. Came to moment of truth couldn't pull the pin. Don't memer what I did w the $$

[@cesarflores1432]

@@robzilla730 you probably just wanted a Pepsi

[@ralaun2000]

Great video! I attended three CESs, two being in this video, and I was completely behind Trip & the 3DO. Bought one the day it was released from a Silo store (kinda like Best Buy), as did my friend. Crash & Burn had goofy acting with people in costumes, but the sense of speed from the game was unseen before then. We both had FAR too many games, Gex and Way of the Warrior being amongst my favorites. I eventually gave up & bought a Playstation, but I hung onto my 3DO games and even bought a Goldstar version before they completely died. Wasn't as good as Panasonic's, though!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Ralph F. Aunkst Thanks man! I love my 3DO. It really is too bad it wasn't more successful.

[@asasial1977]

3DO was priced into failure. I was in highschool at launch, I recall hearing about it but I do not know anyone who had one. there was a buzz about it until the price was released then everyone just laughed.

[@dannybarrera4009]

I remember owning the Panasonic 3DO (still have it too). The initial library of games were amazing compared to other consoles at the time. Crash N Burn, Road Rash, & Samurai Showdown were a constant. Thanks for the trip down memory lane...

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Danny Barrera I love my 3DO. I also have the Panasonic can't we all just get along and bond over our love of FZ-1 version. Seems like the FZ-1 and FZ-10 ended up being the most reliable ones. Thanks for stopping by the channel.

[@stonerdemon]

The M2, announced during E3 95, was supposed to move 1 million polygons per second, way more than any of the new consoles of the era. Things would be very different today if that new machine had been successfully released. By the way: A more advanced version of Bladeforce for the M2 was also announced during E3 95.

[@nate567987]

eh

[@musicvideoenhancer]

Another case where the developer failed to deliver the holy trinity of video games: 1- Software Support 2- Cheap console price tag 3- Hardware power to run the envisioned games of the developers. 3do failed on the itens 1 and 2 at first, which was better than Atari Jaguar that totally screwed all of the 3 rules.

[@DoggoneNexus]

I wouldn't say Jaguar failed your 2nd point. $250 was entirely reasonable compared to the competitors, its many other flaws notwithstanding.

[@neilcarleton9084]

The Jaguar was very powerful for the time too. Sadly it was a real pig to develop for by all accounts so programmers mostly used the 6800 chip in it as the main CPU (when it was really just there to handle controllers and such).

[@TheLastLineLive]

protossevolution I wouldn't say they failed on software support, the 3d0 actually had quite a large library despite its low sales, it wasn't too far off from what the Sega Saturn had, which wasn't successful by any stretch but sold maybe times more systems.

[@Hyreia]

Agreed. I think the major downfall was the second point. The paradigm that seems to consistently work is to sell the console at a loss and expect to make it back with the games. So outsourcing the manufacturing and expecting a profit off of it was what killed them in my mind.

[@BleedForTheWorld]

Growing up poor and still having an NES, SNES, Sega Genesis, N64, and PS1 but not hearing much about the 3DO - you knew there was something wrong with it. Why? Because it was always more expensive than the "cool" systems like SNES and PS1. It was simply much too expensive with no brand name to it - Panasonic VS. Sony? Take a poll and I'll guarantee it's Sony every time even to this day.

[@MalShakur]

Very interesting. Thanks for this video. I was lucky to get to play with a 3do back in the day because my dad's best friend is a huge gamer and bought one. Everytime we went to his house I'd play road rash and need for speed which looked amazing at the time compared to my own systems.

[@adamhovey407]

You know what I like about your videos dude? It is 5:16 a.m., I am making french fries for breakfast, because that makes sense, and yet I still come back to watch your videos, because either there's something I missed, or something I want to know that I may have forgotten. You do a good job on them.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Adam Hovey thanks man!

[@TampaTec]

$699 3DO Crashed n Burned for sure.. Wise cracking Gex and Road Rash were good games though.

[@statesminds]

Yea for sure. I enjoyed need for speed as well

[@GiordanDiodato]

and Lucienne's Quest, the only JRPG on the system.

