Game Console Prototypes

[parallaxscroll]

This thread is for prototypes of released and unreleased consoles, as well as console add-ons.

Also for artist's conceptions, mock-ups, and fakes of any real or rumored console.


Prototype Super Famicom, 1988
http://i35.tinypic.com/e80pk0.jpg
http://www.disgruntleddesigner.com/chrisc/misc/IMG_1814sm.jpg
http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b314/baconmcshig/protosufami.jpg

16-bit Sony/Nintendo PlayStation, 1988-1991
(it's a Super Famicom/SNES w/built in CD-ROM)
http://i34.tinypic.com/1zogbqt.gif

32-bit Nintendo Disc aka Philips CD-ROM XA, 1992-1993
(CD-ROM add-on for Super Famicom/SNES)
http://www.nintendoweb.nl/images/snes_cd-rom.jpg



NEC-HUDSON 32-bit IronMan aka Project Tetsujin, 1992
(forerunner of the PC-FX)


http://i35.tinypic.com/2vumpmh.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/fncnid.jpg

http://i37.tinypic.com/208h9xj.jpg


concept Sega Saturn, 1993

http://www.kikizo.com/clients/gaf/kikizo_gaf_saturn_prototype_soa_ces94.jpg

http://i39.tinypic.com/rbjeac.jpg

[Tupin]

To my knowledge, this is the only known image of this version of the Taito Wow-Wow.

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x28/TUPPYLUVER95/taito_wow_wow.jpg?t=1230235681

[parallaxscroll]

To my knowledge, this is the only known image of this version of the Taito Wow-Wow.

http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x28/TUPPYLUVER95/taito_wow_wow.jpg?t=1230235681


That was a nice looking 16-bit console, thanks.

Here's another small pic:
http://i39.tinypic.com/wvwp3q.jpg

[Tupin]

There's an entire section of a site devoted to this.

http://ultimateconsoledatabase.com/unreleased.htm

Very interesting read, I especially like the article on the Camerica Express.

[parallaxscroll]

Nintendo AVS (Advanced Video System), 1984
(American version of Famicom redesigned into a computer/console before NES was made)
http://www.nesworld.com/hardware/avs1.jpg


Sega Black Belt, 1997
(Sega of America designed console with 3Dfx graphics, was canceled in favor of Katana which became Dreamcast)
http://www.playright.dk/screens/blackbelt__01_t.jpg


artist's concept of PlayStation2, 1998
http://i41.tinypic.com/2pzbupi.jpg


3DO M2 upgrade, 1995.
Matsushita/Panasonic and Goldstar M2 consoles, 1995-1998

http://i40.tinypic.com/m9oyyx.jpg

Panasonic
http://i41.tinypic.com/abngi9.jpg

Goldstar
http://i39.tinypic.com/2ebquxu.jpg

Panasonic
http://i41.tinypic.com/2rpxopu.jpg

http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/knyte6426/3dom2.jpg

[parallaxscroll]

Katana / Dreamcast prototypes

http://i44.tinypic.com/4pwava.jpg

http://www.playright.dk/screens/dreamcastprototypes_dc_01.jpg
http://dcemulation.org/images/5/56/HWProtoDC2.jpg



http://www.playright.dk/screens/dreamcastprototypes_dc_03.jpg
http://dcemulation.org/images/b/b5/HWProtoDC3.jpg




http://www.playright.dk/screens/dreamcastprototypes_dc_04.jpg
http://dcemulation.org/images/b/bd/HWProtoDC1.jpg

Dreamcast controller prototypes

http://media.gwn.com/articles_mp/126346640344bb2bd026e57.jpg

http://media.gwn.com/articles_mp/168363183644bb2bd0289a6.jpg

[poloplayr]

God, I love these kind of pictures.

Never seen that Dreamcast proto joypad before. I cannot believe how much it reminds of the Wii controller!

[Steve W]

The Goldstar M2 console's joypad sure does look like the Amiga CD32's controller.

[CosmicMonkey]

I am quite partial to prototype shots and also well done concepts/fakes. I did have loads of PS2 concept designs around somewhere. None of them were official but a couple were definitely cool looking and quite feasible.

I think the PS2 concepts are in same place as all the Dreamcast ones. I have most of those pictures plus the Swatch Beat peripheral, Zip drive etc.

http://img201.imageshack.us/img201/5451/neostarxd5.jpg

I've seen an non-colored line drawing of this before, but this is the only pic I could easily find. Definitely very cool.

