RDI Halcyon

[Captain J]

I was wondering if anyone has any pictures of or has seen or even owns a RDI Halcyon system, not just the usual internet pictures that are out there. I do realize that this may be the rarest video game system there is, but I was wondering if anyone has ever seen one with their own eyes. About 3 years ago I was at a convention with Rick Dyer himself and he told me that he wishes he could have one for himself! LOL For anyone that doesnt know what I am talking about here is a pic below. I am looking for a live picture, not a stock photo!

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b275/world_of_games/rdi.jpg

and here is some info on the system:
Carlsbad, California's RDI, in near-bankruptcy in 1981, created Dragon's Lair the first interactive laserdisc game to enter the arcades. When it and the subsequent Space Ace became sudden hits, RDI president Rick Dyer began work on a $2500, Level 3 computer/laserdisc player system incorporating voice-synthesis and voice-recognition technology. Dyer named it Halcyon, he says, for a variety of reasons, but primarily because, "The first syllable of 'Halcyon' is 'Hal'" -- the name of the soulful computer in 2001: A Space Odyssey. "With the modules we'll be introducing, you'll beable to control your whole house. You'll talk to Hal, and it'll talk back. It'll be a robot without wheels." Arthur C. Clarke aside, Halcyon came bundled -- saddled would be more like it -- with a sword-and-sorcery adventure game called Thayer's Quest. RDI was also to release its Raiders vs. Chargers football game ($94), which was sanctioned by the National Football League and uses three seasons of live action footage. Dyer also had plans for a Dallas vs. Washington game and a Thayer's sequel, as well as a pricey "Control Module" that would allow unified remote control of a variety of electronic gadgets. But there were problems. RDI, despite Dyer's understandable cheerleading, was in shaky financial shape -- common enough among young companies, but especially important to consumers when you consider the warranty and servicing of a $2,500 item (or $1,700 for the computer portion alone). One creditor reported being stung along baldfacedly, and of suddenly receiving a form letter asking him and other creditors to please hold off for 90 days. Dyer, however, insisted that "RDI is doing well. RDI started shipping for real the second week in January 1985, and the creditors unanimously voted to give us a 90-day extension. Whatever the specifics, RDI wasn't alone in the home videogame squeeze.

[Bojay1997]

I own two complete Halcyon systems as well as a bunch of spare parts. I brought one for the museum at CGE a few years back and there are some photos of it floating around the web. You might want to visit the Dragons Lair Project website as I believe there are several other Halcyon owners that post pretty regularly. Contrary to what RDI and others may have said at the time, it appears to me that the system never really went into full production. I have a collection of documents from RDI and I can't find any record of them actually shipping any to retail. The systems that are out there seem to have been given to investors to assure them that things were moving forward.

[puxley]

Yes, I too have noticed the conflicting opinions on whether the system ever really made it out the door.

The most I've ever seen of the Halcyon is a short demo video, obviously taken from a longer promo film that must exist out there somewhere.

It is included as one of the extras on the Hologram Time Traveler DVD game.
There are several interviews with Rick Dyer, and a short documentary. One of them includes snippets of Halcyon footage, including Thayer's Quest, Football, and at least two of the unreleased games. They also say that the project was never commercially released.

I wish I could see the complete promo film!
Now that we know the "Meaning of Life", perhaps it is the next great quest.....

[Captain J]

Yes, I too have noticed the conflicting opinions on whether the system ever really made it out the door.

The most I've ever seen of the Halcyon is a short demo video, obviously taken from a longer promo film that must exist out there somewhere.

It is included as one of the extras on the Holgram Time Traveler DVD game.
There are several interviews with Rick Dyer, and a short documentary. One of them includes snippets of Halcyon footage, including Thayer's Quest, Football, and at least two of the unreleased games. The also say that it was never commercially released.