[@arimadx]

Yeah I thought that was the case. Anytime anyone mentions the 3do I just automatically think of how expensive it was and that's most likely why it crashed and burned

[@stabf2635]

You deserve 100X the subs man. I LOVE gaming doc channels and there aren't enough good ones.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Bottom Of The Barrel Thanks, I appreciate that. Maybe one day... probably many years from now lol.

[@stabf2635]

Well consider me along for the ride. Seriously this is EXACTLY the content I want from this platform.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Bottom Of The Barrel Thanks man! And I hear ya, I love gaming doc channels myself. Seems like there's less and less of them these days. Decent ones at least.

[@stabf2635]

I just made this on Reddit, so if you want to go upvote yourself, or send this out to twitter. Just doing my little part. www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/6gnwsa/i_found_the_next_great_gaming_documentary_youtube/

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Bottom Of The Barrel whoa. Thanks so much man. I really appreciate it

[@tenchimod]

You are criminally undersubbed.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+tenchimod Thanks, appreciate it! Who am I to argue? Lol. I kid, I kid. I've only been making these for about 8 months so I'm just happy that lately people have been finding them and for the most part digging them. Thanks again for the kind words.

[@616Entertainment]

Dude I don't know how I came across your channel, I think I may have seen your 'Making of Superman 64' thumbnail and it caught my eye as a huge Superman fan. Then I noticed your channel name is two things mixed together that I'm a big fan of. After that I noticed the NJPW shirt. I've watched 3 or 4 of your videos tonight and I'm totally in. I love your stuff. I'll be watching up all of your documentaries for the next few days. Please keep up the great work.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+616Entertainment Thanks so much. Sadly, I'm super behind on this year's NJPW G1. Thanks for checking the channel out!

[@mrhiblo]

"What time will my daughter be home!?" "...you want her back?"

[@Jenovi]

Can't wait to watch this tonight. The hype is unreal.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Jenovi thanks man. I almost broke it up into two parts since it's a bit long even with me leaving out some stuff about the 3DO. I added a bunch of sources at the end of the description if you want to learn more about the 3DO after watching it.

[@princegroove]

I recently bought a 3DO which I’m really enjoying due to its considerable library of games and unique appeal. Congrats, awesome retrospective of another significant but often forgotten gaming console.

[@joedizzelfoerizle]

Brilliantly presented! It brought me back to '95, best Christmas ever, got our 3DO, Super Nintendo, and a Virtual Boy. My brother and I were in heaven. Thanks for putting this together 💪😎🇺🇲

[@RAWMUSICTV]

Absolutely love this nostalgic content. I grew up playing Master System and Megadrive consoles, I had no idea about most of these other consoles. Super interesting man!

[@RobertD_83]

great video, I had a 3DO as a teenager and loved it. I look back with my nostalgia glasses fondly at it. thanks for helping me remember

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Robert Depuoz Glad you liked the video. I still play my 3DO to this day. It's a great system.

[@swimthrumyaquarium]

immensely good as usual. you've become one of my favorite creators. thanks.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Darius Robert Newton Ghazi-Torbati thanks a lot man. I appreciate that you've been here since I started doing these.

[@lennybrewster4673]

So interesting to see the mishaps these companies made bringing their products to market and the deals they make to do so. Love your documentaries bro. They remind me of a better time growing up. Always appreciate the work you put into these.

[@machineofadream]

My best friend had a 3DO when it launched, and we honestly had a good time with it. It wasn't better than the SNES or Genesis, but we mostly liked it more than the Sega CD, and it got about as much playtime from us as the Saturn. We really loved Road Rash on it. It looked and played much better than any other version.

[@simonriddick]

Great video very well put together. I bought a Goldstar 3D0 with my summer job money. I paid around $700 plus I bought Way of the warrior and Need for Speed and a extra controller I think. At the time I think it had the most accurate version of Samurai Showdown which I needed in my life. Road Rash was awesome too. Anyways it was awesome having it even if it didn't last. My Saturn and Dreamcast also didn't last ;/. I don't regret buying any of them though the memories last forever.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+simonriddick thanks, glad you liked it! I love my 3DO. I'm currently going through Super Wing Commander on it. Such a great version.