EDIT: Whilst we're at it then:

Megadrive Floppy Drive, Keyboard and Touch Pad
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/5433/mdtablcl2.jpghttp://img237.imageshack.us/img237/7228/mdkeybzl5.jpg

Master System Floppy Drive
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/1237/smsdiscwa0.jpg

And there's some pictures of PC Engine stuff over on NFG (http://nfg.2y.net/games/PCE_Protos/index.htm). In fact, doesn't Adol have a Tsushin Booster for the PC Engine?

If you have a look around the interweb you should be able to find some of the crazy Jaguar prototypes: VR helmets, Modems, JagDuos etc.

[otaku]

saw the neostar recently and the dreamcast controllers awhile back. Nintendo isn't as original as everyone thinks.

[Poofta!]

i have a rather popular proto picture of the DS. if i find it i will show it.

[Poofta!]

wasnt there a website/forum dedicated to protos etc? i forget the name. the owner has one of hte biggest collections ever.

[poloplayr]

you mean Assembler?

[Sabz5150]

Master System Floppy Drive
http://img408.imageshack.us/img408/1237/smsdiscwa0.jpg


http://icanhascheezburger.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/128291014922933750want.jpg

[parallaxscroll]

redesigned 8-bit Famicom, 1988
http://www.disgruntleddesigner.com/chrisc/misc/IMG_1816sm.jpg

[parallaxscroll]

Regarding the SNES CD-ROM, there were at least three completely
different, seperate systems / formats:


1.) 16-bit Sony-Nintendo Play Station (1988-1991).
There was both an add-on and a standalone combined all-in-one console, which I posted in my OP.
2.) 16-bit Phillips CD-ROM (1991), an add-on only
3.) 32-bit Nintendo Disc / Philips CD-ROM XA (1992).
Sony was involved with this also. An add-on only (also in my OP)

There also seems to be various prototypes/mockups of each thus, it gets confusing!

prototype of the 16-bit Sony Play Station SNES CD-ROM addon.


http://i34.tinypic.com/1268yuu.jpg

http://i33.tinypic.com/1rd73n.jpg

http://i34.tinypic.com/wbf1uu.jpg


patent of the 16-bit Sony/Nintendo Play Station combined standalone unit.

http://www.elsenordelasmoscas.com/sfiles/snes/psnes.jpg


mock-up of the 32-bit Nintendo Disc
http://www.gizmos.es/wp-content/uploads/2007/02/snes-cd.jpg


early EGM article on (i think) the 32-bit Nintendo Disk CD-ROM
http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/1838/earlynowsnes16bitcdcrop686x916.jpg

another early EGM article, definitely on 32-bit Nintendo Disc
http://img82.imageshack.us/img82/986/early32snescd21524x2032crop668.jpg

later EGM article on 32-bit Nintendo Disc
http://www.gamersgraveyard.com/repository/snes/history/images/egm_snes_cd_article.jpg

EGM article on Nintendo Disk years after it was canceled
http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/1121/dsc088567gp.jpg

[skaar]

Here's a prototype of one of the SNES CD-ROM addons,
I do not know which of the 3 formats this is...

http://i34.tinypic.com/1268yuu.jpg


It looks like someone was beaten to death for/with that one or something - is that blood?

[Sabz5150]

It looks like someone was beaten to death for/with that one or something - is that blood?

Yes, it is the blood of its now deceased previous owner.

[dr101z]

The prototype SNES CD unit (the one with the red stuff) is the Sony version.

[parallaxscroll]

It looks like someone was beaten to death for/with that one or something - is that blood?

yeah I know, lol


The prototype SNES CD unit (the one with the red stuff) is the Sony version.


okay cool, i wasn't really sure.

[Buyatari]

People don't often show handheld protos so here are a couple of Sega handheld prototypes I have.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t245/WastingOrpheus/MVC-001S-29.jpg

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t245/WastingOrpheus/MVC-002S-31.jpg

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t245/WastingOrpheus/MVC-003S-32.jpg

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t245/WastingOrpheus/MVC-006S-31.jpg

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t245/WastingOrpheus/MVC-004S-31.jpg

[poloplayr]

BuyAtari, very cool protos... do you have any background info on those?