I wish I could see the complete promo film!
Now that we know the "Meaning of Life", perhaps it is the next great quest.....

yes we do, but i beieve that quest will be harder than the last! i have the time traveler disc that you were talking about and have seen the trailer. but im just saying what rick told me personally although he may have been to caught up in other products to notice!

[Captain J]

I own two complete Halcyon systems as well as a bunch of spare parts. I brought one for the museum at CGE a few years back and there are some photos of it floating around the web. You might want to visit the Dragons Lair Project website as I believe there are several other Halcyon owners that post pretty regularly. Contrary to what RDI and others may have said at the time, it appears to me that the system never really went into full production. I have a collection of documents from RDI and I can't find any record of them actually shipping any to retail. The systems that are out there seem to have been given to investors to assure them that things were moving forward.

any chance you would be interested in getting rid of one of those?

[Bojay1997]

Sorry, everything needs to stay together. I bought around 25 storage boxes of material from a former investor in RDI who got everything from a private bankruptcy sale. There are original scripts, raw materials for the games (35mm, 3/4" and 1" tapes, test laserdiscs, floppy discs with the code, etc...), animation cells and storyboards, corporate documents, the two systems and a bunch of parts and even around 1,000 pages of blueprints and wiring diagrams. At some point I will catalog it all, but for now if you visit the Dragon's Lair Project website, they have some good info about the system and I believe a downloadable version of the Halcyon promo videos.

[SoulBlazer]

Any site you know off that has pics of the games in action?

I'd REALLY like to see that football game in action, and to see how it played.....

One recently sold on EBay also.

[Saabmeister]

Dragons Lair Project has audio and video of all 6 games.
http://www.dragons-lair-project.com/community/related/homesystems/halcyon/

[Captain J]

Sorry, everything needs to stay together. I bought around 25 storage boxes of material from a former investor in RDI who got everything from a private bankruptcy sale. There are original scripts, raw materials for the games (35mm, 3/4" and 1" tapes, test laserdiscs, floppy discs with the code, etc...), animation cells and storyboards, corporate documents, the two systems and a bunch of parts and even around 1,000 pages of blueprints and wiring diagrams. At some point I will catalog it all, but for now if you visit the Dragon's Lair Project website, they have some good info about the system and I believe a downloadable version of the Halcyon promo videos.

kind of figured that LOL i have the football game mint in my collection but that is the only thing halcyon related. that is an amazing set of stuff you have for it and for some reason you ever need to part with it, please let me know! btw do the systems work properly?

[Captain J]

i totally agree maybe in the knowledge base perhaps? O_O

[Bojay1997]

Both systems work all the way. At some point I will actually scan and photograph everything. I've had lots of offers to help with this, but I just don't have a lot of time right now. Everything is well preserved, however, with the film being properly vaulted and all the videotapes and data dumped or backed up.

[Captain J]

Both systems work all the way. At some point I will actually scan and photograph everything. I've had lots of offers to help with this, but I just don't have a lot of time right now. Everything is well preserved, however, with the film being properly vaulted and all the videotapes and data dumped or backed up.

well to let you know, i would be willing to pay for any and all copies of the media you have, be it a dvd transfer, vhs or whatever. i like to archieve this stuff as well.

[Captain J]

I knew I had this picture somewhere! When I was talking earlier about the conversation I had with Rick, here is a pic of that day with me and him and Don Bluth!

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b275/world_of_games/JoeBluth.jpg

[Alucard]

I think that is pretty awesome that you met Don Bluth, Secret of Nihm is one of my favorite movies!

[Captain J]

I think that is pretty awesome that you met Don Bluth, Secret of Nihm is one of my favorite movies!

yeah we sat and talked about that movie and about dragons lair for quite sometime. he was telling me about his dragons lair mint arcade collection and i was drooling! he is a very nice guy and we got along great. him and rick both wrote me a few emails after that meeting so that was pretty cool. also i have that picture above framed and out behind the counter at my video game store so customers ask about it all the time :)