[@simonriddick]

Wrestling With Gaming Not sure why but never played the Wing Commander games but I do know they are good games. I'll check them out sometime. Oh yeah Supreme Warrior was also awesome on 3D0. I had Shockwave too and really don't like it lol. I would rather play that Put Put car game than play Shockwave.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+simonriddick the nice thing about the 3DO now is that even though some of the games have gotten expensive, you can learn how to burn 3DO ROMs to blank CDs with a little googling.

[@RetroDawn]

The Goldstar unit was launched at $399, as shown in the video. I remember that it was launched at that price, as well. My aunt and uncle bought it on my recommendation, and I had bought the FZ-1 at the year earlier original launch price, but got it for cost due to a connection, rather than the full $699.

[@nicholassullivan1239]

Yes! That version of road rash was absolutely amazing at the time.

[@stampsuksantiswad1365]

Your video is truly amazing! Everything is surely well researched, plus great narration and interesting graphics! your channel is really undersubbed and I feel bad that I know this channel too late!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thank you!

[@OHG_Fawx]

I have the most nostalgia for the 3DO. It was the most powerful machine in that strange live action era of gaming, and i still love playing the games today. Killing Time is one of my favorites (despite the massive frame rate dips in crowded rooms lol), Battlesport is still a go-to favorite for head to head MP matches with my brother, and Wolfenstein 3DO is still my favorite version of the FPS classic. That music is just awesome

[@Nexus9_KD6-4.8]

I'd be curious to know how much the design and capabilities of the 3DO influenced the design of the PlayStation, if at all. The consoles seem very similar in what they can do. The main difference I've seen is the 3DO seems to run 3D games at about half the speed of the PSX. Still a fascinating console and an interesting part of gaming history.

[@thebigs14]

Very nice bit of info. I was interested in the 3do as a kid but the company never really had the momentum others did.

[@ROOKTABULA]

Still have my flip top Panasonic.FZ10. Bought it 15 months after the release for $199. Worth buying just to play Zhadnost (with a bonus controller), the original Need For Speed, Battlesport, Killing Time, Return Fire, Gex and Road Rash. Also plays karaoke discs.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+ROOKTABULA I have an FZ-1. Everything on it still works just about like it's brand new. It really in an underrated console. Thanks for watching!

[@ROOKTABULA]

Wrestling With Gaming You're lucky. Back in the day the Panasonic Fz1, still the best looking console ever, had a lot of dead trays while the Goldstar was more reliable. The Goldstar controller, which I bought had a headphone jack and volume wheel.. I doubt know if the Panasonic ones did.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+ROOKTABULA actually the controllers with my fz-1 do indeed had the headphone jacks. If only I could say the same for my Nintendo Switch controller lol. You're right though, I'm pretty fortunate that the tray still works great. A lot of them are problematic.

[@samic]

Gex was an awesome game. Also the Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo was simply the superior version among all other consoles.

[@waxy1277]

Also the best version of Star control 2 was on the 3DO

[@craigperry3779]

I can not describe how much I wanted a 3DO when I was a kid. The 699$ price tag was an obscene amount of money to a 8 year old kid and in my mind that meant it must be the best...right? People who didn't live through this time as a consumer can't understand how hard it was to pick a new console after owning a SNES/Genesis, it seemed every week there was a new system in GamePro that was the latest and greatest. I sat the whole 32 bit generation out and got the N64 and PS1. A few years back I bought a 3DO on eBay just to play Gex. Still a very fun game and would have blown my mind as a kid. Great work and thank you for this video.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Craig Perry thanks man. I felt much the same way when I was a kid. I really enjoy my 3DO now. It has great games like Gex, wing commander, and road rash on it. It's too bad we never got the M2.

[@SandyRiverBlue]

There was also a 3DO card, the 3DO Blaster, that turned your PC into a 3DO console.

[@unconbentional2044]

The 3DO had the best version of Road Rash. It was identical to the Playstation version version, but it ran smoother, and looked sharper.

[@falkwulf3842]

Same with Need for Speed, on the 3DO Daredevil was a serious A hole.