Also, was almost expecting you to chime in re the SNES CD judging from that semi-controversial thread on assemblergames' forum :)

[parallaxscroll]

http://img62.exs.cx/img62/9992/earlypsx1.jpg
Early version of the PS-X / PS1 / PlayStation on the left

[Hitman Tyler]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/PS3_e3_2005_prototype_AV_out.jpg

not the full image,but what it was gonna look like. (Playstation 3)
I can confirm this image, due to I read in PSM magazine along time ago what it was going to include and this is it.

[Buyatari]

BuyAtari, very cool protos... do you have any background info on those?

Also, was almost expecting you to chime in re the SNES CD judging from that semi-controversial thread on assemblergames' forum :)

I got them from Clint Dyer an old time big handheld collector he used to work at Sega. They were rescued from the trash.

I've said all I have to say about the SNES CD. There are far too many "experts" and in the end people can and will believe what they want to.

[parallaxscroll]

http://img400.imageshack.us/img400/6465/ps3liebackend7qe.jpg

here's a comparison, lol

[parallaxscroll]

Atari 3200
http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/sylvia/sylvia.JPG


Atari Video System X
http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/5200/atari_system_x.jpg


Atari MIRAI
http://i124.photobucket.com/albums/p8/knyte6426/mirai.jpg


Atari JagDuo
(Jaguar and Jag CD combined)

http://i187.photobucket.com/albums/x166/MRSTROKER/JagDUO202.jpg


Atari Midsummer Project / Jaguar II

http://www.backntime.net/Events/Philly5/curt2.jpg

http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/jaguar/jag2.jpg


Atari Jaguar II Spec's

The following Information was provided to
the Atari History Site by: Markus Kirschbaum

Size: 10.5" x 12" x 3.5"
Controls: Power on/off
Display: Resolution up to 1600 x 600 pixels (50 Hz/interlace)
32-bit "Extended True Color" display with 16,777,216
colors simultaneously (additional 8 bits of supplimental
graphics data support possible)
Multiple-resolution, multiple-color depth objects
(monochrome, 2-bit, 4-bit, 8-bit, 16-bit, 24-bit) can be
used simultaneously
Ports: Cartridge slot/expansion port (64 bits)
RF video output
Video edge connector (video/audio output)
(supports NTSC and PAL; provides S-Video, Composite, RGB
outputs, accessible by optional add-on connector)
Four controller ports
Digital Signal Processor port (includes high-speed
synchronous serial input/output)
Controllers: Eight-directional joypad
Size 5" x 4.5" x 1.5", cord 7 feet
Six fire buttons (A, B, C, D, E, F)
Pause and Option buttons
12-key keypad (accepts game-specific overlays)

The Jaguar 2 has seven processors, which are contained in three chips.
Two of the chips are proprietary designs, nicknamed "Tom" and "Jerry".
The third chip is a standard Motorola 68EC020 used as a coprocessor.
Tom and Jerry are built using an 0.3 micron silicon process. With
proper programming, all seven processors can run in parallel.

- "Tom"
- 1,250,000 transistors, 292 pins
- Graphics Processing Unit (processor #1)
- 64-bit RISC architecture (64/128 register processor)
- 64 registers of 128 bits wide (shadow-buffering)
- Has access to all 2 x 64 bits of the system bus
- Can read 128 bits of data in one instruction
- Rated at 127.902 MIPS (million instructions per second)
- Runs at 63.951 MHz
- 2 x 32K bytes of zero wait-state internal SRAM (matrix)
- Performs a wide range of high-speed graphic effects
- Programmable
- Object processor (processor #2)
- 64-bit RISC architecture
- Programmable processor that can act as a variety of different
video architectures, such as a sprite engine, a pixel-mapped
display, a character-mapped system, and others.
- Blitter (processor #3)
- 64 bits read and write at the same time! (multibuffering!)
- 8K read buffer (fifo)
- 8K write buffer (lifo)
- Performs high-speed logical operations
- Hardware support for Z-buffering and Gouraud shading
- Texture Mapping Engine (processor #4)
- 64-bit RISC
- 64 bits
- Programmable risc processor
- 256K "texture-work-ram" of zero wait-state internal CACHE
- capable of doing about 900000 texture-mapped polyons,
without textures there can do 2500000 polyons.
- realtime Gouraud and Phong shading
- J/MPEG "COMBI" Chip (processor #5)
- 64 bits
- not programmable!
- 8K own data rom (with sinus) table
- 128K CACHE (fifo)
- realtime J/MPEG decompression via CACHE (fifo)
- DRAM memory controller
- 4 x 64 bits
- Accesses the DRAM directly

- "Jerry"
- 900,000 transistors, 196 pins
- Digital Signal Processor (processor #6)
- 32 bits (32-bit registers)
- Rated at 53,3 MIPS (million instructions per second)
- Runs at 53.3 MHz
- Same RISC core as the Graphics Processing Unit
- Not limited to sound generation
- 96K bytes of zero wait-state internal SRAM
- CD-quality sound (16-bit stereo 50KHz)
- Number of sound channels limited by software (minimum 16!!)
- Two DACs (stereo) convert digital data to analog sound
signals
- Full stereo capabilities
- Wavetable synthesis, FM synthesis, FM Sample synthesis, and AM
synthesis
- A clock control block, incorporating timers, and a UART

- Motorola 68EC020 (processor #7)
- Runs at 26.590MHz
- perfect 68000 emulation
- General purpose control processor

Communication is performed with a high speed 64-bit data bus, rated
at 2400 megabits/second. The 68000 is only able to access 16 bits
of this bus at a time.

The Jaguar 2 contains eight megabytes (64 megabits) of fast
page-mode DRAM, in eight chips with 1024 K each.


http://www.atarimuseum.com/videogames/consoles/jaguar/jag2.html

[parallaxscroll]

An article on Sega going forward with a Saturn 2 console in 1995 using a PowerPC CPU and a Lockheed Martin Real3D/100 which was 3-chip graphics chipset consisting of a geometry processor, graphics processor, and texture processor. This machine would've been comparable to the 3DO/Matsushita M2, if not slightly or somewhat more powerful.

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/3985/saturn2lmc1crop983x9806js.th.jpg (http://img80.imageshack.us/my.php?image=saturn2lmc1crop983x9806js.jpg)http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/258/saturn2lmc2crop1033x13522rk.th.jpg (http://img122.imageshack.us/my.php?image=saturn2lmc2crop1033x13522rk.jpg)http://img122.imageshack.us/img122/6834/saturn2lmc3crop1063x14140sq.th.jpg (http://img122.imageshack.us/my.php?image=saturn2lmc3crop1063x14140sq.jpg)

Saturn 2 was in planning and perhaps even development after the unreleased Sega/Nvidia NV2-based console, but before the unreleased 3Dfx-based Black Belt/Dural and released PowerVR2-based Katana/Dreamcast.

[Hitman Tyler]

http://img400.imageshack.us/img400/6465/ps3liebackend7qe.jpg

here's a comparison, lol
Was this suppose to be a joke to me or at sony?

Apparently your pic is wrong for the "new" ps3 due to it has a HDMI input in the back. Well at least my 60Gb does, don't know about the newer ones.

Also that's why my picture is of the prototype sony advertised with; at E3,magazines,etc.

[Steve W]

The Konix Multisystem (http://www.zhell.co.uk/konix.html) was a pretty neat machine for it's time, although the odd design might have limited it to mostly driving games/flight sims. I can't imagine playing a Defender clone with a steering wheel. Although they did make joysticks too (which makes me wonder if they were going to make the Konix joysticks Atari compatible).

According to info from Retro Gamer, Lucasfilm was interested in buying into the Multisystem console, but the company owner wanted to keep it British. It's a shame that it never came out, although I can't see it doing well against Nintendo here in the US. Especially with it's steering wheel design making it seem like it has limited gameplay control. But who knows how things might have gone if LucasArts had bought the design. Imagine higher quality first person flight/driving games like Ballblazer, Rescue on Fractalus, The Eidolon, and all the Star Wars games they would have put out on the newly christened LucasArts Multisystem. Woo! Brain melt!

[ProgrammingAce]

Was this suppose to be a joke to me or at sony?

Apparently your pic is wrong for the "new" ps3 due to it has a HDMI input in the back. Well at least my 60Gb does, don't know about the newer ones.

Also that's why my picture is of the prototype sony advertised with; at E3,magazines,etc.

The "Lie" is the fact that sony promised the PS3 could push 120 frames per second out of duel HDMI ports. One was cut from the final model.

I'd hardly consider that system a prototype, it was made by the marketing division, not the engineers.

[Hitman Tyler]

The "Lie" is the fact that sony promised the PS3 could push 120 frames per second out of duel HDMI ports. One was cut from the final model.

I'd hardly consider that system a prototype, it was made by the marketing division, not the engineers.

Interesting. Thanks for letting me know your thoughts on it.

[PACHUKA]

the video system x looks a lot like the atari 2700. Are they the same thing?