[@kevinwebster7868]

UnconBentional no it didn’t.

[@balorduomo]

@@falkwulf3842 Need for speed on the 3DO had a different feeling, it was more of a simulator, I liked it more. However on the PS1 it was way smoother.

[@falkwulf3842]

@@balorduomo I had almost the same experience, except I found the 3D0 version to be smoother while in game, and the 3D0 had much more defined graphics, the only thing I hated about the 3D0 was the load times.

[@darrengriffith9680]

I had a 3do as well as road rash and need for speed. Both were Superior to the ps1 versions, to the point that I remember being hugely disappointed. Nfs in particular was much sharper and ran better. In my opinion the biggest issue with 3do was the controller, it being way worse than the Sony version. Load times were garbage too.

[@PhaQ2]

I've always considered myself a bit of an expert on the 3DO. This was excellent! So much information I was unaware of. Thank you!!!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Pha Q thanks! Glad you liked it.

[@RichieCavsRetrocade]

I bought it on day 1 and loved it. I sold at least 500 of them myself when working at Software Etc.. This console had the very first near-perfect version of Dragon's Lair ever available for the home console, which blew my mind. The issue was the number of titles over the first year or so. That really killed it from the start because of the price tag associated with the system. It took a few years to really start pumping out games, which was just too late and the controller was one of the worst ever made for a home system. You couldn't easily pull-off moves on fighting games like Way of the Warrior and Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo, which was extremely frustrating. But man, the early years had some games that were just ahead of the time and blew you away when you got into them. It's a shame that they simply ended up paving the way for consoles like Playstation, but I'll always love my years with my 3DO and still have my original :)

[@Smokydoggg]

The problem with dropping the price on an expensive console or gadget is that the customers that paid the expensive release price will feel cheated. You have to be extremely careful with those kinds of decisions.

[@consolegamer8871]

Smoky Doggg hell ya I'd be pissed if I paid $699.99 then just months later its half priced.

[@royp9344]

This isn't an uncommon process. Sony have done this with almost every gen of console. More so with there ps3, on launch was 600 dollars for 60gb keeping in mind sony were losing around 300 to 400 dollars on every sale. So you start to see the slim and super slim. As I said this is not uncommon practice. 3DO with the backing could have well been that console that broke into the market with sega and Nintendo.

[@slipwagon7944]

The best thing about the 3DO was the built in visualizer for CD playback

[@kevdmiller]

I had forgotten about that! That was the first time I'd seen that kind of thing. It was cool.

[@LukeAndromedaNebular]

When I first time saw a 3DO game in a gaming store I was impressed by the graphics. I liked it much but the console was too expensive like the Neo Geo. Super cool system but not for everyone. I think it costed 500 Euros (1000 German marks) at the time. 3DO should first ask the people how much they want to spent on a console and try to make the console for this price.

[@Rezaroth]

This story should be taught in business schools as an example of poor management and bad decision making in companies. What a sad story. I wanted my father to buy me a 3DO back in the day but it was very very expensive. Thank you for the effort put in this short documentary my friend. Cheers from Saudi Arabia.

[@megantronplays]

I was working at Funcoland when the 3DO came out. We played a lot of Need For Speed and Pit Fighter. That's where I first heard White Zombie. :)

[@alaslawi]

you mean you played way of the warrior not pit fighter, thats also where i first heard of the awesome white zombie and i credit 3do for that amazing game and introduction to the great music.

[@supernintendochalmers-wj8rz]

I was born the year the 3DO was released. I'm definitely into retro gaming and the 3DOs story struck a chord with me. It's very sad in a way. It seems like some folks took a gamble on full motion video titles and lost everything. If the system had been very cheap with a similar royalty structure to other systems I think there would have been a real chance it would have worked out. Oh and a better launch event. Someone commented that with inflation the system would cost around 1200 in 2017. You flew to close to the sun, 3do. RIP. P.S. I'd really like maybe just one more halfway decent army men game.

[@thecoyotespeaks9649]

Playing "The Daedalus Encounter" on PC with 4DO emulator and the 3DO discs is still the definitive way to play that game. Was underrated. Shame the PC port was garbage.