[parallaxscroll]

The Konix Multisystem (http://www.zhell.co.uk/konix.html) was a pretty neat machine for it's time, although the odd design might have limited it to mostly driving games/flight sims. I can't imagine playing a Defender clone with a steering wheel. Although they did make joysticks too (which makes me wonder if they were going to make the Konix joysticks Atari compatible).

According to info from Retro Gamer, Lucasfilm was interested in buying into the Multisystem console, but the company owner wanted to keep it British. It's a shame that it never came out, although I can't see it doing well against Nintendo here in the US. Especially with it's steering wheel design making it seem like it has limited gameplay control. But who knows how things might have gone if LucasArts had bought the design. Imagine higher quality first person flight/driving games like Ballblazer, Rescue on Fractalus, The Eidolon, and all the Star Wars games they would have put out on the newly christened LucasArts Multisystem. Woo! Brain melt!

http://i44.tinypic.com/11ih4sx.jpg

Konix Multisystem was also pretty powerful under the hood. The Slipstream ASIC, the heart of the machine, was an improved version of Flare Technologies 'Flare One' computer architecture (Flare II went on to become Jaguar).

EGM article
http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/2440/konix19891284x1570963x11780uo.jpg
http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/5539/konix21989983x13158hs.jpg

VG&CE article
http://img461.imageshack.us/img461/7631/vgce198911editoral9nh.jpg
http://img461.imageshack.us/img461/3723/vgcenov1989konix11fa.jpg
http://img461.imageshack.us/img461/3621/vgcenov1989konix24gq.jpg
http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/4246/vgcenov1989konix39si.jpg
http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/8571/vgcenov1989konix49bt.jpg
http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/6897/vgcenov1989konix54vs.jpg

Konix Multisystem trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgkOLfcRWYA

vids of 'Attack Of The Mutant Camels 1989'
(a huge improvement over the old original game)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Tjk9IR5fIA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUy4QMlb790
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPGtap-nF6U


The idea of Konix Multisystem was awesome. Tactile feed back, transformable controller. But the processing hardware, was a bit lacking. It was powerful for a home unit, but it could've stronger for a system that would've launched in 1990. If they had made the hardware somewhat more powerful and recieved support from Japanese developers, I think the Multisystem would've been a huge hit.

[Buyatari]

the video system x looks a lot like the atari 2700. Are they the same thing?

No the System X is an early model of the 5200. The 2700 is the 2600 with wireless controllers.

[parallaxscroll]

PSP, 2003
http://www.mypsp.com.au/img/gallery/full/KMNKGXJ6.jpg
http://vlan.org/IMG/psp.jpg


Atari Panther
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Atari_Panther_chassis.gif
http://www.homecomputer.de/images/machines/Atari_Panther_1_large.jpg

[parallaxscroll]

the rumored Namco 16-bit console, 1989

http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/3843/pcengine2july19896ib.jpg
http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/5745/pcengine2july198926he.jpg
http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/9430/pcengine2augsept198928ev.jpg
http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/7216/pcengine2augsept198936nf.jpg

Could this be what happened to the Namco console,
was it used as the NA-1 and NA-2 arcade boards?

http://i41.tinypic.com/x91xy.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/2uyhish.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/sw5xg0.jpg

Don't know for certain, but I suspect this is the case.

[PACHUKA]

the rumored Namco 16-bit console, 1989

http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/3843/pcengine2july19896ib.jpg
http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/5745/pcengine2july198926he.jpg
http://img358.imageshack.us/img358/9430/pcengine2augsept198928ev.jpg
http://img397.imageshack.us/img397/7216/pcengine2augsept198936nf.jpg

Could this be what happened to the Namco console,
was it used as the NA-1 and NA-2 arcade boards?

http://i41.tinypic.com/x91xy.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/2uyhish.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/sw5xg0.jpg

Don't know for certain, but I suspect this is the case.

looks like a jamma board

[Buyatari]

Holy huge thread of big pictures Batman !

[Borman]

Pretty sure thats the Sony hardware used to run Tekken games and co. Same board setup anyway, with the Jamma edge, and the kick edge, along with how the game was attached (which, according to someone, arent swappable anyway)

[WindowsKiller]

Goldstar
http://i39.tinypic.com/2ebquxu.jpg


That's actually the original 3DO as released by LG in Korea.

[Bojay1997]

That's actually the original 3DO as released by LG in Korea.

Not exactly. LG released two versions of the original 3do in Korea, one that looks like the Goldstar unit that we got in the US and one that looks similar to this unit called the Alive II. The LG 3do Alive II from Korea has some cosmetic differences from this case. Here is a link to a great Brazilian 3do site with pictures of both units:

http://geracao3do.awardspace.com/index.php

[WindowsKiller]

True, but it's the same case nonetheless and not something that was designed for the M2.

[PACHUKA]

No the System X is an early model of the 5200. The 2700 is the 2600 with wireless controllers.


ahhhh gotcha! Thanks for the education. This thread makes me curious, wtf ever happened to assembler's actual page? God, even saying that name makes me feel dirty....

[Bojay1997]

True, but it's the same case nonetheless and not something that was designed for the M2.

Sure, it's very similar, but that small photo which has been circulating for years was a picture of the prototype case for the proposed LG M2 which they showed at a couple of trade shows. I actually have a picture of that version in a press kit somewhere in my stuff and it has a small card next to it which identifies it as an M2 system. My understanding is that it was in fact designed for their M2 and when they determined that it wasn't going to happen, at least not as a game console, they went ahead and released another version of the Alive 3do player for the Korean market using a similar case design called the Alive II.

[ProgrammingAce]

PSP, 2003
http://www.mypsp.com.au/img/gallery/full/KMNKGXJ6.jpg
http://vlan.org/IMG/psp.jpg

I find that incredibly hard to believe. Early PSP models looked identical to the final model. PSP development was pushed out the door so fast that the door mechanisms on the first million units still had the little arm to slide open the "floppy-style" cover that was removed from the UMDs.

I particularly like the button on the top left that says "Analog". It's like someone saw a prototype PSP and described it to an artist who interpreted it literally.

[Moon Jump]

The Nintendo AVS is in the display case upstairs at Nintendo World in NYC. I have better pictures of the keyboard and the card with the info, but here's pictures of the unit and the joystick. They also have the pads (Wireless) in the display case too.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s320/PressStartComic/Nintendo%20World%20Smash/P3090019.jpg

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s320/PressStartComic/Nintendo%20World%20Smash/P3090022.jpg

[parallaxscroll]

Pretty sure thats the Sony hardware used to run Tekken games and co. Same board setup anyway, with the Jamma edge, and the kick edge, along with how the game was attached (which, according to someone, arent swappable anyway)

No, I did not post pictures of the Sony/Namco System 11 board which is based on PlayStation, that ran Tekken. What I posted were the 16-bit NA-1 and NA-2 boards.

http://www.system16.com/museum.php?id=7

[WindowsKiller]

My understanding is that it was in fact designed for their M2 and when they determined that it wasn't going to happen, at least not as a game console, they went ahead and released another version of the Alive 3do player for the Korean market using a similar case design called the Alive II.

Possible, of course, but it wouldn't make much sense, to be honest. Why would they waste money to release another version of the 3DO only because they had an unused case lying around? They would have had to redesign the pcb so that it fits into the already-existing case, or modify the case so that the pcb fits. Not very economical, especially for a console that never performed well.

[Bojay1997]

Possible, of course, but it wouldn't make much sense, to be honest. Why would they waste money to release another version of the 3DO only because they had an unused case lying around? They would have had to redesign the pcb so that it fits into the already-existing case, or modify the case so that the pcb fits. Not very economical, especially for a console that never performed well.

I don't understand your argument. We know they did release a second version of the 3do in Korea called the Alive II with that case. The fact that they recycled a case they intended to use for the M2 makes perfect sense since they already had the design ready, it looked pretty good and they already had the molds made. Korean 3do sales were actually pretty good, at least good enough to justify Korean exclusive game development by LG. I believe the Alive II wasn't even released until 1996 which was well after the system was dead in the US.

[Borman]

Took some pictures of the Nintendo AVS while I was out yesterday:
http://superiorversion.com/?p=103

[parallaxscroll]

I would very much like to see if there are any existing prototypes of the
NEC / Hudson 16-bit PC Engine 2 and the Namco 16-bit Super System,
regardless whether they were different, seperate machines, or, if they were
one and the same....


http://i41.tinypic.com/v81s9g.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/2i8dwtu.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/15xss9z.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/2vvkoiq.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/2zyv9kg.jpg

[TheGam3r]

The Nintendo AVS is in the display case upstairs at Nintendo World in NYC. I have better pictures of the keyboard and the card with the info, but here's pictures of the unit and the joystick. They also have the pads (Wireless) in the display case too.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s320/PressStartComic/Nintendo%20World%20Smash/P3090019.jpg