[@codyparks2288]

19:35 Launch and Pricing is why it failed. It was a great system that was so expensive at the time I had to rent it for the weekends. Naughty Dogs was my favorite developer for this system.

[@megatronxmatt]

Just found this channel and have already watched 2hrs worth of content. How have I gone without this channel. Awesome stuff!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

I know that there are a lot of gaming channels on KZbin so I really appreciate you giving my channel a shot. Thanks again

[@megatronxmatt]

@@WrestlingWithGaming I like how you put the story and content together. It feels way better produced then a lot of the so called big channels. You've earned a subscriber. I look forward to many more videos. 🤘

[@dustybunny6716]

Wing Commander 3, Return Fire, Cannon Fodder, Shockwave...*sigh* I will miss those games.

[@Bryan-lu4du]

I just got the Panasonic 3DO top loader yesterday as a local trade. Haven’t played it yet, but I did play Crash and Burn when it was first released back in the 90’d and enjoyed what I had played at Best Buy.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Bryan Campbell Nice! I have the FZ1 and it still works great. If you like the Wing Commander series I highly recommend Super Wing Commander and Wing Commander 3 on it.

[@Bryan-lu4du]

Wrestling With Gaming I’ll check them out! I’m visiting a vintage gaming store this weekend so maybe I’ll pick those up and some other 3DO games if they have them.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Bryan Campbell If you Google around a bit there are instructions out there to burn 3DO games from ROMS as well. Good luck!

[@laberge2]

Top notch content as always. Can't wait for the next one!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks a lot! Working on finishing the script for it right now.

[@chrispacheco8590]

Great story, wow the 3DO was pretty much poised for success, but it was ahead of its time had it been held back and launched after it's hardware revisions and established game library this would gone completely different. Awesome documentary thank you.

[@ViralKiller]

Ah yes 3D0..the rich kids console

[@hyperghost99]

Pretty much

[@statesminds]

Lol i was poor but my moms ex bf bought one or stole it idk. I didnt learn till i was an adult how much it cost

[@1ace1000]

That title though was actually held by the Neo Geo AVS systems at the time.

[@larsgarret2817]

its pretty much cheaper to build a basic gaming pc today

[@1ace1000]

@@larsgarret2817 EXCEPT in the current market anyways. Even just a pc specced mid-tier is getting as high as $2k pricing with how crazy the market is. Hardly anything will even be sold at msrp for a year or two later.

[@Zoopster1]

I loved my 3DO. Still got it too. Some fantastic games.

[@PossumMedic]

So cool! I remember playing 3DO's games (like army men on my PS1) but never knew they had a system! Thanks for another great vid! :D

[@dualshockheroes2347]

Many people look back at the 3DO's price tag with disbelief, but it gets even worse when you factor in inflation; 700 USD in 1993 is worth nearly $1,200 in today's money. It truly was the console of high rollers.

[@MrSEA-ok2ll]

I bought one for $550 in 1993 and really enjoyed the system. The biggest killer was of course price.

[@anactualmotherbear]

I love my 3DO. There are some exclusive titles that'll always stay on the console mostly due to its unique hardware/time of release/licensing. Demolition Man still holds up pretty well as a corny fun game as long as you have the light gun.

[@EDifyer881]

They have a gun? I totally have to get one lol

[@chicolittle5409]

I had one in the mid nineties, and loved it. The shooting games were awesome. It was like watching a movie, And when I say movie, I mean actual video where the characters talk to you, where you were able to shoot the bad guy before he could shoot you. And you could plug two guns in and try to shoot the bad guy before your friend could. To this day they don't make anything that fun.

[@brodylanetx]

Wesley snipes used to piss me off in that game lol

[@jaysnow701]

I NEVER got past the fight in the fire room. I hated that game, but i always went back to it.

[@anactualmotherbear]

@@jaysnow701 the game is literally IMPOSSIBLE without the gun... but yes, I kept going back and trying it anyway!

[@ericyoung3480]

I’ve always wondered what happened with the 3DO and the story behind it. Now I know, great video.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Eric Young Thanks. Glad you liked it. It's actually a pretty decent console but it was too far ahead of its time to be affordable on initial release. It's too bad.