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s320/PressStartComic/Nintendo%20World%20Smash/P3090022.jpg

The Tape Player looks like a Slim PS2

I Like the AVS Prototype

[Cinder6]

I remember reading in PSM back in 2000 about the Xbox when it was first announced. They said Microsoft had a prototype of it at E3, and that it was shaped like an X. Here's what I found:

http://www.net4tv.com/voice/graphics/story/58_xbox.jpg

I've never seen that particular picture before, but it looks like the one in PSM. Anyone know if that's right? Also, if that PSP prototype is real, then it looks 1000x better than what we got. On the other hand, it looks like it would be uncomfortable to play on.

[ProgrammingAce]

those giant x things are just PCs in a big aluminum shell. They cost about $10,000 each to make. There were roughly 6 of them.

[TheGam3r]

I remember reading in PSM back in 2000 about the Xbox when it was first announced. They said Microsoft had a prototype of it at E3, and that it was shaped like an X. Here's what I found:

http://www.net4tv.com/voice/graphics/story/58_xbox.jpg

I've never seen that particular picture before, but it looks like the one in PSM. Anyone know if that's right? Also, if that PSP prototype is real, then it looks 1000x better than what we got. On the other hand, it looks like it would be uncomfortable to play on.

XBOX Prototype Is cool and creepy at the same time

[Buyatari]

Be cool if it could support a television set. Part console part furniture.



XBOX Prototype Is cool and creepy at the same time

[ProgrammingAce]

It does, It's carved from a single block of aluminum. And there's an S-Video output.

Guy I know has the blueprints, I said i wanted one to make a coffee table out of. Just throw a piece of glass on top.

[Gamebrain]

I'd really love to own a 3DO M2 console someday. I don't have the money to buy one off of ebay when they come up, though.

[Steve W]

There's an entire section of a site devoted to this.

http://ultimateconsoledatabase.com/unreleased.htm

Very interesting read, I especially like the article on the Camerica Express.

I have no idea where they got their information about the Indrema console. They seem to think that it was Nuon based, which it wasn't. It was usually compared to the Nuon series, since it was trying to get into the same market. But the Indrema was running (if I remember right) an 800mhz Intel knock-off processor and a Linux based OS either embedded or possibly on a hard drive. It was an open source development system, which I think was the reason why it never got off the launch pad. From what I remember, there weren't any memorable or interesting games being developed for it. There were some graphics demos and a few minor league Linux mini-games for it, but nothing that a game console could launch with. And I got the impression at the time that it didn't look like anyone was stepping up to the plate to develop any 'real' games for it.

[TheGam3r]

I'd really love to own a 3DO M2 console someday. I don't have the money to buy one off of ebay when they come up, though.

its gonna Happen when pigs fly

[TheGam3r]

and also when chicken will grow teeth

[Sonicwolf]

I have some prototype pictures I have found around the internet. I apologise for not giving credit to the sources of these photos and scans. I also apologise for the massive post incoming.

The first few here are prototype Dreamcast consoles from sagagagadomain and other sites.

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/protodc2re8.jpg
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/protodc1ls1.jpg
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/protodc0wp3.jpg

This next photo has the controller and VMU, the controller has a circular start button.

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/dcprotoconvmudg1.jpg
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/dreamcastproto2lc1.jpg
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/dreamcastproto3ah2.jpg
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/dreamcastproto4dg9.jpg

I will include more photos in my next post.

[Sonicwolf]

These next photos are of Nintendo console prototypes.

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/27ghk.jpg
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/earlysfc1yz0.jpg
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/earlysfc2xv9.jpg
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/earlysnes671x5035yr.jpg

This image appears to be similar to the Nintendo Advanced Video System except that the wireless game controllers are attached to the top-back of the system when not in use.

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/nes1.jpg

This appears to be some wierd mashup of the NAVS components...

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/nes2.jpg

This next image seems to be a prototype of the Nintendo Entertainment System derived from the original Famicom design.

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/nes4.jpg

This next image is an interesting half-way point between the Nintendo Advanced Video System and the Nintendo Entertainment System. It would have probably been better than the current original N.E.S because it utilized the smaller Famicom style cartridge without that damned ZIF connector system.

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/nes5.jpg
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/playstationprototype_ps1_02.jpg

[Sonicwolf]

and now I have some PlayStation prototype pics.