[@christianshriver4217]

Came back after a while to see some of these old videos. Still fun to watch after all this time!

[@faithplus1588]

Remember seeing this as a kid back in '94. I wanted one soooo bad but it cost £500!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Yeah, it took them way too long to get the price down.

[@ez054098]

That was awesome. Thank you. Finally someone told the 3DO's story.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+EZ054098 thanks! Love my 3DO. Truly underrated system imo.

[@OfficialDeejayW]

Thank you for making this. I used to love the 3DO as a kid. So many good memories. I bring it up now and people don’t know what the hell I’m talking about, but they had some classic games

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

Thanks for watching!

[@ClayMann]

That was such a well put together look at a console that has a special place in my gaming heart. I couldn't afford it at launch and had to wait a long time for those price drops but eventually I scrimped and saved and got one. It was a truly amazing machine that came around at the wrong time. It was too early for 3D and too late for 2D. Jaguar proved to be a monster with 2D sprite handling as I remember it now (my memory is probably very shaky) and it really took the might of the Playstation to bring 3D at the level we were seeing in the arcades and that's what everyone wanted. Having said that. The second best gaming experience I ever had was on 3DO. Wing Commander was the closest thing to living inside a lavish sci-fi movie. Mark Hamill acting, great real movie quality like sets, creature costumes and what I remember as the best flight simulation space game thing my tiny mind could imagine hooked up to hours worth of FMV that dragged you along into its movie script. It was just amazing. The way you could walk up to a door and click open but the opening door sequence was a short video clip of such high quality that it was just magical. It was like being in control of Star Wars level rendering but of course we all find video clips now so normal. But triggering them fast enough that it could be a video that played to open a door you were walking into in the game, that hadn't been done before. Anyway I found most games were pretty bad really. There were a few stand outs but Playstation just dated the whole thing and I remember selling the console to fund a new one and really regretting it. It had that Amiga like magic that really I only ever saw in Jaguar and funnily enough, the handheld Lynx. Just amazing hardware. It was hard to get emotionally attached to Playstation, it was a cold powerful machine. I enjoyed my time with the fantastic games but I never missed it when it came time to move on. So its really so interesting to me watching the video here that the same people involved in Amiga and Lynx were involved in 3DO. I had no idea but it makes perfect sense. As to its failure. Apart from the unstoppable juggernaut that was Playstation, I think it committed the cardinal sin of any hardware, it didn't have the killer app. That should have been developed along with the hardware as a first party title. Nintendo have always been so incredibly successful with mediocre hardware because of this. Such a shame really. What might have been if it had that Wing Commander game on launch. Would we be talking about the 3DO V5 today? hehe

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Clay Mann "Too early for 3D and too late for 2d"probably sums up a lot of its problems pretty succinctly. I love my 3DO. As great as the FMV wing commander ports are I just started playing Super wing commander on it. The best version of the first WC game imo.

[@Big-boned_Pikachu]

I didn't have many games for the 3DO. I always pop in Twisted once a year though. that game is such a weird concept. I loved the use of green screen in 3DO games as well. It makes it one of the more unique consoles I can think of because of it.

[@Jordi_Plays]

Awesome content. Well researched and really good editing! Keep up the good work. :)

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Moonfall Thanks for the kind words! Plenty more videos to come. Next one will probably out within the next two weeks. Thanks again for checking the channel out!

[@donmerrigan2362]

My uncle had a 3do when I was a kid. I absolutely loved visiting him and getting to play road rash with it's awesome soundtrack.

[@Cap661]

Your channel has some of the most epic and professional videos on gaming out there. Really amazing! Maybe I will break down and buy a 3DO:)

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Cap661 thanks so much, I appreciate it. 3DO is an underrated system with some great games but they can be a bit pricey.

[@patchesmcadams1587]

What if the 3DO took off and in 2019 everyone was looking forward to the next generation 3DO, the '3DO 5' (5DO) !!

[@thegearsprodigy3933]

Plumbers Don't Wear Ties

[@jttheliving5728]

TheGearsProdigy fuckin chicken mask

[@BloodofCaine]

TAKE YOUR DAMN CLOTHES OFF!!!

[@caduhidalgo4996]

It's certainly the reason for the console demise /s

[@DP3com]

I remember seeing TV commercials for it and thought "Oh, that looks cool!" However I didn't see a price point until the first time I saw a circular for the system. Priced at $550, my kid self thought "This system is for millionaires." and that was the general feel with friends in school and neighborhood. Mind you, this was early 90s. People freaked out over the PS3 $600 launch price and that could play CDs, DVDs, & Blu-rays, was backwards compatible, and could play PS3 games. Imagine paying $550 for a gaming system in the early 90s.

[@sirturtlelot]

I just came across your channel, and I have to say, you have some real good stuff going on. I love gaming history, so I'll be binging your playlist for the next day or so. Keep up the awesome work!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Sir Turtlelot thanks, appreciate it!

[@devlined]

this channel deserve millions of subscriber, GJ and thank you for quality content.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+devlined Man, I wish I had a million subscribers! Lol. Thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate it and I'm glad you're digging the videos.

[@ryanbwags]

My Panasonic FZ-10 still works like the day I bought it. Still turn it on from time to time. Best version of Need for Speed ever! Also, Twisted is one of the best multiplayer games ever made.

[@leerudd1294]

ryanbwags I had the gold star which lacked rgb but need for speed was probably the best version I ever played even compared to today’s rubbish that gets released. It was so much fun with insane jumps that were hilariously funny. How far could you jump on that massive hill, trying to beat your previous attempt by getting the perfect setup. 3DO was a brilliant machine for its time.

[@politics9811]

I feel like this really could have become a popular console. Everything about it looked right and looked like it could work. The design, the name of the console, the logo, everything. How cool would it be to have a modern day Panasonic videogame console? A new age 3DO?

[@DjKetti]

I've binge watched a couple of your docs now and barely write any comments...but...I have to admit your docs are simply awesome and (like someone said before) you deserve a whole lot more subs!!! Awesome work, please keep it up!!!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+DjKetti thanks again!

[@iidirectxii7545]

Always loved the design of the original Panasonic 3DO system.

[@retrostansolo]

I brought a 3D0 not long after it launched in the UK for £399.99 (ouch! and people moan at the price of the Xbox one x.) NFS, Samurai Showdown and Star Wars Rebel Assault in a bundle. I got bored of it 6 months later and swapped it for a Neo Geo CD which I loved and still wish I had it today... But today I have a Panasonic 3D0 and I love it even more now.... Lol. Great video.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+retrostansolo Thanks! I didn't get a 3DO until a few months before I started research for this video. I really like it a lot. It has some great games on it but I initial price point was such a deterrent. It's too bad because it had a ton of potential.

[@warrenchisholm3310]

Good video mate!! Nice to see you've thanked all people who have commented!! Keep up the good work mate!! It's appreciated!!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Warren Chisholm and now I'm going to thank you lol. Seriously though, thanks for taking the time to watch and comment. I really appreciate it.

[@MrSEA-ok2ll]

I was a previous owner of the 3D0, buying my FZ1 for $550 Canadian. I bought titles for $90 and waited for the M2 upgrade release that never happened. I did have fun with my 3D0, and did enjoy some of the titles, but was quite disappointed to see the 3D0 advertising line of "we got it, they don't" to quickly watch 3D0 close their doors and sell once exclusives titles on both PlayStation and Saturn a month later. I was also quite annoyed with Trip Hawkings who was caught demoing 3D0 technology, while it was often an empty console case with software actually running on Mac Quadra computers hidden underneath the table...sleezy Trip, enjoy your professorship. The hardware though? I still think that titles such as Space Hulk were seriously impressive, which accurately demonstrated what the hardware was truly capable of; however, the 3D0 hardware died before its true potential was properly realized...great video.

[@johnsummers9660]

I know the 3DO didn't do well but I have fond memories of playing with one. Samurai Showdown was a fantastic fighting game and the Jurassic Park game could scare the shit out of anyone.