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/playstation2kx21.jpg
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/psxprototypesarq.jpg

These next pics are PlayStation logo prototype options.

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/playstationlogosed6.jpg

And the last 2 PlayStation related prototype pics I have saved on my computer are of controller prototypes.

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/features-050204-famicomcd2.jpg
http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/features-050204-famicomcd.jpg

And here is a supposed XBOX 360 prototype.

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/orig_xbox_360_2.jpg

Again I apologise to the source and owners of these photos.

[ProgrammingAce]

And here is a supposed XBOX 360 prototype.

http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/orig_xbox_360_2.jpg


That's actually J Allard's lunch box.

http://www.weblogsinc.com/common/images/7281865774352732.JPG

[Sonicwolf]

That's actually J Allard's lunch box.

http://www.weblogsinc.com/common/images/7281865774352732.JPG

Haha. Ouch. Stupid me.

[ProgrammingAce]

I'm kidding, of course. It was a design that was intentionally leaked because it was so rediculous. The picture of the confrence room was staged. It was a joke from the design team because the design was awful.

[Cinder6]

Thinking about the PS3 being supposed to have two Ethernet ports...I always wondered why. I mean, outside of workstation environments, it's rare to have a normal computer with multiple network interfaces (of the same kind--I'm not worried about Ethernet + 802.11). What did they expect the PS3 to be doing that it would ever need two Ethernet ports?


http://i575.photobucket.com/albums/ss191/Sonicwolf359/protodc0wp3.jpg
Gah! The hell is that? It looks like an evil, betentacled...thing!

Also, I just realized that (correct me if I'm wrong) nobody mentioned the PS3 batarang controller.
http://www.gamerevolution.com/images/feature/ps3/ps3_controllerb.jpg
I would have been interested in trying one out. Too bad the Internets got in such an uproar over it.

[Sonicwolf]

I just realized that (correct me if I'm wrong) nobody mentioned the PS3 batarang controller.
http://www.gamerevolution.com/images/feature/ps3/ps3_controllerb.jpg
I would have been interested in trying one out. Too bad the Internets got in such an uproar over it.

I actually would have preferred that controller as Sony has seemed to try and distance themselves from their former PlayStation consoles anyways. I personally think the design of the PlayStation controller is now dated. Its just not totally comfortable like the 360 controller is and cube controller was. Its just a Super Nintendo controller with handles and a couple analog sticks smacked on in 1997.

PLUS THE NEW PS3 CONTROLLER HAS DAMNED NON-REMOVABLE RECHARGABLE BATTERIES! LIKE THATS GOING TO HELP IN 20 YEARS WHEN ITS A RETRO CONSOLE.

[Sonicwolf]

I'm kidding, of course. It was a design that was intentionally leaked because it was so rediculous. The picture of the confrence room was staged. It was a joke from the design team because the design was awful.

Ouch Stupid Me... again.

[NayusDante]

Having an extra ethernet port on the PS3 might have targeted 360 owners, or anyone who already had something networked in their entertainment center for that matter. Since most people aren't going to want to run ANOTHER ethernet cable from their router to their entertainment system, a passthrough is a pretty good alternative. Personally, I have to have an old router in the back of my A/V rack to keep everything networked.

As for dual HDMI, I can't think of a good use beyond multi-monitor capabilities. The one exception would be if your TV didn't pass through multi-channel audio, so you'd want HDMI to go to your receiver for digital audio. Still, optical audio cable handles MOST of the formats that HDMI does, and most stereo receivers that have HDMI inputs are going to have outputs, except some that don't output 1080p. That's not going to be a very common setup...

[ProgrammingAce]

the original plan for the dual hdmi connections was for multiple screens. The "planned specs" for the PS3 had the system capable of running 2 screens at 120 FPS @ 1080i. Obviously it's not.

It pissed off a lot of devs that the projected spcs ended up being nothing like the end result.

[Sonicwolf]

It pissed off a lot of devs that the projected spcs ended up being nothing like the end result.

Isnt that the story for basically every console? Console makers always seem to fudge the truth before release.

[ProgrammingAce]

Isnt that the story for basically every console? Console makers always seem to fudge the truth before release.

No, that's basically unheard of. The only other console that changed specs was the Saturn. The problem is, games take 1-2 years to develop, so the manufacturers have to have the specs locked down that far in advance for the launch titles to make it out the door. Because sony was lying to them, developers got screwed. It's created a lot of bad blood in the industry towards Sony.