[@wastedingenuity]

Subbed. Gaming topics from the early years of video games are fascinating. The script, editing and the voice over is nicely done. 👌

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Eingel Feliciano thank you. Really appreciate it.

[@wastedingenuity]

Wrestling With Gaming keep it up! honestly man, i didn't expect such nice voice. I was half expecting a loud and fast narration like some other channel - turn off with those.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Eingel Feliciano oh I hear ya man. I'm not a fan of that style at all. I've hit play on countless KZbin videos just to be bombarded by someone yelling. I guess they think yelling= enthusiasm. To each their own but I just try to make the kind of videos I'd like to watch. Thanks again man!

[@oldschoolgamer8639]

I love this system. I have owned this in the past many many times. It's a great overlooked system. I HATE how so many people out of nowhere brought games into the "popular mainstream" as prices for older systems have gone way up. Leaving people like me who had to get rid if their collection screwed over and unable to access anything I enjoyed in the past. Anyway, I LOVE Crash and Burn, gex, need for speed, road rash, killing time, quarantine etc etc. It makes me 😭 I'll never see one again. Miss you 3DO. One great system overlooked big time. I miss the "32 bit era" and I miss enjoying these games. Long live Trip Hawkins and 3DO!

[@vince19games]

Phenomenal video. Thank you for helping to document the history of a seriously under appreciated console. This was a time in gaming when many companies thought they could get in on the action...only to learn some hard lessons.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Vince19 thanks for watching. The 3DO is very underrated. Definitely had some great games on it.

[@RetroGamingBlog]

This was a really nice video covering the 3DO. Thanks for taking time to create it.

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+RetroGamingBlog thanks for checking it out!

[@RetroGamingBlog]

Wrestling With Gaming no problem. Keep up the great work. I'll sub based on this great vid. Thanks again.

[@jrvegeeta]

“What time will my daughter be home?” ...... “You want her back?” LOL classic!

[@JestersDeadUK]

One of the best channels on YT, we need more content though bro!!!

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

I'll be coming back soon!

[@mmpsp693]

14:31 has a note on THQ's Akira game, which was never released but a demo rom was leaked just some months ago. And just a few seconds later "VR Headsets get Warnings".

[@CasperEgas]

Will watch this later. I love the console. Only bought it several years ago, but I really think the console is massively underrated. I collected all PAL games bar about 15 now and also have a dozen or so US games. Over here in The Netherlands I heard about the console when it was new, but almost no shops carried it. I knew no one who had one. Was playing some Shockwave just now :)

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Casper Egas it's really an awesome machine. I've been playing Super Wing Commander on it recently myself.

[@CasperEgas]

Watched your video now. Nice work. No real new stuff for me though. I take it you watched the videos of ewac on KZbin? Do you have favourite games for the 3DO?

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+Casper Egas thanks. is ewac the ex 3DO developer guys? I actually found out about them from someone in commenting on my video a couple weeks ago. I wish I would've known about them before hand to pick their brain a bit.

[@CasperEgas]

Yes, he did lets drown out ... several games videos with an old 3DO friend. He was lead programmer on Escape from Monster Manor and played all of the levels except the last with very insightful commentary. The other videos have inside info as well. He didn't make any new videos recently though.

[@MarvelousSeven]

I totally got 3DO fever in 2012, but as soon as I scored a top loader panasonic off of Craigslist...I was like...WTF? Why did I want this?

[@WrestlingWithGaming]

+MarvelousSeven aww man. You gotta try super Wing Commander on it. It's great

[@otomicans6580]

I can imagine the shock of seeing Final Fantasy 7 just a couple years later and thinking of how you threw away all that money. It could have been worse though. At least you didn't buy a CDI.

[@stephenwatson4012]

I've never had a 3DO, but I know Space Hulk and D are good games for it. Also for a mad FPS get PO'ED.

[@parkinsaw]

bah only worthwhile game was road rash. Game was amazing on the 3DO

[@symbolsarenotreality4595]

In a resource based economy people would work together not against each other like in capitalism.

[@lando8913]

Love your documentary style videos, great work.

[@MzuMzu-nx1em]

Trip Hawkins look like the villain from a Jackie chan movie